Author: bestmedeal

There is some seriously bad blood mood from the Taylor Swift ticket debacle.

The “Anti-Hero” singer broke all kinds of records with the release of herlatest album, midnight. So you can imagine that ticket sales for her Eras_tour , her first since 2018 ,_ would be big. We just didn’t predict itwould go so awry.

So what happened? The pop superstar partnered with Ticketmaster’s Verified Fanprogram, which allowed her superfans — aka the Swifties — to pre-registerearlier in the month to receive a special code that allowed for early ticketsales on Nov. 15 — three days before they go on sale to the general public.The verification process also aims to identify real humans versus bots to weedout bulk buying and reselling.

However, there was a glitch — or, for the most die-hard — a catastrophe. Fanslogged in on Tuesday and were hit with error messages or trapped in the queuefor two hours. Other fans who planned to get tickets were sent to a wait list.The sale of West Coast tickets was also delayed for three hours to easetraffic to the site. Angry fans captured screenshots of the glitches andposted them to social media slamming Ticketmaster. Ticketmaster was trending,with even US Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez weighing in.

The ticket company, owned by Live Nation, posted that there was a“historically unprecedenteddemand”with millions showing up to buy tickets. The business later posted an entireexplainer unpacking what went wrong. It was known the sale was going to be abig deal after 3.5 million people pre-registered, the largest Verified Fanregistration in history. That led to Swift’s tour team, managed by AEG and TheMessina Touring Group, to add more shows, doubling the dates and the tickets.Approximately 1.5 million people were invited to participate in the presalewith the other 2 million on a waiting list. Those numbers were decided becauseTicketmaster historically sees 40% of invited fans, with the specials codes,actually showing up and buying tickets, and most purchase 3 tickets onaverage.

Story continues

When the pre-sale tickets became available on Tuesday, those with the codeswent to the site and so did fans who didn’t have a code. On top of that, therewas a “staggering number of bot attacks,” with those factors resulting inunprecedented traffic to the site, according to Ticketmaster. There were 3.5billion — yes, billion! — system requests, which was four times more than thecompany ever experienced. In total, 2 million tickets were sold that day — themost tickets ever sold for an artist in a single day. The company claims thatevery ticket was sold to a buyer with the special code.

Taylor Swift Eras tour dates. (Photo: Taylor Swift via Twitter)

Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino addressed the chaos on Thursday. “We invited amillion and a half [people] on that day to come and buy those tickets, butit’s kind of like having a party. Everybody crashed that door at the same timewith 3.5 billion requests,” he said, according to the Hollywood Reporter .“We sold 2 million tickets, the most we’ve ever sold in one day in history,and another million tickets of other artists on the same day. So although weregret it was a slowdown in some queues and some error codes for a shortperiod for some fans, we did manage to recover.”

Rapino added, “There’s no nice way to tell 10 million Swifties, ‘There’s notickets.’ So they do what they do and they go to social and we deal with thatevery day.”

Also on Thursday, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti announced aninvestigation into Ticketmaster and Live Nation over the disastrous presaleevent. Skrmetti said his office saw a “number of complaints,” prompting anexamination into the situation, including possible antitrust violations. AOC’stweet claimed the real problem with the sale gone awry was Ticketmaster’smonopolization of the live music industry.

Tickets, which cost fans between $49 and $449 for standard and $199 to $899for VIP, during the pre-sale, are now being resold on sites like StubHub foras much as $28,000. And it’s left a bad taste for Swift fans. Since all thisplayed out, some have expressed disappointment inSwift about theprocess and prices, leading to fighting with fans who are defendher.

Taylor Swift accepts an award onstage during the MTV Europe Music Awards 2022held at PSD Bank Dome on November 13, 2022 in Duesseldorf, Germany. (Photo:Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)

So what has Swift said about this? Actually nothing yet. No comments on socialmedia. We’ve reached out to her publicist and will update this story if wehear back.

The Eras tour kicks off March 17 in Glendale, Ariz., as of now, and runsthrough early August, when there are a block of shows in LA Some of thesupporting acts are Haim, Paramore and Phoebe Bridgers. International datesare pending.

Swift said the shows will be “a journey through the musical eras of my career(past and present!).”

This week, after cleaning up at the MTV Europe Music Awards and slaying thered carpet, Swift earned four new Grammy nominations, bringing her total to46. The 11-time Grammy winner’s new album just missed the cut-off forconsideration, so expect here to get even more next year. The 2023 Grammyswill air Feb. 5.

Why this particular number?

“I just can’t get around that. Green Day has been with me all my childhood.This song was released as a b-side once, and that version is the best.Straightforward, guitar only. I was fifteen when I first I heard it and I wasimmediately taken in. I like tempo, I like punk, but this was the first time Iheard an artist accompanied only by guitar.

I remember exactly how I felt when I first heard this song, I was reallyenchanted and immediately played it fifty times in a row that day. By now I’veplayed it maybe 100 thousand times on guitar. Everyone knows this is my song.”

And what does it say about your life?

“My father passed away and he was not very outspoken about his taste. He hadcancer and was only ill for a short time. His head was affected quickly, so hecould no longer say what he wanted. I knew that he really wanted to go toScotland walking, so I shouted something about a bagpipes. That funeraldirector still knew someone and so a bagpiper came to the cemetery who_Amazing Grace_ played. Beautiful.

Because of that experience I know for sure that I want to have everythingspoken and recorded for myself. For example, upon entry I want the soundtrackof Schindler ‘s List, the first song has to be classic anyway. And besides,this song means a lot to me and my family. I have a fascination with World WarII and went to Auschwitz with my brother-in-law, my sister’s husband, a fewyears ago. That was so impressive. He is now deceased, it hits me again nowthat I tell about it. He was eventually cremated on their wedding day.

After that I want to play some rock songs, like No One Knows from Queens ofthe Stone Age and No surprises from Radiohead. The entire list is alreadywith the funeral director. I am now also thinking about hanging an envelopewith poems on the inside of my bedside table, so that my wife will also knowwhich self-written poems I would like to hear.”

Where do you prefer to listen to music?

