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thegloober · 6 years

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Building the 2018 Wild Card Game roster

Rays 8, Yankees 7: Ninth inning rally falls short at the Trop

(Mike Stobe/Getty)

With four days to go in the 2018 regular season, we know one thing for certain: The Yankees will play the Athletics in the 2018 AL Wild Card Game next Wednesday. The game will likely be played in Yankee Stadium, though that is not set in stone yet. The magic number for homefield advantage in the Wild Card Game is two. The Yankees-Athletics matchup is set though.

The Wild Card Game is its own postseason round. The Yankees and A’s will set a 25-man roster for the Wild Card Game, then whichever team advances will be able to set a new 25-man roster for the ALDS. Because of that, we’ve seen some funky wildcard rosters in recent years. The Yankees carried only nine pitchers on their 2015 Wild Card Game roster. Last year they carried ten. That means a great big bench.

So, with the Wild Card Game now only six days away, this is as good a time as any to try to piece together the 25-man roster the Yankees will carry next Wednesday. It’s a bummer the Yankees are going to finish with 100-ish wins and have to play in a winner-take-all Wild Card Game, but hey, if you don’t like it, win more games. Let’s dig into the potential Wild Card Game roster.

The Locks

Might as well start here. The way I see it, the Yankees have 17 players who are absolute locks for the Wild Card Game roster right now. The 17:

Catchers (2): Austin Romine, Gary Sanchez

Infielders (5): Miguel Andujar, Adeiny Hechavarria, Gleyber Torres, Luke Voit, Neil Walker

Outfielders (4): Brett Gardner, Aaron Judge, Andrew McCutchen, Giancarlo Stanton

Pitchers (6): Dellin Betances, Zach Britton, Aroldis Chapman, Chad Green, Jonathan Holder, David Robertson

I was initially on the fence about Hechavarria, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized he’s going to make the Wild Card Game roster. Worst case scenario is he serves as Andujar’s defensive replacement. The rest is pretty straightforward though, right? Right. We still have eight roster spots to fill, so let’s get to it.

Locks, If Healthy

Didi Gregorius is out with torn cartilage in his right wrist and he could play in games before the end of the season. He got the okay to resume baseball activities yesterday, so that’s good. If he’s able to play this weekend and has no problems, he’ll be on the Wild Card Game roster. If not, it opens up the possibility for Ronald Torreyes to make the roster. The Gregorius/Torreyes spot is our 18th player.

Aaron Hicks, meanwhile, has a tight left hamstring and is day-to-day. He too could play before the regular season ends, and, if that happens, he’ll be on the Wild Card Game roster as well. If Hicks can’t play in the Wild Card Game, I think Tyler Wade makes it instead. Wade can play the outfield, if necessary, but more importantly he can run. No Hicks on the roster means Gardner is in center field rather than on the bench as a pinch-running option. With Hicks out, Wade becomes the pinch-runner. The Hicks/Wade spot is our 19th player.

The Starting Pitcher(s)

We still don’t know who will start the Wild Card Game. Aaron Boone has indicated the decision could come soon and he’s made it pretty clear it’ll be either J.A. Happ, Luis Severino, or Masahiro Tanaka. The Yankees aren’t going to do a straight bullpen game. Two weeks ago RAB readers wanted Tanaka to start the Wild Card Game. I think the Yankees want it to be Severino. Happ is a perfectly fine candidate as well.

At the moment Happ is lined up to start the Wild Card Game on normal rest and Tanaka with two extra days of rest. Severino would be on three extra days of rest, though he could wind up starting Game 162 should the Yankees need to win that game to clinch homefield advantage. Hopefully it doesn’t come down to that. Based on the way things are set up now, all three guys will be available to start the Wild Card Game. That’s not an accident. The Yankees made sure they had options.

(Jim McIsaac/Getty)

Instead of focusing on names, let’s focus on roster spots. The Yankees carried three starting pitchers on the 2015 Wild Card Game roster (Severino, Tanaka, Ivan Nova) and three starting pitchers on the 2017 Wild Card Game roster (Severino, Sonny Gray, CC Sabathia). I expect them to carry three starting pitchers again this year. That gives the Yankees:

The starting pitcher.

An emergency guy for extra innings.

An emergency emergency guy in case there’s an injury or things really go haywire.

It is entirely possible Happ, Severino, and Tanaka will all be on the Wild Card Game roster even though only one guy is starting the game. Or it’s possible Happ and Severino are on the roster with Lance Lynn, who has bullpen experience, replacing Tanaka. I don’t think the Yankees would carry Sabathia as a reliever at this point, but it can’t be ruled out. Gray? Eh. Seems like a worst case scenario.

I suspect that, unless he has to start Game 162 on Sunday, Severino will be on the Wild Card Game roster. Even if he doesn’t start the Wild Card Game, he could be another bullpen option. Heck, he might be on the roster even if he starts Game 162. The Wild Card Game would be Severino’s throw day and he could give you an inning or two out of the bullpen. Yeah, one way or the other, I think Severino’s on the roster. He’s our 20th player.

My hunch is both Happ and Tanaka will be on the roster as well. I was thinking maybe the Yankees would carry Lynn instead of one of those two because he has bullpen experience, but I keep going back to Brian Cashman saying it is “all hands on deck for that one game,” and Happ and Tanaka are objectively better than Lynn. The bullpen experience is nice. I don’t think it trumps effectiveness. Happ and Tanaka are the 21st and 22nd players (and eighth and ninth pitchers) on our roster.

The Last Bullpen Spot

Whoever starts the Wild Card Game, that guy will be on a very short leash. It could devolve into a bullpen game rather quickly. For both teams. Because of that, I think the Yankees will carry ten pitchers on the Wild Card Game roster like last season, rather than nine like in 2015. I wouldn’t rule out an 11th pitcher, honestly. I’m going to stick with ten though. That seems like plenty for a one-game scenario.

With Happ, Severino, and Tanaka joining the six late-game relievers, we are left with eleven candidates for the final pitching spot: Gray, Lynn, Sabathia, Chance Adams, Luis Cessa, A.J. Cole, Domingo German, Tommy Kahnle, Jonathan Loaisiga, Justus Sheffield, and Stephen Tarpley. I think we can rule out Adams, German, Loaisiga, and Sheffield right now. They would’ve gotten a longer look this month if they were Wild Card Game candidates.

Tarpley has gotten some run lately as a left-on-left guy and the other night Boone told Erik Boland that Tarpley has put himself “in the conversation” for the Wild Card Game roster. Since his ugly big league debut, Tarpley has thrown 5.2 scoreless innings with seven strikeouts, and lefties are 1-for-11 (.091) with five strikeouts against him. In the minors this year Tarpley held left-handed batters to a .141/.213/.183 line with a 29.4% strikeout rate. Really good!

