Blog Posts by Matthew Perpetua

Julie Taymor, the former director of Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, is seeking an estimated $300,000 in unpaid royalties from the musical's producers. Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, the union representing Taymor, has filed an arbitration claim on her behalf, claiming that the producers have no legal or ethical right to withhold royalties owed to her since she was removed from the project following months of scathing reviews, accidents and delays while the show was in previews.

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According to Laura Penn, the executive director of the union, Taymor has only received her original director's fee of $125,000 five years ago and has not been paid royalties on tickets since they went on sale in November. Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark has made an average of $1 million per week since opening in previews. The show will open officially on June 14th.

Photo by Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic

Black Eyed Peas Free Show Canceled
The Black Eyed Peas' free benefit concert in Central Park last night was canceled due to severe thunderstorms. The show, which was to include guest performances by Taylor Swift, LL Cool J, MC Hammer, Carole King, Whoopi Goldberg and others, was intended to raise funds and awareness for the Robin Hood anti-poverty charity in New York City. As of yet, the event has not been rescheduled. [Billboard]

Of Montreal and Girl Talk Headline 80/35 Festival
Of Montreal, Girl Talk, Okkervil River and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes will headline the 80/35 festival in Des Moines, Iowa on July 2nd and 3rd. The festival, which will feature 50 acts on three stages, will also include sets by Galactic, Titus Andronicus, Blackalicious, Yelawolf, Jessica Lea Mayfield, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals and Handsome Furs. [Press release]

'Smash' Show Gets Record Deal
Smash, a new musical drama that will debut on NBC in the fall, has made a deal with Columbia Records to

Paul McCartney Announces Yankee Stadium Show
Paul McCartney will perform at New York's Yankee Stadium on July 15th. This will be the singer's first show at the historic venue, and his return to performing in New York City after a string of concerts at Shea Stadium in July of 2009. Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Monday, June 13th at 11 a.m. [Brooklyn Vegan]

'Glee' Star to Pen Young Adult Novels
Glee actor Chris Colfer has signed a deal with Little, Brown books to write to books aimed at young adult readers. The first book, an adventure novel titled The Land of Stories, is scheduled for release in summer of 2012. This will be Colfer's first published work. [EW]

'Book of Mormon' Gets Its Own Radio Channel
Sirius XM will launch a limited-run channel devoted to Trey Parker and Matt Stone's acclaimed new musical The Book of Mormon. In addition to playing songs from the show, the channel will include interviews with its cast and creative team. It will air on channel 104. [

Bono and the Edge to Appear on the Tonys
Bono and the Edge will take the stage on the 65th Annual Tony Awards, which will air on CBS on Sunday, June 12th, a spokesperson for the Tonys tells Rolling Stone. The U2 rockers are likely to introduce a performance from their musical Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark featuring the show's stars Reeve Carney and Jennifer Damiano, though details have not yet been confirmed.

Lynyrd Skynyrd-Themed Restaurant to Open in Las Vegas
Lynyrd Skynyrd BBQ & Beer, a theme restaurant based on the music and image of the legendary Southern rockers, is set to open at the Excalibur Hotel and Casino later this year. The establishment will display an array of Lynyrd Skynyrd memorabilia and host performances by both the original band and tribute acts. [Billboard]

Common and DOOM Join Rock the Bells
Common, DOOM, Killah Priest and Boy Jones have been added to the Rock the Bells 2011 festival tour, which will include full-album performances by Lauryn Hill, Nas, Raekwon and

Chicago rapper Lupe Fiasco blasted President Obama during his appearance on CBS's What's Trending with Shira Lazar Tuesday, attacking the president's foreign policy and declaring him to be a "terrorist."

"To me, the biggest terrorist is Obama in the United States of America," Fiasco said. "I'm trying to fight the terrorism that's causing the other forms of terrorism. You know the root cause of terrorists is the stuff the U.S. government allows to happen. The foreign policies that we have in place in different countries that inspire people to become terrorists."

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Later in the interview, the rapper explained that he has no desire to vote in the 2012 presidential election. "I don't get involved in politics," he said. "It's meaningless. If I'm going to say I stand behind this person and write on a piece of paper that says, 'Yeah, I stand for this person,' then I have to take responsibility for everything he does

Ja Rule is finishing work on a new album before heading off to prison to serve time for attempted criminal possession of a weapon. The rapper, who is set to be sentenced today for a two-year prison term, has been putting the finishing touches on Pain Is Love 2, an album that will most likely hit stores while he is behind bars.

Ja Rule was charged on July 22, 2007 for carrying a loaded .40-caliber semiautomatic gun in the rear door of his Maybach sports car, which was stopped for speeding after he attended an event at Manhattan's Beacon Theater. Rule pleaded guilty in December to the charge.

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In addition to the weapons conviction, Rule also stands to serve time for failing to pay taxes on more than $3 million in income. The rapper pleaded guilty to this charge in March, and his lawyers are hoping to combine his probable three-year sentence with the prison term he is about to begin.

Photo by Matt Jelonek/Getty

R&B legend Patti LaBelle has been accused of ordering an attack on a man who got too close to her luggage at George H.W. Bush Intercontinental airport in Houston.

Richard King, a 23-year-old senior at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, has filed a lawsuit claiming that he was attacked by LaBelle's bodyguards on March 11th when she thought he was standing too close to her belongings outside the airport.

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Security camera footage released by King's legal representation - which you can watch below - shows that King was confronted by three bodyguards, and was punched after pushing one of them in self-defense. King's lawyer says that he was diagnosed with a concussion after the incident. King, a defensive player for the Army football team, was forced to sit out the rest of the season due to his injuries sustained in the attack.

King, who claims he is not familiar with LaBelle or her music, is seeking unspecified