“In the car, cliché perhaps, but in a household with four children, not everychild is waiting for daddy’s music. We have a composite family, with littleones between four and sixteen years old. When we go on holiday to Normandy, wemake a combined playlist and everyone adds 25 songs and we listen to themthroughout the holiday.

How many lists do you have on Spotify?

“Where I first made playlists with my top 100 and stuff, I now mainly go forone list of songs that you can add a heart to. That is my basic playlist.There is also a funeral list. Furthermore, I now consciously choose albumsagain , because I noticed that I listened so little to artists. I am taking ameditation course and I now try to do everything with attention. Listeningwith attention gives a different experience.”

What is your guilty pleasure?

” Guilty pleasures can go in many directions, of course, but in recent yearsa special one has arisen for me. A few years ago I jokingly participated in agiveaway by pop stage 013, especially for a colleague who loves the deathmetal band Cradle of Filth. We won tickets for the concert and that turned outto be great. It’s very wrong and over the top , but I also enjoyed it. Sincethen I have to go there whenever they are around. I’m not going to cross thecountry specifically for it, but if they come to Tilburg I’ll buy a ticket.”

It’s been five years since New York Times reporters Megan Twohey and JodiKantor finally published what many in Hollywood privately knew: Oscar-winningproducer, Harvey Weinstein, had a pattern of sexual harassment allegationsstretching back for decades and involving such high-profile stars as AshleyJudd and Rose McGowan. Following their blockbuster first story on Oct. 5,2017, the duo continued to expose Weinstein’s various crimes, as the formerMiramax head began a prolonged New York court battle that ended with a guiltyverdict and a 23-year prison sentence. (He’s currently being tried in LosAngeles on sexual assault charges.)

On the fifth anniversary of the beginning of Weinstein’s downfall — whichgalvanized the already-existing #MeToo movement — moviegoers can revisit howthe journalists cracked the case in She Said , a powerful dramatization oftheir 2019 book. Directed by Maria Schrader and starring Carey Mulligan andZoe Kazan as Twohey and Kantor respectively, the movie arrives in theaters asmany in the industry are taking stock of how far we’ve come, or not, since thestory first broke.

For the record, Mulligan thinks that Hollywood in 2022 is a different placethan it was in 2017.

“Concrete changes have happened,” the Oscar-nominated actress tells YahooEntertainment. “There are now things like intimacy coordinators, anti-harassment workshops and code of conducts before you start shooting a film.All of that stuff is now here for good and I think that’s crucial. We talk alot about how crazy it is that all of it didn’t exist before! And all of thosethings are the result of this story.”

Interestingly, Kazan first went on the record about sexual harassment inHollywood in the summer of 2017 — months before the Weinstein story broke. “Ajournalist asked me about sexual harassment… and I had never been asked aboutit before,” she says, referring to a profile published in The Guardian. “Itdidn’t really occur to me that it was something I should be nervous speakingup about. I wasn’t speaking to any specific situation, but it just seemed likesuch a matter-of-fact part not just of my experience in the industry, but awoman’s experience period. You have only to look at how little girls aretalked to about consent to understand that it is something that is pervasive.”

Story continues

At the time, Kazan — who until recently had an active Twitter feed — remembersbeing bombarded by online trolls for her comments. But she also knew that herwords had struck a chord. “My dad told me that the teenage girls who livednext door had spoken to him and said how meaningful it was that I had spokenup about this. That really helped heal the fear that I had had about speakingup. In 2022, it’s very easy to look back and think it was inevitable thatHarvey Weinstein would face some consequences for his actions, but I don’tthink it was inevitable at all.It took incredible bravery and incrediblewillingness for these two women to put themselves and their reputations on thelines.”

While Weinstein is in prison and will likely remain there for the rest of hislife, other high-profile Hollywood personalities who have been accused ofsexual harassment and abuse are finding a way back to work, including LouisCK, James Franco and Kevin Spacey. The men at the center of those storieseither avoided having their cases brought to court or, as in Spacey’s case,have been tried and found not liable. Asked whether Hollywood should provideconsequences for known abusers and harassers when the legal system can’t, SheSaid co-star Patricia Clarkson — who plays Rebecca Corbett, the New YorkTimes editor that oversaw the Weinstein story — suggests that those actorswill never truly be a part of the industry again.

“They might be finding their way back, but I don’t think they’ll ever reallybe back,” Clarkson says. “In Hollywood, the blows are too heavy now; I don’tthink many people can get up from those blows. There are also so many goodpeople in our industry that need to work and are better people. Why are wetrying to resuscitate men who have committed felonies? Why, when we have somany good people in our industry to rely on and move forward with? Let’s keepthis ship going, let’s keep it balanced and let’s keep equality right where itis.”

“I do believe in forgiveness, but I think that some of these men areunforgivable because it went on for so long,” Clarkson continues. “It wasn’tlike one night or one moment in their careers; this was a repetitive behaviorthat many people condoned in their lives. Not anymore — not anymore.”

Brad Pitt attends the 2022 Venice International Film Festival in September.The actor is a credited producer on She Said , and is currently facingassault allegations. (Photo by Rocco Spaziani/Archivio Spaziani/MondadoriPortfolio via Getty Images)

It’s worth noting that a specific aspect of She Said is representative ofthe challenges facing the entertainment industry as it attempts to chart acourse through the #MeToo landscape. Brad Pitt is one of the film’s creditedproducers, and the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood star is currently facingallegations of having assaulted his ex-wife, Angelina Jolie, in 2016. Askedwhether Pitt’s involvement in the film speaks to the complexities of whereHollywood is now, Schrader agrees that contemporary industry realities are”complex.”

“I have to say, one of the many reasons I’m so proud of being part of thisproject is that it doesn’t shy away from its complexity,” the filmmaker says.”I think we’ve all learned a lot during the last five years, and we all havethe possibility to change perspectives. Hollywood and its studios and itspowerful companies have the duty to take on projects which are in a societalconversation and not shy away from them. This is what we expect from the filmindustry: to speak about things even if they are complex and delicate.”

