G.H. Harding

LIONESS — Taylor Sheridan’s epic series Lioness, has taken a fierce new turn for its third season as Zoe Saldana’s character Joe has been outed and captured initiating a fierce plan from Nicole Kidman and Michael E. Kelly.

This season started off more like the movie Sicario, which Sheridan wrote in 2015, and two episodes in shows no signs of slowing down. The plot for this season had been written all through Season Two, but still, to see it unfold is somewhat alarming.

Morgan Freeman returns as a somewhat shadowy government figure … along with the always reliable Bruce McGilll, but it’s Kelly who delivers just an amazingly good performance as another government figure, the mysterious Byron Wesfield, who arguably controls the entire Lioness-program.

I got burnt out on Tulsa King, and even Dutton Ranch I couldn’t watch, but this one, shines like a star. Read more from Collider: https://collider.com/lioness-season-3-review-taylor-sheridan-zoe-saldana/

HUSTLER MEETS A HIPPO — I only went once to Larry Flynt’s Hustler Club on West 51st in NYC. I found it ironically lifeless and to be candid, the people there I felt I needed to exit from very quickly. Just not my scene.

Now, something called Peppermint Hippo (???), which sarcastically (I think) bills itself as the leading men’s club establishment around, is taking over the space. I guess there’s still a market for clubs like these. Scores still exists, but I couldn’t give you 5 friends who would even entertain going there.

Growing up in Long Island, I’ll never forget when I was about 17 or 18, a topless bar (heaven forbid!) was about to open in nearby Port Washington. Summoning all my courage, I went with some others, and was really turned off in every way. I saw many older patrons behaving in a way that I found offensive.

Read more from Phil O’ Brien’s W42 sheet:https://w42st.com/post/larry-flynts-hustler-club-hells-kitchen-peppermint-hippo/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=30bdbf5cf2-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2026_08_12_11_59&utm_source=W42ST.nyc&utm_term=0_-30bdbf5cf2-561746079&mc_cid=30bdbf5cf2&mc_eid=b59263acd0

SHORT TAKES — Micky Dolenz, resuming his Monkees 60th Anniversary tour next week, hits LA’s KTLA on September 3 … Paramount/Skydance’s David Ellison has formally threatened to move the studio (and, possible Warner’s too) out of California if the proposed merger remains stuck. That’s where daddy-David Ellison is based. Stay tuned ….

Alden Ehrenreich

(Via Deadline) Following his first Tony win earlier this summer, Alden Ehrenreich has zeroed in on his next big movie role and it’s a high-profile project. Sources say he is set to join Michael B. Jordan and Austin Butler in Universal Pictures’ Miami Vice ’85, an original take on the classic 1980s drama series. Joseph Kosinski is directing the pic from a script by Dan Gilroy… PR-pasha David Salidor at Titan. The newly opened Mexican-eatery under the Brooklyn Bridge …

Bob Iger

Just in: Disney’s former-chief Bob Iger and Thrive Capital boss Josh Kushner, just bought the Los Angeles Lakers for $12.5 billion and is Barry (Killer) Diller buying CNN?

… Not a huge Mamdani-devotee, but giving away 2,000 free theater tickets, with TDF, is utterly brilliant.

Per The PATH Fund’s Cori Gardner: “The arts are not extra! Theater, music, dance and all art forms should be accessible and for everyone. I appreciate Mayor Mamdani making this happen, and getting more young people into Broadway shows.” Bravo! … Watched Katseye on NBC’s Today Show yesterday. Are they the K-Pop Spice Girls? Boy, thank God for backing-tracks. Fun, but musically, a producer’s folly … And, per Deadline: Disney+ is not proceeding with its live-action Power Rangers series. The project, written and executive produced by Percy Jackson and the Olympians executive producers/showrunners Jonathan E. Steinberg and Dan Shotz, was set up for development at the Disney streamer about a year and a half ago with sibling 20th Television as the studio. It will not be going past the development stage … Happy Bday August Darnell; Nancy Quinter Blanc;  and Scott Stevens.

NAMES IN THE NEWS — Copilot; Frisker Jones; Anthony Pomes; Raspin Stuwart; Adrian Niles; Bill Evans; Deb Caponetta; Melissa Davis; Anthony Noto; Judy Cachese; Herb Corsack; Chris Blackwell; Herb Rosen; Neil Cooper; Paul Cooper; Melissa Davis; Jeffrey Vogel; Steve Leeds; Tom & Lisa Cuddy; Chuck Darrow; Gary Graff; Donna Dolenz; Melinda Newman; Tessy Hart; Chris Ortiz, Lisa Warren, William Schill; and SADIE!

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MADONNA’S CONFESSIONS — So, was Madonna Confessions On The Dance Floor, Vol 2 a hit … or, miss? After a purported 72% drop in sales and airplay in the album’s second week of release. Let’s take a deep dive.

Per Wikipedia: Madonna’s Confessions II, released on July 3, 2026, was a major commercial hit as an album. It debuted at No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 chart with 134,000 equivalent album units, marking her milestone 10th number-one album and her best sales week since 2012.

That said, 2026 is a lot different than 2012 and definitely different than 1990 when the singer released her signature song, “Vogue.”

I’m a fan forever, but let’s face it, “Danceteria” is not “Vogue.” Also, William Orbit who was so involved in the singer’s Ray Of Light album released in 1998, has passed.

It’ll be interesting to see if she tours behind the new album. It’s good for sure, but her crowd has grown up and has moved onto other matters.

William Shatner

SHAT’S BACK — (Via Deadline) Star Trek anniversary documentary The Sixty-Year Mission: How Star Trek Changed Television And The World is getting an October 9 stateside release at Regal cinemas.

