Obama Doesn't Like Katy Perry -- He LOVES Her

We have an important clarification to make: President Barack Obama doesn't like Katy Perry.



He LOVES her.



HuffPost's Jen Bendery was the pool reporter during an event Thursday in which the president sung the praises of Perry, who would perform that evening at a White House event for the Special Olympics.



"I like Katy Perry," Bendery's initial pool report quoted the president as saying. "She is just a wonderful person. I just met her mom, now I know why she's such a wonderful person."



Committed to getting the story right, Jen gave the audio another listen and found the president actually has stronger feelings for the "California Gurls" singer-songwriter:







There was a lot of love to go around at the event. Jen also caught this unforgettable moment and shared it via Twitter:

During Obama's remarks at Special Olympics event, this athlete got up, gave Obama a hug and said, "I love you Obama." http://ift.tt/1pKAaK6

— jennifer bendery (@jbendery) August 1, 2014

Why I'm Absolutely Sure James Franco Is Straight

When I was at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), one of the most legendary campus rumors was that James Franco had once crashed a Halloween house party wearing a mask of his own face. According to the rumor, everyone at the party thought he was just another lame art-school bro, yet this masked Franco somehow coaxed a young woman into the master bedroom. In the middle of making love, Franco removed his James Franco mask, and, depending on whom you ask, either they both came simultaneously or she vomited all over him. I think both probably happened; Franco wields that kind of power. Rumors travel quickly and thrive in olde Savannah, so there is no telling the veracity of the story. It's the kind of bizarre tale that art-school kids live for; however, I believe Franco spread the rumor himself.



James Franco attended the Savannah Film Festival every year that I was at SCAD. This festival attracts B-list celebrities looking for a fun paid vacation with great networking opportunities. Every year at the end of October, the Savannah Film Festival brings together disparate personalities like Ileana Douglas, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones, Charlie Rose, Ellen Burstyn, and a slew of other fabulous, famous folks who were quite genial and interesting to learn from. In exchange for showing a film and doling out advice to students, celebrities enjoyed a week of delicious Southern food and nightly open-bar afterparties. Since it was Halloween week, celebrities never suspected that the anime, furry, and steampunk costumes they saw on students were actually year-round fashion statements. Franco was always there, chatting up the cute girls, enjoying the munchies in the courtesy suite, and schmoozing with publicist-buddy Bobby Zarem.



During my senior year I had the honor of interviewing celebrities on camera for the film festival, and my first guest was going to be James Franco. Years of toiling in the student newspaper, radio, and TV station had paid off: I was finally a real-ish entertainment journalist! But I woke up the first day of my final Savannah Film Festival dreadfully ill. I had just recovered from from a bout of hangover-flu, and this morning I felt like a boa constrictor had taken hold of my chest. My first interview -- of course the big one with James Franco -- was scheduled that afternoon. I rushed to the doc-in-a-box, shallow-breathing all the way, desperate to be well enough for the rest of the week.



By noon I had a diagnosis (bronchitis), a prescription (inhaler and antibiotics), and just enough time to make it to set at 2 p.m. -- drugged up and ready to meet James Franco. My producer, a beautiful British woman who looked like a walking Marc Jacobs mannequin, gave me a quick pep talk before I got under the lights. She'd interviewed Franco the last few years, and she said, "Whatever happens, don't take it personally." I took a hit of my steroid inhaler and hopped on my stool under the searing lights. Our production team wanted to be immediately ready for the celebrities when they showed up, so we sat and waited, ready to roll.



After two hours dehydrating on the hot set and no sign of Franco, I was ready to take another inhaler hit. Just as I popped up to grab it from offset, Franco and his entourage rolled in, and my producer barked at me to sit down and engage with the celebrity. Franco, so casual and loose with his friends, immediately changed demeanor when he sat in the hot seat. All traces of bro left Franco, and I realized I was talking to a very intelligent artist.



Franco spoke very seriously about his intentions as an actor, writer, and filmmaker; he explained how much thought and hard work can go into even an unpopular movie (like Good Time Max, the auteur piece he was hawking at the film festival). Franco gave shout-outs to all the folks in his professional network who had helped him achieve success, and he did so without seeming condescending. Even when I threw him softball questions, he answered with a serious eloquence rarely seen outside uptight stage actors.



About 90 seconds into our interview, Franco commented on my "positive energy" and said quietly, "Just kidding. You're great." I could barely breathe enough to get the questions out, and my energy was more deathly uninterested than positive. As the interview rolled on, I couldn't help but feel completely insecure sitting next to James Franco. Despite all my desires to cast him as a no-nothing Hollywood lout, he proved immediately that he was a smart, hardworking artist. It was clear that he was dedicated to his craft, and he put a lot of thought and work into projects that nobodies like me wrote off.



For 10 minutes I felt like I was drowning on camera -- gasping for just one breath of fresh air in this interview -- while James Franco stood just out of my reach. He was far more intelligent than I'd expected, and I saw myself as another whiny kid he had to interact with as part of his professional duties. He achieved his success by continually improving his craft, building a self brand, and doing what it takes to get the job done. James Franco understood the power that he wielded with his bro image, and I knew he very likely could have crafted the masked-Franco-tryst story as a way to instill awe amongst art students like me.



Once we wrapped the interview and cut the lights, I ran for my inhaler. My producer came up, hugged the air out of me, and said I'd gotten "the best Franco interview we've ever filmed." It was the worst interview of my life, and all I could think about was going home to pass out.



I stood there, extremely grateful to puff on my prescribed drugs, and Franco came up to shake my hand and thank me. He was not only professional but polite; I noted this as the trait of a successful artist. He said I'd given a great interview, and he wished me the best after graduation.



Franco took a beat before stepping out of the studio, and I saw the face of the professional artist wash away. Bro Franco was back and ready to be unleashed into the world. Before he left, he turned back to me to ask me one question: "Where can I find some good fried chicken and pussy?"



Neither was my delicacy. I shrugged and said, "Paula Deen's or the gas station by the housing projects."



Either one would do.



WATCH:

Aloe Blacc Explains Why He Didn't Receive Billing For Avicii's Hit 'Wake Me Up'

Before Aloe Blacc was acting in the new James Brown biopic "Get On Up," he both wrote and provided vocals for the ubiquitous 2013 EDM song "Wake Me Up."



Despite the song's exorbitant popularity, the only artist credited is Avicii, the record's producer. In a HuffPost Live interview on Thursday, the singer clued us in on why his name is noticeably absent from the platinum hit's billing.



"I came in with the lyrics and I just developed a melody, and we all thought it was something very strong," he recounted. "We finished the song that night as the acoustic version, then Avicii made the dance mix in a couple of days, and that's what we released to the world, and that was his release."



While Blacc admitted that it's "not advisable" for anyone to forego receiving credit -- and that "everyone deserves" it for their respective contributions -- he expressed joy for how well the song's been received by the masses.



"The song matters more than I do, and that's evident by how many people love the song," he said. "At the end of the day, when I'm dead and gone, the song will still live on. It doesn't matter -- I'm just lucky enough to be able to be the person to bring it into the world."



Watch more of Aloe Blacc's conversation with HuffPost Live here.



Sign up here for Live Today, HuffPost Live's new morning email that will let you know the newsmakers, celebrities and politicians joining us that day and give you the best clips from the day before!

Every Ridiculous Moment Of 'Sharknado 2' In Two Minutes

The great thing about Syfy's disaster movie sequel, "Sharknado 2: The Second One," is that you don't actually have to watch it to enjoy it. Thanks to the amazing wonders of the Internet, you can get a pretty good summary of the film from last night's best tweets, gifs of the craziest moments and now from an awesome supercut.



Whether you've already seen "Sharknado 2," plan on watching it later, or have sworn to never subject yourself to its full 100 minutes (we understand), you should still watch our two-minute recap of all the shark insanity that went down. Enjoy, and you're welcome.

5 Seconds Of Summer Get Vulnerable In 'Amnesia' Music Video

The boys of 5 Seconds of Summer are getting up-close and personal.



In their new music video for "Amnesia," the Aussie boy band have ditched the superhero costumes and funny faces for a more sensitive side. Driving in vans, jumping in pools and goofing around in shopping carts, 5S0S are still silly, but are a bit more sentimental as they wax nostalgic about past relationships.



Aww.

Arnold Schwarzenegger Thanks Fans For Birthday Wishes; The Internet Goes Bananas

When Arnold Schwarzenegger turned 67 on Wednesday, social media erupted with birthday wishes for the former Mr. Universe/The Terminator/Governor of California.



To thank his fans for their thoughtfulness, Schwarzenegger posted this video message on his social media accounts. (Bonus: He pulls out an old Terminator phrase that’s bound to make you feel all nostalgic.)

