ETHNIC MUSIC

Neil Blumofe's "Piety and Desire": A Triumph. By Maximillien de Lafayette

The Indian release of the Hollywood film The Da Vinci Code has been delayed indefinitely by Sony Pictures after a row with the country's censors. Sony Pictures said the censors' demand for disclaimers at the beginning and end of the film led to the delay. The Censor Board has asked for disclaimers saying the film was "a work of pure fiction". The film, based on the best-selling book by Dan Brown, was launched at the Cannes Film Festival this week. The Censor Board wanted the disclaimers to read "it is a work of pure fiction and has no correspondence to historical facts of the Christian religion". However, Sony Pictures said it had a legal statement at the end of the film and did not believe additional or modified language was required. Sony's statement reads "the characters and incidents portrayed and the names herein are fictitious, and any similarity to the name, character or history of any person is entirely coincidental and unintentional". The company statement also said it hoped an agreement could be reached as soon as possible so that the film could be released in India. The movie has faced stiff opposition from the Christian community with some Catholic groups asking for a ban on its release. Following special screenings for various Catholic leaders and even the information and broadcasting minister, Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi, the board finally cleared the film for release on Thursday, providing the disclaimers were inserted.

Martin Scorsese is to receive an award for his documentary work.

The Taxi Driver director, who has famously never won an Oscar, will be honoured at the Silverdocs festival for his non-fiction films. They include his London's TV series on Bob Dylan, No Direction Home, and the seven-part musical history Martin Scorsese Presents: The Blues. Festival organisers said Scorsese's work shows "a deep appreciation for American cultural history". "It's about telling America's story, but it's also about telling a story with artistry," said festival director Patricia Finneran. "I think his stories about great musical artists really help us understand our American musical culture and national consensus." Scorsese will discuss his work with director Jim Jarmusch at the festival, to be held in the Washington suburb of Maryland this June. Silverdocs has been running for four years, benefiting from an explosion in documentary film-making. This year it will feature 100 films, including 25 world or US premieres. Former US Vice President Al Gore, whose global warming film An Inconvenient truth, is released in America next week, will deliver the festival's keynote speech.

Broadway boasts record new season

Hollywood stars such as Julia Roberts have Broadway appeal.

New York- Broadway has had a record-breaking year for attendance and box office earnings, thanks to the success of plays such as Julia Roberts' Three Days of Rain. Theatregoers on Broadway topped the 12 million mark for the first time, with a strong attendance by tourists. Ticket sales increased 12 per cent to $861.6m  during the 2005-2006 season, according to the League of American Theatres and Producers. But league president Jed Bernstein said Broadway remains high-risk. "Although the strong business results continue to underline Broadway's revenue stakes in New York, increasing cost pressures have resulted in no increase in the number of shows making a profit," said Mr Bernstein. Lestat, the new musical from Sir Elton John, was among the year's casualties, closing after just 39 performances. The $14m show was savaged by critics when it opened at the Palace Theatre on 25 April after a brief run in San Francisco. Julia Roberts' play Three Day of Rain was also panned by the critics, but sold out weeks in advance thanks to the presence of the Oscar winner in the leading role. Critical hits included the musical Jersey Boys, the story of singer Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, and Alan Bennett's The History Boys, recently nominated for seven Tony awards.

Janet's breast flash fine upheld

New York-US media regulators have rejected a second appeal by the CBS TV network to lift a fine for Janet Jackson's breast exposure during the 2004 Super Bowl. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) fined CBS $550,000  for the infamous "wardrobe malfunction". The FCC said given the public outcry that followed, "it was CBS and not the commission that was out of touch with the standards of the American people". More than 500,000 complaints were received after the broadcast. CBS apologised after the incident. In its appeal, it argued that the FCC wrongly applied the decency standard and the show had not intended to shock. In March, the FCC rejected the television network's first appeal but allowed it to ask the regulator to reconsider the ruling.

