The Friday Five

The Friday Five is back!  Here are some pop culture moments from the week for you to mull over.....



1. Jennie Garth:  The news about Jennie and her husband, Peter Facinelli, proved not to be a surprise for a lot of us in Hollywood as there were rumors about them for almost two years. However, I was sorry to hear that they were splitting up.  Jennie is incredibly nice, so let's give her some good press this week.  Check out the interview I did with her last fall for Starpulse.

2. Shealeigh Daily:  This sweet and talented girl won Radio Disney's NBT late last year.  She kindly gave a shout out to my niece and her pal yesterday, so I hope you all stand up and take notice because this gal is going places.  Here's my interview with her from December.

3.  85th Annual Academy Awards:  Okay, the show stays in the same place next year, the last Sunday in February, but the nominations move up a week.  Watch out, Golden Globes, the Oscars are trying to steal your thunder......and make the award campaign season one week longer.  Oh my!



4.  Community:  The NBC show finally made its return to the lineup last night.  Did you watch?  I interviewed the cast a few weeks ago at the Paley Fest and they were chomping at the bit to get back to the fans who supported their show tremendously during their hiatus.

5.  Luck:  This week in Hollywood was anything but lucky for this HBO series which was cancelled after a swift series of horse fatalities on set.  I heard rumors that they were using older horses for challenging racing scenes which may have contributed to the deaths, but in the end, the ratings weren't great. Either way, HBO acted quickly to put this series down. Was it the ratings or the heat from PETA?  What do you think of this week's hottest TV controversy?

That's it for this week's Friday Five.  Let me know what you liked or didn't like this week in the comments section below.  Join the conversation with me on Twitter, Facebook, or Google Plus.

On The Red Carpet at the 84th Annual Academy Awards: The Interviews

Can you tell I am excited to be there?

I was covering Hollywood's biggest night for Starpulse this year and you can read the article here. I am very excited by the interviews we were able to secure this year thanks to the new online media section on the red carpet.  It was the perfect place for us to be and you will see with our interviews with Tony Bennett, Demian Bechir, Meryl Streep, Berenice Bejo, and more that this red carpet was a hot one.  So, watch our interviews and let me know what you think.  Who was your favorite at the Oscars this year?

My Full Oscar Nominations Coverage-2012

Phew!  What a day it was.  I was so amped up, that I stayed up from my 2:15AM alarm until about 8:30PM last night.  There was so much to do from interviews to writing articles to getting all of the videos shot and ready to go.  Instead of sending you all over the internet, you can find all of my coverage here:

Let's start with Starpulse:
My full article on what happened in the theatre is here along with a fun interview with Tom Sherak, President of the Academy.  He was pretty forthcoming about the diversity of this year's nominees and the new rules set in place to keep the playing field as level as possible during the voting period.
Starpulse highlight video with Tom Sherak: Click Here.
Starpulse FULL interview with Tom Sherak: Click Here.

For Red Carpet Report:
Here is my Oscar insider thoughts on yesterday morning's nominations:


And I get to pick legendary film critic, Leonard Maltin's brain about the surprises and omissions on this year's list.


Finally, I will be doing Oscar updates each week between now and February 26th for a bunch of media outlets.  Here is my Nominations update for Forces of Geek in front of the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.  (I told you it was a busy day!)

I am also interested in hearing your thoughts on the nominations.  I was pleasantly surprised because, for once, the awards don't seem predetermined to a specific film or actor.  I feel that almost every category is up for grabs.  Now, it's up to Billy Crystal and show producers, Brian Grazer and Don Mischer, to make this show entertaining.

All photos property of Mingle Media TV and Kristyn Burtt.  They may not be used without permission. Thank you.

Oscar Nominations Dress Challenge: 2012

Happy New Year, everyone!  I hope you are all off to a great start to 2012.  I'm two for two on workout days and my house is the most organized it has ever been thanks to my holiday vacation clean out.  This week kicks off a whirlwind two months for me.  My work will take me to 4 cities all while trying to cover awards season.  It makes my head spin, but I am so excited about this year's slate of films and I cannot wait to cover all of the action.

