Paul Potts sings on "The Today Show" June 21, 2007

I got a last minute invite from Lauren over at The Today Show inviting me to shoot someone named Paul Potts. I had never heard of him and I am glad Lauren sent over a link to a video. OH MY can this guy sing! What a voice! Just amazing. He won $234,000 on Britian's "Got Talent" show which is like our "American Idol."
The mobile-phone salesman turned opera singing sensation said he is planning to put the $234, 000 he won towards a new smile

MIscha Barton at Lord and Taylor's, June 21, 2007

Lord and Taylor Hosts O.C. Star and Keds Spokesperson at their 5th Avenue Store

Miley Cyrus Week in NYC

Miley Cyrus was all over NYC this week. First, she appeared at the Disney Consumer Product show at the Jacob Javits Center as HANNAH MONTANA on June 19. The series was the highest rated on basic cable in April among Tweens 9-14.
Then, on June 21, she appeared at the World of Disney on 5th Avenue to sign her latest CD and DVD release for hundreds of adorable little girls who waited hours to see her.
Finally, once again as "Hannah Montana," she performed to the largest crowd ever at Bryant Park as part of "Good Morning America's Summer Concert Series." I have never seen the park this packed for a concert-not even when Prince played there. With the thousands and thousands of people packed in like sardines, I still managed to find my sister in law and niece (well, they found me first). Miley is a really good performer-very seasoned and polished, and she is ONLY 14!

Hawk Update

The hawk has healed and has been set free. "Ziggy," (as named by readers of the NY Daily News) the young hawk that was injured and on the side of the Ziegfield Theater last week has flown away and will hopefully be reunited with his mother

Bon Jovi Performs on The Today Show, June 19, 2007

Bon Jovi appeared live on "The Today Show's Summer Concert Series" to one of the largest crowds EVER (I think Ricky Martin was the only one to have more people). By 5am, the line was wrapped around the block and across the street several times. It's nice to see one of the guys from Jersey STILL has it, more than 20 years after releasing their first album.
Actress Mandy Moore was spotted in the audience.

Enrique Iglesias on The Today Show's Concert Series, Brad Paisley on Good Morning America's Concert Series, Enrique In Store Appearance June 15

Oh, what do you do when there are 2 concert series with 2 hot guys performing 7 blocks away at the same time? Shoot both!
Fortunately, Enrique came out early for a soundcheck at Rockefeller Plaza so I shot a little there then headed to Bryant Park to shoot Brad Paisley. What a great surprise! He is not only incredibly sexy, but he has a great voice.
Then it was back to 51st Street and 6th Avenue to the FYE store where Enrique was signing his latest CD, "Insomnia"

Victoria Beckham appears at Saks Fifth Avenue, "Entourage" has it's NY Premiere, June 14, 2007

Victoria Beckham Appears At Saks Fifth Avenue To Launch Her New Line Of Denim And Sunglasses dVb. WHat "should" have been an easy photo op turned into yet ANOTHER diaster. The photographers started lining up for the 4:30 appearance at 11 am. Everyone was told it was first come, first serve. Well, once again that didn't happen. Certain people said they shoot for certain magazines so they go in first, then they decided to place writers and video people in the front-even though there was not going to be an interview. It turned into a free for all at one point.
I was the thrid person to arrive, and got stuck on a ladder behind 2 other shooters. I am amazed I got anything at all.
Aftr the Saks event, some headed over to the French Institute where Angelina Jolie was having a screening of "A Mighty Heart" while others went to the Four Seasons for Victoria Beckham's after party, and I headed over to see the boys from "Entourage" at the Ziegfield for the Premiere of the 4th season. The hawk's mother or father from yesterday was still flying overhead, looking for it's offspring (an article in the paper said the baby hawk is mending well). Adrien Grenier, Kevin Connolly, Kevin Dillon, Jerry Ferrara, Jeremy Piven and Mark Wahlberg were all there looking as handsome as ever along with Rex Lee, Perre Reeves and Doug Ellin. Other guests included Billy Joel and his wife Katie Lee, Ralph Macchio, and Hayden Panettiere.