Post by Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The short clip has gone viral this week, spreading like wildfire on Facebook, YouTube and Reddit.









Happy Birthday, Arnie!

The Hip-Hop Artists With The Largest Vocabulary, Revamped

A couple months ago, Matt Daniels wowed wordsmiths and hip-hop enthusiasts alike with his hip-hop flow chart. It ranked 85 rappers by the size of the vocabulary in their songs.







Now, Daniels has upped the ante by expanding his repertoire to 100 artists. The hard data is brilliantly illustrated in the above print from Pop Chart Lab, which is available for purchase.



In version 2.0, Daniels decided to make a concerted effort to include rappers known for their extensive vocabularies. And, as he predicted, many of them -- for example, Jedi Mind Tricks, Action Bronson, Jean Grae, Del, Sage Francis and Immortal Technique -- shot straight to the top of the list.



Plus, who wouldn't want these amazing illustrations of 100 rappers on their wall? Sign us up.

How Anna Chlumsky Prepared For That Heart-Wrenching 'My Girl' Scene (VIDEO)

Though she now stars on the HBO comedy "Veep," Anna Chlumsky will forever be remembered for her role in the 1991 coming-of-age film "My Girl." The iconic scene, in which her character clutches onto the casket of her best friend (played by Macaulay Culkin), is considered one of the saddest in movie history. Chlumsky joined HuffPost Live to look back on that role, and talked about how she drew inspiration for that dramatic scene.



“My mom was like, ‘picture me in that casket’ and you know, that’s how that happens,” she told host Caitlyn Becker. “Kids can imagine. They’re imagining every day. It’s not hard for them.”



Though she appreciated the acclaim she has received for the role, she didn't take all the credit for her performance. Chlumsky, who was 11 when the movie was released, explained that the ability to act is there for all adolescents.



“Kids all have raw talent. They are all truthful by nature,” Chlumsky said. “They don’t have the walls yet, that we learn to put up, as adults. So when you go back to train as an adult [actress], you’re learning to be a kid again.”



Watch the full conversation on HuffPost Live.



Sign up here for Live Today, HuffPost Live's new morning email that will let you know the newsmakers, celebrities and politicians joining us that day and give you the best clips from the day before!

The Media's Obsession With Zayn Malik's Faith

Many celebrities have publicly announced their outrage about the conflict in Gaza Strip, with roughly 40 percent of the population forced to flee their homes by Israeli forces. However, the majority of publications, including the Washington Post, has decided to single out Zayn Malik for his "#FreePalestine" tweet four days ago.



Zayn Malik, when in the headlines, can never go without a reporter mentioning his Muslim faith. This pattern continued when he joined a number of celebrities expressing support of those suffering in the Gaza conflict. The Washington Post's J. Freedom du Lac spends the last third of a recent article on Malik's Muslim faith, saying "it should be noted" and that it gives Malik "a closer connection" to the conflict in Palestine. It isn't until we get to the end does du Lac provide a link on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Instead, he chooses to ignore the atrocities of the situation and focuses on a moot point



Aside from diving into Malik's faith and recounting his experience on being raised Muslim, Du Lac gives little to no explanation on how Malik's faith gives a "closer connection" in comparison to the other celebrities.



If Zayn Malik tweeted, "As a Muslim, I say #FreePalestine" it would be different.



But he didn't.



Malik's support for Palestine isn't necessarily tied to his Muslim identity. Sympathy towards the suffering of Palestinians isn't one that is based solely on Muslim identity. Seeing photos of four dead children on the beach in Gaza is enough to make any human being, regardless of faith, enraged at the atrocities committed against innocent lives. To claim that Malik's Muslim faith gives him a "closer connection" to the conflict is to make the assumption that Malik's intentions for his tweet in favor of Palestine stem only from the fact that he is Muslim. That's insulting.



If religion is truly a case here for someone's support for a side on this conflict, then it would make sense for du Lac to elaborate on Dwight Howard's devotion to Christianity. The star of the Houston Rockets did state that he wants to "raise the name of God within the league and throughout the world" before he was drafted by the NBA in 2004. And Christianity does have a strong history in the Holy Land and there are several Christian-based organizations like Christians United for Israel and Christians United for Palestine, but it wouldn't make sense to provide a linkage between Howard's faith and his outrage on the conflict. Why? Simply, because Howard doesn't have any affiliation or made any public contribution to Christian-based Palestinian organizations as of yet.



That's the same for Malik. There's no evidence that Malik is part of a Muslim-based organization that provides humanitarian assistance to Palestine nor does he have any family members living in the region. There's no reason to say the singer has a "closer connection" than other celebrities other than the underlying intention to delegitimize his support for Palestine.



If the media is looking for another interesting story about celebrities getting involved in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, there are different angles to approach this story that are far more newsworthy. They can still include Zayn Malik, and perhaps discuss that while he's come out publicly in support of a nation in peril, Simon Cowell, who's credited for the success of One Direction and "should also be noted" is Jewish, donates $150,000 to the Israeli Defense Force.



As Vox's Zack Beauchamp recently wrote, Americans who are invested in this conflict often view the debate surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict so tribally that "even basic analytic issues become deeply, inextricably divisive." Malik is an Englishman hailing from Bradford, and rarely makes public statements of his faith on Twitter. There isn't any tribal viewpoint from Malik unless it's coming from du Lac and company's reporting.



In an interview published on Britain's Mirror.co.uk, Malik said that he believes religion should be a quiet matter: "I believe that your religion should be between you and whoever your belief is in. I don't think you should stick it in people's faces. I think you should just keep it to yourself and that's how I've always been with it".



Unfortunately, he won't be able to keep it to himself.



This media uproar is only just a glimpse of the media's obsession with Zayn Malik's Islamic faith. And thus, he's been imposed upon this rigorous duty that none of his band members have to deal with, one that he never asked for, of becoming a representative of the global Muslim community. His identity as a global pop sensation and his "bad boy" image will always be degraded by fitting within the media's limited box of Muslim-ness. As long as the media singles out his faith, he will forever live with the fact that his political or social stances will be tied to his Muslim beliefs. No matter how many charities he donates to, or the number of people he's touched with his music, he'll never be seen for the value he brings to the world. He'll never be seen beyond his Muslim faith.

Kim Kardashian Shares Makeup-Free Selfie, The Rarest Of All Kardashian Selfies

If there is one thing we know in life to be true, it's that Kim Kardashian loves taking selfies.



Seriously, the woman took over 1,200 of herself on a recent trip to Thailand as part of a "selfie book" (which is not actually a thing people do) for Kanye West, who was unable to join the family on their vacation.



Needless to say, Kardashian doesn't tire of snapping pictures of her own face. Ever. But on this day -- July 31 -- she took the rarest of all the Kardashian selfies. Yes, Kim shared a makeup-free selfie with her massive Instagram following.







Rarer than the bikini selfie, the butt selfie (or belfie if you prefer), and far, far rarer than the standard duckface pucker, Kardashian stripped off the makeup to expose her true self to the world, and to promote her sister Kendall Jenner's LOVE magazine cover.

'Walking Dead' Star Andrew Lincoln Teases Major Deaths In Season 5

Forget throats. Rick Grimes just ripped our hearts out.



While talking with Entertainment Weekly Radio at Comic-Con, "Walking Dead" star Andrew Lincoln hinted that there could be some major deaths coming in Season 5. “It is an inevitable part of this show," he said "It’s one of the great things, I think, that you have real jeopardy for favorite characters. It won’t be without its share of death this season.”



In addition to Lincoln's comments, co-star Norman Reedus also recently teased some shocking deaths in the upcoming season, telling HuffPost, "Grab your tissues."



Season 4 of "Walking Dead" ended with our favorite group of survivors being held captive at Terminus and Rick famously saying, "They're screwing with the wrong people." Unfortunately for Grimes and the others, these cast interviews make it seem like perhaps he spoke too soon.



The show creators should just remember one thing though:







Listen to the Entertainment Weekly interview here.



Season 5 of "The Walking Dead" premieres Sunday, October 12, at 9 p.m. ET on AMC.

What was it like to work with Elvis Presley?

These questions originally appeared on Quora.







Answer by Anthony "Tony" Lawrence, Writer and Producer, Elvis



What was it like to work with Elvis Presley?



It was a unique experience. When I first came on the sound stage and met him for the first time, he was like a mannequin. He was sitting there, so still. He had such black hair and white skin and I thought, "Wow they have a mannequin that looks just like Elvis!" He got up, shook hands with me, and said "Nice to know you, Sir." He was just as polite and nice as he could be. We talked about a lot of different things.