'Accident': "The commission affirms its finding that CBS' violation was wilful and declines to reduce the forfeiture imposed upon CBS," the FCC said in a statement. "We find that CBS has failed to present any argument warranting reconsideration of our forfeiture order." The fine was the largest ever levied against a US television broadcaster. Jackson exposed her right breast during a dance routine with Justin Timberlake during the Super Bowl's halftime show two years ago. He blamed the exposure on a "wardrobe malfunction", while Jackson said it had been an accident.

Dixie Chicks downplay tour claims

 

LOS ANGELES-Country music group the Dixie Chicks have downplayed reports that poor sales are forcing changes to their planned 43-date North American tour. A concert industry magazine claimed shows had been dropped in Republican states such as Oklahoma and Tennessee. The group's spokeswoman told the Los Angeles Times there would be "some reshuffling of dates" but also some additions to the itinerary. Their website said it was "completely false" to say the entire tour was off. The Dixie Chicks also paid tribute to their fans, stressing they were "as active and dedicated as they come". In 2003 there was a backlash against the group following remarks by singer Natalie Maines. She said they were "ashamed" to share their home state of Texas with President Bush. She later retracted an apology for "disrespecting the office of the president", telling Time magazine in a recent interview: "I don't feel that way anymore. I don't feel he is owned any respect whatsoever." The Dixie Chicks are scheduled to play a sold-out concert at London's Shepherd's Bush Empire next Thursday, and will support the Eagles two days later at Twickenham Stadium. They will then embark on a tour of the United States and Canada, which starts in Detroit on 21 July and ends on 11 November in Tacoma, Washington. The group's latest album, Taking the Long Way, has spent the past two weeks at number one on the US pop charts, having sold 526,000 copies during its first seven days.

80'S HAIR METAL ICON VIXEN BRINGS SUMMER TOUR TO LOS ANGELES THIS JUNE

By Beth Wernick


Photo: Vixen.

Know as the Queens of Metal, and as the 'female Bon Jovi', 80's all female rock band VIXEN brings things up to speed with their summer tour, which includes two dates in the Los Angeles area.  Saturday, June 17th has VIXEN strutting their stuff in Long Beach, CA at THE BLUE CAFÉ, with a midnight show.  The Blue Café is located in downtown Long Beach, 210 Promenade, (562) 983 7111.  Tickets are $15. in advance, $20. at the door. Then, on Friday, June 23rd, VIXEN comes back to Hollywood in style, returning to the famous WHISKEY A GO GO, 8901 Sunset Blvd;, (310) 652 4202.  Show starts at ll:30 PM and tickets are $15. VIXEN founder and lead guitarist, JAN KUEHNEMUND, brings new members JENNA SANZ-AGERO (vocals), KAT KRAFT (Drums) and LYNN LOUISE LOWREY (Bass)  with her on a multiple city tour. Some of the major cities they'll be rocking include New York, Minneapolis, Chicago, Cleveland, Denver and Las Vegas.    The tour takes the ladies to several festivals, among them:  The Rock and Blues Custom Show in Derbyshire, UK; the Rock of Ages Festival in Germany, the RagnaRock Festival in Norway, Rockzinante Excalibur Metal Festival in Madrid and El Paso, Texas' Rio Grand Rock-n-Roll Bike Fest. Coming out in the next few weeks as part of the SONY/BMG “EXTENDED VERSIONS” SERIES, is the bands' Live CD Release, recorded at the SWEDENROCK FESTIVAL in 2005. The new VIXEN release, “LIVE AND LEARN”, produced by Denis MacKay (who engineered their last release “REV IT UP”), will be available this summer.

Bocelli and the Philharmonic will perform arias from the world of Italian opera. Wed, Sep 6, 2006, 7:30 PM. Thur, Sep 7, 2006, 7:30 PM. Fri, Sep 8, 2006, 8:00 PM. Sat, Sep 9, 2006, 8:00 PM. Program includes: Verdi/Berio:  “Romanze", Verdi/Mercurio:  “Non t’accostare all’urna” ,Denza:  “Occhi di fata” , Bellini:  “Malinconia, ninfa gentile”, Donaudy:  “Vaghissima sembianza”. Andrea Bocelli, Tenor, Asher Fisch, Conductor.