Zoe Kazan, Carey Mulligan, Andre Braugher and Patricia Clarkson in She Said.(Photo: ©Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection)

Beyond its impact on Hollywood, Twohey and Kantor’s reporting represented amajor win for journalism — an industry that’s been left battered and bruisedby corporate takeovers, harsh economic times and the relentless criticism ofpoliticians like former President Donald Trump. Much like its cinematicforbearers — Alan J. Pakula’s 1976 classic All the President ‘s Men and TomMcCarthy’s 2015 Oscar winner spotlight — She Said reminds moviegoers howimpactful carefully-reported news stories can be, particularly at a time whendistrust in the media is running high.

“Documentation is what’s important,” notes Andre Braugher, who plays former_New York Times_ executive editor Dean Baquet. “One of the themes of the filmis that without documentation, it becomes a ‘He said, she said,’ story. It’sthe importance of a paper trail that moves these investigations from solelyaccusations of bad behavior to documentation of pervasive industrial practicesis . We live in an opinion-driven world. The attempt to discover and propagatefacts is of paramount importance for our democracy, period.”

“The film speaks to what collective action can achieve when backed by aninstitution like The New York Times ,” Mulligan concludes. “It was reallyeye-opening to see the incredibly high standards that a place like the _Times_has in terms of how they report. The film does a great job showing how much ittakes to be able to run a story like this, and that words really matter andthe truth really matters.”

She Said premieres Nov. 18 in theaters

It’s May 16, 1983. The TV show _Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever_celebrates 25 years of Motown music. Marvin Gaye sings ‘What’s Going On’ andgives an impassioned speech about black music. The Temptations and The FourTops have a music battle and Diana Ross is back on stage with The Supremes.

The song that Michael Jackson (1958-2009) plays is certainly not a Motownclassic. He sings ‘Billie Jean’, a single from his latest long-playing record,released on November 30, 1982 Thriller about an obsessed woman who claims heis the father of her child. The video clip in which the singer dances onilluminated sidewalk tiles was already special. Live in front of some 47million television viewers, Jackson during the bridge of the song hasanother sophisticated treat in store. It takes four counts at the most, buthis buttery smooth, backward sliding dance steps to the irresistible beat(later: the moonwalk ) take everyone’s breath away.

Michael Jackson 40 Years of Thriller

When it appears memorial album Michael Jackson Thriller 40 attentionin NRC for the lasting influence of ‘Thriller’. For fans worldwide, November30 will be the documentary ‘Michael Jackson Thriller 40′ screened in theNetherlands in cinema Tuschinski Amsterdam (sold out).

Half a year later, he surprises again. Jackson brings the title track of thesame Thriller album like an almost 14-minute long horror movie. In a redleather jacket, the singer first becomes a werewolf, later he is a dancingzombie in an intriguing group choreography among living corpses. _“You know it’s thriller, thriller night. You’re fighting for your life inside a killer,thriller. Oh!”_he sings.

The high-quality video of the unorthodox pop hit ‘Thriller’, a theatrical funksong with sound effects such as footsteps, howling wind, a creaking door andeven a very sinister spoken part by Vincent Price, is a sensation. Musicchannel MTV sometimes plays the long song twice an hour.

Magical actually, how as a child of the eighties I still remember exactly howit felt when I received that record from the Sint. Michael Jackson lying onthe fold-out cover, cool-glorious look in white suit with black zippersweater. And oh yes, that tiger so casually on his knee. That horror in theaforementioned video clip by the way: terrifying.

Just one funky snap of the fingers Thriller suddenly four decades old.

A special double celebratory issue coming Friday will feature old forgottenJackson demos and previously unreleased songs like “Who Do You Know.” At theend of this month, various fan events, including Tuschinski in Amsterdam, willscreen a documentary by filmmaker and music historian Nelson George about theorigins of Thriller.

How Jackson revitalized pop music with this album in the early eighties hasoften been described. How the immense sales buoyed up a recession-distressedindustry. How Michael Jackson transformed from teen idol to biggest pop starof his time with this album. A modern performer, a role model for black popmusic.

The sliding __dance steps at ‘Billie Jean’, the moonwalk take everyone’s> breath away

After Thriller followed the album Bath (1987). Legion of hit singles madeJackson even more popular if possible. There was a dark side to that status:the singer, surrounded by gossip, became increasingly alienated and lived inisolation on his estate Neverland – the place where he could remain a child.There were still tours and hits, but revelations about the eccentric artistdominated: he had a pigment disease, underwent facial operations, his fatherhad loose hands, there was financial chaos, and there were wonderfulengagements.

Allegations of child sexual abuse by the pop star were increasingly emphatic.They were not silent after his sudden death, a cardiac arrest, in 2009. Thepenetrating documentary Leaving Neverland (2019) resulted in a brief boycottof his music. But the question of whether we can still listen to Jackson’smusic quickly evaporated.

The singer was a weirdo but he was never found guilty. So fans remained loyal,and old hits are uncancelled. See the exorbitantly high number of streams of’Billie Jean’: played more than 1 billion times on Spotify. And also see thecelebration of Thriller 40 years.

Michael Jackson receives a gold record for ‘Thriller’ in London in 1983 PhotoTerry Lott/Getty Images

8 reasons why ‘Thriller’ is still undisputedly top quality

1. Thriller is a ‘sonic statement’

Play Thriller and marvel at how the direct, transparent and accessible soundblasts from the speakers. Punchy mixing, a razor-sharp distinction between theinstruments. Jackson wanted to make a ‘sonic statement’, blowing listenersaway with extreme musicality. And that still works.

That didn’t happen right away, though. After a first listening session withthe record label, Jackson and his producer Quincy Jones are disappointed withthe still lukewarm enthusiasm. All songs are remixed and boiled down toperfect lengths with renowned technician Bruce Swedien. The final compositionof the album was also a point. At the last minute ‘Beat It’, ‘PYT’ and ‘HumanNature’ were added anyway.

2. Thriller is a melting pot

It is still one of the most striking elements of Thriller : the mixing ofmusical styles. Jackson, with the help of producer, composer and arrangerQuincy Jones, blurred all lines and extended R&B and soul to rock, stretcheddisco funk to pop. In two ballads and quite a few dance hits, the eightiessound from an arsenal of synthesizers dominates. It is now fully embracedagain. And no Jones production without brass instruments: the sharp dots onthe i.