He was interested in karate, which I had studied with Chuck Norris many years before. He was also interested in many of the books and writings I was involved in. He told me about his reading of Gibran's The Prophet. He told me certain things I had no idea I was going to use later.



I was even involved in his choreography with Kurt Russell. I did a lot of the things that he told me in the biography. I had to write in an annotated script, which meant you had to take note of where each thing came from in the margins (almost like a bibliography). At the time, it was one of the first biographies. The legal department didn't know how much could be done without being sued so they wanted to have every part of it locked down. It was a lot of Elvis.



More questions on Quora :

• What is it like to work with Chuck Norris?

• Is Elvis Presley dead or alive?

• Who is the king of pop: Elvis Presley or Michael Jackson?

All The SDCC Cosplay Costumes You Missed In One Super Music Video

If by chance you missed this year's San Diego Comic-Con, or you want to see what sweet cosplay costumes are in store for the New York and Chicago editions, you must watch the video put together by Sneaky Zebra. Some of these costumes are UNREAL.



Among the attending cosplays were TV and movie characters, plenty of anime love and, of course, all the superhero action you could ask for. The amount of effort that must have gone into some of these outfits ... it was time well spent.



P.S. Guy dressed as Apocalypse? Blue ribbon to you, sir.

Teens Fight Back Against Ronald And The Burger King With Catchy Rap Song

There are a number of reasons not to say "I'm lovin' it" to fast food in America, but these Oakland, California-based kids say it in a powerful, catchy way: With a rap song.



In this film from Muse Video, a collaborative project between Bay Area youth organizations aiming to mix music and news, a group of teens take on the problems with the fast food system using very clever lyrics and equally scary costumes.



"Are you feelin' it, or are you feelin' sick?," the main rapper asks.



One thing is for sure: we're definitely lovin' this video.

Beyonce And Jay Z Put Split Rumors To Rest With Onstage PDA

If a picture is worth a thousand words, these photos would scream: Beyonce and Jay Z are not splitting up.



On Wednesday, July 30, Bey and Jay performed their On the Run tour at Seattle's Safeco Field. The tour stop comes amid a swirl of divorce rumors. However, the two could not have looked more in love.



The couple displayed some serious PDA while on stage. Jay hugged his wife tight while she was singing. The two laughed and held hands while walking across the stage together.











A photo of "The Carters" written in the sand flashed on the screen for the crowd while they shared a collection of personal pictures.







When more family photos flashed across the screen -- including one particularly adorable one of little Blue Ivy and her mom -- Beyonce and Jay kept their arms wrapped around each other while watching.

Taylor Swift And Karlie Kloss Dance On Stage At An Ingrid Michaelson Concert

Taylor Swift obviously doesn't care if you think her dancing is awkward, or else she probably would've stopped a while ago.



Swift and her BFF, Victoria's Secret Angel Karlie Kloss, danced like no one was watching at the Ingrid Michaelson concert in New York City on July 30. Lucky for us, people were watching and filming with their phones.



In this Instagram video, T-Swift is dressed in black on the middle of the stage. If you can't spot her immediately, don't worry. You'll soon recognize her signature awkward jig/wavy arm combo:







Another clip captured by an Instagram user shows Swift as she goes over to embrace Kloss. Don't worry, guys, she quickly resumes jigging:







Ingrid Michaelson clearly appreciated Swift's moves, as the "Girls Chase Boys" singer posted an Instagram collage thanking Swift and others for coming out:







You do you, Taylor.

Cronut Guy To Sell Ice Cream Sundaes Out Of A Can, From A Truck

Monica Lewinsky Didn't Like That 'Orange Is The New Black' Joke

Remember that time "Orange is the New Black" made a crass joke about Monica Lewinsky? It's okay if not -- the gag was featured during the 11th episode of the show's first season -- but Lewinsky just got around to the show recently, and was none too pleased to find her name used as a punchline.



"I did what I usually do in these situations where the culture throws me a shard of my former self," Lewinsky wrote in a piece published by VanityFair.com. "After the cringing embarrassment, the whiff of shame, and the sense that I am no longer an agent running my own life, I shuddered, I got up off the sofa, and I turned it off."



Lewinsky doesn't reveal whether she picked up "Orange Is The New Black" again, but there's a whole lot more about public narratives and personal rebuttals over at Vanity Fair. She's a blogger there now.

Why It's Wrong To Condemn The Bachelorette's Nick

Nick Viall is Pop culture's unlikeliest feminist



Monday night's finale of The Bachelorette, ABC's long-running guilty pleasure, was uncharacteristically surprising for a show whose formula has been well-established and its storylines fairly predictable. The show's final weeks have the Bachelorette--this time, an Atlanta woman named Andi Dorfman--choosing between two suitors. One, inevitably, will not get the girl. The live after-show, After the Rose, typically gives that person the chance to express any regrets or otherwise say his piece and, more often than not, conclude by gracefully wishing the woman and her winning bachelor well.



But this time around, the jilted suitor, Nick Viall, used the after-show to reveal to the millions-deep audience that he'd been especially hurt given that, well, Dorfman had slept with him not so long before telling him that he wasn't the one after all. "Knowing how in love with you I was, if you weren't in love with me," he said to her, "I'm just not sure why you made love with me."



Dorfman responded by calling Viall's revelation "below the belt." All across social media, fans called for Viall's head, accusing him of revealing the information, on live TV, in order to embarrass Dorfman or make her uncomfortable. After all: For all its on-screen canoodling and "overnight date" innuendos, the actual having of sex is rarely discussed on The Bachelorette or its sister show, The Bachelor. Calling Dorfman out for having sex with Viall under false pretenses, they said, was a form of slut-shaming.



But was it? Or was it simply the truth? I'm not judging Dorfman; in fact, entirely the opposite. What I am questioning is whether those who condemn Viall do so because they truly believe that Dorfman had the right to sleep with whomever she wants. Instead, I suspect what made people most uncomfortable wasn't Viall's revelation, but that it was a man who made it. The standard version of that story, after all--the spurned partner who regrets having sex with someone who didn't feel the same way--has as its victim the woman, and not the man.



Try to picture this scenario with the genders reversed: If the heartbroken contestant were a female wanting to know how the guy who'd had sex with her--knowing how strongly she felt about the act--could do so when, it turned out, he was clearly in love with someone else, would she be accused of trying to "slut-shame" him? No. More likely, we'd sympathize with the woman here, too. Similarly, it's pretty unlikely that if Dorfman were a man, he'd have considered the revelation "below the belt." He probably wouldn't be embarrassed by it at all.



And that's my point: If a man in her same position wouldn't have been embarrassed by it, why should Dorfman? If we're going to argue that Dorfman has the right to sleep with whomever she wants without shame, we can't react as if Viall was wrong to call her out on it.



As for whether or not this conversation should have taken place in front of millions of people, well, that's irrelevant. These two opted to be on The Bachelorette, where a "loser" is inevitable and privacy is besides the point. In the real world, this would have been a private conversation between two people who perhaps once cared for one another. But, then, in the real

War Zone Fresco

Jonathan Tindle in David Edgar's Pentecost, photo by Stan Barouh



New Yorkers have a rare chance, through August 10, to see a full-cast production of David Edgar's intriguing Pentecost. This weighty, thought-provoking drama is being presented by the Potomac Theatre Project at Atlantic Stage 2. Playgoers in search of grand ideas of international, time-travelling scope on a Stoppardian scale--at a $35 top, no less--are advised to make a quick trip down to West 16th Street.



Pentecost premiered in 1994 at the Royal Shakespeare Company, which earlier hosted the playwright's landmark The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby. (Pentecost, with thirty characters speaking nine languages and a running time approaching three hours, is intimate only when compared to Nick Nick.) The play transferred from Stratford-upon-Avon to London; a separate, acclaimed production reached the Yale Repertory Theatre the following year; and then--nothing. Edgar's play of ideas was simply too intellectual, as in non-commercial sounding, for Broadway. The play finally reached New York in 2005, in what appears to have been an indifferent off-off Broadway production, but that has been the extent of its local life.



Now it comes to the Atlantic's basement space as a rental booking, produced by the folks at Potomac, a 28-year-old profit which moved from DC to New York in 2007. The unwieldy play features a cast of ten card-carrying Actors' Equity members supplemented by ten college students; Potomac has a longstanding connection with, and is partially funded by, Middlebury College in Vermont. But there is nothing academic or collegiate about this production of Pentecost, which originated at Middlebury in the fall of 2013. If this is what comes of the marriage of professional acting companies and university theatre, so be it.



