NiteTalk: Showbiz Boss Jim Caruso Dishes to Niteside

By: BROOKE NIEMEYER
Showbiz boss Jim Caruso is the host of his own show, Cast Party, the Monday night soiree at Birdland, just steps away from the Broadway lights. But his involvement in the entertainment biz doesn't stop there. He toured with the legendary Liza Minnelli and performed at the President Clinton's first state dinner. He released a new studio album this month, which is currently in the top 100 Vocal Jazz albums on Amazon. Caruso gave a glimpse into his world when he sat down with Niteside this weekend. 

What was your favorite part of creating your latest album, "The Swing Set?"
Having it finished and in my very hands. (laughs) No, the choosing of the music was exciting. I've never done a studio recording before. I've done live CDs, so this was really a whole new experience. I wanted it to certainly have a jazz feel with the great American standards but some quirky songs too because I think that's what people, if they think of me at all, think of me doing. They think of me with kind of unique material and funny things, so we found some of those. ... It's kind of like what we do at Cast Party - it's a lot of friends entertaining each other at the piano and that's kind of the feeling I want on this album.

Let's talk about Cast Party. You've had some legendary guests, but who would you label as your favorite?
There have been some really historic moments there. The lyricist Betty Comden, from Comden and Green, made her last public appearance there I think. She came and she was all in black and diamonds and she still looked fantastic. She motioned to Billy Stritch, who was at the piano that night, and said 'Do you think it would be okay if I sang a song?' And of course we fainted. We got her right up and she sang a song called 'One Hundred Easy Ways to Lose a Man' from a show that she wrote with her partners. She remembered every word and she was hilarious and got every laugh. She died maybe within the next year. That was something I'll never forget. And of course every time Liza comes, it's pandemonium. People freak out and she sings her head off. That's a woman that can stop a room.

Is there anyone you'd like to come perform that hasn't yet?
I do have a short list of people that I'm desperate to get in to Cast Party. I could say that they are my heroes growing up - Dick Van Dyke, Carol Burnett - I just know they'd love it. I have a feeling that Ricky Martin would really be into it. He has show business in his blood. He gets it and loves it. Kathy Griffin is somebody that I know pretty well. She'd never come in but I know she would think it would be hilarious.

Tell me about working with Liza Minnelli.
Oh Liza Minnelli... I could talk about her forever. I was on the road for three years with Liza in the show that became 'Liza's at the Palace,' which won the Tony. Nobody has been kinder and more supportive of me and my career than that lady. She's extraordinary. If you have her as a friend, you've got a friend.

What's next for you?
We are doing a very special Cast Party at Town Hall on February 17. It's going to be a benefit for Broadway Cares. That's going to be crazy great. Billy Stritch and I are also going to do Cast Party in Los Angeles in March and that's one of my favorite things to do. I love taking Cast Party on the road and celebrating local talent, which can be Carol Channing or it can be a songwriter that you've never heard of that blows you away. That's really exciting to me to be able to celebrate fabulous talent and to get to know these shockingly talented people all over the country. It's like my own Ed Sullivan show.

This story ran on NBCNewYork.com's NiteSide.

Tim Gunn Defends Book's Unflattering Anna Wintour Depiction

By: BROOKE NIEMEYER
"Project Runway" host Tim Gunn defended his decision to keep the controversial anecdote about Anna Wintour's diva behavior in his book during a talk in Manhattan last night.

"[It's in there] because of the aftermath," Gunn told the audience at 92nd Street Y in the Upper East Side Sunday evening. "There are three aspect to it: don't bully, don't threaten and accept responsibility."

In his tome "Gunn's Golden Rules: Life's Little Lessons for Making it Work," the fashion guru details how Wintour allegedly had her bodyguards carry her down the stairs rather than take the elevator following Peter Som's 2006 fashion show at the Metropolitan Pavilion.

Gunn also confessed he "never dreamed" he'd be part of the wildly successful fashion reality TV show in which his wry use of phrases such as "Carry on" and "Make it work" became part of the zeitgeist.