When asked his thoughts on performing these concerts with the New York Philharmonic, Mr. Bocelli offered the following: “How can a singer express – with mere words – what it will feel like to sing in a temple of music like Avery Fisher Hall and to make music with what is considered the world’s greatest orchestra? It is useless to try; words aren’t enough, especially when talking about an artist like me, who has had a complex and, I dare say, challenging, career. “But I think anyone who will be there with me will easily understand the mysterious connection that unites interpreter and audience, all the emotion and certainly joy, at having reached this point and having gained the confidence of such renowned and beloved musicians. As always I will give it my all, and as always I will put my trust in the audience—my first and most faithful ally. The rest is in the hands of God.” Andrea Bocelli (at Forte dei Marmi, April 12, 2006).

GUISEPPE VERDI (1813 – 1901), arr. Luciano Berio (1925 – 2003), Sei Romanze (Six Romances) (1845). Texts by Andrea Maffei and Manfredo Maggioni. “It would have been impossible for me to orchestrate these expressive and idiomatic romances alla Verdi,” said Luciano Berio of Guiseppe Verdi’s Six Romances. “Instead I have not approached the orchestration in a homogeneous way, because these pieces, for all their Verdian style, are quite different from each other in expressive character, musical density, and the quality of their texts.” Verdi composed this cycle of six poems (his second set of six) for piano and voice, but in Berio’s orchestral guise they are reminiscent of the composer’s operatic style. Unlike his 1838 Romances, these songs are individually more distinct and different from one another, with text and melody more meaningfully joined. The songs are entitled: “Sunset,” “The Gypsy Woman,” “To a Star,” “The Street Sweeper,” “Mystery,” and “Drinking Song.”

GUISEPPE VERDI, arr. Steven Mercurio (1813 – 1901), “Non t’accostare all’urna” (“Do Not Approach the Urn”) (1838), Text by Jacopo Vittorelli. Before La traviata, before Aida, and way before Otello, there was Verdi’s 1838 Sei Romanze (Six Romances), his first cycle of six songs and his first published work. “Do not approach the urn/That locks away my bones” is one of this group of sorrowful melodies with texts by fellow-Italian Jacopo Vittorelli. Without the affection of his beloved, the singer thinks of himself as if dead. Her sighs and cries are useless to him who is but “a sad shadow.”

LUIGI DENZA (1846-1922), “Occhi di fata” (“Fairy Eyes”) , (Anonymous poet; date unknown). “Occhi di fata” has a firm place in the repertoire of the world’s great tenors, but its creator’s name, Luigi Denza, is hardly a household word. Even his biggest hit, the spirited “Funiculì, funiculà,” an homage to the funicular railroad that took passengers up the slopes of Mount Vesuvius, is usually assumed to be a folk melody. Both are examples of the ubiquitous canzoni napoletani (Neapolitan songs). Born near Naples, Luigi Denza moved to London to pursue his career, which included teaching at the Royal Academy of Music and penning over 500 songs, many in the Neapolitan dialeact. Andrea Bocelli recorded “Occhi di fata” (along with Donaudy’s “Vaghissima sembianza,” also on this program) on the CD Sentimento with Lorin Maazel and the London Symphony, in Mr. Maazel’s arrangement). The singer rhapsodizes about his beloved’s deep, bewitching eyes and ardent kisses, which have stolen the peace of his youth. VINCENZO BELLINI (1801-1835), “Malinconia, ninfa gentile” (“Melancholy, Gentle Nymph”) (1829), Text by Ippolito Pindemonte. Like a rocket, Bellini’s life was intense and tragically short. The Sicilian-born composer died when he was just 34. His biographer and close friend, Francesco Florimo, added to the mystique by spinning facts and altering documents—especially the letters that passed between them. Whether fact or fiction, young Bellini is said to have been a baby prodigy (claims include that he sang a particular aria at 18 months of age!) Though influenced by Sicilian and Neapolitan folksongs, he is mainly associated with the bel canto operas that catapulted him to fame—La sonnambula, Norma, and I Puritani.