There is one reason to carry Tarpley on the Wild Card Game roster: Matt Olson. Oakland’s lefty swinging first baseman went into last night’s game hitting .247/.338/.496 (128 wRC+) against righties and .251/.329/.369 (96 wRC+) against lefties. He’s someone you can LOOGY. That said, if you bring in a lefty for Olson, A’s manager Bob Melvin will counter with righty swinging Mark Canha, who’s hitting .274/.331/.596 (148 wRC+) against southpaws. Melvin’s been doing it all year.

In a high-leverage situation — is there such a thing as a low-leverage situation in a game as important as the Wild Card Game? — I’d rather have one of the regular late-inning relievers facing Olson than Tarpley facing Canha. All the late-inning guys have good numbers against lefties. I have a hard time envisioning a scenario in which Tarpley faces Olson/Canha in the middle (or late) innings rather than one of the usual late-inning guys. Worrying about the platoon matchup there seems like paralysis by analysis. Overthinking it.

I’m tossing Tarpley into the maybe pile right now. A good series against Andrew Benintendi, Mitch Moreland, and Rafael Devers this weekend would really help his cause. For our purposes, we’re down to Cessa, Cole, Gray, Kahnle, Lynn, Sabathia, and Tarpley for the final bullpen spot. Hard pass on Gray and Cole. They’ve pitched too poorly for too long. Can’t see it being Cessa either. Kahnle was excellent in the Wild Card Game (and postseason) last year …

[embedded content] … but that was 2017 Tommy Kahnle. 2018 Kahnle is not 2017 Kahnle. 2017 Kahnle would be on the Wild Card Game roster no questions asked. 2018 Tommy Kahnle? Nah. So we’re left with Lynn, Sabathia, and Tarpley. So maybe it will be Tarpley? Either way, we’re talking about the last guy in the bullpen, someone who won’t pitch in the Wild Card Game unless things go really crazy. I’d take Lynn. Tarpley has a shot. Whoever it is, this is our tenth pitcher and 23rd player on the roster.

The Rest of the Bench

A ten-man pitching staff means a six-man bench. Romine gets one bench spot. (No, Romine shouldn’t start the Wild Card Game.) Another spot goes to Wade (Hicks out) or Gardner (Hicks in). If Gregorius plays, both Hechavarria and Walker are on the bench. If Gregorius does not play, either Hechavarria or Walker is in the starting lineup and the other is on the bench. Depending on Didi, either three or four bench spots are already claimed. There are four candidates for the remaining bench spots. The four and their potential roles:

Greg Bird: Lefty bench bat

Kyle Higashioka: Third catcher

Ronald Torreyes (if Gregorius is in): Utility infielder

Tyler Wade (if Hicks is in): Utility guy and speedster

The big name bench candidate is Bird. We know Voit is starting at first base in the Wild Card Game, even against a right-handed pitcher. He’s been too good and Bird’s been too bad. The question is this: What would Bird provide the Yankees? A backup first baseman and a lefty bench bat who could take aim at the short porch? Sure. But Walker could do that too, and Bird offers zero defensive versatility.

Then again, if Gregorius is unable to play in the Wild Card Game, Walker would presumably start at second base — it would be either Gleyber at short and Walker at second, or Hechavarria at short and Gleyber at second — thus leaving the Yankees without a backup first baseman/lefty bat on the bench. Given his performance, leaving Bird off the Wild Card Game roster would be completely justifiable. I still think he’ll be on. The Yankees love him and they have the spare bench spots. I hereby declare Bird our 24th player.

Don’t dismiss Higashioka as a Wild Card Game roster candidate. His presence would allow the Yankees to pinch-run for Sanchez without worrying about Romine potentially getting hurt. Or they could pinch-hit for Sanchez in a big spot. I wouldn’t do it and I don’t think the Yankees would, but it would be an option. The Yankees only had two catchers on the roster last year because Sanchez was the man and he wasn’t coming out of the game. They did carry three catchers on the 2015 Wild Card Game roster though (Sanchez, Brian McCann, John Ryan Murphy).

Right now we have a 24-man roster that includes either Gregorius or Torreyes, and either Hicks or Wade. This is starting to get confusing. Let’s recap everything. This is how I think the bench and 25-man Wild Card Game roster shakes out:

Catchers Infielders Outfielders Starters Relievers Sanchez Andujar Gardner Happ Betances Romine Bird Judge Severino Britton Hechavarria McCutchen Tanaka Chapman Torres Stanton Green Voit Hicks/Wade Holder Walker Robertson Didi/Toe Lynn/Tarpley

Those are 24 roster spots. Ten pitchers and 14 position players. The Gregorius and Hicks injuries are the x-factors. There are three scenarios here with regards to the 25th roster spot:

Gregorius and Hicks are both hurt: Torreyes and Wade both make it, and the Yankees carry either Higashioka or an 11th pitcher.

Only one of Gregorius or Hicks is healthy: Ten-man pitching staff, Torreyes and Wade both make it.

Gregorius and Hicks are both healthy: Ten-man pitching staff, only one of Torreyes or Wade makes it.

If both Gregorius and Hicks are healthy — and we all hope that is the case — I think Wade makes the Wild Card Game roster over Torreyes because he’s more versatile and his speed could really come in handy in a late-inning pinch-running situation. If both Gregorius and Hicks are both hurt, the Yankees are kinda stuck. It’s either Higashioka or an 11th pitcher at that point.

The position player side of the Wild Card Game roster is going to depend on the health of Gregorius and Hicks. On the pitching side, the Yankees can pick and choose who they want. We know the six end-game relievers will be there. The Yankees are likely to carry three starters, no matter who they end up being. Do they carry Tarpley? That might be the most interesting Wild Card Game roster question.

Rays 8, Yankees 7: Ninth inning rally falls short at the Trop

Source: https://bloghyped.com/building-the-2018-wild-card-game-roster/

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yahoo-from-the-marbles-blog · 6 years

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Chicago takeaways: The entire race (and Junior's broadcast debut) was good, not just the last lap

nbc_sports

Welcome to our weekly post-race column of fire takes. Let’s see what’s in store this week after Sunday’s race at Chicago.

• Sunday’s race at Chicago is in contention for race of the year thanks to Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson’s fantastic last-lap battle. But the race is still one of the better races of 2018 even if Busch and Larson don’t trade the lead and paint throughout the final 1.5 miles.

[Busch sends Larson sideways on last lap to win]

Five drivers led 20 or more laps, including Aric Almirola’s race-high 70 laps led. Almirola finished 25th.

Busch was back in the pack for most of the race and said his car was “plowing” tight, but crew chief Adam Stevens clearly made significant adjustments to give it race-winning speed. There were also 24 lead changes; the second-most in Chicagoland Speedway history.

While Busch said after the race that you shouldn’t be a NASCAR fan if you weren’t entertained by the final lap, you should probably rethink your NASCAR fandom if you didn’t think Sunday’s race was entertaining as a whole, especially for an intermediate track. Tracks like Chicago will never commonly feature bumping and banging like the last lap did. But Sunday’s race had a fruitful combination of strategy, speed and parity, even if it was a familiar face winning the race. The Cup Series would be well-served if Chicago set a precedent for the rest of the season.

nbc_sports

• Almirola’s race was incredibly disappointing. He pitted twice for loose wheels, including on the final green-flag run of the race. Almirola brought his car to pit road as Brad Keselowski stayed out on the track while complaining of a similar problem. Keselowski ended up 16 spots higher than Almirola.

