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People: Corey Cott, Kristen Stewart, Michael Phelps, Bobby Brown, Chris Brown, Robert Downey Jr.
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Carnegie Mellon graduate and Pittsburgh CLO veteran Corey Cott is taking over the role of Jack Kelly in the Disney musical "Newsies" on Broadway.
Cott became the Jack Kelly alternate earlier this month, just weeks after graduating from CMU's School of Drama. "Newsies," directed by Tony-nominated Jeff Calhoun, a Richland High School alumnus, won Tonys for best score and choreography.
The New York Times arts blog quoted Cott as saying he was offered roles in a national tour of the musical "Wicked" and the off-Broadway musical "Bare," while also planning to test for the television series "Glee," but he chose this role "because Jack is a great character that I'd be really, really proud to play and because it's pretty incredible to make my Broadway debut in a memorable leading role."
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Kristen Stewart has been lying low since the news broke in July that she cheated on Robert Pattinson with her "Snow White and the Huntsman" director Rupert Sanders. But come September, she'll be on the road again -- promoting her latest film, "On the Road," People reports.
Stewart, 22, will be in Toronto for the International Film Festival, which runs Sept. 6-16 and will feature a special presentation of the film, which also stars Viggo Mortensen, Garrett Hedlund and Amy Adams. Stewart plays Marylou, a recently married 16-year-old, in the adaptation of Jack Kerouac's book of the same name.
Pattinson meanwhile, had been holed up in Reese Witherspoon's Ojai, Calif., home before hitting New York this week for the "Cosmopolis" premiere and related interviews.
There is still no word on whether either or both of them will attend MTV's Video Music Awards in Los Angeles on Sept. 6.
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Michael Phelps is making a splash in the fashion world this week: He was just named the newest face of Louis Vuitton, People reports. The Olympic swimmer -- who wrapped up his athletic career last week at the London games -- joins former Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina in a striking new pictorial for the brand's "Core Values" campaign.
According to a release, the two sports icons talked about their backgrounds, their training and "the importance of transmitting their passion to others" during their shoot. We wonder if they also talked about the fact that Phelps beat 77-year-old Latynina's medal record when he won silver on July 31.
Photographer Annie Leibovitz captured the two while in conversation. The sports stars follow in the steps of past Louis Vuitton spokesmodels Muhammad Ali, Angelina Jolie, Bono, Buzz Aldrin, Jim Lovell, Mikhail Gorbachev and Sally Ride.
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Bobby Brown has checked himself into rehab.
Brown's representative said in an email Thursday that the R&B singer checked into a "confidential rehabilitation center" last week as part of his agreement following his March arrest for drunken driving in Los Angeles, The Associated Press reports.
His publicist says that Brown's plea agreement in the case requires that he get treatment for alcohol use. His attorney Christopher Brown says in a statement that Brown "takes his agreement very seriously."
The 43-year-old singer is the former husband of Whitney Houston, who died this year. He married his manager, Alicia Etheredge-Brown, in June.
Brown still plans to perform scheduled solo concerts and tour with his group New Edition. His first album in 14 years came out this summer.
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Not a lot of love from this club!
Chris Brown and Drake are being sued for $16 million by W.i.P., the NYC nightclub where their entourages allegedly got into a bloody brawl on June 14. E! News obtained the lawsuit filed by Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (the owner of W.i.P. and Greenhouse Clubs) alleging that Brown and Drake themselves were the causes behind their entourages fighting.
According to the lawsuit, Brown and Drake "shared a grudge against the other arising out of their romantic relationships with the same woman" --presumably Rihanna. The suit adds when they "crossed paths" at the venue they "began to fight violently with each other."
The club states that while it ensured no one in Brown or Drake's entourage was armed, both artists arrived "with their own small army of bodyguards, 'security' personnel, employees, friends and other members of their entourage, consisting of at least 15 heavily built men trained and/or experienced in hand-to-hand and weapons combat."
Per the suit, Brown and Drake started fighting, then "each ordered his security personnel, bodyguards, friends and entourage to join the fight, which erupted into a violent brawl on a massive scale."
Each man's entourage members "fashioned deadly weapons out of whatever materials they could find, including glasses, alcohol bottles and furniture, thereby circumventing the nightclubs' extensive efforts to ensure a safe environment," according to the club's suit.
"Terrorized patrons ran for cover," the suit alleges, adding that clubbers used "banquettes and tables as improvised shields. Most were unable to protect themselves." Several patrons, including NBA star Tony Parker, were injured during the incident.
Although neither Drake nor Brown has been charged criminally for anything related to the brawl, the club's suit says they "should have foreseen that their notoriety and celebrity would ensure that their acts had far-reaching and devastating effects."
The club is asking for multiple compensatory and punitive damages totalling $16 million.
Reps for Brown and Drake have not responded to E! News' requests for comment.
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Los Angeles prosecutors are charging the father of singers Jessica and Ashley Simpson with two counts of drunken driving after his arrest earlier this month, the AP reports.
City attorney's spokesman Frank Mateljan said Wednesday that 54-year-old Joe Simpson faces a maximum sentence of 6 months in jail, 36 months of probation and a $1,000 fine.
He was arrested Aug. 4 after authorities say he registered a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 percent or above at a DUI checkpoint in the Sherman Oaks area.
The charges were filed Tuesday. Simpson is due for arraignment Aug. 30 in a Van Nuys court.
Simpson is a former minister. He helped make stars of his two daughters by managing their singing careers.
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Production on "Iron Man 3" is on hold after star Robert Downey Jr. hurt his foot during filming.
Marvel Studios said Thursday that Downey was injured while performing a stunt and "there will be a short delay in production while he recuperates." The 47-year-old actor is shooting the third installment in the superhero franchise in North Carolina, the AP reports.
"Iron Man 3" is set for release next summer. Downey plays billionaire playboy Tony Stark and Gwyneth Paltrow is his love, Pepper Potts. Guy Pearce and Ben Kingsley also star.
Downey also appeared as his Stark/Iron Man character earlier this summer in "Marvel's The Avengers." The actor also unveiled a clip of the forthcoming "Iron Man" flick at Comic-Con last month.
First Published August 17, 2012 12:00 am