Like last year, I will be covering the 84th Annual Academy Awards nominations live from the Samuel Goldwyn Theatre on January 24th.  I am so excited to be returning for all of the excitement and waking up at 2AM for hair and makeup.  YES!  Since I had so much fun with last year's dress challenge, I am officially announcing this year's Oscar Nominations Dress Challenge.  The rules are similar to last year, but here they are:

1.  It is not a red carpet event.  So, I am looking for a dress that is simple, classic and understated.  Think of a DVF wrap dress or a Jackie O. sheath.  I am short (5'3"), so I want to show off my legs versus lots of cleavage (which I don't have anyway) to give the illusion of height.  I love shoes, so I want to pick something hot and sassy from my shoe wardrobe.  One note from last year, even though I want a dress to show off my legs, please no so-short-I-can-see-your-hoo-ha dresses.  The Oscar Nominations are a very conservative event, so I'd like to keep it that way.

2.  I will be working at 5AM PT that day.  I want a dress that is easy, comfortable, and not fussy.  I hate pulling and tugging at my dress because I feel self-conscious.

3.  I like color.  It looks great on camera and adds brightness to my face since my hair is currently light blonde.  Please avoid red or crazy patterns because they have a tendency to moray on camera.

4.  The budget is important.  Let's keep the dress under $200 and it has to be available online in sizes 2      or 4.

Last year's winner was a dress by Banana Republic in deep violet.  It was perfect, comfortable, showed a little leg, and it had pockets (total bonus!).  I think we should avoid the same color for this year, but you guys have a pretty good guideline this year for what I am looking for.

The Challenge:  Can you help me find a dress?  I know so many of you are fashionistas out there with amazing style and taste.  Add the links in the comments section below or on Facebook or Twitter and I will post some of the best ones to vote on. (Make sure to post the exact link to the exact dress you are picking for me.) After last year's enthusiastic responses, I cannot wait to see what you guys pick for me this year.  Don't forget, the winner gets a $25 gift certificate to the store of their choice.  U.S. residents only, entries must be in by Wednesday, January 11th at Midnight ET.  The two finalists will be announced on Monday, January 16th and the winner will be revealed on Tuesday, January 24th.  On your mark...get set...SHOP!

My Top 3 Interviews of 2011

With 10 days left in the year, I am going to start doing a few "Best of 2011" posts to highlight some of my favorite moments of the year.  Today's feature is my favorite Top 3 interviews of 2011.  This was a hard one to whittle down since I had everything from the Oscars to the Tonys to countless other red carpets and gifting suites to choose from.  The interviews were chosen for particular reasons, whether they were funny or poignant, they just resonated with me this year.  Here are the Top 3:

1.  Joel Grey from Anything Goes at the Tony Awards:  I spoke about this interview at length in this post, but nothing was ever better than having the opportunity to speak to someone who was one of your childhood heroes.  I know, I know, I was a musical theatre geek, so I wasn't looking up to Molly Ringwald, it was Joel Grey.  Here is the unedited footage so you can see how it all went down at the Tony Awards while I was working for Starpulse:



2.  Josh Sussman from Glee at GBK Productions MTV Movie Awards Gifting Suite:  I think this was easily my funniest interview of the year, no one made me laugh more on camera than Josh.  He's just quick with a quip and he and his super cute girlfriend, Tess, are incredibly nice......even though he still owes me a Justin Bieber movie viewing! You can see it all here on Red Carpet Report:



3.  Jason Bateman and Ryan Reynolds at the press junket for The Change-Up:  I don't know if your day can get any better when you walk into a room and two really good-looking guys are waiting for you to sit down.  I thought my heart was going to belong to Ryan that day, but Jason was a big flirt who won me over.  I should have known better, I loved him on Silver Spoons. Here's my interview for iVillage:



So, there you have it, my Top 3 Interviews for 2011!  Who was your favorite out of my Top 3 or is there another interview I missed?  I would love to hear from you, so don't forget to leave a comment below.

Have You Heard Anything About The Kardashians This Week?

Okay, before you groan at me, I hope you check out my article over at Starpulse about this week's incessant news on the 72-day marriage.  The article is entitled:  "Breaking Up With The Kardashians:  Where Do We Draw The Line?"  I talked with reality experts who weighed in with their opinions:  everyone from a casting director to a YouTube personality to a former Bachelor star to the biggest Bachelor spoiler blogger in the industry.

I have met Kim, in fact, she styled me for the Oscars in 2007 because I bought my dress from Dash. She was alone in the store that day.  Yep, that's how simple her life was in January 2007. Things changed by the fall of that year and it is amazing to see the transformation in four short years.  She's a sweet girl who I think has been misguided by the fame and the money.  I hope this gives her an opportunity to take a step back, breathe, and reassess the world around her.