Edgar's two acts offer what might be seen as two almost separate plays, set in an abandoned Romanesque church in an unnamed south-east European country. First comes what might be termed a Renaissance thriller. Gabriella Pecs (Tosca Giustini), a low level curator at the local museum, brings Oliver Davenport (Jonathan Tindle), a low level British art historian, to the church to reveal her discovery: a walled-up fresco in the style of Giotto which possibly predates the great Italian painter. Giotto is considered the father of Renaissance painting, introducing figures drawn naturally from life. Could this hidden fresco be an early Giotto, or even pre-Giotto? What would that mean to European cultural history, and what would it mean if this cultural rebirth occurred not in Italy but in an historically embattled corner on the ramparts of Europe?



This great possible discovery quickly attracts three sparring parties claiming jurisdiction and ownership: the Orthodox Church, the Catholic Church, and the unnamed government. Brought along to combat Pecs and Davenport in their attribution is a crafty American art historian from Cornell, Leo Katz (Alex Draper), who--backed by the church men--turns the discussion into a battle over commerce and sponsorship. They are abruptly interrupted, in an effective first-act climax, by a mass of huddled terroristic refugees.



Thus Pentecost becomes a hostage drama, with countryless wanderers seeking safe asylum and holding the three art experts hostage. Edgar turns his play into a political Babel, with his English-speaking protagonists--and his English-speaking audience--overwhelmed by the desperate horde. (Dialogue flies fast and furious in Arabic, Polish, Russian, Turkish, Azeri, German, Bulgarian and Bosnian.) It all comes around to the fresco on the back wall and its possibly inestimable value. What does one make of a world that will turn its back on these (worthy?) refugees, but will suddenly listen when they threaten to torch a cultural masterpiece?





Alex Draper, Tosca Giustini and Jonathan Tindle in David Edgar's Pentecost, photo by Stan Barouh



The playing time speeds by under director Cheryl Faraone, co-founder, co-artistic director and producing director of Potomac. (Faraone is also a professor at Middlebury.) Mark Evancho's set and Hallie Zieselman's lighting enhance the cloistered atmosphere. Tindle, Draper, and the young Ms. Giustini do equally well, drawing us into their characters' devotion to art and hinting at interpersonal undercurrents. The competing Fathers--Lawrence Nathanson as the bulky Orthodox one and Christo Grabowski as the slim Catholic--are proficient, while Mari Vial-Golden brings life to the refugees as a displaced Palestinian Kuwaiti.



Edgar uses this character to tear into the American, a natural target as his passport reveals that his name is "Katz"; when the comparatively familiar hostage drama of the second act threatens to dull our attention, the philosophical battle between Draper and Vial-Golden bring the play back to life. (Giustini and Vial-Gordon are excellent, even if they are non-Equity Middlebury students. Some of the other student actors, though, could profitably use more direction.)



In any case, the under-the-radar, low profile and economically restrained conditions have resulted in a first class and much welcome production of what turns out to be one of the important plays of the 1990s. Additional performances have been scheduled for the final week--Pentecost is being presented in rep with Howard Barker's Gertrude--which will give high drama-minded New Yorkers a few more opportunities to see a play they ought to know.



.




Pentecost, by David Edgar, opened July 24, 2014 and continues through August 10 at Atlantic Stage 2

Singer Brandy Tells Oprah Why She Lied About Being Married In 2002 (VIDEO)

The last time Brandy appeared on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in March of 2002, she was 23 years old, pregnant and had recently gotten married -- or so she said.



At the time, Brandy had been involved with music producer Robert Smith. The singer told Oprah that the two secretly wed the summer prior. But, after their daughter was born and the couple separated, Brandy's ex revealed that there had never been a marriage. Speaking with Oprah for this weekend's "Oprah: Where Are They Now?", Brandy explains what made her tell the big lie.



"At that time, being pregnant out of wedlock was not a trend," she says in the above video. "It was a sin."



With her innocent, clean-cut reputation, the Grammy-winning singer also felt the pressure to maintain her public image.



"I felt the pressure of having to be perfect. And I was scared," Brandy admits. "I thought that everything that I have worked hard for and everything that I worked to build -- the image that I worked so hard to build -- was threatened."



Now, the 35-year-old mother feels remorse for lying to Oprah. "I'm really sorry for that," Brandy apologizes. "I mean, you just don't lie to Oprah!"



Brandy's interview on "Oprah: Where Are They Now?" airs Sunday, August 3, at 9 p.m. ET on OWN.







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Lorde Is Writing A Song For 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay'

Just in from a place where great things happen: Lionsgate has announced that Lorde will write an original song for "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1." In addition to her music, Lorde will "curate" the film's soundtrack.

Grammy-winner @lordemusic to pen an original song & curate #Mockingjay Part 1 Soundtrack! http://t.co/GcpXaGcsrV http://ift.tt/1uKRPJS

— LIONSGATE MOVIES (@lionsgatemovies) July 31, 2014

"Curating the soundtrack for such a hotly-anticipated film was a challenge, but I jumped at the chance," Lorde said in a press release. "The cast and story are an inspiration for all musicians participating and, as someone with cinematic leanings, being privy to a different creative process has been a unique experience. I think the soundtrack is definitely going to surprise people."



Lorde teased the news on her Twitter account on Wednesday night.

something exciting is about to happen

— Lorde (@lordemusic) July 30, 2014

This isn't the first time Lorde has had an attachment to the blockbuster franchise. She covered "Everybody Wants To Rule the World" by Tears for Fears for the "Catching Fire" soundtrack.

Kathy Griffin Just Dissed Lance Bass In A Major Way

Um, RUDE!



When Kathy Griffin stopped by Lance Bass' Sirius XM show, appropriately named "Dirty Pop," on July 30, she pulled a major no-no -- at least for those of us around in the '90s. In this incriminating photo, Griffin is seen wearing a (gasp) Backstreet Boys shirt! The horror!







As a former *NSYNC member himself, Bass posted the photo to his Instagram, writing, "@kathygriffin gets a punch in the gut for the shirt she wore to my talk show today! @dirtypoplive".



We've got three words for you, Griffin:

Rihanna Stuns In A Fierce Black Bra Top

Pack up your bodycon dresses everybody, because Rihanna has officially re-invented club wear.



The 26-year-old rolled into the VIP Lounge in New York City's Meatpacking District on Wednesday, July 30, sporting a black bra top and a pair of men's boxer shorts. She completed the look with a loose denim jacket and a pair of black minimalist heels.







The "sporty chic" ensemble is not the first time Rihanna has shaken things up in the fashion department. The singer eschewed traditional red carpet glamour at the 2014 MTV Movie Awards this April with a fierce lingerie-inspired look, and made waves earlier this summer when she showed up to receive the 2014 CFDA Style Icon award in a completely sheer dress.



It's impossible to predict just what trend the star might attempt to set next, but considering she can casually rock a nightgown and sneakers while walking the streets of New York, we're sure it will be something good.

Half-Human, Half-Dog Plays Waltz On Keyboard, Licks Keys

It's rare to see a human-dog hybrid quite as talented as the one playing a waltz in the video above -- in fact, we'll go ahead and say that's it's pretty rare to see a human-dog hybrid at all.



The cross-species combo is made up of composer Dani Rosenoer, keyboardist for the band Three Day's Grace, and a brilliant artiste known only as Bella The Dog.



Some classically-trained pianists might frown at Bella's mid-waltz snack break, but we think it's all part of the show.



Brava, Bella. Brava.

The Hip-Hop Double Standard: Why Are We So Hard On Nicki Minaj?

By now, you've probably seen the cover for Nicki Minaj's upcoming single, "Anaconda," and there is nothing subtle about it. Minaj has her back to the camera and is wearing nothing but a pink thong.



As expected, the cover has been polarizing. It prompted AllHipHop.com CEO Chuck Creekmur to pen an open letter to Minaj with concern about how the art will influence young girls, including his daughter. In turn, the letter has sparked fierce debate as well.



Creekmur, along with Jamilah Lemieux, Stacey Muhammad and Will Mega, joined HuffPost Live on Wednesday to talk about Creekmur's letter and the cover itself.



Much of the conversation centered around the intentions and publicity of Creekmur's note. Creekmur told host Marc Lamont Hill that his note was originally sparked by dealings with Minaj's people, who told Creekmur that the artist would be shifting her image to a more mature theme. Thus, when the cover art was released, Creekmur felt misled.



"The piece was written from a genuine place," Creekmur said. "It was rooted in my experience."



Lemieux, a senior editor at Ebony.com, wrote a response to Creekmur's letter saying Minaj is the least of hip hop's problems.



"I feel that the behavior that the men and women who are highlighted on AllHipHop.com and throughout the hip hop world and universe often engage in that is equally, if not more so, influential upon our children than what we saw in that particular cover and, in my opinion, more damaging," Lemieux said Wednesday.



Watch the rest of the clip above, and catch the rest of the HuffPost Live conversation here.