"I never dreamed that I would be part of it," Gunn said. "No one was more shocked about it than I."

He added, "I loved taping season one. It was entirely a new life experience for me. I had never been part of anything like that."

Gunn also said fashion reality TV contestants aren't guaranteed fame like many in the reality TV music industry.

"I don't for a moment want to trivialize 'American Idol,' so forgive me in advance," Gunn said. "If you are an alumnus or an alumna of 'American Idol' you could potentially hang your shingle outside, fill this beautiful auditorium and sing to them. For a fashion designer, it's much more complex. The designers who have been on the show can only achieve as much as their ambitions and their resources really allow them to."

This story ran on NBCNewYork.com's NiteSide.

My story lead the NBC New York home page and was linked up in the celebrity entertainment section in the other nine NBC local-media markets: Miami, Washington DC, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Diego, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Connecticut, and Dallas-Fort Worth. 

"Housewives" Danielle Staub Says She Has Reality TV Spin-Off in the Works

Lori Michaels and Danielle Staub celebrate Danielle's 48th Birthday at Scores.

Photo by: Brooke Niemeyer

By: BROOKE NIEMEYER
"Real Housewives of New Jersey" star Danielle Staub revealed during her birthday bash last night that she is in the works of creating her own spin-off reality show.

"It will definitely be a lot more of her (gal pal Lori Michaels) and I and definitely my kids," Staub told NiteSide before her 48th birthday bash at high-end strip club Scores in Manhattan. "Tehre will be a lot of questions that will be answered."

One question Staub did answer was the state of her relationship with Michaels, her producer and rumored girlfriend: "We're exclusively committable," she said while holding Michaels hand.

The pair was on stage at Scores to perform Staub's new single, "Real Closer," which she revealed will have a music video to go with it.

"It's going to be very sexy and soft," Staub said. "It will have two women and you can only guess who those two women are going to be."

A reality show and music video aren't the only upcoming projects for Staub, who is on the outs with her fellow "Housewives" castmates.

"I would love to [collaborate] with 50 cent," Staub said. "There is actually some talk going on already from his camp. Kat Deluna and I have something in the work as well."

While Staub said she knows "there is no place like Jersey," she did have some advice for the cast of the new "Real Housewives of DC."

"Consider it a job at the end of the day and don't let it get to you," Staub said. "Don't read the blogs because they're not going to make you feel good. Only accept positive correspondence on any online interactive sites, such as Twitter and Facebook. All the rest, you've got to ignore it and block it because it really will eat you up."

There was a surprise appearance of her "Real Housewives" nemesis, Kim "G" Grantell, before Staub arrived at Scores. Grantell was escorted from the premises before Staub walked the red carpet.

"She [Grantell] just really needs attention and that's why she showed up here," Staubs said. "She was nobody when I met her, she's nobody tonight, and she will never be anybody."

This story ran on NBCNewYork.com's NiteSide.

UPDATE: My story was doing so well, my editor linked it up in all other markets. This means it was on the entertainment pages in the other nine markets (Miami, Washington DC, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Diego, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Connecticut, and Dallas-Fort Worth) and linked back to my original New York City NiteSide version.

Jennifer Aniston Channels Barbra Streisand for Photo Shoot

Barbra Streisand/Jennifer Aniston

Photos sources: Columbia Pictures/Harper's Bazaar

By: BROOKE NIEMEYER
Jennifer Aniston paid tribute to the original funny girl, Barbra Streisand, in a photo shoot for the September issue of Harper's Bazaar. Jen donned Babs' signature elaborate eye makeup, a wig, and manicured nails for the shoot in an old Los Angeles theater.

And it didn't take much to convince the "Friends" star to dress up like the woman she's idolized since childhood.

"Barbra inspires me because there isn't anything she hasn't done that she wanted to do, especially as a female in the time when her generation was prime," Aniston said. "She's a true renaissance woman."

Aniston, 41, met Streisand at a Hollywood New Year's Eve party a few years ago and called it a wonderful experience.