The article:  Click here.

Jennie Garth (Kelly Taylor, Kelly Taylor, Kelly Taylor!!!) Interview

I had a really fun Monday which began with an interview with Jennie Garth.  How can you not love the original Peach Pit during the Brenda Years?  I loved everything about Kelly Taylor and Dylan McKay during that summer season when Brenda went to Paris.  Fast forward to 2011 when I get the opportunity to interview Jennie Garth for Starpulse.  In 2009, I interviewed former Executive Producer/Show Runner for 90210 , Charles Rosin, who gave me the inside scoop on what it was like to work on that set with all of the hottest TV actors of the 90's. He had some wonderful things to say about Jennie, so I was excited to start out my week with her.  I hope you check out the short article and video interview on the Starpulse page here.

Were you a fan of the original 90210?

'A Little Help' Press Junket

You might have seen the snapshot of me and Daniel Yelsky from the A Little Help press junket last week. Well, the videos and my article are up and running over at Starpulse.  It is a quirky indie movie, particularly if you are already tired of movies with explosions, superheroes, wizards, and robots.  The film stars Jenna Fischer, Chris O'Donnell, and the delicious Rob Benedict whom I shamelessly flirted with because it was fun.  So, head on over to Starpulse and check out the short interviews and my insider look on what really goes on at a press junket.

Starpulse.

Behind the Scenes Photos: The Tony Awards

Need some socks?  Um, there was a street fair in front of the theatre only hours before...that would never happen in LA.

Here are my final photos from the 65th Annual Tony Awards red carpet.  These are truly behind the scenes photos so you can see what it was really like to be there.  It may look glamorous on TV, but sometimes things are a little different in real life.  If you missed my Starpulse article, read here first.  Then come on back to this page for a more nitty gritty details of the evening.

Interviews:  If you missed my red carpet videos, click here.

 Annie, my amazing camerawoman, in front of the theatre the morning of the show.

Setting up the red carpet.......

 Although I was carb-free all week, I did eat a cupcake the night before.  Magnolia Bakery is too good to resist, Annie had never had one, and how dare I deny the girl a cupcake?

The lovely Ellen Zolezzi who did my incredible hair and makeup for the evening.

 The red carpet can be a hectic place........

 James Earl Jones!  My commencement speaker when I graduated from NYU.

 Kelsey Grammer was very kind, but I watched a little too much of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills last season to not think scandalous thoughts while interviewing him. 

 I loved my high pony that night.

 Best Dressed in my book:  Hannah Yelland, nominee for Brief Encounter.

 My favorite photo from the weekend.  Last minute studying before the carpet begins.

 Annie is working hard at her job!  Audio is important.

 Edie Falco looked great, but I think I captured a truly random moment.

 Kathleen Marshall, winner of Best Choreography for Anything Goes, was pretty awesome.  She loved that we were both blondes wearing navy blue.  I'll take that as a huge compliment.

I told you I was obsessed!  Okay, I thought his new bride was lovely, despite how their relationship began.

 Bobby Cannavale is delicious.  That is all.

 It really was Sutton Foster's night.  She wins a Tony for Anything Goes and she goes home with Bobby.

 The media check-in line was looooooonnnnnng. 

 The fans on the other side of the street lining up to see the stars.  This is tremendously close.  You cannot get this close at the Academy Awards.

 Annie and I worked so hard on that red carpet.  Our notes were a disaster by the end of the night.

 Team Tony Awards!

There's a lot going on in this photo.  To my right:  notice the protestors with signs who are there to picket the show, Scottsboro Boys.  To my left:  a gussied up NYPD officer acting not so subtle. 

Best glass of wine at the end of the night.  

I know you like to hear who was the nicest and who wasn't the nicest on the red carpet. I will say everyone was on their best behavior except one.  Here's a blind item for you to guess:  Rudest celebrity on the red carpet......this one used to be much smaller, but now he's too big for his britches.  He may be funny on TV, but he's prouder than a peacock in real life.  His gruffness was appalling, it left a bad taste in my mouth like sour lemons.  There are a lot of clues, so read carefully.  And yes, I will reveal who it is if someone guesses correctly in the comments below.

The Tony Awards Interviews

The boys show off the Priscilla Queen of the Desert costumes.