“We just have to execute,” Almirola said. “We have to put a whole race together. That is the difference between being good and being great. We are capable of winning. We showed it today. We have speed, we are bringing incredible race cars to the race track and we just have to put a whole day together. We have to be flawless on pit road and I have to do my part too. Today we just had two loose wheels on two separate instances and you can’t have that, especially in races like this that go green forever.”

Almirola has the fastest cars he’s ever had in his NASCAR career. The 70 laps he led on Sunday are more than he led in the last three seasons combined. He’s going to make NASCAR’s playoffs and could be a contender to advance a round or two if things go his way. But unlike Busch, teammate Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr., Almirola needs a lot of things to go right to win.

“We are going to win a race,” Almirola said. “I guarantee you we are going to win a race. We have to be perfect to do it though.”

nbc_sports

• Another Stewart-Haas driver that had a fun day on pit road was Clint Bowyer, who somehow finished fifth. It’s probably the hardest-fought fifth Bowyer has had in the last few years.

Bowyer was leading the race in the first stage when he pitted under green. He sped on pit road. Then he sped on pit road while serving a pass-through penalty. Then he didn’t stop on pit road for his stop-and-go penalty for speeding on his pass-through penalty. After coming to pit road four times, Bowyer was multiple laps down.

He made up two of those laps in the second stage as he waited longer to pit than the leaders. Thanks to a debris caution he then got the free pass and got back onto the lead lap with over 130 laps to go.

That set up the stage for Bowyer to slice his way through the field.

“The first time you second guess yourself,” Bowyer said. “You come down the second time and you are cautious and speed again so now you know you’ve got a problem. Then it was just confusion on my part. I wasn’t listening and made a mistake and cost us a third time down. We got good at pitting today, unfortunately. The capabilities there to run with these three guys. Our race team is young and making some mistakes but we have time to gain on those and build on those. You hate to give away those stage points. I think we could have won both those stages and maybe been in contention for a win.”

Bowyer’s team has shown itself to be the fourth-best in the Cup Series so far. But is it a title-contending bunch? We’re not so sure. Title-contending teams make the recovery that Bowyer’s did on Sunday. But title-contending teams don’t compound their initial penalties like Bowyer’s did either.

At the moment, Bowyer’s team is the favorite for the fourth and final spot in the title race at Homestead behind Busch, Harvick and Truex. But he’s no better than the fourth-best favorite in that scenario despite his two wins this season. There’s a difference between competing for a title and being a title contender. Bowyer sure could be doing the former but needs a little bit more to be the latter.

• Let’s go ahead and continue the Stewart-Haas theme before we get to Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s broadcasting debut. Kurt Busch was apparently unhappy that Kevin Harvick raced him hard on the final lap of stage 2. Is this Formula 1?

"Never expected that from a teammate. Never expected that. Wow" — Kurt Busch is displeased with teammate Kevin Harvick.

— Jordan Bianchi (@Jordan_Bianchi) July 1, 2018

NBC’s Jeff Burton was rightfully indignant about Busch’s comments on the radio.

“You are racing! It is a stage win man.”- @JeffBurton on Kurt Busch’s frustration with Kevin Harvick over the radio #NASCARonNBCSN pic.twitter.com/1ooc6AILDQ

— NBC Sports PR (@NBCSportsPR) July 1, 2018

And Harvick was wondering what in the world Busch would need to talk to him about when he was indirectly asked about Busch’s radio comments after the race.

“I don’t know why he would have a conversation, maybe you can tell me that,” Harvick asked NBC.

There’s no need for a conversation from our perspective. How can Busch be legitimately frustrated with a teammate racing him hard for a playoff point? Harvick hoarding playoff points is a fantastic strategy. Every playoff point he earns gets him closer to Homestead and the title race and prevents another driver from earning the point. Harvick pinched Busch down in turns 3 and 4 and Busch ran Harvick up the track on corner exit. That’s how racing should be.

• OK, time to talk Junior. He was awesome. You could tell he was nervous at first in his first race as a full-time analyst for NBC. But he was great over the last 75 laps of the race and was correctly anticipating and explaining moves in real-time.

It’s unfair to Junior, but we expect that he’ll end the season as the best analyst in NASCAR. Sunday did nothing but encourage that line of thinking. He was great and brought a level of knowledge and enthusiasm similar to what Tony Romo brought to CBS’ NFL coverage.

NBC was also a welcome respite from Fox’s NASCAR coverage. NBC race director Mike Wells deserves props for his usage of wide shots throughout the race. Fox’s production got addicted to bumper cameras and in-car cameras throughout the 2018 season. While the cut to an in-car camera late in the race as Busch was slicing through lapped-traffic was unfortunate, it gets a pass because of the fantastic use of higher-angle shots throughout the entirety of the race.

It was refreshing to view a race with more than two cars in the camera frame at a time.

– – – – – – –

Nick Bromberg is a writer for Yahoo Sports.

Follow @NickBromberg on Twitter

More from Yahoo Sports: • Nuggets emerge as surprise team trying to meet with LeBron • Chris Paul agrees to max deal with Rockets over 4 years: report • Shams sources: Nikola Jokic commits to five-year, $147M max deal with Nuggets • Mannix: Paul George staying with OKC makes Thunder clear FA winners

#_lmsid:a077000000CFoGyAAL #_author:Nick Bromberg #_revsp:de666450-3434-45fa-ac3d-ea6088f81691 #_uuid:b03bb0d5-3cc2-346c-9f20-4fcfd9f291e9

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projectshakespearia · 7 years

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Two Gentlemen of Verona: Up and Running

Proteus (Kyle Stockdall) and Speed (Andrew Schiek) watch as Valentine departs to Milan.

The past couple of weeks have been an exhausting whirlwind. Between the usual rigors of tech, a brutal heatwave, and the particular challenges of this show . . . I think we were all ready for a few nights off. The following is my initial reflections on our process and the run so far.

Tech (Oh TECH!!!) Tech started off as it usual does. We begin with a 9:00 am call for crew and have the cast show up at 1:00 to get oriented with using the Memorial Union ballroom, working with microphones, and all the other new additions to running the show. Leading up to tech, rehearsals had been progressing, but I still felt we were a little behind. We had SO many issues with scheduling this summer, making consistent progress was often frustrating. I only had five rehearsals with the full cast until we got to tech . . . that’s a very low number and prevented me from scheduling movement workshops and as many run-throughs as I would have liked. That said, cast members maintained sunny attitudes and worked hard. But, I’ll admit I was getting a little nervous with the lack of time we really had as a full ensemble.