3. Thriller is of a creepy perfection

With the illustrious words “Okay guys, we’re here to save the record industryfrom destruction”, Quincy Jones started the recordings. It was quite apromise. The producer and arranger, who since musicalfilm The Wizz andMichael Jackson’s solo debut Off The Wall had a fatherly bond with Jacksonin 1979 (he called him “Smelly”), pushed the young singer to extremes in eightweeks. Beautiful, Jones could say after every take. But do you have any moreat home?

Listen back to the vocals – online they can be found ‘isolated’ frominstruments. You can hear the singer’s effort, the bendy voice, the vocalpower, all those shrieks. Jackson, Jones and engineer Swedien re-recorded songafter song over and over, well into the night. Jones would then pick out the’good’ parts – a phrase, a cry – which he welded together to almost clinicalperfection.

4. Thriller has ‘killer songs’

Of the nine songs, ‘Billie Jean’, ‘Beat It’, ‘Wanna Be Startin Somethin’ andthe title track ‘Thriller’ became instant classics. But also a disco song like’PYT (Pretty Young Thing)’ forces you to dance. Although there is no clip ofit. (By the way, PYT was perhaps the first ‘afko’ I ever learned myself).

These are songs, each with its own unique look, which was further enhancedwith imaginative, narrative video clips. Like the clip for ‘Beat It’, an R&Bsong with heavy hard rock elements that calls for violence to be avoided:rival gangs come together for a duel.

Striking: the very first single ‘The Girl Is Mine’ is the weakest song on thealbum. Called up on a whim, Jackson’s duet with ex-Beatle Paul McCartneyseemed on paper to be an incredibly beautiful collaboration between two bignames. ‘The Girl Is Mine’, however, turned into a sickly sweet duel for a girl( ” I am a lover, not a fighter”). Unbelievable.

British songwriter Rod Temperton also provided a smoother and sweeter workwith the interchangeable ‘The Lady Of My Life’ and the nice swinging ‘Baby BeMine’. But of course it was his ‘Thriller’, initially called ‘Starlight’, thatstood out. Funny: the title ‘Starlight’ was dropped because it had to be more’mysterious’, fitting Jackson’s new tough star persona.

Michael Jackson Photo Ron Galella/Getty Images

5. Thriller is a mountain of records

The story of Thriller , made for $750,000, is superlative upon superlative.You can’t escape the records. Eight Grammys. Platinum in sixteen countries.One of the best-selling albums of all time. According to record label Epic,now Sony-BMG, it was 104 million copies. The Guinness Book of World Recordsputs it at 67 million.

6. Thriller was the starting point of the music video market

The music video was a new phenomenon in the early 1980s and Jackson understoodhow it worked. Refined, advanced videos all emphasized his idiosyncratic,decisive dance art. They became promotional vehicles for his singles. Theslick group choreographies were later often seen with artists.

7. Thriller is overflowing with musical inventions

During the recordings, between April and November in 1982 at the WestlakeRecording Studios in Los Angeles, everything was done for unique sounds. Forexample, the signature beginning of ‘Thriller’ itself is the sound of a’shooting star’ – a falling back pitch in the synthesizer. And the echo phrasearose “don ‘t think twice” in “Billie Jean” due to Jackson singing through acardboard pipe in the bathroom.

Another recognizable sound: the isolated bass drum. With literally a woolcover on the drum with a microphone in it, the very dry drum beat of ‘BillieJean’ was created.

The best anecdote is of course Eddie Van Halen’s guitar solo. Play what youwant was the request for ‘Beat It. And he did – as a favor, of all things.Studio legend wants his solo to be so loud it blew up the monitor. The flamesburst out. If you listen carefully, you will hear an accidentally recordeddoor knock from Van Halen just before the solo. According to producer QuincyJones, it was “exactly what was missing”.

8. Thriller relies on big names

In addition to rock god Eddie Van Halen, almost the entire band Toto alsoplayed on this album, including guitarist Steve Lukather. The fact that cultactor Vincent Price lent his low voice to the spoken ‘Thriller’ intro -(“Darkness falls across the land…”) made the song even more ominous.

The ‘Human Nature’, which was later also widely covered in jazz (Miles Davis),was written by Toto keyboardist Steve Porcaro. It was a comfort song for hisdaughter that accidentally ended up on a demo. Jackson said it was the “mostbeautiful melody he had ever heard.”

In the wake of widespread problems around Taylor Swift and Bruce Springsteentour on-sales, US Senator Amy Klobuchar, chair of the Senate JudiciarySubcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights, haswritten a letter to Ticketmaster raising concern about the lack of competitionin the ticketing industry and the service it provides to consumers.

Widespread complaints about astronomical prices, long wait times and crashingcomputer servers plagued the first day of ticket sales for Swift’s 2023 touron Tuesday, further rocking an industry that has been saddled with accusationsof problematic business practices for many years. Ticketmaster, which is byfar the dominant ticketing business in the country, has been particularlycriticized.

More from Variety

“I write to express serious concerns about the state of competition in theticketing industry and its harmful impact on consumers. Reports about systemfailures, increasing fees, and complaints of conduct that violate the consentdecree Ticketmaster is under suggest that Ticketmaster continues to abuse itsmarket positions,” Klobuchar (D-Mn.) wrote to Michael Rapino, president andCEO of Ticketmaster’s parent company , Live Nation.

“Ticketmaster’s power in the primary ticket market insulates it from thecompetitive pressures that typically push companies to innovate and improvetheir services. That can result in the types of dramatic service failures wesaw this week, where consumers are the ones that pay the price,” Klobuchar’sletter continued. (The full text of the letter appears below.)

Such open letters to Ticketmaster’s executives are nothing new: Rep. BillPascrell (DN.J.) and other Congresspeople have criticized the company multipletimes in recent years, most recently over its “dynamic pricing” model, whichled to astronomical prices on the initial dates for a 2023 tour by BruceSpringsteen, one of Pascrell’s state’s most treasured artists.