Paul McCartney Plays a Small Club-for free, June 13, 2007

By Jim Farber, NY Daily News (nydailynews.com)
You'd have to time-travel back to the earliest days of the Beatles at the Cavern Club to eyeball Paul McCartney in so gloriously cramped a space as the one he performed in last night.
The 700-capacity Highline Ballroom, nestled next to the Meatpacking District, served as host to a "secret" gig by the ex-Beatle last night. Lucky fans lined up eight hours early to land passes to the freebie show. The point was to create extra buzz around McCartney's new solo album, "Memory Almost Full."
But the performance had more than just a rote promotional tone.
McCartney caught the spirit of the new CD, one of his most buoyant in years. The disk features fleet tunes and philosophical lyrics about the pull of the past and the mystery of time.
Last night's set followed suit, bouncing around the 64-year-old's history with songs from the Beatles as well as from his solo career.
Nothing sprung from the days of Wings.
Backed by a tight, four-man band, McCartney kicked off his 90-minute, 21-song set with "Drive My Car," done with garage rock flair. From there, he cherry-picked the new songs, starting with "Only Mama Knows," as toned a piece of power pop as this decade has produced.
Ever the deferential host, McCartney didn't overtax the crowd with new pieces. He performed just five, although he did offer a few cuts from other solo albums, including 1997's "Calico Skies" and '82's "Here Today," which he dedicated to "fallen heroes: John, George and Linda."
The new CD's backwardglancing theme cut the star a blank check to mine the past. He did so by performing no fewer than 11 Beatles songs, highlighted by a lacy "I'll Follow the Sun" and a chunky "I've Got a Feeling."
The intimacy of the venue would have made any performance by so vast a star a thrill.
But the warmly contemplative context of the new CD gave it an especially rosy glow

"A Mighty Heart" starring Angelina Jolie premieres at the Ziegfield Theater, June 13, 2007

New York Premiere of A Mighty Heart. SYNOPSIS: On January 23, 2002, Mariane Pearl's world changed forever. Her husband Daniel, South Asia Bureau chief for the Wall Street Journal, was researching a story on shoe bomber Richard Reid. The story drew them to Karachi where a go-between had promised access to an elusive source. As Danny left for the meeting, he told Mariane he might be late for dinner. He never returned. In the face of death, Danny's spirit of defiance and his unflinching belief in the power of journalism led Mariane to write about his disappearance, the intense effort to find him and his eventual murderer in her memoir A Mighty Heart: The Brave Life and Death of My Husband Danny Pearl. Six months pregnant when the ordeal began, she was carrying a son that Danny hoped to name Adam. She wrote the book to introduce Adam to the father he would never meet. Transcending religion, race and nationality, Mariane's courageous desire to rise above the bitterness and hatred that continues to plague this post 9/11 world, serves as the purest expression of the joy of life she and Danny shared

Baby Hawk Down in NYC, June 13, 2007

June 13-today was one of the craziest days for NYC celebrity event photographers. It was the long awaited premiere of "A Mighty Heart" starring Angelina Jolie and produced by Brad Pitt. By 7:30am, there were already a dozen or so photographers in line for the best spot for the 6pm premiere. Upon arriving at the Ziegfield Theater at 7:30, I noticed something I have never seen up close-a hawk, sitting on the side of the theater. The group of photographers came over to see, then we made some phone calls. The Audobon Society was so NOT helpful, saying they could not be there until at least noon and then asked me if I "can bring it in to us." IT'S A HAWK, STUPID. We had to chase some drunk homeless man who DID pick him up and started walking off with it, saying he was going to have it for dinner. More details are below, taken from an article in today's NY Daily News.




From the NY Daily News:
How many New Yorkers does it take to save a fallen baby bird?
For a downy red-tailed hawk that plunged from the sky after leaving its nest for the first time yesterday, it took practically an army.
Nine cops, three city Parks Department rangers, a volunteer from the Audubon Society, a licensed hawk rehabilitator, a half-dozen good Samaritans, a homeless man, a gaggle of paparazzi and 50 gawkers converged at a midtown courtyard after the brown-and-white speckled bird touched down.
"People were taking pictures of it like it was Angelina Jolie," said Chris Ferretti, who was walking his dogs when he spotted the bird huddled against the back wall of the famed Ziegfeld Theater on W. 55th St.
The only-in-New-York saga began around 8 a.m. yesterday, when several people saw the dazed hawk struggling to fly away. The bird seemed desperate to get off the ground. Natural predators were everywhere.
Moments later, a homeless man picked up the bird and tried to run away with it.
But he didn't get far.
"There was an angry mob and we were like, 'Where you going with that bird?'" said Ferretti, 44.
The vagrant placed the hawk back on the pavement and slipped away.
Over the next 90 minutes, concerned onlookers called Animal Care and Control, the Bronx Zoo, the city Parks Department, the Audubon Society and anyone else they could think of to come rescue the hawk.
"I never thought it would be so hard to get anyone to help," said Dora Amerio, 34, an accountant from Astoria.
Finally, about 10 a.m., three cops from the Midtown North Precinct blocked off the courtyard to keep pedestrians away from the bird. Soon after, the NYPD's elite Emergency Service Unit truck rolled up.
Almost simultaneously, a volunteer from the Audubon Society, a freelance licensed bird rehabilitator from upstate New York and three uniformed members of the Parks Department's Urban Park Rangers arrived.
Another hawk, perhaps the chick's mother or father, was seen circling high above the courtyard. But Sara Hobel, the director of the Urban Park Rangers, said the older hawk did not dive down to feed the baby because it was surrounded by so many people.
All of them wanted to rescue the little bird.
"It's like it's a custody fight," said Sarah Iams, the Audubon society volunteer who is trained to rescue injured wild birds.
Iams added, "The largest thing I've ever saved is a sea gull."
The would-be rescuers conferred and the Parks Department won out. Rangers covered the bird in a blanket and whisked it away to their E. 105th St. headquarters to check for injuries — but found none.
The bird is not related to the city's most famous red-tailed hawks, Pale Male and Lola, who won the hearts of New Yorkers by making their nest atop a Fifth Ave. co-op. Hobel said she traced yesterday's hawk to a nest near Central Park South and Seventh Ave.
Bird watchers had spotted the hawk taking its maiden flight from the nest some time late Tuesday, Hobel said.
With the overnight storm, it's likely the hawk got disoriented and crashed into a building and then fell to the ground. Its weak flight skills kept it trapped in the courtyard, Hobel said.
Many fledglings falter during the first flight, she explained. Typically, the hawk parents will fly down to their chicks and feed them until they get their strength back up and can fly again.
If the baby bird hadn't been rescued, it probably would have died of dehydration or injury, Hobel said. Only about 15% to 25% of fledglings survive their first year. But this hawk's going to be fine, rescuers said.
By 2 p.m., the hawk was on its way to a trusted rehabilitator on Long Island. When it's rehydrated and ready to fly, the bird will be brought back to the city and released, hopefully within the next few days, near Central Park South.
"He will find his way back to his nest," Hobel predicted. "The most important thing for us it to educate people that we're the right people to call."