Brian, PJ, and I warned them repeatedly about making sure they brought snacks, water bottles, and sun screen. The cast had spent most of the summer dealing with the physical challenges of the Quad and were more or less prepared for a long day in the heat. For whatever reason, however, the crew had not taken these warnings to heart. Two of our crew members didn’t bring sunscreen at all. Luckily I come to every rehearsal with a well-stocked “Bard Bag” with no less than three types of sun screen and instructed them to slather it on. I mean . . . they knew they would be working outside all day . . . Oy.

Set up went relatively smoothly, but as always happens little things get forgotten like having enough cable or batteries or other things. I made several trips back and forth to Withycombe to retrieve supplies and we got everything up. We brought out our canopy usually used during tech for the booth which sits out in an unshaded grassy patch. But, this time we put it where the musicians would be sitting on stage since they would not have an opportunity to seek shade. You might be thinking: Why didn’t we get a second canopy? Even two weeks later my husband brings this up: “Well, no one thought to get a second canopy?” Yes. NO ONE thought to get a second canopy. Not our production manager, stage manager, technical director, set designer, or myself. No one on the crew. No one brought up getting a second canopy. So we were quite exposed in the sun for many hours. From my perspective, this is not unusual. During tech, I’m never under the canopy anyway since it’s too far back from the “stage.” I sit out there, usually in a long-sleeved shirt to stop the sun, constantly re-applying sunscreen, sweating and on the brink of heat-stroke. But, that’s just par for the course.

The run started later than usual. Although the cast was called at 1:00, between orienting them, mic checks, and other business, we didn’t get started until nearly 4:00. While the run went on without any major issues, nerves were getting frayed. With the edges of my vision blurring and exhaustion setting in, I did yell at one point about the “fucking hay bales” not being moved at intermission. Not my finest moment. Although probably not my worst.

The sunburns and long hours were rewarded at the end with pizza and beer. Tech is always the worst day. It’s a hump to get over no matter the setting, but coupled with the relentless summer sun, it becomes extra challenging. This was, by far, not the worst tech for Bard. Usually for whatever reason tech always seems to fall on the hottest day of the year. While temperatures were in the high 80s, our “hottest” day didn’t actually happen until Thursday where they peaked at 104. Oy!

Lovely Genesis Hansen as the lovelorn Julia.

Let’s Put on a Show The rest of the week progressed well although going into Sunday and Monday, I had a slightly nagging feeling that the pace wasn’t quite coming together as I had hoped. It was hot. People were tired, particularly Stuart, Kyle, and Mike who were all dressed in many layers and long frock coats for most of the play. Putting together a show is a delicate business, you don’t want your actors to “peak” too soon. You want to keep throwing little challenges in their path to overcome and keep them sharp, but you can’t overwhelm them and you don’t want to burn them out.

I felt very good after Monday’s run and discussed with DeMara and Chad giving everyone Tuesday night off for rest. Looking at the exhaustion in the actors’ eyes, particularly Kyle who was taking a constant brutal beating (scraped up knees, blistered feet, etc.) as Proteus . . . I had to make the call. And sometimes rest is more important than more rehearsal. When I announced that they would be getting Tuesday off, a couple of the cast members looked as if they were going to shed tears of relief. They had worked hard and it was showing. Everyone needed a break from the rising temperatures.

Matt and Andrew with Adonis, taking on the role of Crab for the evening.

Opening night and the weekend has gone smoothly from a performance standpoint. People are really enjoying the show and I have received a lot of positive feedback from random audience members I have run into around our humble cow town. Reflecting on this with Matt, we have both commented that this show has been hard even for Bard standards.

Matt is the most seasoned of all the Bard veterans. This is his seventh time performing in Bard in the Quad and only my sixth time directing. From his end, he says that it has to do with his role and the way the cast is broken up. Because he is also in the band, he doesn’t have much “down time” to focus during performances and during rehearsals there was very little time to work through business with other cast members. Matt loves to work things and come up with new ideas throughout the process. This is one of the reasons I love collaborating with him so much - he works hard and makes everyone around him better. He is a fantastic ensemble player, creative, and very “free” on stage. But I can see how challenging this has been for him. Launce isn’t at all the “biggest” role in Two Gents, although it might be one of the most memorable. But it has is specific challenges of having to share the stage with a live animal and basically establish a relationship with the audience primarily through two long monologues and not through relationships with other characters. He does well, of course, but it’s not without a lot of work and focus.

Kyle Stockdall and Genesis Hansen as Proteus and Julia, bidding each other farewell.

In conversations with Kyle, he expressed another set of challenges, both physical and mental. Proteus is more or less the lead in the show. He has the most stage time, so Kyle is in the position of having the carry a lot of the weight and maintaining a driving energy throughout the narrative. On top of that the physical style is extremely demanding AND Proteus is so unlikable for so much of the play. From my end, he really stepped up to the challenge and delivers an extremely nuanced and funny performance. Something clicked, apparently, during one of our rehearsals late in the process. We had both been struggling with Proteus being such a dirt bag, but he still have to experience learning and discovery. This was probably doubly difficult since Genesis is so completely charming and likeable as Julia. It’s easy to root for the character anyway, but her nuanced and hilarious performance are difficult to compete with when Proteus is doing such despicable things. Kyle as Proteus had to realize that he didn’t love Julia anymore and then suddenly give himself room to rediscover that love. It ends up working since we have set up a context where people do act like that and we encourage the audience to applaud and “boo” accordingly. We make it okay for characters to do “bad” things and then be forgiven in the next moment and the audience is willing to go along with us.

I think that was one of the hardest parts of directing this play. Early on I did what I told myself I wouldn’t do as a director and try to “fix” Shakespeare. I need to remember to just “embrace the ugly” and just create a context where it makes sense. I was on the right track with the melodrama concept, I just had to go further with it, more meta in the end and allow Valentine to attempt to “give” away Sylvia. We also created a great convention for Proteus’ decent into darkness. Proteus without a mustache = good guy/ Proteus with a mustache = bad guy. And the audience is completely with us.

Other than those script challenges, there were some other things to overcome. We had four cast members drop in the first two weeks of rehearsal - scheduling, blah, blah, blah. And I had a devil of a time figuring things out. Luckily, Stuart stepped in as a sensitive and lovable Valentine and Andrew was willing to make his acting debut as Speed. Grace was asked to pull double-duty as Lucetta and a (very nasty) lady bandit. They all stepped up to these challenges admirably and have done excellent work. We also had show-specific issues to contend with - the music (wonderfully adapted and arranged by Sedona) ended up saving a number of transitions and helped with pacing and creating extremely memorable moments in the story. This, of course, comes with a lot of work and focus. And let’s not forget the dog! I was always hoping that our local Humane Society, Heartland, would be able to partner with us so that we can feature an adoptable dog for each performance. They have been absolutely wonderful and Henry has been a much adored addition to our ensemble.

Henry. Seriously, somebody needs to adopt this very good boy!

So, that’s where we are. Smack in the middle of a run. We’re back out in the Quad tonight! I’m sure I’ll have more reflections on this process soon, but for the moment, let’s boot-scoot ourselves back to Verona!

