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EDDIE IZZARD and DENNIS HAYSBERT disappointed theatre-goers with a shaky start to their stint on Broadway - reportedly forgetting their lines and stumbling through their first performance of RACE.
The British comic has joined forces with the former 24 star to tackle t he lead roles in David Mamet’s play, with Izzard stepping into the role p reviously played by James Spader.
But the New York Post reports the actors failed to impress the audience when they took to the New York stage for their first performance on Mond ay night (21Jun10).
A source tells the publication, "(They) seemed unsteady and most forget ful of their lines. Doing any Mamet play is no easy task and the dialogue is unwieldy. It was their first performance, hopefully things will impro ve as they get into the roles."

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JAMES CAMERON’s AVATAR was the toast of the sci-fi world on Thursday (25J un10) after scooping a massive 10 prizes at the Saturn Awards.
The innovative epic triumphed in categories including Best Science Fict ion Film, Best Music and Best Special Effects, while Cameron took home th e Best Director and Best Writing trophies, as well as The Visionary Award ..
The movie’s stars were also honoured at the event, held by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films in Burbank, California. Sam Wo rthington and Zoe Saldana led the best actor categories and Sigourney Wea ver was named Best Supporting Actress.
The other movies to claim trophies were Watchmen, Inglourious Basterds, District 9, Monsters vs. Aliens and Drag Me To Hell.
In the TV categories, mystery drama Lost led the way, claiming the Best Television Series and Best Actor on Television for Josh Holloway. Breaki ng Bad and Dexter also scored wins and last year’s (09) recipient of the Life Career Award, Leonard Nimoy, was lauded for his guest appearance on Fringe.
This year’s (10) Life Career Award was handed to director Irvin Kershne r, according to Variety.com.

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LADY GAGA’s father ensured the pop star partied in style in her native Ne w York City on Monday (21Jun10) - by ordering a special $700 (=C2=A3465) bottle of champagne for her.
The Poker Face hitmaker took her entourage to Big Apple strip club Head Quarters and was stunned to find a pricey magnum of Laurent Perrier waiti ng for her - a gift from her dad, Joseph Germanotta, who had called the v enue to buy the bottle for his daughter.
A source tells the New York Post, "The staff at first didn’t believe it was Gaga’s dad. They asked for his credit-card number three times and Go ogled him before they took his order."

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Singer KELLY ROWLAND fears she will always be a single lady - because boy friends quickly grow tired of her busy schedule.
The former Destiny’s Child star was previously engaged to American foot ball player Roy Williams, but she called off their wedding in 2005 and no longer has time for dating, insisting she is too focused on her career.
She explains, "When I do find boyfriends or go on a date they get sick of me pretty quick. It’s because I’m always gone so long.
"I stay focused on work - it’s my main priority."

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PAUL WELLER fears the music industry will fall into disrepair over the ne xt few years because of the spiralling number of youngsters who see reali ty TV show competitions as the easiest way to the top of the charts.
The legendary rocker is convinced aspiring artists now look towards TV talent contests and their winners for inspiration, instead of holding up hard-working bands of the past as their heroes.
And the former The Jam frontman fears there will be serious repercussio ns for the music industry in the years to come.
He tells Classic Rock magazine, "The people who influenced me as I was growing up were all f**king good at what they did. Now, you get your boat -race (face) on telly (TV) and you’re famous. What sort of message is tha t? That it’s easily attainable? If it’s the flick of a switch, you ain’t learning f**k all mate. You don’t see the journey. There is no journey." But Weller is adamant the "kids" of today are not to blame - insisting the fault lies with the older generation who created the reality TV show competitions which have been saturating the charts.
He adds, "I don’t blame kids for going on The X Factor. It’s a symptom of our times, which is created by my age group and media - not kids…" (

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TUPAC SHAKUR’s mum is proud the rapper’s heartfelt hit DEAR MAMA has been picked for preservation in U.S. archives, insisting the tribute track "s peaks" to all mothers.
The late star, who was shot dead in 1996, recorded the song in 1995 in honour of his mother Afeni Shakur, shortly before he was sentenced to pri son time.
Dear Mama was this week (23Jun10) declared an American national treasur e - it’s one of 25 new additions to the Library of Congress’ National Rec ording Registry, which preserves audio files of cultural significance.
And Afeni insists she is delighted her son’s song will be heard for dec ades to come.
She says, "I’m incredibly touched. It could have been any song, but I’m honoured they chose Dear Mama in particular. It is a song that spoke not just to me, but every mother that has been in that situation, and there have been millions of us. Tupac recognised our struggle, and he is still our hero."