Story continues

But Klobuchar’s chair position and history with the live entertainmentindustry bring a new element to the situation. She was a key leader in the“Save Our Stages” campaign that brought $16 billion in federal pandemic reliefto independent music venues and theaters, and in April 2020, she and SenatorsRichard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Cory Booker (D-NJ ) urged the Department ofJustice Antitrust Division to take action to ensure small and independentvenues can compete on a level playing field in the live entertainmentmarketplace.

In August 2019, Klobuchar and Blumenthal called on the DOJ Antitrust Divisionto investigate the state of competition in the ticketing marketplace, givennews reports that Ticketmaster-Live Nation was not adhering to the conditionsof the antitrust consent decree governing its merger.

While reps for Ticketmaster did not immediately respond to requests forcomment given the early hour of the letter’s release, a company rep’s responseto Pascrell in September stated in part, “We appreciate and share CongressmanPascrell’s passion for improving the ticketing industry and look forward tocontinuing our dialogue with him. As the resale ticketing market has grown tomore than a $10 billion dollar industry over the past few years, artists andteams have lost that revenue to resellers who have no investment in the eventgoing well or any of the people working behind the scenes to bring the eventto life. As such, Event Organizers have looked to market-based pricing torecapture that lost revenue.”

While many of the problems experienced by hopeful concertgoers around theSwift and Springsteen on-sales are to be expected when demand exponentiallyoutweighs availability and a computer system experiences unprecedentedactivity, there is little question that the ticketing industry is among themost problematic in the entertainment business.

Full text of the letter appears below:

Dear mr. Rapino:

I write to express serious concerns about the state of competition in theticketing industry and its harmful impact on consumers. Reports about systemfailures, increasing fees, and complaints of conduct that violate the consentdecree Ticketmaster is under suggest that Ticketmaster continues to abuse itsmarket positions.

Ticketmaster and LiveNation dominate the live entertainment supply chain withpowerful positions in primary ticketing, secondary ticketing, concertpromotion, artist management, tour sponsorships, and event venue operation.Ticketmaster ‘s power in the primary ticket market insulates it from thecompetitive pressures that typically push companies to innovate and improvetheir services. That can result in dramatic service failures, where consumersare the ones that pay the price.

I have been skeptical of the combination of these companies since you mergedin 2011, when the Senate held a hearing into the merger. At that hearing, youappeared as a witness and pledged to “develop an easy-access, one-stopplatform that can deliver … tickets.” And you said that you were “confidentthis plan will work.” It appears that your confidence was misplaced.

When Ticketmaster merged with Live Nation in 2010, it was subject to anantitrust consent decree that prohibited it from abusing its market position.Nevertheless, there have been numerous complaints about your company ‘scompliance with that decree. I am concerned about a pattern of non-compliancewith your legal obligations.

I look forward to your response to these questions, which I would appreciatereceiving by November 23, 2022.

1. Are you still “confident” that your plan to develop an “easy-access, one-stop platform” that will be a “trusted business partner” is working?

Typically, what percentage of high profile tour tickets are available to thegeneral public compared to those allocated to pre-sales, radio stations, VIPs,and other restricted sales opportunities? Please provide specific recentexamples.

Ticketmaster has been repeatedly accused of violating the requirements of itsconsent decree with the Department of Justice. Is Ticketmaster aware of anycomplaints that have been made to it or to government agencies about potentialnoncompliance with the consent decree in the last twelve months? If so, pleaseprovide details about each alleged incident.

In the last twelve months, how much have you invested in upgrading yoursystems to address demand surges, and specifically, what improvements didthose investments generate?

In the last three years, has the Ticketmaster Board of Directors receivedinformation about decree compliance? If so, please provide copies of anymaterials provided to any Board member on this topic.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

Best of Variety

Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook,Twitter, and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.

On the surface, it was difficult for Gabrielle Union to relate to hercharacter The Inspection.

Inez French is a corrections officer who kicked her son (Jeremy Pope) out ofthe house when he was a teenager for being gay. (The drama is based on thetrue-life story of its writer-director, Elegance Bratton, who attempted to winhis mother’s love back by enlisting in the Marines.)

Union herself is an outspoken advocate of LGBTQ+ rights, steadfastlysupporting her stepdaughter Zaya (whom she helped raise with husband DwayneWade), who came out as transgender in 2020.

“Initially, I was like, ‘I live differently. What have I ever given off tomake anyone think that I could pull this off convincingly?,’” Union told us ina virtual interview where she was joined by Bratton and Pope.

Ultimately Union found a link to Inez through some reflection on her self-image and identity.

“I had to find the common ground with her. And that common ground is all ofthe things that we are willing to do in order to be seen, in order to movethat much further ahead for a check, for a relationship, for acceptance,validation for white supremacy. What are we willing to gamble with? And forme, I didn’t gamble with my children, but I’ve gambled with all sorts ofthings.

“I mean to not make light of it, but I gambled with my upper lip. For manyyears I would literally smile [while hiding my lip]. Because I thought if Ilet my full lip be seen, then they would know I was Black. … As illogical andsilly and stupid as that is, I tried to minimize my Blackness. I tried toconstantly be shapeshifting that dual consciousness. I had multiplepersonalities. I was trying to constantly change who I was, depending on theroom, if I thought it was gonna get me this far ahead. All the things that youdo for a man, all the things that you do for Jesus, all the things that you dofor whoever you think that is going to deem you worthy, deem you good enough,deem you worthy of all the opportunities in life, riches, you’ll do anything.You will barter with anything. And for some of us that’s children. And for me,it was my soul many times. So when I realized that common ground, it’s dark.It’s just very dark and disturbing.”

Story continues

Gabrielle Union in ‘The Inspection’ (A24 Films)

Union, 50, started her career with roles in popular but predominantly whiteteen comedies She ‘s All That (1999), 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)and Bring It On (2000). She also played a love interest to both Ross (DavidSchwimmer) and Joey (Matt LeBlanc) in a 2001 episode of Friends.

In the years to come, though, the actress began landing more prominent partsin films with largely Black casts. Those included The Brothers (2001) withMorris Chestnut and Bill Bellamy; Deliver Us from Eve (2003) opposite LLCool J; Bad Boys II (2003) starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence; and_Breakin ‘ All the Rules_ (2004) alongside Jamie Foxx.