"I've loved her since I was a kid, and all of a sudden, there she is, and she's just like someone you've always known," Aniston said. "She was wonderful, and you could talk to her about anything. I happened to be talking to her and Jim [Streisand's husband, James Brolin] when it struck midnight. They said, 'Excuse us,' kissed each other, and then, very politely, kissed me."

Even without the wig and makeup, Aniston said she and Babs have more than a few things in common.

"We love interior design," Aniston said. "Also, we are people who just have been put in the spotlight, for better or for worse, and you just keep riding, and you keep overcoming, and you just stay true to what you love to do."

And Jen loves to make people laugh.

"People laugh at me. Sometimes I know why, and sometimes I don't. But I can pretty much find humor in anything. That is a necessary part of life," Aniston told the magazine. "I don't want to say laughter is healing, because it sounds corny, but it's a release."

She stars opposite Jason Bateman in her latest film, "The Switch," which is due out later this month.

"He is perhaps the most adorable human being on the planet," Aniston said about her co-star. "I'm so glad he's having a resurgence."

Jen has two other films in the works, "Just Go With It" with Adam Sandler and Nicole Kidman, and "Bosses" with Jason Sudeikis, but she is looking to get behind the camera and direct.

"I directed a short a couple years ago, and if I don't do it again soon, I'm going to burst out of my skin."

After a long conversation about directing with Barbra, Aniston felt that she can do anything.

"You don't have to stop at one thing," Aniston said. "You can do it all if you want to."

My story about Jennifer Aniston ran in all ten NBC local media markets: New York City, Miami, Washington DC, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Chicago, Connecticut, and Dallas-Fort Worth.

"Dissed" Eminem: I Won't Be Nice at MTV Awards

By: BROOKE NIEMEYER
Eight Video Music Award nominations aren't enough to knock the chip off Eminem's shoulder.

The rapper, whose "Recovery" album has held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 chart for five straight weeks, vowed not to "be nice about it" when he shows up at MTV's 2010 VMAs next month.

"Apparently, MTV doesn't care that I have two massive stadium shows on the other side of the country the day after the VMAs," said Eminem. "F me, right?!?!"

Eminem's "Not Afraid" video is up for "Video of the Year" and "Best Male Video." He is also competing against himself in the "Best Hip-Hop Video" category with "Not Afraid" and "Forever," a collaboration he did with Lil Wayne, Kanye West, and Drake. In all, Eminem got more nominations than any other male artists, yet he still feels snubbed.

"I mean, I'll be there but don't expect me to be nice about it," he groused.

Lady Gaga is also going head-to-head with Eminem for the "Video of the Year" with her "Bad Romance" and "Telephone" videos. It's the first time a female artist has been nominated for two different videos in this category. She also made history with her 13 overall nominations, the most ever received by any artist in a single year.

Gaga, unlike Eminem, did not feel short-changed.

"I'm so honored for all the little monsters and self-professed freaks of the universe, to have more VMA nominations in a single year than any artist in MTV history," she said. "Ironically, I'm even more proud it's an unlucky number: 13."

The show will air live from Los Angeles on September 12.


This story ran on all ten of NBC's local media sites: New York City, Miami, Washington DC, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Chicago, Connecticut, and Dallas-Fort Worth.

Women of "Mad Men" Like Their Retro Curves

By: BROOKE NIEMEYER
Not all the women in Hollywood are encouraged to look like stick figures -- the team behind "Mad Men" likes 'em buxom.

January Jones, star of the AMC hit set in the early 1960s, says that creator Matthew Weiner tells female cast members to keep the carbs and forget about exercise.

"He would prefer we didn't work out and that we eat really well, so we look like healthy women," Jones said in an interview with Tatler magazine. Jones happily complies, since she happens to love beer and carbs.

Jones, 32, said that she is pleased that "Mad Men" has brought back the idea that "it's OK to have curves and be a woman. I wish more women would realize that's what men like."

Weiner has another fan in British Equalities Minister Lynne Featherstone, who told the "Sunday Times" that curvaceous women should be the "role models" for young girls. Featherstone used Jones' "Mad Men" co-star Christina Hendricks as an example, saying her size 14 is "absolutely fabulous."