Sign up here for Live Today, HuffPost Live's new morning email that will let you know the newsmakers, celebrities and politicians joining us that day and give you the best clips from the day before!

David Lynch Reveals 'Twin Peaks' Deleted Scenes In This Damn Fine 'Funny Or Die' Parody

This week saw the release of "Twin Peaks: The Entire Mystery," and if you haven't picked up a copy yet, you'll want to watch this Funny or Die sneak peek with David Lynch (Charles Ingram).



Lynch reveals previously unreleased footage like television static and sports bloopers. And then it gets weird.



Check out the clip above and then take a look at 26 things we learned from the groundbreaking '90s series below.

How Cicely Tyson Prepared For Her Groundbreaking Role In 'Roots' (VIDEO)

From the covers of Ebony magazine to the Broadway stage, Cicley Tyson has had an illustrious career. Though she has played plenty of memorable characters on the silver screen, there is one iconic television role that cements Tyson in the hearts of her fans.



"No matter where I go in the world, they will say to me, 'Roots!'" Tyson says in her upcoming "Oprah's Master Class" interview.



It's been nearly 40 years since Tyson played the role of Kunta Kinte's mother, Binta, in the groundbreaking miniseries based on Alex Haley's novel. In the above video, Tyson explains how a prior trip to Africa helped prepare her for the role.



"I had been to Dahomey, Africa. I had an opportunity to get a feel of the country itself. Made lots of notes, take the dialogue [in], just wanting to get to know who my forefathers were," she says. "I spent a lot of time with the women, not being aware that this role was forthcoming."



After reading Roots in 1976, Tyson knew she had to get to know the author. "I met Alex Haley after he finished writing the book and we spent a lot of time together. Because all I have to do is find someone who has something to say that will enrich my life and they can’t get rid of me," Tyson laughs. "And so, I was given the role of Kunta Kinte's mom."





"Oprah's Master Class" with Cicely Tyson airs Sunday, August 3 at 10 p.m. ET on OWN.

Bikini-Clad Michelle Rodriguez Gets Pushed In The Water, Then Takes Sweet Revenge

Here's Michelle Rodriguez in a black and white striped bikini, just enjoying the view from a yacht in Ibiza, Spain. While she's taking it all in, probably contemplating mankind's existence, the dude in the white towel behind her has other ideas ... devious ideas:







And there it is. He seizes the right moment, and unsuspecting Rodriguez already knows her fate is sealed:







She's cursing the force of gravity right now:







And gravity is all, "Don't get me wrong, Michelle. Love you in 'Fast and Furious.' But this is is just something I have to do":







Rodriguez emerges, with a clear mission in mind:







Dude previously wearing a white towel, your date with destiny is now:







And revenge is oh-so-sweet:







The end.

Lea Michele Says She Looks Up To Jennifer Lawrence

Lea Michele wears a floral maxi dress while leaving the Butter Nail and Waxing salon on Wednesday (July 30) in Los Feliz, Calif.

Hans Christian Andersen's Heartbreaking Love Letters

A newly discovered Hans Christian Andersen letter reveals the fairy tale writer never got to have his own “happily ever after.”



The emotional letter, believed to be written in 1832 when Andersen was just 27-years-old, indicates the author of tales such as “The Little Mermaid” and “The Princess And The



Pea” never got over his first love.



The letter was sent to Christian Voigt, the brother of Riborg Voig -- a woman he continued to love despite the fact she married another man. In it, he confessed that a number of his poems were inspired by his unrequited feelings for Riborg. But those feelings may not have been so unrequited.



Denmark’s leading Hans Christian Andersen expert told reporters, “If only he could have known that he was not alone in his infatuation. When Riborg Voigt died, the poems he had written for her were found along with a bouquet and a photograph of Andersen in a hidden compartment in her drawer.”



Andersen acted in a similar way. He carried a letter from Riborg in a purse that he wore around his neck until the day that he died in 1875, at age 70.



Andersen never dreamed that his letter would ever be discovered, in fact he asked Christian Voigt to burn the letter after reading. Clearly, he didn’t. After Riborg’s great-grandson died, Andersen’s letter was found among his belongings.



The letter has been donated to the Hans Christian Andersen Museum, who already has a number of letters between the poet and his lost love.



The poet once wrote, “If you looked down to the bottom of my soul, you would understand fully the source of my longing and – pity me. Even the open, transparent lake has its unknown depths, which no divers know.”



Not your normal fairy tale ending, but it was Andersen who also said “Life itself is the most wonderful fairy tale.”

Brian Williams' Adorable Response To His Daughter's Casting In 'Peter Pan'

Parents always brag about their kids. If your dad is Brian Williams, though, he might brag about you on "NBC Nightly News."



On Wednesday night, Williams reported that his daughter Allison has been cast in NBC's upcoming telecast of "Peter Pan" in the role of Peter Pan. "Family members confirm that she's been rehearsing for this role since the age of three and they look forward to seeing her fly," he said. He then pulled up a photo of her as a kid in a Peter Pan costume.



Allison Williams, of course, stars in the HBO series "Girls." "Peter Pan" will air December 4. Brian Williams has talked about her career before, once joking that he and his wife watched the Grammys at home, while his daughter was there in the front row.



(Video via Brian Stelter)

7 Ways J.K. Rowling Changed Childhood For A Whole Generation

Today, July 31, is J.K. Rowling’s birthday -- a birthday she famously shares with her most beloved character, Harry Potter. Though she’s long since turned her formidable storytelling skills toward the adult fiction world, most recently publishing two mystery novels under the pen name Robert Galbraith, we can’t deny that it’s through her megahit Harry Potter series that Rowling has most infiltrated our lives over the past 17 years.



Harry Potter, as we’ve so often heard, changed reading for an entire generation -- my generation. I was nine when the first book was first published, and 10 when I read it. Now, I wasn’t one of those kids who fell in love with reading because of Harry Potter. By fifth grade, when someone recommended Sorcerer’s Stone to me, I was already the type of girl who hid The Phantom Tollbooth inside my social studies textbook during quiet study time and hid behind Catherine, Called Birdy at recess. But that’s the true magic of Harry Potter -- it took socially awkward bookworms like me and book-averse social butterflies and united us all in a passionate reading experience. Childhood wasn’t the same for us kids; we were the Harry Potter generation.



Here are 7 ways JK Rowling changed childhood for those of us who grew up with Harry Potter:



She made reading a trend. One day everyone was collecting Pogs or Beanie Babies, the next, we were all deciding whether we were more like Harry or Ron, Hermione or Lavendar. For the first time, everyone seemed to have read the same books and had things to say about them. Though reading could be a solitary activity still, it didn’t need to be.



She made Y.A. literature a cultural event on the level of boy bands and "Titanic." Your friends all wanted to go to the Harry Potter midnight release parties with you, argue over the most crushable characters with you, and dress up as your favorites for Halloween.



She made reading something to be anticipated. Speaking of those midnight release parties: How about that anticipation-building? When did it become normal for kids to insist on staying up past their bedtime... to start the next book in their favorite series? By creating such a hot literary commodity with seven painfully spaced installments building toward an agonizingly mysterious conclusion, Rowling imbued reading with excitement and anticipation for kids everywhere.



She created a literary world that felt close enough to touch, but supernatural enough to thrill. In her deft blend of traditional fantasy elements and traditional British boarding school stories, she offers the perfect, intoxicating balance of familiarity and fantasy, comfort and thrill. You didn’t just want to read about Hogwarts; you really, really wanted to be there.



She made us believe magic could happen to us. Harry Potter was a regular kid, and not a particularly happy one, when an owl arrived with his Hogwarts acceptance letter and he found out he wasn’t a regular kid at all. How many of us secretly felt a pang as our 11th birthday passed without that letter? We knew it wasn’t real (probably), but Rowling made it feel so, so real.



She knew that words were the real magic, and she got us to feel that way too. Like some other incredible children’s book authors (Lemony Snicket immediately springs to mind), Rowling thinks words are fun, and it’s infectious. The clever wordplay hidden within her name choices, spell incantations, and general terminology ensures kids are learning some amount of linguistic history, if only by osmosis -- and for some of us, it helped spark a lifelong fascination with language and meaning.



She helped bring books for younger readers into a golden age. Rowling didn't invent young adult fiction or fantasy, nor was Harry Potter the first very successful book series for younger readers. But after the worldwide phenomenon that was Harry Potter, publishers couldn't ignore the potential of that market. Today, Y.A. is experiencing something of a golden age, and it's hard to say whether that would be true without the Harry Potter mania that opened the floodgates.