Beaming down to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the hit franchise, the film charts the origins of the original Star Trek TV series and features interviews with Star Trek legends William Shatner, Walter Koenig (Ensign Chekov), and George Takei (Lt. Sulu). Shatner is also executive-producing.

Below is the film’s poster.

Mark A. Altman (Pandora), producer and author of Star Trek oral history The Fifty-Year Mission, is writer-director with Michael S. Broder of Galaxie Pictures producing. Broder says the new film’s release will include Star Trek talent in theaters for Q&A’s.

Also featured are Gene Roddenberry, Jr. (the son of the Star Trek creator) and Star Trek writers, directors, producers, and critics as well as celebrity fans and stars of other Trek series including Jonathan Frakes (The Next Generation), Brent Spiner (The Next Generation), Gates McFadden (Picard), Ethan Peck (Strange New Worlds), Robert Picardo (Voyager, Starfleet Academy), Christina Chong (Strange New Worlds), Denise Crosby (The Next Generation), and Nana Visitor (Deep Space Nine).

The synopsis reads: “This epic documentary reveals how bold artistic choices, behind-the-scenes conflicts, and groundbreaking ideas came together to create an enduring television classic. Through exclusive interviews and never-before-seen archival materials, The Sixty-Year Mission uncovers that truth is indeed stranger than science-fiction.”

“We could not be more excited to partner with Regal to ensure that fans have a chance to see this remarkable film honoring the incredible 60-year legacy of Star Trek,” said Broder. “I am delighted to join forces with William Shatner and many of the franchise’s greatest stars and creatives to bring this film to theaters. And since every birthday deserves a party, we’ll be bringing key Star Trek talent to theaters for exclusive Q&A’s.”

“This film is a love letter to Star Trek,” added writer-director Mark A. Altman. “I’m immensely grateful to Regal to offer this gift to fans for the show’s 60^th birthday. I’m confident that the film will appeal both to longtime fans of the franchise as well as new viewers who might be wondering what the unique alchemy of this pop culture icon is really about.”

Kjersti Long

SHORT TAKES — Whatever happened to Kjersti Long? After a most promising start and a play mounted in England, she seems to have disappeared. She had a session at Berklee School of Music in Boston, but she seems to have gone silent. I have to say that after a long stay in the music business, she demonstrated early on a degree of talent that I personally have not witnessed since Debbie Gibson and Madonna. Family matters apparently got in the way. A shame for sure as she was poised for superstardom …

And, the record-collector magazine Goldmine, was essentially decimated last week after a historic run. To tell you the truth, it in many ways became even more important than Rolling Stone. Good luck to their no-gone editor Pat Prince … We finally saw The Devil Wears Prada 2 and the first two-thirds of the movie was excruciatingly slow, but it picked up in the final third. Surprisingly, Meryl Streep’s character (Mirana Priestly) was whittled down and Stanley Tucci  (Nigel) emerged as the real star. Justin Theroux, with one of the oddest haircuts I’ve ever seen, was hilarious. Lucy Liu and Kenneth Branagh was great too. Beautiful shots of New York and Milan for sure, but the story was nowhere as strong as in the original. Catch it on cable for sure.

NAMES IN THE NEWS — William Masters; Dan Zelinski; Tom & Lisa Cuddy; Shep Pettibone; Glenn Friscia; Vito Bruno; Steve Walter; Eppy; Walter Becker; John Sykes; Freddie Cannon; Mike Read; John Hughes; Bob Merlis; Roy Traykin; Donald Johnson; Bruce Haring; Pat Prince; Chris Ortiz; Jim Burgess; and CHIP!

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n an era where artists are expected to be constantly visible, perpetually productive, and endlessly available, Ariana Grande has made a different choice.

The Grammy-winning singer and Wicked star has announced she is stepping away from public-facing work following the conclusion of her Eternal Sunshine Tour, withdrawing from her anticipated West End debut in Stephen Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park with George opposite Jonathan Bailey.

According to her representative, Grande plans to complete her tour, which concludes in London on September 1, before taking “a much-deserved break from public-facing work and appearances.”

“Ariana will be taking a step back from visibility after she completes the Eternal Sunshine Tour. She looks forward to finishing the tour and ending it on a high note, both healthily and happily.”

The statement also acknowledged the relentless attention Grande has faced regarding her appearance, citing the “endless, ongoing public scrutiny” surrounding the star.

The producers of Sunday in the Park with George quickly voiced their support.

“We know this cannot have been an easy decision, and she makes it with our complete understanding and support,”Empire Street Productions said in a statement. “We wish her nothing but the best.”

The production remains scheduled to open at London’s Barbican Centre in the summer of 2027, with replacement casting to be announced.

Much of that discussion reignited following the release of her latest music video, “Petal,” in which Grande portrays Pepper, an aspiring performer navigating the brutal machinery of Hollywood. The stylized, satirical video critiques an entertainment industry obsessed with youth, perfection, and marketability. Ironically, many viewers focused less on the video’s message than on Grande’s body. Social media quickly filled with speculation about her health, with some expressing concern while others defended her right to privacy. It is a familiar cycle that has followed the singer throughout much of her career.

Grande herself has repeatedly addressed the issue. “Don’t comment on my body… Your business is yours and mine is mine.”

Earlier this year, Grande told Vogue Japan, “Balance is the goal for the next 15 years,” explaining that she hopes the next chapter of her career will look very different from the relentless schedule that brought her to global superstardom.

Grande’s withdrawal also resolves weeks of speculation after ticket sales for Sunday in the Park with George were quietly delayed, prompting questions about whether the production would proceed as planned. It will, only without one of its most anticipated stars.

Grande’s announcement suggests that changing the conversation may begin with one simple word that performers rarely feel permitted to say: No. Sometimes the most courageous performance isn’t stepping into the spotlight. It’s knowing when to step away from it.