He was lionized in Naples, Milan, and later in Paris, yet his contemporaries saw in him a certain melancholy and dreaminess (the German poet Heinrich Heine described him memorably as “a sigh in dancing pumps and silk stockings”). The first of Bellini’s Sei Ariette di camera (Six Chamber Arias), “Malinconia, ninfa gentile” is one of the composer’s best-known chamber works. Set on a poem by Ippolito Pindemonte, the soaring, dramatic song is a hymn to Melancholy, the “gentle nymph.” The poet sings of the pleasures of melancholy—the constant companion of the Romantic soul—best pursued among springs and hills.

STÉFANO DONAUDY (1879-1925), “Vaghissima sembianza” (“Faint Image”) (1918), Text by Alberto Donaudy
A Sicilian by birth Stéfano Donaudy’s musical career was unremarkable. La Fiamminga (The Flemish Girl), the opera he composed with his brother Alberto (a frequent collaborator who contributed texts and libretti for his vocal works), premiered in 1922 in Naples to faint praise. Stéfano Donaudy’s claim to fame rests with a set of songs titled Arie di stile antico (Arias in the Old Style) (1916-18), much performed in the salons of the time. In “Vaghissima sembianza” the poet gazes upon the portrait of his departed beloved, who seems to come to life in his recollection of her. He hopes for a kiss, a cry of love, but she remains silent. Maestro Lorin Maazel arranged this song for Andrea Bocelli for their recording, Sentimento, with the London Symphony.

ANDREA BOCELLI, tenor, born in 1958 in Lajatico, (Tuscany), Italy
Andrea Bocelli has come a long way from his roots in a farming village—set among vineyards and olive groves—in the Tuscan countryside. Being Bocelli now includes an official Web site, more than a dozen recordings, and even downloadable ringtones for cellphones. He has achieved fame singing everything from “Brindisi” to “Besame mucho,” and is one of the world’s most recognized musical stars. Suffering from congenital glaucoma and becoming completely blind as a result of a soccer injury when he was 12, Andrea Bocelli’s life has been a challenge. In 1999, using a Braille computer, he wrote about his life in The Music of Silence, the memoir in which shares his inspiring story. He had always loved music—especially opera—and his parents encouraged this love. He entered local talent contests and won his first competition at age 12. It wasn’t until he had earned his law degree at the University of Pisa and practiced law for a year that he decided to follow his muse. Encouraged by the acclaimed tenor Franco Corelli, Bocelli studied music and in 1980 started singing in piano bars and clubs. His big break came in 1992 when Italian rock star Zucchero Fornaciari was scouting for a tenor for a duo-performance of “Miserere”; it was this collaboration that propelled him to stardom. Two years later he debuted as Macduff in Verdi’s Macbeth. Other highlights include singing before Pope John Paul II, Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, an Oscar night performance with Celine Dion, an appearance with Sarah Brightman, his “Three Divas and a Tenor” tour with Barbra Streisand, Whitney Houston, and Celine Dion, a memorial concert at Ground Zero in 2001, and singing his hit “Because We Believe” at the closing ceremonies of the 2006 Winter Olympics. His discography encompasses music both the classical and popular realms: La Bohème, Il Trovatore, Werther, Tosca, along with Sogno, Romanza, Cieli di Toscana, Andrea, and his most recent CD, Amore. He lends his warm tenor voice to the popular medium with the same passion as to classical music: “Popular music is the soundtrack to the lives of so many...it should be approached with the same integrity and quest for perfection that one would with any musical genre. For me, popular music should be based on a genuine inspiration that comes from the experiences of life, conveyed from the heart and soul.” The number one crossover artist in the world, he has sold millions of recordings world wide, with each release staying at the top of the charts for weeks. At age 47, Andrea Bocelli’s remarkable career as an international phenomenon now has achieved a new pinnacle: he is about to make his debut with the New York Philharmonic. “Andrea’s voice is special in many ways. First of all he has a complete control from forte to pianissimo. ...It is hardly anybody can do that. [He is] ... a conductor’s dream…to ask and to get it, because most people can’t do it.” ~ Zubin Mehta, former Music Director, New York Philharmonic