8 Books That Will Transport You To Old Hollywood

I spent one unforgettable afternoon in the home of Gene Kelly when I was thirteen. Ever since, I've loved Old Hollywood ferociously -- the glamour, the scandals, the movie stars, the movies themselves, the beauty and even the brutality of a city built too fast, too big, too grand for its own good. I long for a time machine to take me back to the Hollywood of the 1920s, 30s, or 40s. I want to meet those stars, watch those movies being filmed, press my own hands and feet into wet concrete outside Grauman's Chinese Theatre, feel the burn of the klieg lights on my skin, dance all night at Café Trocadero with Errol Flynn or Cary Grant.



In lieu of building an actual time machine (I was always terrible at science), I've collected some 200 titles on the golden days of this movie mecca, from coffee table books to anthologies of costume design to memoirs of directors/producers/writers, to biographies and autobiographies of stars and also the places they inhabited -- Ciro's, the Cocoanut Grove, Bullocks Wilshire Department Store, Hollywood itself. While I'd love to share all 200, here are eight of the best.

Harlow in Hollywood by Darrell Rooney and Mark A. Vieira

Jean Harlow was the first big-screen sex symbol, the Platinum Blonde, adored by everyone she worked with--from Clark Gable to Louis B. Mayer. Her mother babied her, many say controlled her. Her second husband, director Paul Bern, died mysteriously, and there were rumors that she killed him. Harlow herself died tragically and too soon, but this pictorial biography brings her to life again in gorgeous black and white. Featuring hundreds of rare photographs, including studio portraits and never-before-seen candids, Harlow has never been more platinum or more lovely. The photos themselves would be enough, but as a nice bonus the book also features a compelling biography of the star's charmed yet turbulent life, making it that rare coffee table book you want to look at and read from cover to cover.

My Wicked, Wicked Ways by Errol Flynn

Sexy. Wild. Epic. Tragic. Exciting. This is one of my desert island books because it's such terrific company. The swashbuckler Flynn played onscreen was nothing compared to the swashbuckler he was in real life. With humor and humility, swagger and sensitivity, he recounts his childhood in Tasmania, his soldier-of-fortune years in the South Seas, his stint as a Cuban newspaper correspondent alongside Fidel Castro's rebels, and the days he spent in glimmering, immoral Hollywood -- not to mention the ex-wives, love affairs, and that infamous rape trial of 1943. Flynn spills it all, and spins a few tales in the process, so that you never know whether what he's telling you is true or not. Either way, it's the best autobiography I've ever read, every bit as colorful and charismatic as Flynn himself.

Tinseltown by William J. Mann

Silent film director William Desmond Taylor was murdered in 1922. Powder burns indicated he was shot at close range, but the circumstances surrounding his death -- including who might have pulled the trigger--remain fuzzy. Anyone might have done it: the three young actresses who both used him and loved him, his devoted valet, an overprotective stage mother, a gang of criminals... The crime shook Hollywood, even as Adolph Zukor, Taylor's boss at Paramount Pictures, scrambled to cover it up. The author claims to have solved the crime here, but I, for one, am reading for the Roaring Twenties, and the scandal, ambition, and intrigue of a dangerous and glamorous young city.

MGM: Hollywood's Greatest Backlot by Steven Bingen, Stephen X. Sylvester, and Michael Troyan

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, once the largest and most glamorous movie studio in the world, is now owned by Sony. The acres of famed backlots, left to decay and ruin in the 1970s, are gone. Spencer Tracy, who read the eulogy at studio chief Louis B. Mayer's funeral in 1957, said, "All the rest is history. The shining epoch of the industry passes with him." The only place now to see the glorious Metro of then is inside the pages of this book. MGM lives on in extraordinary photo after photo of the studio and its stars, as well as in the maps, engaging text -- including a forward by Debbie Reynolds -- and behind-the-scenes stories of some of your favorite motion pictures.

Ava Gardner: Love is Nothing by Lee Server

Ava Gardner was a North Carolina farm girl who was discovered by the movies when her brother-in-law displayed her photo in the window of his photography studio. Outspoken, temperamental, and uninhibited, Ava was never the best actress, but she was definitely one of the most dazzling. It wasn't just her beauty, it was the charismatic personality, the fact that she almost always stayed true to that farm girl self, whether it meant refusing to let MGM hide the cleft in her chin, or answering Howard Hughes' marriage proposal with a sock to the jaw. She was tumultuously married to Mickey Rooney, Artie Shaw, and -- by all accounts the love of her life -- Frank Sinatra. Author Lee Server, who also penned the wonderful Robert Mitchum: Baby I Don't Care, both informs and entertains as he recounts an epically exciting life.

The Story of Hollywood: An Illustrated History by Gregory Paul Williams

Featuring over 800 images from the author's own collection, this beautiful and comprehensive (to put it mildly) coffee table book traces the history of Hollywood from 1850 to the present. It's both a handy, quick reference and a fascinating in-depth record, depending on how much time you have to spend with it, and unlike most sweeping histories, there's plenty of detail to sink your teeth into. As Leonard Maltin says, "Other books have traced the history of moviemaking in Los Angeles and the cultural history of Hollywood, but this ambitious and handsome new volume is the most thorough examination of the town itself I've ever seen."

I, Fatty by Jerry Stahl

For those who don't know, Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle was one of the biggest (no pun intended) stars of the 1920s. As Booklist observes, his was a "rags-to-riches-to-rags story." That story gets a fictional retelling here, with Fatty as narrator, although the author sticks to the facts of the comedian's life -- the heroin addiction, the wild parties, and, most famously, the party that led to accusations of rape and murder, which resulted in the most sensational trial of the decade. Arbuckle was most likely innocent, but it ruined him and his career. I, Fatty takes us through the highs and lows of Hollywood and one man's journey there, and is at once poignant and bawdy, harrowing and heartbreaking.

My Autobiography by Charles Chaplin

There's a reason Chaplin has endured -- his genius is as recognized and appreciated now as it was when he was first making films in 1914. The Little Tramp came from hardscrabble roots to become the biggest star in the world. His autobiography was first published in 1964, and it's all in there: his impoverished childhood in Victorian England, his first appearance on a stage (at the age of five), the death of his alcoholic father, the struggles with his mentally ill mother, his early career in music halls, his many loves -- some more controversial than others -- and, of course, his work. Written with the same tough and lovely beauty that haunts his films, My Autobiography is much more than the title promises -- the honest, unapologetic, revealing story of one of the most gifted artists in cinema history.

Jennifer Niven is the author of American Blonde [Plume, $16.00].

Here's Your First Look At Shonda Rhimes' New Show 'How To Get Away With Murder'

Shonda Rhimes is taking over your Thursday nights.



The writer/director/producer already has two fan-favorite shows on ABC with "Scandal" and "Grey's Anatomy," but she has new one joining the lineup. "How to Get Away with Murder" stars Viola Davis as a criminal defense professor who gets entangled in a murder conspiracy along with some of her law students. The thriller will also star Alfred Enoch, known best as Dean Thomas from the "Harry Potter" series, and Matt McGorry of "Orange Is the New Black."



In a new sneak peek, Rhimes sits down with her three leading ladies -- Kerry Washington, Ellen Pompeo and Davis -- to give a first look at what's to come in the new series. Washington and Pompeo also chat about where their characters are headed next in "Scandal" and "Grey's," respectively. Check out the video and get ready for Thursdays to officially be renamed Shonda-days.



Season 11 of "Grey's Anatomy" premieres Sept. 25 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

Season 4 of "Scandal" premieres Sept. 25 at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.

"How to Get Away with Murder" premieres Sept. 25 at 10 p.m. ET on ABC.

Sean Hannity's Attempt To Respond To Russell Brand Goes Awry

Seems like Russell Brand may have gotten under Sean Hannity's skin. How else to explain the seven-minute, three-guest segment Hannity came up with in response to Brand's YouTube video criticizing him?



Basically, Hannity's response to Brand's contention that his Middle East coverage is somewhat shouty and bullying was to call Brand a moron who didn't understand the nuances of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict like he did. He then brought on three guests to back him up.



Things went somewhat haywire, though, when one of those guests, Geraldo Rivera, began taking issue with Hannity instead of Brand.



"I think that there are two sides to this story that are not necessarily being told," he said, going on to criticize Israel for killing so many civilians in its latest bombardment of Gaza.



"You have seen what happened at the UN school today, Sean. We can no longer ignore what has happened," he said. Hannity looked displeased.

Vin Diesel Cover Of Sam Smith's 'Stay With Me' Is Almost On Point

Vin Diesel is really into music, that we know. But while promoting his new movie "Guardians of the Galaxy," the baritone actor took on quite the challenge: Capital FM asked him to sing Sam Smith's sweet summer jam, "Stay with Me," and boy, did he try:











As for Smith? He's pretty happy:

Vin diesel just covered Stay With Me. Surreal. Thanks man haha

— SAM SMITH (@samsmithworld) July 30, 2014

Here's the original, if you care to compare:







h/t MTV

Robin Roberts' Alleged Stalker Arrested In New York

Police have arrested a man they say was stalking Robin Roberts, one of the hosts of ABC's "Good Morning America."