I spent an entire plane ride back to LA and the rest of the day editing all of my Tony Award coverage.  I made sure to include a blooper or two plus my insider red carpet secrets, so be sure to stick around until the end of the video.  It isn't easy to talk all night long and then be sharp for that final wrap-up.  You certainly can't take yourself too seriously in this biz.  So, head on over to Starpulse and let me know what you think.

Starpulse:  Tony Awards Interviews.

If you interested in hearing more scoop about the Tony Awards red carpet, I'll be a guest on My Sentiments Exactlee dishing all the dirt on what I saw on Broadway's biggest night.  I hope to share who was the biggest surprise on the red carpet, the grumpiest, and the best/worst dressed on Sunday.  Join me here starting at 7PM PT/10PM ET.

Hanging with Anne Mureau (my awesome camerawoman!), Rachel Potter (Wednesday, The Addams Family), and Adam Riegler (Pugsley, The Addams Family) at the BroadwaySpace.com Tony Viewing Party.  

It's Showtime: The Tony Awards

All of my videos will be posted over on Starpulse as soon as I finish editing!  It was such an incredible night to celebrate the tradition of the American theatre.  I really hope all of you support a show at some point whether it is your local community show or a production on the Great White Way.  Nothing gives back more in art than an electrifying performance surrounded by an audience witnessing the same incredible energy and inspiration.

A huge thanks to everyone who helped me get on the red carpet last night.  First, the village that gets me gussied up to look like a better version of myself:

Dress:  Chagoury Couture (Who also kindly dressed me for the Oscars this year!)
Shoes:  Guess (You've seen these before.)
Jewelry:  Downtown LA (Yep, I went the affordable route.)
Stylist:  Roni B.
Hair and Makeup:  Ellen Zolezzi

To my camerawoman and encyclopedia of musical theatre geek knowledge...thank you!  This adventure would not have been as fun without you!

Camerawoman/Musical Theatre Geek, Anne Mureau.

Finally, here is some unedited footage, but this explains it all.  Why I love the theatre, why I love it when dreams come true, and why I was so happy to be on the red carpet.  My interview with Tony and Academy Award winner, Joel Grey and the story of how he made a huge impact on my life back when I was 16-years old.  

More photos, stories, and videos will be up later on Starpulse. (I have to fly home to LA first!)

Tony Awards Links

Here are all of the links to my Tony Awards coverage on Sunday.  Pick your favorite!

For the most up-to-date coverage:  Twitter.

You do not need an account to follow my feed.  I will be Tweeting photos and comments during the red carpet which starts at 5:30PM ET and ends at 7:15PM ET.  

For similar coverage if Twitter scares you and if the Facebook app isn't acting up that day:  Facebook.

Post-coverage and articles:  Starpulse (Everything will be linked here at Red Carpet Closet too.)

I am so happy this red carpet is actually happening as there was a threat of a protest by the Local One union and The Tony Awards producers.  And everyone knows......you don't cross a picket line......especially one in New York.  

Feel free to leave questions you would like me to ask on the red carpet.  Remember, Neil Patrick Harris is hosting. (Doogie).  Just had to say it.

During the show, I will be hanging here.  BroadwaySpace.com is throwing a Tony viewing party, so come join the fun. Tickets can be purchased here.  

Logo courtesy of The Tony Awards.

Where in the World is.....?

I am all over the place this week.  I thought I was going to have a nice, relaxing week and then I was suddenly thrust into prepping for the 65th Annual Tony Awards!  So here's where you can find me popping up this week:

1.  Today at 12PM PT/3PM ET:  I will be a guest on The Final Cut with host, Matthew Robinson talking about all of the fun at the MTV Movie Awards.  I hope to slip in a few tidbits about the GBK Gifting Suite too.  You can listen or call into the show here.

2.  It's Meredith Vieira's last day on The Today Show.  She's one of my broadcast heros, so I salute her with a fond farewell.  I was lucky enough to interview her at The Gracie Awards last month.  My mornings won't be there same without you, Meredith.



3.  I will be on the red carpet for Starpulse covering the 65th Annual Tony Awards.  For a musical theatre geek like me.....holy cow!  This is exciting!  If you have any questions you want me to ask on the red carpet, feel free to leave your questions in the comment section.

4. After the red carpet, I am heading to the Broadway Space Tony party.  The party is hosted by Rachel Potter and Adam Riegler who play Wednesday and Pugsley in The Addams Family.  There are still tickets available, so come join me for all of the fun.

5.  Finally, I was asked to guest blog over at Elle Sees this week. You will find some of my online shopping tips and some of my recent deals.  So, stop over and say "hi" to Elle.  I think you will enjoy her blog as much as I do.