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Veteran crooner TONY BENNETT is to accept a lifetime achievement honour a t the 2010 Nordoff-Robbins Silver Clef Awards.
The 83-year-old entertainer will be acknowledged for his 60 years in th e industry at the gala event, which will benefit the music therapy charit y Nordoff-Robbins.
Previous recipients of the prestigious accolade include Rod Stewart, U2 and Oasis.
Bennett says, "I feel I’ve joined a very special club. I am a great bel iever that music can be a powerful healing force and I applaud all the fa ntastic work that Nordoff-Robbins has implemented over the past 50 years.
" The ceremony, to be hosted by Sharon Osbourne, will take place on 2 Jul y (10) at London’s Hilton Hotel.

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The mayor of New York City is spearheading the fight to make sure a serie s of star-studded Coney Island concerts go ahead this summer (10), follow ing a legal challenge from angry locals.
The long running Seaside Concert Series is set to kick off on 15 July ( 10), with performances from high-profile artists including The Beach Boys , Aretha Franklin and John Legend.
The shows will take place at Asser Levy Park in Coney Island, Brooklyn, but officials and worshippers at two local synagogues are angry over pla ns to expand attendance numbers. They filed suit against the organiser, B rooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, last week (beg14Jun10) in a bi d to halt the concerts.
The lawsuit claims the gigs, which have been taking place there since 1 991, violate a city law preventing amplified sound within 500 feet (152 m etres) of religious institutions when services are taking place.
New York City’s Mayor Michael Bloomberg has now filed a bill with the l ocal council which will allow the law to be temporarily revised to allow open-air venues to host gigs in close proximity to places of worship. The bill, which has yet to be approved, will be in place for 90 days and all ow the gigs to go ahead prior to a permanent review of the law.
Opponents have slammed the plans, while Markowitz has called the move a "compromise", according to the New York Post.

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SIR PAUL McCARTNEY is refusing to apologise for a joke he made about form er President GEORGE W. BUSH during an appearance at the White House earli er this month (Jun10).
The Beatles legend poked fun at the ex-leader’s intellect as he became the first non-American to collect the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song fro m Bush’s successor, President Barack Obama on 2 June (10).
McCartney said, "After the last eight years, it’s great to have a Presi dent who knows where the library is." The comments infuriated top U.S. politician John Boehner, who demanded McCartney make a public apology for the gag.
But the singer has now spoken out about the incident, insisting his com ments shouldn’t be taken so seriously - because it was just "a joke".
He says, "I said that on purpose. And now all this (criticism), like I’ m going to care? It was a joke. Hello, anybody there? It’s a joke.
"Has anyone ever watched Saturday Night Live? They joke about Bush all the time. As for a public apology, are they kidding? I was in two minds w hether to say it and I actually waited until the President had gone becau se I didn’t want to embarrass him or his family. But hey, come on, it’s r ock and roll. It wasn’t a religious meeting and I’m allowed to make jokes .."

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GORILLAZ will pay tribute to late acting legend DENNIS HOPPER during the band’s headlining slot at Britain’s Glastonbury festival - by projecting images from his EASY RIDER movie on to the stage.
The band, fronted by Damon Albarn, has been drafted in to replace U2 on Friday night (25Jun10) after the Irish rockers pulled out due to Bono’s recent back surgery.
And the group is determined to make the show a poignant one by remember ing Hopper - who befriended Albarn after narrating Gorillaz’s track Fire Coming Out Of The Monkey’s Head in 2005.
Albarn tells Britain’s The Sun, "I think he’d be happy with what we’ve planned. I know he would want to be doing this if he was still with us.
"I saw him three weeks before he passed away and, obviously he was incr edibly ill. But he was very positive about everything." Gorillaz’s co-creator Jamie Hewlett adds, "It’s important for someone l ike him to be remembered because there will be people in the audience who might not know who Dennis Hopper is.
"As soon as you show him as Billy Boy in Easy Rider they will know inst antly. We’ve got the song that Damon’s going to play, then we felt that i n that environment you need to see iconic images of him on screen, so in the short space of time we’ve been trying to sort it. We’ve got complete clearance on Easy Eider. Sony have been amazing and said, ‘Use whatever y ou want.’ "It’s a perfect environment to do a tribute to Dennis Hopper." (MJ/WNTS