#bardinthequad #coolvallis #oregonstateuniversity #myosusummer #summershakespeare #directorslife

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mredwinsmith · 7 years

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Potlatch 28 Awards: The Legend of Hriar

As I sat down to make up the official Potlatch awards, I found that there was more to say than which teams won some made-up awards (not that there’s anything wrong with that). Don’t worry, there are still plenty of juicy award absurdities below.

But, first and foremost, I want to apologize. This was not my best Potlatch. I didn’t deliver to a standard that I believe Potlatch and you all deserve. There were plenty of times that I was at peak Potlatch form, but overall, my heart was not in it the same way. I felt it showed. There were several factors which led to this:

In February, I broke my leg. I got three screws put into in my ankle, meaning I would not get to play the sport I love with the community I love for some time. When I first helped run Potlatch in 2014, I was injured, and still had the time of my life. This time was different, and it hit a lot harder. I found myself sad throughout the preparation, doubting my self-worth, and questioning my reasons for giving. While there is no other place I would be on Potlatch weekend, being injured made me question that because I wouldn’t get to fully participate.

Emotional turmoil over the impending changes to Potlatch. Potlatch is a project that I’ve put a lot of time into over the years. With any project that you love, change is a hard pill to swallow, especially if that change comes to head to head with aspects that you’ve personally put time into. The TDs have been discussing certain changes for a while now (like changing the name of Potlatch to be more culturally sensitive), and trying to come up with potential solutions. As much as I didn’t want to change things initially, it is absolutely the right thing to do. For those who don’t know, Potlatch is a Native American term for a gift giving celebration. While the spirit of what we do is there, the original meaning of this tournament and how it relates to the Native term has been lost over the last 28 years. This is something DiscNW and the TDs have taken very seriously, and that is why we brought it up in the bid submission process and at the captains meeting. Nothing official has been determined, and the conversations are still ongoing. but we all should prepare for a world where this tournament will have a different name.

It was incredibly tough to work through these (and other) issues all at the same time, and still try to ensure everyone else’s Potlatch was fantastic. Importantly, whenever I was down, the ultimate community was there for me. I was constantly showered in love and affection from members of the ultimate community with simple acts like giving hugs to grander gestures like gifts of hats, jerseys, and even a lucky egg. You all helped lift me back up when I was down. For this, I am grateful. You are all the reason I volunteer for this, you all inspire me to be make this tournament even better. Ultimate community, I love you.

The Legend of Hrair

Lastly, I learned an important lesson this Potlatch from an experience I call the Legend of Hrair “Her-Eye.” I came across an interesting fellow on Night Zero of Potlatch who stood out among all the random ultimate players. There he was, a short, out of shape, hobbit looking guy, with long curly hair, glasses and a Newsies cap. He almost floated around the party. I was fascinated as he walked over in the middle of a rage cage game, and started stacking cups. I knew I had to meet this human, and find out how he discovered Potlatch. I walked over to him and asked him how his night was going. He immediately went into a long rant about how he was having an identity crisis between being a normal person and an artist. Just as I thought, this guy was as odd as I had assumed, didn’t know anyone at the event, and wasn’t signed up to participate at Potlatch. But, seeing as he was harmlessly participating in the celebration, I was curious to see what role he would play.

The next night, as I stumbled to my last campsite gathering to play rage cage before I went to bed, there was the half-man, half-artist hobbit in all his glory. I knew all the other members at the game table, and we all had the same look on our face. “Who the hell is this guy? And what the hell is he doing here?”

I positioned myself next to Hrair, and asked him how his artistry crisis was going. He gave me a similar rant as the evening before, and proceeded to ask the table if we wanted to have a real talk. He asked if we wanted to know the twelve reasons he was upset his wife was leaving him. Things had just gotten very real, but the campsite host decided to step in and escort Hrair away.

Hrair clearly had several issues he was working out. He had somehow made his way to Potlatch, and chose it as an appropriate location to work through those issues. I heard he made an appearance at the same campsite the next night, and was asked again to leave, this time with a little more force and anger. I understand why that happened. There was a big unknown factor here on what this stranger was capable of if he snapped. But if anything, accepting all people is what makes the ultimate community so special, and Hrair should not have been an exception.

On day three of Potlatch, during one of my golf cart drives, I found Hrair posted up in the northwest corner by some tents, with an easel, a canvas and a sign next him with “Weird Freaky Art” written on it. I asked him what he was doing. He explained to me how he had been working on this painting all weekend.

I took a closer look at the canvas. On it was an incredible oil landscape painting that perfectly captured the scene of Potlatch. The fields, teams playing, children playing, spirit games, tents, honey buckets, the trees, the houses on the hills, even the shadows from the trees behind him. This was a magnificent piece of art that perfectly conveys what Potlatch is, and it was through the perspective of a stranger.

My mind was blown. I finally asked Hrair how he had discovered Potlatch. He explained how after volunteering in the neighborhood, he had pulled over in this parking lot to pray and reflect on his life. That is when all these people started showing up, and they kept on coming. Rather than run away, he embraced this unknown group, to see what he could learn about himself. I marveled at this tale, and then went on to share what Potlatch is and what it means to the ultimate community. How we all come from all over the world to Redmond, WA to share memories, good times, and gifts with our friends. I told him a little about my story and role as one of the tournament organizers, and how much seeing his art meant to me. Hrair then turned to me and exclaimed, “I want you to have my painting.”

I was dumbfounded yet again. I told him I couldn’t possibly take this, but he insisted, stating, “You all accepted me as one of your own this weekend.” He went on to share how by expressing himself this way, it was helping him work through his troubles, and gave him more of a meaning. “If this is an event about gift giving, then this is my gift to you.” With tears in my eyes, I hugged Hrair. This is the greatest gift I have ever received at Potlatch, and it came from someone who I originally thought shouldn’t be there.

I learned a very valuable lesson from Hrair. We all have struggles to work out in life, like overcoming an injury, losing loved ones, or confronting a big change. Potlatch is all about embracing your community, being inspired to create something spectacular, and showing your love through giving a gift. Whatever the future holds for this tournament, I hope that those ideals and values are preserved.

Thank you’s!

And now a moment for the true heroes of Potlatch, the tournament directors. Rusty, it was a pleasure to watch you step up in many ways this year, especially as a leader. These may have been the best match ups and brackets I have ever seen. I especially enjoyed how you could attend the party for the first time in 8 years.

Kate, you are the queen of communication. You rose to the occasion time and time again, and helped make some incredibly positive changes. Plus, you were a great Loreli from Gilmore Girls!

Mel, this was my first chance getting to work with you, and I was impressed. I enjoyed your sense of humor that you seamlessly tied into your community interactions. I believe you will do great things as the new Executive Director of DiscNW.

Kong, you are the string that holds Potlatch together. Thank you very much for all you have done during these past 11 years. I hope we are all lucky to have you stick around for 11 more.