Page Six reports that 43-year-old Troy Warren turned up at the ABC studios in New York eight times between June 10 and June 24 and demanded to see Roberts.



“When I see her I’m going to punch her in the face,” Warren allegedly told GMA security director Michael Centrella, according to Page Six.



Court records posted online say Warren was arrested on Monday on charges of 4th-degree stalking, a misdemeanor, and is being held on $3,000 bail at Manhattan Detention Complex.



His next scheduled court date is Aug. 4.



The arrest comes just weeks after another alleged stalker turned up at ABC with a kitchen knife and threatened to kill Michael Strahan, a football Hall of Famer and the co-host of "GMA" and "Live With Kelly and Michael."

Jon Stewart Explains The Most Outrageous Corporate Tax Dodge Yet

It's the corporate tax loophole that could be costing you billions. American companies are quietly changing their paperwork to make it seem as if they're no longer U.S. companies but instead owned by one of their overseas subsidiaries.



It's called a corporate inversion. Or, as Jon Stewart described it on Wednesday night's "Daily Show," it's "the business equivalent of gender reassignment."



"It's a liberating procedure for companies that have been raised American, but know in their heart they're really Irish," he said.



So how does it work? Stewart offers the perfect example in the clip above.

Alicia Keys Pregnant With Second Child, Announces News With Sweet Instagram Pic

Alicia Keys and husband Swizz Beatz are expecting their second child, the singer has announced on Instagram.



The musical duo tied the knot July 31, 2010, which makes today their four year wedding anniversary. Keys chose to highlight the occasion while breaking the joyous news:



"Happy Anniversary to the love of my life @therealswizzz !!" Keys, 33, captioned her beautiful photo, adding: "And to make it even sweeter we've been blessed with another angel on the way!! You make me happier than I have ever known! Here's to many many more years of the best parts of life! ☺️"



The couple has a son, Egypt, who will turn four in October.







The expecting father posted a similar photo to his Instagram, captioning it: "Love is life & life is love and we're so excited for another GIFT from up above Happy Anniversary my Goddess 4 years of greatness & cheers to 100 plus more inshallah @aliciakeys ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥"







In October 2013, Keys told ABC News that more kids are certainly something she's thinking about. "That's down the road, definitely down the road," said Keys, simultaneously dispelling pregnancy rumors and confirming her future plans.



Last May, MediaTakeOut reported that Keys is pregnant, based on an insider at the Met Gala who claimed the singer didn't have a drink all night.



Congratulations to the happy family!

TV Producer Robert Halmi Sr. Dies At 90, Known As One Of The Last Great Network Impresarios

NEW YORK (AP) — Prolific TV producer Robert Halmi, Sr., has died.



Halmi died Wednesday in his New York City home at 90, said spokesman Russ Patrick. The Hungarian-born Halmi found success as a magazine photographer after arriving in America in 1951, shooting pictures for such publications as Life and Sports Illustrated.



But in a mid-career switch in the mid-1960s, he turned to moving pictures. During the next half-century he produced more than 200 programs and miniseries for television.



His specialty was family-friendly entertainment, with TV projects including "The Josephine Baker Story," the Bette Midler-starring "Gypsy," ''Merlin," ''Dinotopia" and "The Lion in Winter" with Glenn Close.



Other projects included TV versions of "The Odyssey," ''Alice in Wonderland," ''Gulliver's Travels," starring Ted Danson, and "In Cold Blood," with Anthony Edwards and Eric Roberts.



Teamed with his son, Robert Halmi, Jr., he claimed every project was a passion project, including the 1994 miniseries version of "Scarlett," Alexandra Ripley's sequel to "Gone With the Wind," which he defended as not a rip-off of the world's most beloved movie, but "an eight-hour study in American history."



Still active well into the new millennium, he produced the TV miniseries "Neverland" in 2011, and a year later a new version of "Treasure Island," starring Donald Sutherland and Elijah Wood.



"Today's producers are just money people who have X number of dollars, and with them they buy people, mostly on the phone," Halmi told The Associated Press in 1993. "I'm somebody with pretty good taste who goes one step further. With the creative process, everything has to be nurtured. I know on every project, every day, where it stands dollars-and-cents-wise, but I also know did someone have a cold."



His projects were honored with 136 Emmy Awards. A Peabody Award citation hailed him as "perhaps the last of the great network television impresarios."



Halmi recently had begun filming "Olympus," a mythological series for the Syfy channel.



"There are two English words which I never could understand or cope with ever since I came to this country," he told The AP. "One is 'security.' The other is 'retirement.'"

Do you wish that Comic-Con could come to you? Then check out D23's touring Fanniversary celebrations

Go ahead. Admit it. After hearing about all that cool stuff Comic-Con attendees got to see last week, you're now wishing that you'd gone down to San Diego.



But then again, when you factor in what it would have cost to travel to Southern California (Not to mention that all 130,000 badges which were made available for this year's event sold out within 90 minutes back in March), maybe going to Comic-Con isn't really an option for you.



Which is why you're probably now wishing that there were some sort of Comic-Con-like presentation which traveled around the country. A panel that went to where pop culture enthusiasts were, rather than forcing the fans to come find it.








Well, if that's really how you feel, then you should maybe check out Disney's D23 Fanniversary events. Which is this Comic-Con-like presentation that begins traveling around the US next week and -- over the next three months -- will make stops in 11 different cities as it entertains & informs thousands of Disney fans.



Mind you, what's kind of ironic that D23 (i.e., the Official Disney Fan Club) started presenting these Fanniversary events back in 2011 to keep its members energized & engaged during those years when the Club is not presenting its own biennual Comic-Con-like event, the D23 Expo. Which will next be held at the Anaheim Convention Center August 14 -16, 2015.



That said, D23 won't be presenting the same old Fanniversary when the first of these events kicks off in Burbank on August 9th. According to Billy Stanek, the web editor for the Official Disney Fan Club (more importantly, one of the show writer for this year's edition of Fanniversary), they've made a significant number of changes to this traveling show.








"The last time we did Fanniversary, we did this show chronologically. Staring with the oldest stuff first and then working our way up to The Walt Disney Company's most recent projects. This time around, recognizing that we've got Disney fans of all ages who come out to these presentations, we decided to divide the show a little differently," Stanek explained during a recent phone interview. "Don't worry. We'll still have plenty of stuff for those people who love classic Disney animation. With this presentation, we'll be celebrating Donald Duck's 80th birthday as well as the 55th anniversary of Sleeping Beauty's theatrical release. But we'll also have stuff that's more current from television and the Parks thrown in."



That ultimately is the real challenge when putting together something like a Fanniversary. Given that The Walt Disney Company means so many different things to so many different people these days, it's hard to craft one presentation that can then touch on all aspects of the Mouse House.



"That's why we decided to go with these new categories this year. So that -- with our new live-action sequence -- we can go from the Muppets to Star Wars over to Marvel, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary," Stanek continued. "But for classic Disney fans, this is also the part of the Fanniversary presentation where we talk about 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and show some great archival footage from that 1954 release."








"I guess what I'm trying to say here is that -- if there's something that you're not interested in being talked about at this year's Fanniversary event -- just wait 15 seconds and the next thing you'll probably like," Billy laughed. "I mean, there's actually one section of this year's presentation where we go from Marvel to The Little Mermaid. Which I know sounds like a pretty bizarre transition. But we have found a way to make it work."



While prepping this year's Fanniversary, Stanek worked closely with Kevin Kern, a Collection Specialist at the Walt Disney Archives. And as the D23 team was looking for some Disney-related anniversaries to celebrate at this years event, they came across some extraordinary footage which pertains to the Company's work on the 1964 - 1965 New York World's Fair.



"Some of the film you'll see was shot on the Disney studio backlot and shows a test of the load - unload procedure for the Ford Magic Skyway. It's a pretty neat behind-the-scene look at the ride car system that powered this attraction at the Fair," Kevin explained. "Now what's important to understand about the Ford Magic Skyway is that it was an early cousin to Disney's later Omnimover system that would eventually lead to break-throughs like the PeopleMover and other attractions for the Parks."








And speaking of the Disney Parks ... Kern also teased the showing of some footage showcasing the testing of the Matterhorn track while that Tomorrowland attraction was still under construction.



"This construction footage gives a unique glimpse into the creation of this attraction. When you watch, you'll notice a gentleman in a bobsled testing out the track. Bob Gurr swears that it's Pete Clark, an early WED leasee / licensee promoter for Disneyland. We're still trying to get a definite verification on that. It's an interesting shot, something that you don't get to see every day. You usually don't get to see this side of attractions while they're being built," Kevin said.