Prominent credits in more recent years include Think Like a Man (2012), TopFive (2014), The Birth of a Nation (2016), break-in (2018) and the BETseries Being Mary Jane (2014-19).

Now, Union is drawing early awards buzz for her punishing role in TheInspection which could mark a career-best performance.

“I think hurt people hurt people, and healed people have the ability to helpheal other people,” Union says of the film’s messages. “You just have to wantto do different and wanna love differently and you have to know that you’rereally losing nothing in loving completely.”

Lea Michele’s acclaimed turn as Fannie Brice in the Broadway’s revival of_Funny Girl_ is being preserved in a big way.

The actress, along with her fellow castmates, stepped away from the stage andinto the studio to recorded a new album of Jule Styne and Bob Merrill’slegendary score on Sony Masterworks Broadway — the first new Broadway castrecording since the original cast album that featured Barbra Streisand back in1964.

Dropping on digital just after midnight Friday, the Funny Girl New BroadwayCast Recording will feature hits like “People,” “I’m the Greatest Star,” “TheMusic That Makes Me Dance” and of course, “Don’t Rain on My Parade.”

A physical CD is set for release on Jan. 20, 2023 and available for preorderbeginning Friday.

Never miss a story — sign up for ** PEOPLE ‘s free daily newsletter** to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicycelebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Michele first revealed the news of the album after Funny Girl ‘s evening> performance on Wednesday, telling the audience at the August Wilson Theater> how excited she was for them to hear it.

“We have a little secret that we want to let you all in on. We’re all so soproud to announce that we are going to be releasing our original cast Broadwayalbum,” said Michele, in a speech that was also streamed on InstagramLive.”Everyone here who is working so incredibly hard every single night alsoworked so hard in the studio to make such an incredible album that I heard.And as the biggest Funny Girl fan my entire life, I’m so proud of it. It’sso, so, so great.”

The Today show later dropped the news of the Friday release date, as well asa First Look video of Michele recording the show-stopping “Don’t Rain on MyParade.”

RELATED: Lea Michele and Darren Criss Have Glee Reunion at Broadways_Funny Girl_

Aside from Michele, Funny Girl also stars Ramin Karimloo (as Nick Arnstein),Jared Grimes (as Eddie Ryan), and Tovah Feldshuh (as Mrs. Rosie Brice).

Story continues

They are joined by Peter Francis James (as Florenz Ziegfeld), Ephie Aardma (asEmma/Mrs. Nadler), Debra Cardona (as Mrs. Meeker), Toni DiBuono (as Mrs.Strakosh), Martin Moran (as Tom Keeney), and an acting company that includesMiriam Ali, Amber Ardolino, Daniel Beeman, Colin Bradbury, Kurt Csolak, JohnMichael Fiumara, Leslie Donna Flesner, Afra Hines, Masumi Iwai, Aliah James,Jeremiah James, Danielle Kelsey, Stephen Mark Lukas, Alicia Lundgren , JohnManzari, Liz McCartney, Connor McRory Katie Mitchell, Justin Prescott, MariahReives, Barbara Tirrell, Leslie Blake Walker, and “Fanny Brice” alternateJulie Benko, who performs the role every Thursday.

The album is produced by David Caddick and David Lai, and co-produced by SoniaFriedman, Scott Landis, David Babani, Michael Mayer, Brian Gillet, HuckWalton, Sean Keller and Marc Levine.

Lea Michele and the cast of Broadway’s Funny Girl perform on Good MorningAmerica at Times Square in New York City ‘Good Morning America’ TV show, NewYork, USA – 07 Oct 2022

MediaPunch/Shutterstock

RELATED: Lea Michele Receives 4 Standing Ovations Before Intermission at HerFirst Performance of Funny Girl

Michele debuted as Fanny Brice in September following a 13-year absence fromthe Broadway stage. She notably received four standing ovations before the endof act 1 and another two in the second act.

Cheering her on was an electric crowd of friends and fans alike — from herbest friend Jonathan Groff, to their fellow Spring Awakening costars JohnGallagher Jr. and Gideon Glick. Drew Barrymore was also in attendance, as wasZachary Quinto, Lee Pace, Tony winner Harvey Fierstein, New York Gov. KathyHochul and prolific producer Ryan Murphy, who worked with Michele in Glee_and _Scream Queens.

Ahead of her first performance, the actress told PEOPLE that she was excitedto have some of her friends and family supporting her in the crowd. “I knowJon [Groff] and John [Gallagher Jr.] are going to be there,” she said. “So Ihave all of my people. It’s wonderful.”

Michele as “Fanny Brice” and Tovah Feldshuh as “Mrs. Brice” take their firstcurtain call in “Funny Girl” on Broadway at The August Wilson Theater onSeptember 6, 2022 in New York City.

Bruce Glikas/WireImage

The actress went on to note that her Spring Awakening group chat was filledwith nothing but well wishes upon the news that she’d be stepping into therevival following original star Beanie Feldstein’s exit in July.

“Everyone is so incredibly supportive,” she said of her _Spring Awakening_cast member. “I mean, literally, it’s just a constant support for all of us.”

As for any speculation of behind-the-scenes drama around the casting decisionbetween Michele and Feldstein, Michele insisted to PEOPLE it’s not true. “Isaw the show. I wrote her and told her what an incredible job I thought thatshe did,” Michele said. “I think that everybody just thinks everything is sodrama-filled. I also think that people really love the excitement of pittingwomen against each other, which I think is really sad and unfortunate.”

Freddie Prince Jr. has been one of Hollywood’s most prominent Latino actorssince his ’90s teen movie heyday. But over the course of his quarter-centurycareer, the son of late comedian and sitcom star, Freddie Prinze, has rarelyhad the opportunity to represent his culture onscreen.

“I’ve received nothing but love from Latino taxi drivers to business ownerstalking about being inspired by seeing a Latino whose not running from thecops or dealing drugs,” he tells Yahoo Entertainment. “But within theindustry, I’ve always met with a ton of resistance by directors wanting tocheck my Latino heritage.”

