Katie Holmes’ Broadway debut isn’t until September, but the show is already causing controversy. Why? In order to offset the cost of having Holmes star in “All My Sons,” the show needed the theater that “A Chorus Line” currently uses. That, of course, is bad news for Mario Lopez, the current star of “A Chorus Line.”
“Katie wouldn’t sign a long-term agreement with her show, which is why it’s the limited run that it is. They had to figure out how to make more money with the time they had with her,” said a source privy to the talks between shows.
The solution: Move to a musical theater. “Musical theaters have more seats than a traditional playhouse, so they can sell more tickets each week,” the source said. “That’s how the show ended up at the Schoenfeld Theater (where “Chorus Line” runs). Because of the “All My Sons” rehearsal schedule, they had to cut Mario Lopez’s run in “A Chorus Line.”
How does Lopez feel about it? “He might be , but he’s pissed,” said the source. “Let’s face it, he doesn’t have much going on right now.”
Michelle Obama’s big week of publicity
Michelle Obama fielded a spate of questions during her co-hosting stint on “The View.” Among the issues she cleared up: just what the “fist bump” really is. No, there’s about it, “it’s the new high-five,” Obama explained.
This is a big publicity week for Obama — she is also on the cover of Us Weekly. Although she isn’t quoted directly in the interview, some of her close friends are, and they weigh in on what her priorities would be if she became first lady.
“Her first priority as first lady would be that (her young daughters) are OK, and to continue to be the outstanding mother that she is,” Valerie Jarrett told Us. The remainder of the interview can be found in the current issue of the magazine, on newsstands.
Mariah Carey registry update
Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon’s lavish Big Apple vow renewal might be on hold for now, but that doesn’t mean people have to stop buying wedding gifts for the couple. Their registry at Bergdorf Goodman in New York is alive and thriving, reports In Touch.
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Celebrity Sightings
Among the items still up for grab, according to the magazine: a sterling silver frame for $1,695, and two dozen champagne flutes that will set you back $500 each.
A source who knows Carey told Scoop, “It looks bad, but she feels like you never know when someone might want to buy a gift or when her dream wedding in New York could be back on. Who wants to rebuild a registry?”
Have you heard?
Ready the lawsuits: Sacha Baron Cohen’s second film, which is again based on his Borat character from “Da Ali G Show,” has a release date. Look for it in theaters May 15, 2009. … Fashion designer and icon, Yves Saint Laurent, will be remembered on July 5 with two documentaries on Sundance Channel. They’ll cover his life and his last women’s collection from 2001.
Courtney Hazlett delivers the Scoop Monday through Friday on msnbc.com.