ASHER FISCH, conductor, born in 1958 in Jerusalem, Israel
Asher Fisch made his New York Philharmonic debut at the 2002 Concerts in the Parks, and his subscription debut in 2004, when he stepped in for Alan Gilbert, leading a concert that featured fellow countryman Pinchas Zukerman. Having a special affinity for the music of Wagner he has conducted the composer’s music worldwide, including recently a new production of Der Ring des Nibelungen for the South Australian Opera. Since Wagner’s music was considered taboo in Israel while Asher Fisch was growing up there, it had a profound effect on him when he first encountered it as an assistant and protégé of the renowned Daniel Barenboim at the Berlin Staatsoper. “It was like music didn’t even exist in its full gamut of colors until I realized what was there. It was incredible. And then I was totally immersed in the music and did more and more, and, for some reason, one Wagner opera after another over the next 12 years.” But Asher Fisch is equally at home in the opera pit as on the orchestral stage and at the piano keyboard. After his tenure as Music Director of the Vienna Volksoper he assumed the same position at Tel Aviv’s New Israeli Opera. His American debut came in 1995 at the Los Angeles Opera, where he conducted Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman. In 2000 he made his Metropolitan Opera debut in The Merry Widow, about which The New York Times said: “Much credit goes to the Israeli-born conductor Asher Fisch, who conducted the beguiling score with suppleness, pliant lyricism and geniality.” He is a frequent guest at the Berlin Staatsoper and has appeared at Chicago Lyric Opera, Vienna Staatsoper, Dresden Staatsoper, Houston Grand Opera, and other opera houses across the globe. He is also receiving increasing acclaim for his performances of the orchestral repertoire. He has led, among others, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Toronto Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. Asher Fisch’s wife, soprano Linda Pavelka, and their daughter Koko make their home in New York.

JUDI DENCH:.A BONAFIDE GRANDE DAME

Hollywood has a huge downer on women over 40. With Berry seemingly still in her prime, stunningly good looking and much in demand, perhaps she will prove an exception to the rule. But Hollywood is littered with tales of aging starlets who see their careers take a nosedive after they pass the big 4-0. "A perfect example would be Michelle Pfeiffer," says James Parish, a Hollywood historian and author of Katharine Hepburn: The Untold Story. The 47-year old Scarface and Batman Returns actress has not had a leading movie role in years. "She does very few films - not because she's not talented, not because she's not pretty in a mature way, but just because there aren't many parts for women over 40," says Mr Parish. "Particularly when you're known for playing a sex kitten it's very hard to play that part when you're in your 40s."

Photo: "She deserves to work, she is a wonderful actress and Hollywood is pretty cruel with women that cross 40." Antonio Banderas on Melanie Griffith.

Working Girl star Melanie Griffith, 48, is in the same boat. "She deserves to work. She is a wonderful actress and Hollywood is pretty cruel with women that cross 40," says Griffith's husband, Antonio Banderas. "Sometimes here you feel Hollywood just goes for fresh flesh. I know it's the economy and financial things but I feel bad for her because I feel they are misusing an actress who still has a lot of things to say." Hollywood men tend to fare better although George Clooney, 44, has decided that his days in front of the camera are numbered. "An acting career usually has about a shelf life of ten years before people get sick of seeing you," he explains. "It's a good thing to have a job to fall back on and I really do enjoy directing." Val Kilmer, 45, has plenty of work although he recognises Hollywood's "unforgiving" approach to ageing stars. "It's a tough business, even if you're talented. I used to think it was full of hypocrisy but now I see it as a very honest town."

Photo: Michelle Pfeiffer has found it harder to get roles in recent years.

It is a town in the business of putting bums on seats. Young stars attract younger audiences and they appeal to advertisers. "Most of the movie audiences are under 30 because older people have been discouraged from going to films," says Mr Parish. "A lot of the films aren't very appetising to see. It's not very comfortable to go to the theatre with everyone screaming and yelling and it's just much more convenient with home entertainment becoming so much more sophisticated to remain at home." Hollywood has always been biased towards youth. Ever since the early 1900s, with advancing years, A-list celebrities have seen their star power wane. "Before the film stock that they used in cameras and lighting were very sophisticated people looked much older on screen than they were and so an actress, literally by the time she was in her mid 20s, was considered nearly a has been," says Mr Parish. "Eventually it worked out that by the 1930s a woman could be a star into her mid 30s or even her mid-40s. As we progressed past World War II and up to the present time it got to be a pretty standard rule of thumb that once a movie actress got to be over 40 then supposedly, psychologically, America's young kids didn't want to see her playing leading roles so they wrote fewer parts for them." -By Peter Bows.