Finally, Kat, when I was down, you inspired me to do something special. Thank you for helping drive our social media campaign, and making my dreams a reality. It was your work that kept me involved during all the times I wanted to walk away. Thank you all for helping me remember what it I bring to Potlatch.

And now the Potlatch Awards. Presenting Twenty-eight categories for each year of Potlatch:

Won Potlatch

Team USA Runner Up: Team Canada

Won Potlatch Spirit Trophy

Gay Agenda Runner Up: Stretch

Best Gift

Choco Steak House’s VIP Dinner Runner Up: Homegrown’s Buffer Massages

Song of Potlatch 2017

CAN’T STOP THE FEELING – Justin Timberlake Runner Up: YMCA – The Village People

Best Potlatch Bid Submission Video

Wham-OOO’s Potlatch Macklemore Song Runner Up: Tie – Brunchkin’s Brunch Infomercial and Friends’ Show Intro

Best Potlatch Bid Submission Physical Item

Human Powered Submarine’s Submarine Piñata Runner Up: Beach Owl’s Owl About Me posters

Best National Team Theme

Team Canada’s Disney costumes Runner Up: Team USA’s frosted tips

Best Team Theme

Twincest’s Khaki Scouts Runner Up: Natural 20’s Hamilton

Best Team Representation of Potlatch’s Throwback Theme

Stretch Runner Up: Wham-OOO

Best Male Costume at the Fields

Kyle Harper’s Mad Hatter from Alice and Huckerland Runner Up: Mike Caldwell’s Joker from Worlds Collide: DC vs Capcom

Best Female Costume at the Fields

Rachel Moens’ Hunchback of Notre Dame from the Canadian National Team Runner Up: Karie Holst’s Catwoman from Worlds Collide: DC vs Capcom

Best Team Jerseys

!ZAZ CULERO!’S Mariachi uniforms Runner UP: Wham-OOO’s Dixie Solo Cup jerseys

Funniest Costumes Based Match Up

Balls to the Wall-do Vs Shut Up We’re Wizards Runner Up: Natural Twenties’ Hamilton vs Desert Lorax’s Steam Punk

Best Campsite Dance Party

Nutria’s non-campsite imposing dance tent. Runner Up: PODO’s Fun Tunnel aka the Funnel

Best Late Night Entertainment Activity

T’was the Night Bacon Christmas’ Jokes for Bacon Runner Up: Nobaerang’s Karaoke Booth

Best Meal served from a Meal Themed Team

Dinner by Choco Steak House Runner Up: Brunch by Brunchkins

Who Won the Party

Everyone who dressed up in spandex, neon, or other aerobics attire Runner Up: Everyone who didn’t

Best DTF Parody Song

Daniel Krass’ “Part of Your World” about Potlatch Runner Up: Left Ball’s “Party in the USA” about Lei Out

Best DTF act

Stretch’s aerobics routine to “Love Shack” Runner Up: Amy Krog’s Glow Stick Dance

Best Constructed Spirit Game Prop

Beach Owl’s Baywatch Tower Runner Up: Desert Lorax’s Frisbee Launching Truffela Tree

Best Crowd Engagement Spirit Game

Entropy Punch’s WWF Compliment Throwdown Runner Up: Have Yourself a Jazzy Little Christmas’ 12 Days of Christmas

Most Electric Spirit Game

Cannibals’ Shock Collar Operation Runner Up: Natural 20’s Hamilton Potato Cannon

Team that Brought the Most Thunder

Brunchkins Runner Up: Shut Up We’re Wizards

Best Team Application of Glitter

Gay Agenda Runner Up: PODO

Best Pioneer Themed Team

Corps of Discovery Runner Up: Pioneer Cut

Best Golf Cart Decorations

Wet Hot AmerORCAn Summer’s Mystery Machine Runner Up: I Love You Tutu’s Golf Cart Tutu

Best Golf Cart Co-Pilot

Coit Stevenson from PODO Runner Up: Thomas Oliver from T’was the Night Bacon Christmas

Best Prank

I Love You Tutu midnight tutu golf cart addition Runner Up: Alex Duffel’s Midnight Lyft and Scatter

The post Potlatch 28 Awards: The Legend of Hriar appeared first on Skyd Magazine.

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No Nip Tuck for Richard Simmons plus Demi Lovato's revealing hack