That’s why Prince regards his new Netflix holiday movie, Christmas With You, as a gift that will keep on giving. Directed by Argentine filmmaker,Gabriela Tagliavini, the film casts the _She ‘s All That _star as Miguel — apublic school music teacher and single dad who makes an unexpectedChristmastime love connection with a big-time pop star, Angelina, played byAimee Garcia. Believe it or not, Prinze says that this is the first time he’sbeen hired specifically to play a Latino character. “I’ve never gotten to doit before unless I wrote the damn thing,” he notes. “So when Gabriela broughtthis to me, all I wanted was the opportunity to earn her respect.”

“Every Latino you’ve seen me play was always an after-the-fact thing,” Prinzecontinues. (The actor has previously portrayed Latino characters in Peacock’s_Punky Brewster_ revival and on the eighth season of Fox’s hit action series,24.) “The role would be named ‘Mike Smith’ and they’d say, ‘Oh, we hiredFreddie, so we can show people how diverse we are.’ And all of a sudden hisname is ‘Miguel Ramirez.’ And that doesn’t count man! not count. This wassomething that was very important to me, and a big reason of why I signed ontothis movie.”

Story continues

Watch a scene from Christmas With You below:

Not for nothing, but Christmas With You is also one of the few Christmasmovies to feature a Latino family front and center. In recent years, networksand streamers like Hallmark, Hulu, Lifetime and Netflix have sought todiversify their holiday fare with stories that prominently feature LGBTQcharacters and Black characters, but that change has been slow to extend toother groups. “Aimee mentioned to me that she can’t think of another Latino-family American Christmas movie,” Prinze says. “I was like, ‘I’m sure theremust have been.’ But I can’t think of any! That’s what makes this movie socool.”

“I’ve heard from white people before that they don’t like forced diversity,”he adds. “And I get that, I really do. Creatively, you should never feel likesomething’s being forced on you and there’s a lot of agenda-written things.But this movie is just about a family celebrating Christmas. It’s about afather who lost his wife, and his daughter lost her mother and he’s trying toplay both roles.I know a lot of people, regardless of their race, that grew upwith a single parent — I happen to be one of them.So there’s a human elementto to the story that everyone can relate to. The only thing that make usdifferent are the foods we eat, the way we dance and the music we like. Assoon as you have tacos, you’re in with me, man. And if you hate tacos, that’sall right, too. I hate mayonnaise!”

Garcia as Angelina and Prinze as Miguel in Christmas With You. (Photo:Jessica Kourkounis/Netflix)

Food was a big part of Prinze’s childhood Christmases in New Mexico, where helived with his mother following his father’s death just prior to his firstbirthday. “Everything is different there,” he remembers. “We were the ones whostarted luminarios at Halloween instead of lights, and we’d do them forChristmas, too, sometimes. You’d have to find ways of keeping them frommelting in the snow! __ The Native American culture and Mexican culture reallycombined beautifully in that state and dictated the types of food we would eatand drinks we would drink. We would have sopaipillas with honey and Indianfry bread. Those would all be a staple at every Christmas dinner, and Ibrought them out to California when I moved back here.”

Prinze continues to serve those New Mexico staples at the holiday dinners hehosts with his wife, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and their two kids. “I couldn’tfind good Mexican food in Southern California before the food truckrevolution, so I’d literally ship out green chili and red chili from NewMexico,” he says, laughing. “I’ve served green chili chicken stew onChristmas, and everybody goes bananas for it. I’ve been fortune enough to seecultures embrace one another, and it’s usually food that provides commonground. I know how to cook because of that. “

While Prinze would be part of another Latino-centric Christmas movie in aheartbeat, don’t expect to see him return to George Lucas’s far, far awaygalaxy for any future holiday specials. The real life Star Wars fan voicedJedi survivor Kanan Jarrus on four seasons of the fan favorite cartoon series,Star Wars Rebels which ended its run in 2018. Since then, though, the_Rebellious_ ship famously made a cameo (along with Prinze’s voice) in theSkywalker Saga-capping blockbuster, The Rise of Skywalker , and otheranimated characters — including Ahsoka Tano and Bo-Katan — have jumped intothe live action realm. But Prinze insists that Kanan won’t be joining them.

“I am done performing in Star Wars ,” he says, adding that if Kanan does popup on The Mandalorians or another Disney+ series, he won’t be the oneswinging the Jedi’s blue lightsaber. “I felt like I did a great job with thatcharacter, who I love. He had a beautiful story, but it ended and while myconnection to him isn’t gone, there’s nothing left for me to give him. Itwould just be forced, and I don’t like that The Rise of Skywalker but [Rebels co-creator] Dave Filoni convinced me! I said no the first time theyasked, and he had to make the call. He believed in me for that role in_Rebellious_ when Disney didn’t, and for that, I always have his back.”

Christmas With You is currently streaming on Netflix

The headline above this article is the story of the movie The Way toParadise. A made-up story, but in reality it is regularly discussed. This’dark’ film from the depths of Amsterdam (but ultimately in the heart of thecity…) will be shown in cinemas from tomorrow.

The Way to Paradise revolves around Najib, an Amsterdam Moroccan from theWest district who has his life in order. Master’s degree in Law, a nice Dutchgirlfriend: that’s how it should always be, you could say. But in the end it’snot like that. Everything changes when his older brother is arrested. NowNajib has to take care of his family and is forced to drop out of his studiesto earn money. In his efforts, Najib repeatedly encounters closed doors andprejudices. Little by little his life collapses, especially because hisbrother was not dealing with the freshest of figures. On the verge of despair,he is approached by Brahim who offers him help. However, Brahim’s real goalturns out to be something else: to convince Najib that he should become ajihadist. And that by fighting for Islam will find the way to paradise.

Jihad in your own neighborhood

It was for this one Subway switch reporter. Quite a few scene locations passby that are very close to my house and that I know. But yes, Amsterdam West.It is logical that director Wahid Sanouji has actually chosen to shoot for theplace where it is all about in his film. And ‘only’ number two: nice that one_Movie Review of the Week_ takes place in their own neighborhood and beyond.

Anyone who saw the trailer already heard a good question when Najib and Brahimpeer over Amsterdam: “Do you know why an attack has never been committedhere?” “Because we as Muslims love the Netherlands.” And then: “But does theNetherlands love us?”