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FAT JOE has been "officially cleared" over false allegations he sexually assaulted a woman following a concert on Sunday (20Jun10), according to t he rapper’s lawyer.
The Lean Back hitmaker was detained by cops in Madison, Wisconsin at th e weekend (19-20Jun10) following a complaint from an unnamed woman who al leged she was inappropriately groped by the hip-hop star and his entourag e.
The female accuser claimed the alleged incident took place during a lim o ride with Joe - real name Joseph Cartagena - and his pals following a g ig in the city.
The star was questioned by police and later released without charge, an d now Fat Joe’s attorney Dawn Florio has revealed the star and his associ ates have been cleared of any wrong doing.
In a statement, she says, "Joseph Cartagena, known as Fat Joe, and othe rs have been officially cleared by the Madison Wisconsin Police Departmen t of any wrongdoing. Fat Joe had no contact with, and never spoke to his accuser. He was questioned for a few minutes at his hotel room and was ne ver detained by the police.
"Making a false claim of a sexual nature in order to extort money is on e of the most horrific accusations because it not only tarnishes reputati ons but has the potential to destroy families. Mr. Cartagena wholehearted ly thanks his family, friends, and fans for their continued support, loya lty, and words of encouragement throughout this ordeal."

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LA TOYA JACKSON wishes her brother MICHAEL’s children would "wait a bit l onger" before starting school - because the trio will find the experience completely "foreign".
The late King of Pop, who died a year ago on Friday (25Jun10), employed a private tutor to homeschool Prince Michael, 13, Paris, 12 and eight-ye ar-old Blanket because he wanted to shelter them from the outside world.
Jackson’s mother Katherine was named the youngsters’ guardian after the superstar passed away last year (09), and she has been allowing them mor e freedom - even agreeing to their request to start school in September ( 10).
La Toya admits she can understand why Michael laid down such strict rul es for his children and wishes the kids would allow themselves some more time before taking the massive step of starting school.
She tells Britain’s GMTV, "The kids are doing very well… They’re havi ng so much fun. They’re playing and they’re enjoying their lives… I thi nk my mother is doing the best that she can for them, she’s doing a great job and they’re going out more than they’ve ever gone out, which is good for them at the moment.
"I don’t know if she’s doing it because their father is gone and she wa nts to make sure they’re happy. But, you know, Michael kept those childre n hidden. He kept them very restricted and confined them. He didn’t want them to be amongst the world and people of that nature. I understood why he did what he did, because he thought the world was so cruel and the wor ld said cruel things and he didn’t want his kids hearing cruel things…
"It is going to be difficult (starting school). It’s a private school a nd we know the school very well because all of my nieces and nephews basi cally went there. Actually, they (Jackson’s kids) wanted to go, so my mot her said yes to them. I wish that they’d maybe wait a little bit longer b efore because this is something… it’s a territory that’s very foreign t o them. They have never been amongst other children at school." (KD&LR/WN

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A free concert in New York featuring KE$HA has been cancelled amid fears the show could descend into chaos like DRAKE’s recently scrapped gig in t he city.
The rapper was due to play a free show in conjunction with Paper magazi ne at Manhattan’s South Street Seaport on 15 June (10), but police offici als pulled the plug on the event after over-crowding led to violent outbu rsts.
Six people suffered minor injuries and two were arrested.
Now two more concerts due to take place at the venue have been cancelle d by bosses at General Growth Properties, the company which owns the Sout h Street Seaport.
The TiK ToK hitmaker’s free gig has been axed along with an appearance by New York band Ratatat.
A letter written to Manhattan’s Community Board 1, from representatives at General Growth Properties, states they have "chosen to cancel any for thcoming concerts in conjunction with Paper magazine", reports the New Yo rk Daily News.