There are exceptions to the rule. At 59 Susan Sarandon's career does not appear to have been jinxed by being of a certain age. Four out of her five Oscar nominations came after the age of 40. She was named best actress for Dead Man Walking in 1996. "She still plays leading roles, she plays mature women and she's able to find enough quirky roles and dramatic roles so that she's not reduced to guest starring or fifth billing," says Mr Parish. Katharine Hepburn is also an example of an actress that bucked the trend. "Up to the end she had a very strong physical stamina. And she happened to be possessed with great cheekbones so even though when she got into her 50s and 60s, she was not spring chicken anymore, she certainly looked very striking and appealing and she had this great vitality," says Mr Parish.

Arab-American comedians find the funny in time of fear

Photo: Maysoon Zayid, co-founder of the Arab-American Comedy Festival, in New York, Nov. 4, 2005.

Four years after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, a cadre of Arab-American actors and comedians is finding growing success mining personal experiences for material. Perhaps nowhere is this more evident than in New York, where the third annual Arab-American Comedy Festival begins this week. The show, which runs through Thursday, consists primarily of separate nights of standup comedy and theatrical pieces. Co-founder Dean Obeidallah says no topic is off limits, certainly not U.S. President George W. Bush or terrorism. But contributors this year are more willing to make fun of the Arab-American community and how it has been treated by others. "In the past, we may have been resistant to mock ourselves a little," said Obeidallah, 35, a lawyer-turned-comedian. Co-founder Maysoon Zayid, an actress and comedian, said the show essentially uses stereotypes to shatter them. "We're not scary, we're not the enemy," she said. "We're really funny." In many ways, Zayid said, the Arab-American entertainers are following the path blazed by black and Hispanic Americans who have channeled their communities' frustrations into success on stage. Arab Americans have certainly had no shortage of material since Sept. 11, even though it wasn't obvious to them at first. "Immediately after, I was concerned about talking about being Arab on stage in New York City," said Obeidallah, who is half-Sicilian, half-Palestinian. "The first time I went on stage I didn't even use my last name. A club owner said, 'Don't talk about being Arab for a while.'

That evolved over time to where I talk about it much, much more." Sometimes it's just too easy, especially now that the heightened sense of alert among Arab Americans has become an almost normal, often absurd state, he said. Obeidallah said he once listed the cell phone number of his friend Osama (not bin Laden) under "Osama cell" on his own phone. A friend expressed concern when he saw the reference. "I was like, are you kidding?" Obeidallah said. The festival attempts to carefully blend the political and the personal. References to Palestinian suicide bombers are in, as are jabs at nosy, matchmaking mothers. There are jokes about Arabs worrying about Arab terrorists, and even a musical. "The fact that we are commenting on ourselves is important instead of other people commenting on us," said actor Waleed Zuaiter, an associate producer for the festival. Zayid, for instance, bills herself as "a 30-year-old Palestinian Muslim virgin from New Jersey with cerebral palsy." "I'm a virgin by choice," Zayid often says. "My father's choice." Zayid said she doesn't make fun of Jews, but she considers Zionism and Israel legitimate targets. One of her jokes involves Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, boxer Mike Tyson and a pink negligee. That's all she'll reveal. The performers come from a variety of religious and professional backgrounds, and many different countries. Organizers hope the show attracts an audience well beyond Arab Americans. "We respect where we live, we respect our community at large," said actress Jana Zenadeen. "We're here to bring people in and share our culture with them."-By N Toosi

Nearly naked Pam is back in China ads

Photo: An advertisement of anti-fur campaign featuring actress Pamela Anderson is posted at a Shanghai subway station.

