Madonna news - Feb. 2002

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← Feb. 2002 | March 2002 →

28 February - Madonna role 'Up For Grabs'
Madonna is to make her West End stage debut in the comedy 'Up For Grabs'. She will play an ambitious art dealer. It will be Madonna's first stage performance for 13 years. The star's publicist told American magazine People that Madonna wanted a fresh challenge, plus the chance to remain at home in London. The 41-year-old singer has spent much of the last few months in Malta with husband Guy Ritchie, who is directing her in his latest film 'Love, Sex, Drugs And Money'. Her last stage outing was with Broadway veterans Ron Silver and Joe Mantegna in American playwright David Mamet's 'Speed-The-Plow' in 1988. 'Up For Grabs', a comedy by Australian playwright David Williamson, will open at Wyndham's Theatre on May 23 [Previews start on May 9]. The play, which has a cast of seven, will be directed by Laurence Boswell. His recent credits include A Day In The Life Of Joe Egg and Popcorn, by Ben Elton. (source: Ananova)
This time it seems to be true: Ticketmaster is already offering tickets for the play, with following description: Genre: Comedy - Synopsis: How far will an art dealer go to sell a painting? When a hot Jackson Pollack painting comes on the market, Simone will go to great lengths to ensure that she gets the highest price for it that she can as she arranges a private auction for her greedy clients. - Credits: Cast includes Madonna. Directed by Laurence Boswell (A Day in the Death of Joe Egg). Written by David Williamson. - Programme notes: Madonna’s last stage appearance was in David Mamet’s Speed The Plow in 1989. David Williamson is one of Australia's leading playwrights and wrote the scripts for films Gallipoli and The Year of Living Dangerously.

28 February - New album gossip *rumour*
In the coming months - awaiting the new album - many rumours will surface regarding the title, tracks, release date, etc. Don't take them for granted too quickly... One rumour claims that MTV2 announced a summer release and said that Madonna has already finished 12 tracks. Another rumour comes from InsideMadonna who claim that Liz Rosenberg said that Madonna has only recorded a few songs so far and that the album won't be released until early 2003. According to Madonnarama Warner has no Madonna album scheduled for 2002.

28 February - 'The Wheels On The Bus' released
A few months ago we already discovered the hilarious flash movie that combined Ray Of Light with an English children's song. Since then it proved to be so popular, that a release of the song is considered. This is from Ananova: A dance version of the children's song 'The Wheels On The Bus' could be heading for the charts. The single is credited to Mad Donna and is reminiscent of Madonna's Ray Of Light. It is the second release from new UK label Star Harbour. 'The Wheels On The Bus' was released earlier this week but the label is planning to re-release it on April 1 in a chart-friendly format. The single is take from an American children's educational website called Mothergoose Rocks! A Star Harbour spokeswoman told Ananova: "We saw it on the website and got in contact with them and they agreed to let us release it. What else can I say. We saw, it made us laugh, so we released it. That's what Star Harbour is about."

28 February - Great pix of DWT lighting
Check out the website of Peter Morse, the lighting director of the Drowned World Tour; it features some fantastic pictures of the stage lighting during the show. Morse, who also worked with Madonna on her other tours, talks about these collaborations, mentioning that it's always great working with a professional like Madonna: "Madonna's work ethic is extraordinary. She was the hardest working person on the tour - always on site before anyone else, and rehearsing late into the night, long after everyone else had departed. She is extremely professional, envisioning every detail of her show and following it through to its completion..." (Thanx to MLVC16 for the link)

28 February - No Grammy either
No awards luck for Madonna; yesterday at the Grammy Awards, the award for 'Best Short Form Music Video' - which Don't Tell Me was nominated for - went to 'Weapon of Choice' by Fatboy Slim featuring Bootsy Collins. Madonna didn't attend the award show. List of winners.

27 February - No Gibson Award
Yesterday the Gibson Guitar Awards were held in the Knitting Factory in Hollywood. Madonna, nominated for Les Paul Horizon Award (Most Promising Up and Coming Guitarist) because of her stunning guitar performances at the Drowned World Tour, lost out to Pete Yorn. (source: Gibson.com)
~ Recently Madonna has been nominated for several awards, but she lost out to all of them: Gibson Awards, NME Awards and NRJ Awards. Let's hope she's got more luck at the Grammies tonight...