Cady McClain Questions

It's amazing, I write one or two articles about the ABC Daytime cancellation of two iconic shows and then an interview falls right in my lap.  I am thrilled that people are paying attention to my coverage and the importance of what is happening in this arena of television.  I will be interviewing Cady McClain AKA "Dixie Martin" from All My Children on Friday morning for Starpulse.  Here is your opportunity to ask Cady your questions.  She's returning to AMC and in fact, she filmed her scenes this week.  Does Dixie return as a ghost?  What's the mood like on the AMC set?  What are her personal thoughts on the end of the long-running show?   So, get those questions in before tomorrow.  I will take all questions until 9AM PT.  Fire away in the comments section below.  Ready, set, go!

Susan Lucci Signs a Deal With 'Desperate Housewives'

We interrupt the weekend with a special Red Carpet Closet announcement.....

I have been following the whole ABC Daytime drama by engaging in a dialogue with the soap fans and then writing an article for Starpulse about the whole debacle.  In my original article, I mentioned the rumor posted on Blind Gossip about Susan Lucci joining the cast of Desperate Housewives.  Well, turns out the rumor is true and Blind Gossip has confirmed that the deal will be announced next week.  The best news about the deal is that Susan will continue with All My Children until the end of its run and still star on the Sunday night drama with Teri Hatcher and Marcia Cross.  While this does not bring AMC back into the daytime fold, I consider the wise usage of Lucci's talents and fans one for the win category, especially since Desperate Housewives has been struggling in the ratings.  ABC was smart not to let her out of their network since she was bound to be snatched up quickly by a competitor.  Now, we just have to wait for the weekend to pass and the news to be officially announced.

Now that the rumor is true, what do you think?  Weigh in here, daytime fans!

Many thanks to Blind Gossip for the scoop!

Hey Soap Fans, This One is for You!

Last week, I wrote a post asking soap fans, "What the Heck Happened?".  After ABC's decision to cancel All My Children and One Life to Live, the viewers rallied across the internet, created petitions, and shouted loud enough for advertisers to respond.  After getting tremendous response to my post and capturing the voices of the daytime community, I finally gathered all of my material and wrote a lengthy article for Starpulse.  I also want to thank Spin's Vixenella on Twitter for spearheading all of the fans to come to Red Carpet Closet and share their thoughts on the cancellation.  Now, I want to know what you think of the article.  Remember,  I love to read your feedback!

Starpulse article


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Insidious

Interviewing Barbara Hershey for Insidious, but I really wanted to ask her about this.

I'm here to let you know that I am not a fan of horror or the paranormal, so covering the Insidious press junket was a big step for me.  This was one of those times when I am glad I said "yes" despite my hesitations on covering this film because I love learning about the process of filmmaking.  James Wan and Leigh Whannell were so enthusiastic about their film and how they wanted it to have an indie feel both on and off set that I felt inspired after talking with them.  So, yes, I was inspired by the creators of the Saw franchise.  I cannot believe I wrote that.  That's why I love my job, creativity and revelations come in the most unusual places.

To read the article and see the video, head over to Starpulse:  Insidious

Or to just see the video interview for Mingle Media TV:  Insidious

Obviously asking a very intense question to director, James Wan.

Have a great weekend!  On Monday, I will bring you some great photos and interviews from the Kids' Choice Awards Gifting Suite by GBK Productions.

Photos Courtesy of Mingle Media TV.

The Black Swan Controversy

Earlier this weekend, I decided to stir up some conversation on my personal Facebook page (not my public page) and ask my dance friends what they thought about the Sarah Lane/dance double controversy surrounding the movie, Black Swan.  Little did I know, I unleashed the beast.  I received comments like the hilarious, "It's bloody Flashdance all over again!" to the downright unkind, "I'm sorry but no one cares about the doubles NO ONE!!" [sic].  The latter comment actually got me fired up because I DO care about dance doubles and Sarah's predicament.  I used to be a professional dancer and I know all about the hard work, dedication, and suffering on a physical and emotional level for very little pay. So, may I present my final thoughts on the subject:

                                                  My Starpulse Article....

One note, it is no secret that Natalie Portman is not my favorite celebrity, but I want to say that she has been very gracious towards Sarah and her dancing throughout the entire awards season process. So, let's not bash Portman because I don't think this is the underlying issue at hand.  Fire away, kids!