While it hasn’t been long since she exited Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, model Yolanda Hadid is already preparing for her triumphant return to TV. In a new announcement, TV network Lifetime revealed that Yolanda would be starring on their upcoming reality show Model Moms. Media outlet Deadline reported on the upcoming show, saying, “Yolanda, along with her trusted team of experts, will put the girls and their “momagers” through an intensive eight-week training program, focused on the physical, mental and emotional wellness that it takes to build a sustainable brand. With a $5,000 weekly prize on the line to put towards their future careers, only one girl will be left standing to win a management contract with Yolanda’s company and the potential opportunity to be represented by IMG models in New York.” Essentially, the show will be similar to America’s Next Top Model. However, it will feature Yolanda guiding both up-and-coming models and their managing moms. In addition to her own success in the modeling world, Yolanda has successfully advised and supported all three of her children, as they pave their own paths as models. Yolanda’s two daughters, Bella and Gigi, are amongst the top models in the business right now and her son, Anwar, is just beginning to get into the industry as well. Yet another wave of hacks have hit the celebrities of Hollywood. Over the past while, numerous celebrities’ private photos and information have been hacked and shared online. Early this week, the hackers claimed yet another victim – this time being Demi Lovato. According to reports published on Tuesday, a series of Demi’s private photos were stolen from her Cloud account by an established group of hackers. It is claimed that some of the photos that the hackers managed to obtain included ones of Demi lying in bed with her ex-boyfriend, actor Wilmer Valderamma. In addition, various outlets claim that the hackers also got their hands on photos of Demi completely bare. While the rumor mill continues to churn out stories about the speculated intimate photos that were stolen from the songstress, Demi took to her Twitter to address the controversy head on. In a tweet posted Tuesday evening, the “Neon Lights” singer posted to her followers, “I love how everyone’s freaking out about one picture. It’s not nude, and it’s just cleavage.” The former Disney starlet went on to note, “Besides the world has seen me nude by choice before…#vanityfair.” Here, Demi is referring to her previous spread for Vanity Fair, where she went completely clothes and makeup free. Demi Lovato, Twitter post: https://twitter.com/ddlovato/status/844354359072821249 https://twitter.com/ddlovato/status/844354708240261122 Moreover, it appears that the whole leak scandal in regard to Demi Lovato has been completely overblown. However, this should not discount from the fact that cyber sleuths are targeting an increasing number of celebrities. Some notable stars that have fallen victim to the most recent wave of cyber hacks include Beauty and the Beast starlet Emma Watson and newlywed Amanda Seyfried. Terrence Howard, who has a history of domestic abuse, has turned over a new leaf these days. “I’ve made terrible mistakes throughout my life,” the 48-year-old “Empire” star told People. “I was dragging baggage with me that was crippling me mentally and physically. But I finally feel I can put that to rest. I can breathe again.” Howard’s childhood was rocked by numerous incidents of violence. His father, Tyrone, was jailed for fatally stabbing a man while the family waited to meet Santa Claus. Howard says he was “whooped” by his father until he was 14. The actor has also confessed to hitting his first wife, Lori, and there are multiple allegations of domestic abuse from his second wife, Michelle Ghent. Today, Howard credits the death of his mother in 2008 as well as meeting his third wife, Mira Pak, with changing his outlook on life and his behavior. The couple — who were married, divorced and reconciled — share two young kids. “Mira settled me,” Howard said. “Our marriage is effortless. Relationships are hard work, but we really don’t fight.” Weeks after meeting Pak in 2013, Howard moved to bury his past. “I gathered up my things associated with my past and found a nice hill and buried them all there,” Howard said. A week after, he popped the big question. Although Howard is in a new space in his life, he sometimes still encounters stress. “I’ll just watch a tree’s limbs sway back and forth and take my shoes off and put my hands on a tree,” Howard said of his unique stress-management technique. “It makes me feel part of the whole.” Pak, 39, has also picked up on the calmer side of her Howard. “He refuses to kill a fly,” she said. “And we’re trying to teach our kids not to pick flowers.” Howard, a father of five, followed up with his own theory: “I know in those two weeks or month of a fly’s life, that’s 80 years for them. And we smash them so quickly. I hope if someone saw me trapped, some bigger creature would help me.” Actor Shia LaBeouf is taking his controversial anti-President Trump art installation across the pond, claiming America isn’t “safe enough” for his work. The “He Will Not Divide Us” webcam exhibit has been adopted by the Liverpool-based Foundation for Art and Creative Technology, the group said Tuesday. “Events have shown that America is simply not safe enough for this artwork to exist,” LaBeouf and the other artists wrote in a statement. The project encourages people to say “He will not divide us!” into a wall-mounted camera that is live-streaming 24/7. It was launched in Queens on Inauguration Day and was supposed to run through the duration of Trump’s presidency. But the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria shut down the installation on Feb. 10, saying it became a “flashpoint of violence.” So LaBeouf moved it to Albuquerque, where it was yanked a few days later because of vandalism and gunfire Charlie Sheen knows the secrets of Hollywood, including which stars are HIV-positive. “I know who they are, but I will take that to my grave,” Sheen, 51, teased on Wednesday’s episode of “The Kyle & Jackie ‘O’ Show,” according to the Daily Mail. But Sheen, who announced his status in November 2015, did reveal the “miracle drug” he’s taking. “Here’s the absolute freaking irony — with the miracle drug that I’m on, this PRO-140, I am actually safer than most cats out there that profess to be on the tallest tree,” he quipped. The conversation also turned to the topic of Scientology. The radio hosts bluntly asked if any of his friends ever tried to lure him into the church. “Yes, actually,” the father of five stated. “There was one — and she’s a dear friend of mine. It’s Kelly Preston, who’s married to John Travolta.” Since he’s good friends with the couple, the hosts pressed Sheen about Travolta’s sexuality. They asked if he believed the rumors about Travolta and massage parlors. “I have a new rule now: If I wasn’t there, I can’t possibly harbor an opinion,” he said. Will Ferrell and Adam McKay’s pioneering Funny or Die website is closing its New York offices media outlets are reporting. Staff at the nearly 10-year-old comedy site’s East Coast operation were informed that they could either relocate to its Los Angeles offices or be laid off. Insiders tell us that of the 13 staff in the NoMad location, three have decided to leave the company, and the remaining 10 staffers chose to ship out to LA. Industry site Deadline reported in August that Funny or Die — which has featured videos on its site starring Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Jim Carrey and Johnny Depp, and also produced the Emmy-winning “Between Two Ferns With Zach Galifianakis” and Billy Eichner’s “Billy on the Street” — was also shuttering its Silicon Valley office and laid off 37 staffers, mainly “on the tech side.” The move came shortly after production exec Mike Farah was promoted to CEO. At the time, Farah said: “As we move into the future, we’ve decided to double down and refocus on making the kind of content that made us a household name in the first place. To accomplish that, we’ve had to reorganize and reduce our staff.” In 2015 the site expanded by opening a Washington, DC, office and in 2016 hired David Litt, a former President Obama speechwriter who was also lead joke writer for the former POTUS’ White House Correspondents’ Dinner speeches. We’re told that many among the New Yorkers who have had to move their families cross-country are less than thrilled with the sudden upheaval. The three members of staff who elected to leave the company were designers, we’re told, and the site still has a sales office in the city. That team moved into a smaller space on Wall Street. The site — which Ferrell and McKay launched in 2007 with Ferrell’s legendary “The Landord” sketch, starring McKay’s 2-year-old daughter, Pearl, as a ferocious landlord — initially moved from a Broadway space to a bigger office in NoMad in 2014. A Funny or Die rep declined to comment. Since going public with abuse claims against her producer in 2014, Kesha has gotten substantial support in the court of public opinion. She has not fared so well in actual court. Again on Tuesday, a New York judge turned down Kesha’s attempt to break her contract with Dr. Luke, rejecting a motion to file an amended complaint. The ruling from Judge Shirley Kornreich reiterates many of the points from the same judge’s earlier ruling, in April 2016, in which the singer’s claims against the producer were dismissed. Dr. Luke, the stage name for Lukasz Gottwald, filed an initial complaint against Kesha in 2014 for failing to work on a third album as required under her contract. Kesha filed a countersuit, seeking to be released from the contract on the basis of allegations that Dr. Luke had raped her and verbally abused her over the course of several years. In February 