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KATY PERRY can understand why producers cut her scene with RUSSELL BRAND from GET HIM TO THE GREEK, insisting her passionate clinch with her real- life fiance would have been distracting for movie fans.
The singer, who is engaged to marry Brand, filmed a cameo appearance in the comedy before the couple officially began dating - but their steamy kiss was axed from the final project.
But Perry has called the decision "completely understandable" - because the smooch would have shattered the illusion of Brand’s rock star charac ter.
She says, "My scene called for me to make out with him… Then it got c ut! I was like, ‘I’m sleeping with you and you’re not going to put me in the movie? That’s so messed up!’ "To be fair, if you saw me and Russell making out it would feel like, ‘ There’s Russell Brand in the movie’ - not his character Aldous Snow. It’s completely understandable."

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TWILIGHT hunk KELLAN LUTZ was stunned by the dedication of his loyal fans during filming of the vampire franchise - after two girls sneaked into h is hotel and caught him just as he stepped out of the shower.
The actor - who plays vampire Emmett Cullen in the bloodsucking series - was freshening up after a day of shooting in Oregon, when he heard a kn ock on his hotel room door.
Expecting his co-stars, Lutz was about to fling the door open with just a towel protecting his modesty - until he heard the voices of two teary women eager to catch a glimpse of their idol.
He tells Parade magazine, "When we were filming in Oregon I was in my h otel room and there was a knock on the door. I thought it was my castmate s because we were all going out to get some dinner.
"I had just gotten out of the shower and I grabbed a towel. Thank God I didn’t just throw open the door because I was practically naked.
"I heard voices going, ‘Emmett, we’re your fans’, and I could tell they were near tears. So I put some clothes on as fast as I could, opened the door and it was two lovely ladies holding a giant basket full of goodies for all of us."

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British funnyman RUSSELL BRAND is convinced his fiancee KATY PERRY will e ventually swap music for movies, because the singer is a "brilliant" actr ess.
The I Kissed A Girl hitmaker is preparing to make her acting debut by v oicing Smurfette in the upcoming big-screen adaptation of classic kids’ s how The Smurfs.
Brand reveals Perry already has another role lined up, and he predicts his future wife will excel as a film star.
He says, "She’s doing a film and she’ll be a brilliant actor. That’s wh at she’ll probably end up doing as well. She’s playing a Smurfette and is in another film which I’m not allowed to talk about. I’m very proud." But the Get Him to the Greek star doesn’t expect Perry to listen to his advice when it comes to accepting sexy screen roles, adding: "Katy does exactly what she likes. If I didn’t want her to do something like strip o ff, I may as well argue with a cloud. Even if I wanted her to stop doing things like that when we are married, it wouldn’t be my place." (PAW/WNTM

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GOSSIP GIRL star LEIGHTON MEESTER has sparked speculation of a budding ne w relationship - after she was spotted enjoying a romantic day out with a ctor LUKE BRACEY in Paris, France.
The actress is currently in Europe filming upcoming comedy Monte Carlo with the Australian hunk, as well as co-stars Cory Monteith and Selena Go mez.
Meester, who split from boyfriend Sebastian Stan earlier this year (10) , appeared to have taken a liking to her new co-star as she and Bracey we nt sightseeing around the romantic capital on Wednesday (23Jun10).
The couple was photographed strolling with their arms around each other , smiling and laughing as they walked through the Pere Lachaise cemetery.

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ROBERT DE NIRO has lent his support to a memorial foundation helping vict ims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York in 2001 - by encouraging bu sinesses to donate cash and back a new campaign.
The Goodfellas star, who owns restaurants and a hotel in the Big Apple, met with Mayor Michael Bloomberg and other business owners in the city o n Thursday (24Jun10) to promote the Signs of Support drive.
The campaign is calling for companies in New York to publicly show thei r support by displaying a special sign in their doors or windows.
The sticker reads, "We Support the 9/11 Memorial. Forever Changed. Fore ver Connected." De Niro placed one of the signs in his Locanda Verde restaurant to demo nstrate his support during a photocall on Thursday.
More than 2,500 of the plaques have been distributed across the city, w hile De Niro is also encouraging businesses to donate $100 (=C2=A367) or more to the cause.

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