By the way, Disney Legend Bob Gurr will be appearing at this year's Fanniversary events in San Diego where he'll be speaking about the Matterhorn and the Monorail. And Disney Legend Floyd Norman will be in Burbank next week, where -- as part of the kick-off for this year's Fanniversary series -- he'll be talking about the work he did on Sleeping Beauty.



"People shouldn't feel bad if they can't get to San Diego and Burbank to hear Bob & Floyd talk in person. Because we managed to fold so much brand-new interview footage of so many Disney Legends, luminaries and celebrities into this year's Fanniversary event," Stanek stated. "When we created the list of the people that we wanted to have speaking during this year's show, I was told a couple of times that '... you're never going to have this happen. You're not going to be able to do this.' I mean, I heard all of all these different excuses as to why I wasn't going to be able to do this. And I'm just so grateful and excited to say that -- in the end -- we did in fact pull it off."



Well, if you couldn't get to Comic-Con this year and would now like to attend a 105 minute presentation which honors The Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder Mountain, Tower of Terror and then closes out with a big tribute to Mary Poppins, then you definitely need to check D23's Fanniversary event. This touring celebration will be visiting 11 cities across the United States with Kevin and Billy acting as two of the show's hosts at various stops along the way.








These stops include Burbank, CA on August 9th, August 10th in San Diego and August 16th & 17th in San Francisco. The tour then starts up again in September with a stop in Chicago on September 6th, Seattle on September 13th, Atlanta on September 20th, Philadelphia on September 21st, Washington DC on September 26th and New York City on September 28th. This year's Fanniversary tour then concludes in October with two stops. One in Boston on October 4th and the other in Orlando on October 25th.

Jason Mraz Talks About Touring All 5 NYC Boroughs

Loveable guitar slinger Jason Mraz released his latest album Yes! last week to both critical acclaim and good sales numbers. While he didn't beat Weird Al to the number one spot (he was the runner up last week), his album did sell well, and fans are reacting positively well--something Mraz and company were aiming for when they wrote the CD.



To promote Yes! further, the singer songwriter is going on tour, and in doing so is trying some interesting things. Worth noting: when the tour comes around the New York, he'll be playing shows in each of the five boroughs, something only two other mainstream artists have done before.



After hearing about how well his album fared, Jason spoke with me about the tour and the positive nature of Yes!








Tell me a bit about the five borough tour you are coming to New York City to do.



It was an idea that I had that I did not expect to get fulfilled. I'm doing much smaller theaters on this run. More intimate shows. I've played Madison Square Garden and Jones Beach several times , but I personally don't enjoy those larger venues. I much prefer theater or a performance space.

I suggested to my management that we find some small theaters and stretch it out over a couple of nights. Maybe there's a place in each borough that we could do. About two weeks later I got an email back that said "done". I'm really excited.



When you were first thinking of doing this tour, did you realize you would be only the third mainstream act to do this, behind David Bowie and the Beastie Boys?



No, I assumed that many others have done it. I didn't really think about it that much. I mean, cab drivers do it everyday. I think there will be a lot of energy in those places as people seldom route there tours through those neighborhoods.



Will you be doing a different set list each night,or will the shows be different in some way?



We will. There are obviously some mainstays in the show. There are a few songs we will play every night, but there will be a pretty good mix up. Even if we're playing the same set of songs every night, my goal is to mix the arrangements, whether we do an acapella version or a different take on the song, the goal is to have a completely different experience every night.



What does the title Yes! mean, especially with the exclamation point?



It's like when you shoot a basket and get that perfect swish, and you pump your fist down by your side and say "yes!" It's one of those. It's an excited, whispered yes.



I never get that basket.



It's very rare that I get it as well. That's why I called this album Yes!, because I got something right in the process. It's a pretty positive album. Yes is the mother of all positive words, next to love. Maybe love is the father of all positive words.

What Everyone Said About 'Sharknado 2' On Twitter Tonight

Because one sharknado isn't enough, Syfy made a sequel to last year's disaster B-movie, only this time the sharp-toothed creatures took over New York City.



If you didn't watch "Sharknado 2: The Second One" on Wednesday night, fear not: Twitter did. Here's what you missed while living your life:



This time there were sharks on a plane. (Sadly no Samuel L. Jackson, though.)

SHARKNADO 2: SHARKS ON A PLANE

— James Poniewozik (@poniewozik) July 31, 2014

Kelly Osbourne made an appearance as a flight attendant -- but then a shark ate her head.

Oh hey there @KellyOsbourne! #Sharknado2TheSecondOne

— Sharknado (@SharknadoSyfy) July 31, 2014

Tara Reid's April wrote a survival book on the last Sharknado.

Yep, the #Sharknado book is real. Also tells how to survive a Boaricane. http://t.co/VnmuONLN3k #Sharknado2TheSecondOne

— TODAY (@TODAYshow) July 31, 2014

But, oops, she lost her hand to a hungry shark.

Can someone give @TaraReid a hand for that impressive action sequence? (See what we did there?!) #Sharknado2TheSecondOne

— People magazine (@peoplemag) July 31, 2014

Andy Dick made a cameo as a New York cop.

Andy Dick playing a cop is the least believable thing in #Sharknado2

— Jarett Wieselman (@JarettSays) July 31, 2014

Sandra Denton, a.k.a. Pepa from Salt-N-Pepa, also showed up for a bit.

yes, that IS Pepa. #Sharknado2TheSecondOne

— Damian Holbrook (@TVGMDamian) July 31, 2014

Perez Hilton made a cameo complaining about the delayed subway train (then he died).

Do NOT make @PerezHilton wait for the train, guys #Sharknado2TheSecondOne

— HuffPost TV (@HuffPostTV) July 31, 2014

Then the sharknado interrupted a Mets game and bats were used as weapons.

And it's a homerun! #Sharknado2TheSecondOne #Sharknado2 http://t.co/fkKaxfsKNy

— Sharknado (@SharknadoSyfy) July 31, 2014

This woman got her face ripped off by a shark.

That shark ate her damn face! #Sharknado2 http://ift.tt/1n4Zc57

— Damian Holbrook (@TVGMDamian) July 31, 2014

Citi Bikes were used to escape the sharks.

They're gonna get charged so much money for not returning those Citi Bikes... #Sharknado2

— Jarett Wieselman (@JarettSays) July 31, 2014

Vivica A. Fox pulled out a medieval sword to kill a shark.

Just when I thought Jasmine the stripper in #IndependenceDay was @MsVivicaFox's best work! #Sharknado2 http://ift.tt/XhQNWH

— Damian Holbrook (@TVGMDamian) July 31, 2014

There were slingshot bombs.

Kids, don't try this slingshot exploding propane thing at home. You can do the sword shark thing, though. #Sharknado2

— Wil Wheaton (@wilw) July 31, 2014

There was much commentary about equal amounts of plastic surgery and bad acting.

Hard to tell which is worse, the acting or the plastic surgery... #Sharknado2

— Eric Stangel (@EricStangel) July 31, 2014

Oh, and a girl on an airplane toilet died.

Yes, I was eaten by a shark while on a plane toilet. #Sharknado2

— kelly oxford (@kellyoxford) July 31, 2014

Tara Reid got a saw for a hand (because duh).

Buzz Saw Hand Tara Reid is peak humanity #Sharknado2 http://ift.tt/1n4ZdG1

— Jarett Wieselman (@JarettSays) July 31, 2014

There was lots of screaming.

FIN: AAAAAAAAAA

SHARK: AAAAAAAAAA

FIN: AAAAAAAAAA

SHARK: AAAAAAAAAA



-submitted for your Emmy consideration-

— James Poniewozik (@poniewozik) July 31, 2014

Every New Yorker whipped out a chainsaw and attacked.

Cause everyone in Manhattan has a chainsaw. #Sharknado2

— Carissa Pavlica (@ModwildTV) July 31, 2014

Al Roker and Matt Lauer killed it (literally).

Lauer and Roker survive! http://ift.tt/XhQLOB

— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) July 31, 2014

Ian Ziering's Fin flies through the air and cuts through shark after shark until the day is saved.

Is he seriously flying? #Sharknado2TheSecondOne #Sharknado2

— Tom + Lorenzo® (@tomandlorenzo) July 31, 2014

Here's how critics felt about it.

Still better than Lucy.

— emilynussbaum (@emilynussbaum) July 31, 2014

But in the end, we all know Twitter was more important than the movie.

admit it you are only watching sharknado to tweet about it and get lots of retweets

— Ethan Klapper (@ethanklapper) July 31, 2014