2016, Kornreich denied Kesha’s request for an injunction that would have allowed her to record an album outside of her contract. In her April 2016 ruling dismissing the countersuit, Kornreich noted that the two specific instances of sexual abuse alleged in the counterclaim each occurred before Kesha signed her contract with Dr. Luke. After the success of her first two albums, the judge noted that Kesha sought increased royalties, but Dr. Luke rejected the request. Following the string of courthouse defeats, Kesha began working on the third album last fall. Her lawyers contend that Dr. Luke continues to interfere and delay the album’s release, which Dr. Luke denies. In January, Kesha’s attorneys sought to amend her original counterclaim, again seeking to release her from the contract. “Dr. Luke has aggressively sought to financially destroy Kesha by keeping her under his control while simultaneously waging a nuclear litigation campaign against her,” her attorneys claimed. “It is a vendetta against Kesha … She is not demanding more money. Kesha asks for something far more basic: the freedom to make music without being bound indefinitely to the very producer who subjected her to years of abuse and continues that abuse to this day.” Dr. Luke’s attorneys countered that she was attempting to litigate the dispute in the media. “It was obviously designed to garner sympathetic headlines for Defendant, and further tarnish Plaintiffs, based upon false assertions and blatant mischaracterizations,” they wrote. In Tuesday’s ruling, Kornreich ruled that Kesha could not advance claims for breach of the agreement because she herself had failed to perform her obligations. The judge took note that Dr. Luke’s accountants have calculated that she owes him $1.3 million in royalties, and has not paid him since 2012. Richard Simmons‘ private life is unlike anything tabloid speculation has made it out to be. The 68-year-old fitness guru, who has not been seen in public since January 2014, laughed off allegations he is unhappy and is transitioning into a woman. “The other day I told him, ‘There are people who think you are a very overweight, depressed woman.’ And he just laughed,” Simmons’ manager, Michael Catalano, told People. “He’s trim, and he has a beard.” Rumors surfaced that the reclusive Simmons was being held hostage by longtime live-in housekeeper Teresa Reveles. Publicist Tom Estey has since called the claims a “complete load of crap.” “She takes impeccable care of Richard. She’s nothing but a blessing to him,” Estey continued. The Los Angeles Police Department visited Simmons earlier this month, confirming that the colorful personality is doing fine. “There was something about his housekeeper holding him hostage and not allowing people to see him and preventing him from making phone calls and it was all garbage, and that’s why we went out to see him. None of it is true,” Detective Kevin Becker told the magazine. “The fact of the matter is we went out and talked to him, he is fine, nobody is holding him hostage. He is doing exactly what he wants to do.” While Simmons’ fan base may yearn to see him again one day, brother Lenny Simmons, 70, said his sibling prefers the secluded lifestyle, having spent 40-some years in the spotlight. “My brother is fine. He calls me every Sunday, and we have a nice conversation — it’s not me calling him, that’s him calling me,” Lenny explained. “He’s always been the way he is now. He’s always had his quiet time. It’s just that people only saw one aspect of him, and now that they aren’t seeing that, they thinking that something has happened, that something is wrong.” Though Simmons was hospitalized for dehydration 2016, he phoned “Entertainment Tonight” with an update last March. “No one should be worried about me … The people that surround me are wonderful people who take great care of me,” Simmons said. Simmons now dedicates his time to primetime television — specifically “60 Minutes” — and his garden. “After 40-odd years, he just decided that he wants to rest, and I certainly can’t blame him,” Lenny shared. “It’s his decision not to be seen.” If you have been Keeping Up with the Kardashians (i.e. watching their weekly reality show) this season, you may have noticed that the youngest sister, Kylie Jenner, has been notably absent. While the season just started 2 weeks ago, it is unusual for the show to completely skip over Kylie’s perspective on the ongoing family drama. In contrast to media reports saying that the makeup mogul is looking to distance herself from television, a source close to Kylie just recently revealed that the starlet is actually in the midst of developing her very own TV show. According to the source, Kylie is putting together a weekly show that gives fans a behind-the-scenes look at her ever-growing makeup empire, Kylie Cosmetics. The source told media tabloids, “Kylie is so excited [about getting her own show]…It’s going to be all about building her business and hiring people for her team.” While Kylie has already accomplished so much in regards to her makeup business, the 19-year-old continues to expand her reach. Just recently, Kylie opened up 2 pop-up stores, one in Los Angeles and one in New York, which both drew hundreds of fans on their opening day. This isn’t the first time there has been speculation surrounding Kylie and a possible spin-off show. In fact, back in 2016, sources were claiming that she was already collaborating with her family’s home network, E!, on one. A source told the press at the time, “[Kylie] wants the show to be all about her…She no longer wants to do one with Kendall [Jenner].” With Keeping Up with the Kardashians’ ratings downward trend, a Kylie-centric show may be just what E! needs to regain some momentum. Move over Gaga! There is another female starlet coming to FX’s hit anthology series American Crime Story. A while back, it was confirmed that singer/actress Lady Gaga would not be playing Donatella Versace in season three of ACS. While Gaga was initially the leading candidate for the role, ACS’s creator Ryan Murphy later told fans that they were unable to fit the show’s filming in with Gaga’s hectic schedule. Fortunately, the show enlisted another strong female actress, who is bringing plenty of her own star power to the cast. Early this week, media outlets reported that Vicky Cristina Barcelona star Penelope Cruz will be taking on the role of Donatella in season three of American Crime Story. Penelope will be helping Ryan, and the rest of the show’s crew, explore the murder of Gianni Versace (who will be portrayed by Edgar Ramirez), who was found dead on the steps of his Miami Beach home. It was later determined that serial killer Andrew Cunanan (who will be portrayed by Darren Criss) was responsible for the highly publicized murder. Stay tuned for more detail about the upcoming seasons of FX’s American Crime Story. While they have gone about being in the spotlight in different ways, there are plenty of things that One Direction’s Liam Payne has in common with pop singer Justin Bieber. Pulling from some of the commonalities present within their whirlwind lives and careers, Liam admitted that he previously reached out to Justin Bieber. The boy band member recently told Rollacoaster magazine that he felt obligated to offer his support to Justin when he was going through a notably tough time. In his interview with the publication, Liam gushed, “[Justin Bieber’s] a great guy - inside there’s a really good heart.” Liam went on to reveal that he previously gave Justin his cell number just in case Justin needed someone to talk to - particularly, someone who understood the craziness of Hollywood and show business. Liam explained, “I said [to Justin], ‘Look, the difference between me and you is I had four different boys going through the same thing to look to.’ [Justin] didn't have that.” The “Story of My Life” crooner added, “I said to him, ‘Take my number and any time you want a chat, let me know as I’m here and I understand exactly what you’re going through and I understand your world.’” While Liam did not disclose whether or not Justin actually took him up on his offer, he did further sympathize with how overwhelming Justin’s life must be. Liam told the magazine, “[Justin] needs somebody [that knows what he is going through] and in [a similar] position.” Disney starlet Demi Lovato has certainly come a long way over the past 5 year. Last week, the star celebrated her fifth year of sobriety. You may remember, back in 2012, Demi shocked her young Disney fans when she checked into a rehabilitation centre. While there, the singer got treatment for drug and alcohol addiction, as well as issues relating to her mental health and eating habits. Last Saturday, Demi proudly celebrated her 5 years of sobriety. In doing so, the talented songstress drove around Los Angeles and hand-delivered check donations to a number of admirable charities. Some of the causes that Demi offered her financial support to included: LGBTQ, animal rescue and adoption rights. On Wednesday, a few days before she ventured on her drive of goodwill, the star took to her Instagram to share her sobriety milestone with fans and followers. Alongside a picture of her Twelve Steps milestone details, the “Neon Lights” artist captioned, “So grateful. It’s been quite the journey. So many ups and downs. So many times I wanted to relapse but sat on my hands and begged God to relieve the obsession. I’m so proud of myself, but I couldn’t have done it without my higher power (God), my family, friends and everyone else who supported me. Feeling humbled and joyful today. Thank you guys for sticking by my side and believing in me.” Demi Lovato, Instagram post: Congrats Demi!

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#Celebrity Gossip #Charlie Sheen #Demi Lovato #Featured #Kesha #Richard Simmons #Yolanda Hadid

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