"All women have felt that pressure of having to conform to an unrealistic stereotype, which plagues them for their whole life," Featherstone said. "Women and girls also have the right to be comfortable in their own bodies."

Last year, the "Mad Men" producers warned Jones that she was becoming too thin and told her to gain weight. Now she has embraced her new figure and admits to loving the girdle she wears to help her achieve the hourglass look, saying, "it gives you such a nice shape."

Not only does "Mad Men's" retro take on women's figures get Jones' approval, the era's sexism captured on the show doesn't seem all that bad to her, either.

"I don't think we've come very far," Jones said. "At least they were gentlemen back then. They might say something shitty behind your back, but at least they opened the door."


This story ran on all ten of NBC's local media markets: New York City, Miami, Washington DC, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Chicago, Connecticut, and Dallas-Fort Worth.

Steven Tyler (Sort of) Says He's the Next "Idol" Judge

By: BROOKE NIEMEYER

Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler is hinting at his new role as the man to replace Simon Cowell as a judge on American Idol.

"I'm doing it," Tyler told People magazine after a concert Saturday in Las Vegas. "What do you think? I'm doing it."

But the 62-year-old singer stopped short of drawing the line, saying his future plans include "recording an album and [I'm] probably going to be a judge on 'American Idol.'"

The popular show is undergoing major changes as it enters its tenth season. The search began for a new judge on the panel when iconic judge Simon Cowell quit last season after spending nine years on the panel. While the list of possible replacements for Cowell spanned from Justin Timberlake to Courtney Love, another opening cropped up when Ellen DeGeneres announced last week that she would not be returning for another season.

"I love discovering, supporting, and nurturing young talent, it was hard for me to judge people and sometimes hurt their feelings," DeGeneres wrote in a statement explaining why she left the show.

Jennifer Lopez is reportedly close to signing on to replace DeGeneres. While Fox has neither confirmed nor denied her addition, The Los Angeles Times reported on Sunday that Lopez was in the process of working out an agreement with Fox.

The shakeup continued when Kara DioGuardi's year-to-year contract was said to have not been renewed. Fox is also reportedly weighing whether to bring back former "Idol" executive Nigel Lythgoe, who has suggested starting over with an entirely new group of judges.

On Monday, Fox chairman Peter Rice said that execs still planned to keep the same number of panelists. But "no one has signed a deal yet," he said, HitFix reported.

"There are no signed deals with anybody," he said. "There has been tremendous speculation... I can tell you that much of the information that has been written is accurate and some of the information is wildly inaccurate."

For now, Tyler is still on stage and not behind the judges' table, quipping during Saturday's concert, "The rumors are true... I'm pregnant with [guitarist] Joe Perry's baby," he joked.

Auditions for the new season that starts in January are currently in progress.


I was asked to write a story for NBC's Entertainment section today. I was excited to get experience writing for more sections on the site and to get published in more cities. The story ran nationally on all the NBC local media sites. I'm so excited!! I'm including links to the published story from each of the markets it appeared in, even though they're all the same story.

New York City, Miami, Washington DC, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Chicago, Connecticut, and Dallas-Fort Worth.

Your Guide to the Best East Coast Concerts This Summer

I created this gallery of East Coast summer concerts for NBC. It got picked up in all ten local markets. Here are links to each of them:

Your Guide to the Best East Coast Concerts This Summer (New York)

Your Guide to the Best East Coast Concerts This Summer (Miami)

Your Guide to the Best East Coast Concerts This Summer (Washington DC)

Your Guide to the Best East Coast Concerts This Summer (Philadelphia)

Your Guide to the Best East Coast Concerts This Summer (San Francisco)

Your Guide to the Best East Coast Concerts This Summer (Los Angeles)

Your Guide to the Best East Coast Concerts This Summer (San Diego)

Your Guide to the Best East Coast Concerts This Summer (Chicago)

Your Guide to the Best East Coast Concerts This Summer (Connecticut)

Your Guide to the Best East Coast Concerts This Summer (Dallas-Fort Worth)