61st Annual Tony Awards, Radio City Music Hall, June 10, 2007

Broadway's version of The Academy Awards took place at Radio City Music Hall. I haven't had the opportunity to see much theater these days but I was hoping Christine Ebersol was going to win for "Grey Gardens" which she did.
Here is a list of all the winners:

Best musical accolades went to "Spring Awakening," winning eight awards, while "The Coast of Utopia" won seven in the best play category.

"Journey's End" won for best revival of a play and "Company" won for best revival of a musical.

David Hyde Pierce took home best actor in a musical for his work in "Curtains" and Frank Langella won for best actor in a play for his performance as former President Richard Nixon in "Frost/Nixon."

Julie White won for best actress in a play for "The Little Dog Laughed."

The 2007 Tony Award winners:

Musical: "Spring Awakening"

Play: "The Coast of Utopia"

Actor (Musical): David Hyde Pierce, "Curtains"

Actress (Musical): Christine Ebersole, "Grey Gardens"

Actor (Play): Frank Langella, "Frost/Nixon"

Actress (Play): Julie White, "The Little Dog Laughed"

Revival (Musical): "Company"

Revival (Play): "Journey's End"

Direction (Musical): Michael Mayer, "Spring Awakening"

Direction (Play): Jack O'Brien, "The Coast of Utopia"

Featured Actress (Musical): Mary Louise Wilson, "Grey Gardens"

Featured Actor (Musical): John Gallagher Jr., "Spring Awakening"

Featured Actor (Play): Billy Crudup, "The Coast of Utopia"

Featured Actress (Play): Jennifer Ehle, "The Coast of Utopia"

Choreography: Bill T. Jones, "Spring Awakening"

Book (Musical): Steven Sater, "Spring Awakening"

Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics): "Spring Awakening," music by Duncan Sheik, lyrics by Steven Sater

Orchestrations: Duncan Sheik, "Spring Awakening"

Scenic Design (Play): Bob Crowley and Scott Pask, "The Coast of Utopia"

Scenic Design (Musical): Bob Crowley, "Mary Poppins"

Costume Design (Play): Catherine Zuber, "The Coast of Utopia"

Special Theatrical Event: "Jay Johnson: The Two and Only"

Costume Design (Musical): William Ivey Long, "Grey Gardens"

Lighting Design (Play): Brian MacDevitt, Kenneth Posner and Natasha Katz, "The Coast of Utopia"

Lighting Design (Musical): Kevin Adams, "Spring Awakening"

Regional Theater Tony Award: Alliance Theatre in Atlanta

David Hyde Pierce came out publicly last week, just in time to be able to thank his partner at the Tony Awards. In an unexpected win, the three-time Emmy Award winner took home his first Tony for his role as Lieutenant Frank Cioffi in Curtains, beating out favorite Raul Esparza.

Hyde Pierce noted his significant other at the end of his acceptance speech, joking: "My partner Brian - cause it's 24 years of listening to your damn notes. That's why I'm up here tonight."

Other celebrities present and walking the red carpet included Zach Braff, Naomi Watts and her boyfriend Liev Schreiber, Melina Kanakaredes, Marg Helgenberger, Judd Hirsch, Bebe Neuwirth,Christina Applegate, Felicity Huffman, Cynthia Nixon, Anne Heche, Jane Krakowski, Duncan Sheik, Donny Osmond and his son, Hugh Dancy, Marcia Gay Harden, Fantasia (who will hopefully win next year for "The Color Purple" ) Harry Connick Jr, Taye Diggs and his wife Idina Menzel, Jeff Daniels, Robert Sean Leonard, John Mahoney and many, many more.