SHANGHAI, China- A year after raising the censors' hackles with bus stop ads, Pamela Anderson's nearly naked image is returning to China on phone cards telling people not to buy fur. The Canadian-born actress appears topless with her back to the camera and an arm partly hiding her right breast behind the slogan, "Give fur the cold shoulder," in English. Behind her, an image of falling snow appears above Chinese characters reading "Cold shoulders are nothing compared to the pain they feel" and "Please don't wear fur." Government-owned China Telecom and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals have printed 70,000 of the phone cards, a toned-down version of Anderson's bus and train stop ads that were altered three times to reduce the amount of skin on show before being approved for public display, the animal rights group said recently. "The people of China deserve to know about the immense suffering of animals killed for their fur," said Anderson in a statement released by PETA.

Esquire Magazine  names Jessica Biel sexiest alive

Photo: Jessica Biel at her unveiling as Esquire magazine's 2005 'Sexiest Woman Alive' in New York Thursday.

Jessica Biel has been proclaimed "the sexiest woman alive" by Esquire magazine. The actress dons the cover of Esquire's November issue, following last year's honouree, Angelina Jolie. The 23-year-old Biel, who began as a teenager on the family TV series 7th Heaven, plays a supporting role in the upcoming Elizabethtown and starred earlier this year in Stealth.

"It seemed like it would be great -- having named Anglina Jolie sexiest woman of the year last year -- to try to come up with somebody who was on everyone's radar screen, but who was also fresh," said Esquire editor-in-chief David Granger. "It just seemed like Jessica Biel's moment." The magazine also picks a woman for three older age brackets: the Chinese actress Gong Li, 39; the 47-year-old Sharon Stone; and Rene Russo, 51. "It's easy to appreciate womanhood without any consideration of age," Granger says. "Youth isn't the automatic turn-on it used to be."

Photo: Bono previously met President Bush at The White House.

U2 frontman Bono shared his views on global issues with US president George W Bush during lunch at the White House. During the one hour 40 minute meeting Bono and Mr Bush discussed debt relief, AIDS, malaria and world trade, said presidential spokesman Scott McClellan. Mr McClellan said they also talked about the concerts U2 were due to perform in Washington. "They had a very good discussion about some of our common priorities," Mr McClellan added. Bono received the lunch invitation to follow talks he had with Mr Bush at the G8 summit in Scotland in July. 'Moral force': Bono also planned to meet National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley after Wednesday's lunch, before U2's concert at the MCI Centre in Washington, DC. Ahead of the meeting, Bono told Rolling Stone magazine that he had no fear of meeting Mr Bush or any other world leader. "I'm throwing a punch, and the fist belongs to people who can't be in the room, whose rage, whose anger, whose hurt I represent," Bono said. "The moral force is way beyond mine, it's an argument that has much more weight than I have. So I'm not feeling nervous."

Photo: Richard J. Codey (center) and David Chase (third from left), pose with their wives and cast members from the TV series The Sopranos at the governor's mansion in Princeton, N.J. Codey honored Chase with the Governors Award for Filmmaking.

David Chase, creator of The Sopranos, has received a first-of-its-kind filmmaking award from the governor. Chase, a New Jersey native, was presented with the award Friday by acting Governor Richard Codey during a reception at the governor's mansion.

The governor said Chase's "creative writing and rich character illustration have produced a show unlike anything else on television.'' The Sopranos, a serial drama that portrays the life of fictional New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano, starts its sixth season on HBO in March. Criticized by some Italian-American groups for advancing a stereotype, it has been lauded by millions of viewers, including television critics, for its originality and inventiveness. Born in Mount Vernon, New York, Chase was raised in New Jersey as the only child in an Italian-American family. Several Sopranos cast members were on hand to help Chase celebrate: James Gandolfini, who plays Tony Soprano; Tony Sirico, who plays Paulie Walnuts; Dominic Chianese, who plays Uncle Junior Soprano, and Steve Schirripa, who plays Bobby `Bacala' Baccalieri. The Governor's Award for Filmmaking will be given annually to prominent filmmakers who have made substantial contributions to New Jersey's motion picture and television industry, Codey's office said.