27 February - Protesters send Madonna fox hunt videos
Madonna has been bombarded by anti-hunt protesters with graphic videos of foxes being killed, in an effort to stop her allowing her land to be used for hunts. The 1,000-acre grounds of Ashcombe House, which Madonna and her husband Guy Ritchie bought last year, have been used in the past by the Blandford-based Portman Hunt. Protesters who hope to make the nature of hunting clear to the Pop Princess are angered by Madge's tolerance of the sport. 'They will have no excuse,' says Neil Buckoke, organiser of the Dorset Anti-Blood Sport and Animal Action Group. 'They will know the truth. So if they don't stop the hunt, they can't say they don't know.' If their videos do not have the required effect, the protesters plan a demonstration. Madonna's new-found love of hunting and shooting is also thought to have strained her friendship with Stella McCartney, a fervent anti-fur fighter. (source: PeopleNews)

27 February - Blond Ambition Tour changed music, says Q
The March 2002 issue of Q Magazine has an article entitled 'The 10 Tours That Changed Music'. Madonna's Blond Ambition Tour is included under the bylines 'Madonna Has Sex On Stage' and 'Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret'. The article by Lucy O'Brien goes on to describe how with the Blond Ambition Tour Madonna raised the ante for live pop performance - and became the world's best-known naked female body. To see the photographs which appear in the article, go to TheLittleStar.

26 February - Madonna to attend Grammies? *rumour*
Madonna is rumoured to be attending the Grammy Award show tomorrow, wednesday evening. Her Don't Tell Me video is nominated for 'Best Short Form Music Video'.

26 February - No Madagascar
No Buckingham, no awards, doubts about the Bond theme and now it seems Madonna's role in Madagascar is off too; this is from the MLVC mailing list: 'Oliver' from Animated-Movies.com informs us that Gwen Stefani will replace Madonna in one of the celebrity voices in Dreamworks Pictures' upcoming CGI film 'Madagascar'. The site reports that the 'No Doubt' lead singer beat out Madonna and Jennifer Lopez in casting the voice. The film is about "a lion, a zebra, a giraffe and a hippo [Gloria] who are born and raised and have spent their entire lives as New Yorkers in the Central Park Zoo. They have been best friends their entire lives. [But] a bunch of do-gooders decide animals don't belong in the zoo, they belong in the wild. They end up on the island of Madagascar (off the coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean), where this perfect life of New York civility is turned upside down and inside out, and they suddenly come face to face with savagery."

26 February - No Madge for the Queen
Contrary to rumours last week, Madonna is NOT among the artists that are being lined up for the Buckingham Palace Golden Jubilee concert on June 3rd. (source: PeopleNews)

26 February - InStyle Magazine
In the March 2002 issue of InStyle Magazine they have a picture of Madonna during her DWT in a section which they devote to the designer Catherine Maladrino. The picture is a close up of Madonna when she is riding the bull wearing the American flag shirt which was designed by Catherine Maladrino. Also, they mention that Madonna uses the hair conditioner, Terax Crema, which is also used by a lot of other celebrities and that she uses nail-polish by OPI and for her wedding to Guy Ritchie she wore an OPI nail-polish called, "Italian Love Affair" which is a pale pink. (source: Madonna.com)

25 February - Inside the Testino exhibit
Devoted fansite Little Star has managed to get some inside pictures of the Mario Testino exhibition. Check it out!

25 February - No NME Awards
This afternoon the NME Carling Awards were announced. Madonna was nominated for Best Pop Act, but lost out to Kylie.

23 February - Madonna at Michelle Branch gig
Michelle Branch's Zilo-sponsored Lotus Tour finishes up Sunday (Feb. 24) in Norfolk, Virginia, but Wednesday night (Feb. 20) at New York City's Irving Plaza she got a visit from the president of her label - who just happens to be Madonna. The Material Girl attended with a few of her girlfriends, and it was a very low-key, laid-back appearance, a source confirmed for Launch. Madonna was entertained and impressed, staying at the venue for Branch's whole set. Lucy Woodward and Transmatic opened the show. (source: Launch)