Aziz Akazim and Titia Hoogendoorn. Photo:Dutch Film Works

Fucking pig in The Way to Paradise

Najib’s father telling a friend ‘to ask his wife and children to bury him inMorocco’. The friend who wonders what their real country is. Najib’s motherwho, when her son is arrested – while the whole neighborhood is watching -thinks the family disgrace in the street is almost more important than thefact that her child is in jail. A female Dutch detective who calls that child’a fucking pig, a species she hates’ during interrogations. Dutch employerswho never hire Najib in his job search, simply because he is… Moroccan. With agood brain, that is. If you do have the job, then you are not allowed to prayduring the break from that jerk of a fishmonger (“Is there a mosque above thedoor here?”). And then his girlfriend’s father. You already understand: Najibis anything but welcome in the family.

All things that you don’t like to look at and sometimes embarrassing. TheMoroccan characters in The Way to Paradise , believe that they behave in atolerant way in the Netherlands. Conversely, ‘we are that country thatcontinues to see them as shitty Moroccans’. And then that Jihad will attract,which is spreading rapidly across the internet. With the main message: “Faithis our only weapon.”

🎬

A get-together at the Sloterplas

It seems as if get-togethers in Amsterdam-West should always be filmed on thenorth side of the Sloterplas (see photo below). In a short time, this locationhas already been featured three times, in three different titles. First in theseries CLAMP and The Golden Hour now in the Jihad movie The Way toParadise. Well, it happened to catch the eye and of course the filmmaker hasa nice picture.

Fixed film location: the Sloterplas. Photo:Dutch Film Works

Role Geert Wilders in Jihad film

PVV member Geert Wilders also has a role in it The Way to Paradise. No, thepolitician didn’t have to play that one. He had already done that with hisquestion ‘more or less Moroccans’. Everything said above can ‘just’ make surethat an Amsterdam Moroccan qualifies for Jihad. With that, we are not sayinghere that it is logical if someone radicalises. It does happen though, likewith Najib. Aziz Akazim, whom Videoland viewers probably know from MacroMafia portrays his character excellently.

At least in a way where you can actually follow his Jihad thoughts. To someextent then. How he and his ‘mate’ think to start the road to Paradise in theheart of Amsterdam, that step is (fortunately) miles away for most people.

Rating out 5: 3

Subway You can read the film review of the week every Wednesday around 6p.m. New titles always appear in Dutch cinemas on Thursdays, such as The Wayto Paradise (sometimes also on Wednesdays). Reporter Erik Jonk chooses oneevery week. Next week She Said about the two journalists of the New YorkTimes who together published one of the most important stories of ageneration: the story of sexual abuse in Hollywood.

BVAfter two clothing collections, Julie Vermeire (24) goes a step further. Shewill release her own jewelery collection at the end of this month. “Rings,earrings and necklaces in gold, pink and green,” she proudly shows. “I likecolour, so my collection is very festive,” she tells Dag Alles.

Jan Ruysbergh 17 Nov. 2022

Source:  Hey everyone

Julie’s jewelery will be for sale at Kruidvat. Not exactly the more exclusivesegment that other BVs often opt for, but Julie deliberately did not wantthat. “I was a bit hesitant,” she says. “But Kruidvat showed me all sorts ofthings and there was very open communication. I have many young followers onTikTok between six and eighteen years old, for them it is nice that thejewelry is low budget. I have also asked my friends for advice and they arevery enthusiastic.”

Julie is of course not a jewelery designer, but she helped choose the rings,earrings and necklaces. Taking a course in jewelery making does not seem to bean option for her for the time being. “It looks cool to be able to design yourown rings, but I don’t know if I’m creative enough,” she says. “But I did helpchoose the items and had a say in the colours. I find it very festive, it canstand out. I myself love rings and without earrings I just feel naked. Ialready have two holes in each ear.”

(Read more below the photo.)

© Kristof Ghyselinck

Engagement ring

James Cooke was given an engagement ring by Dorian that he had designedhimself. Maybe Julie hopes her boyfriend Laurins will one day do the same forher? “Gosh, like me, he has no experience in that,” she says. “There areenough rings for sale, right? But if someone can help him with that, why not?It does make a ring more personal. But an engagement isn’t on the cards yet,you know. We’ll see when it comes. We are already very happy that livingtogether is going so well. I’ve been doing laundry and peeing since I wasfifteen, so I was used to that. Laurins has taken over the cooking, because heis just good at it.”

Julie lives with Laurins in Kortrijk, at some distance from her father JacquesVermeire. “But I go at least twice a week,” she says. “Also to see my friends.I like being at home. Dad is still recovering from his broken shoulder. Itwon’t be 100 percent okay, I’m afraid. But it functions. He now travels everymonth with Urbanus for a TV program and he is working on a new show. Thetheater show with me and my brother Maxime, which we unfortunately had topostpone, will probably be for the fall of 2023.”

(Read more below the photo.)

© Kristof Ghyselinck

Grown a lot

You don’t have to wait until then to see Julie at work, though. At the end ofDecember she will be on TV again, in ‘A Real Job’ on VTM. “My exclusivitycontract with SBS has ended, so I am free to come and go as I please,” saysJulie. “I’m glad they asked me, because healthcare has always fascinated me. Iam a ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ fan. (laughs) My grandmother was a nurse, and I alsolike to help people. As a smooth talker, I hope I can transfer my positiveenergy to patients on gloomy days. A nice challenge. Maybe I will end up ingeriatrics, then I can prepare myself to help dad or my grandparents later.”

Julie realizes all too well that this reality series will be something verydifferent from the glitz and glamor of ‘Dancing With The Stars’. “In ‘A RealJob’ I can be completely myself, I’m looking forward to that,” she says. “I amnow 24, since I started in the media three years ago, I have grown a lot. Iused to be rather gullible, now I have much more human knowledge and I am morerealistic. In the media world you have many sharks and false promises, thereare many dangers. Fortunately, I am well surrounded by four men: my dad, mymanager Thomas, my friend Laurins and my dog ​​Sunny. So I feel wellprotected. Although I can also stand my ground.” (laughs)

REVIEW ALSO: Julie Vermeire shares an emotional message for her father,Jacques Vermeire: “You are my greatest example.”