22 February - Madonna refused Brits lifetime award
Madonna turned down a Brits Lifetime Achievement Award, because she was worried it might make her look old and ready to retire. The singer was asked to accept the gong in recognition of her golden 18-year career. But the Queen of Pop, 43, who had her first hit in 1984 with Holiday, refused point blank. So Brit bosses gave it to Sting, 50, instead. Yet even he insisted the title of the award was changed to Outstanding Contribution because he was concerned the original made it sound like his career was over. He got a standing ovation as he collected the honour at London's Earls Court on Wednesday. A source close to Madonna said: "She is a fan of the Brits but she didn't want to accept an award that made her look too old. Madonna is very conscious of her image as a cutting-edge artist and thought a lifetime achievement award - no matter what they call it - would make it sound like she's reached the end of her career. It’s like when she did her tour last year - she stuck to new material and refused to play her old hits." Sir Paul McCartney refused one two years ago for the same reason as Madge. Macca, 59, told pals it was the I’m Just About To Die Award and he didn’t want to look like an 'old fart' on the verge of retirement. (source: The Sun)

21 February - Madonna in Greenaway's 'multimedia movie'? *rumour*
The Italian newspaper Il Nuovo has reported that cult British film director, Peter Greenaway will finally start shooting his new project "The Tulse Luper Trilogy" this March. The newspaper reports that Madonna will play a femme fatale role. The project also stars Ewan Mc.Gregor, Morgan Freeman, Jeff Bridges, Don Johnson, Victoria Abril (Almodovar’s muse), Franka Potente, Vincent Gallo and Isabella Rossellini. The story will follow 92 characters searching for 92 suitcases lost in the four corners of the globe! If they manage to return these suitcases , a mystery about uranium (whose atomic number is 92) will be unveiled! Earlier reports have detailed how this won't be a standard movie but a "multimedia" experience. (source: Madonnarama)

21 February - Humble Boy instead of Deceptions? *rumour*
Madonna has been making 'noises off' about stepping on to the West End stage in recent weeks, and there has been much speculation about which role she could play. With Mrs Ritchie presumably not interested in Mrs Robinson, could she possibly have her beady eye on 1970s saucepot Felicity Kendal's role in Humble Boy? 'She and Guy came to the show last week,' explains our greasepainted lady. 'You know, she had her hair scraped back in the most extraordinary way. Anyway, the whisper backstage was that she is after Felicity's part.' Backstage tittle-tattle? Tomorrow's front pages, that's what we say at the Loop. (source: PeopleNews)

20 February - Queen of Pop to play for the Queen? *rumour*
Queen of Pop Madonna is being lined-up to play at Queen Elizabeth's Jubilee concert. The US singer is in the running to join a host of other stars at Buckingham Palace for the celebrations on June 3. It is being reported Sir Paul McCartney will headline the gig, though Robbie Williams and Elton John have both turned down the chance to appear. (source: itv)

20 February - No appearance at Brits
Contrary to some rumours a few weeks ago, Madonna did not make an appearance at tonight's Brit Awards. The award show was criticised for overlooking the big stars like Madonna, U2 and Britney. Madonna didn't receive any nomination.

19 February - Not so material girl *rumour*
Madonna has taken a pay cut to star in a new play in London's West End. Madge will get £300,000 - a fifth of what she's been offered for other stage roles - to play the lead in the thriller Deception for six weeks at the Strand Theatre from April. She told pals she wanted to be treated like an ordinary actress. If 300 grand is ordinary, what is extraordinary? (source: Sunday People)

17 February - Gursky picture online
Last tuesday, artist Andreas Gursky unveiled his Madonna picture at the Centre Pompidou in Paris. The 10x6 foot picture is a montage of pictures, taken during Madonna's Drowned World Tour in LA on September 14th. You can see a full scan of the picture at LittleStar.

16 February - Madonna, the guitar goddess
While some are busy forecasting Grammy winners, guitar aficionados may very well be preoccupied by another awards ceremony — the Orville H. Gibson Guitar Awards. Artists compete in such categories as Best Rock Guitarist, Best Bassist and Best Guitar Band. Not surprisingly, U2 snagged nominations in all three of those categories this year, earning them the most nods. What is surprising is Madonna's nomination for the Les Paul Horizon Award, which honors the most promising up-and-coming guitarist. Presumably she's being recognized for the work she did when she strapped on the old six-string during last year's Drowned World Tour. [...] The annual Gibson Guitar Awards are voted on by members of the music media, and will be presented on February 26 at the Knitting Factory in Los Angeles, according to the Gibson guitar company. (source: MTV)

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