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Singer/actor HARRY CONNICK, JR. is taking BARBRA STREISAND’s hit film ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER back to Broadway in a new revival this autumn (11).
The Grammy winner will return to the New York stage with American Idiot director Michael Mayer, who is giving the original 1965 play a gender-bending twist.
The original was about a young woman who discovers she lived in 18th century Britain in a past life.
Connick, Jr. will star as a gay florist’s assistant, who turns to a psychiatrist to help him quit smoking and discovers he may have spent his past life as 1940s jazz singer, Melinda Wells.
Connick, Jr. admits he’s "really excited" about the new role. He last appeared as an actor on Broadway in 2006 musical The Pajama Game.

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CHRISTINA AGUILERA has been released without charge following her arrest for public intoxication in the early hours of Tuesday (01Mar11).
The pop superstar and her new boyfriend, Matthew Rutler, were taken into custody by Los Angeles police after cops allegedly spotted their car being driven erratically through West Hollywood.
The singer was booked for the misdemeanour, while Rutler stands accused of driving under the influence.
Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy Bill McSweeney says Aguilera was "not involved in any criminal activity" and was allowed to walk free on Tuesday morning once she could "safely take care of herself". She will not face prosecution.
Production assistant Rutler was freed hours later on $30,000 (£20,000) bail.
The couple met on the set of movie musical Burlesque last year (10) and became an item shortly after Aguilera announced she was divorcing husband Jordan Bratman.
The public intoxication is the latest in a number of embarrassments for the singer - she messed up the lyrics to the U.S. National Anthem at the Super Bowl and stumbled during an Aretha Franklin tribute at the Grammy Awards last month (Feb11).

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BEYONCE is making the most of her career hiatus - the superstar has been brushing up on her culinary skills and learning how to edit movies.
The Crazy In Love hitmaker has spent the last year away from the spotlight to spend quality time with her husband, rapper Jay-Z, and the singer reveals she used her break to try out a few new hobbies.
She tells Britain’s Cosmopolitan magazine, "I did all these things I wanted to do that I don’t have time for. I set up a production company, learnt how to edit, did a bit of recording and directed a DVD. What was great was having this normal life of sleeping, getting up, going to an office and then coming home. Coming home is a wonderful thing…
"I even did some cooking, although I didn’t really enjoy that. I’m not the greatest cook - I can do good things with oxtail, though. It was great just having the time to be a wife rather than this non-stop travelling career girl."

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Rap superstar JAY-Z is facing a return to court later this month (Mar11) after failing to reach a settlement with baseball player DAVID ORTIZ over the name of the sportsman’s nightclub in the Dominican Republic.
The 99 Problems hitmaker and his business partner Juan Perez took issue with the name of the Boston Red Sox star’s hotspot, Forty/Forty club, in April 2010, claiming it infringed upon their chain of 40/40 sports bars.
In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs alleged Ortiz had been a patron at their New York club on "several occasions" before opening his own bar in his native country.
The two parties agreed to put an end to the legal dispute last summer (10), with Ortiz reportedly agreeing to rename his venue and pull down its promotional website FortyForty.net.
But, after months of settlement discussions, the talks regarding compensation have stalled - Ortiz’s business manager, Mark Walker, claims Jay-Z is demanding "way too much", according to the New York Post.
Lawyers for the stars appeared in Manhattan federal court on Monday (28Feb11), when Judge Richard Berman declared it was clear the representatives for both parties "do not have the authority to settle" the dispute.

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BOY GEORGE has blasted bosses at fashion house Christian Dior for firing embattled designer JOHN GALLIANO, insisting they should have offered him a stint in rehab instead.
The couturier was sacked as the company’s head designer on Tuesday (01Mar11) following claims he hurled anti-Semitic and racist abuse at a couple in Paris, France, and was caught on tape ranting about his "love" for Adolf Hitler.
When the scandal first broke last month (Feb11), former Culture Club frontman George offered his support to Galliano by writing on Twitter.com, "Time to get sober, perhaps!!… He was clearly drunk and wrong but he’s not a bad bloke!" And, after the designer’s woes escalated on Tuesday, the Karma Chameleon hitmaker took to his Twitter blog again to criticise Dior bosses for not offering to help Galliano.
He writes, "Why didn’t Dior put John Galliano into rehab, if that video was taken last year he obviously needed help?!… Galliano was the face of Dior in that pitiful state and they thought it was cool?… They have suspended him now so why not before!"

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ARETHA FRANKLIN knew something was seriously wrong with her health after suffering a pain so bad, it almost brought her to her knees.
The Queen of Soul sparked fears for her wellbeing when a mystery illness prompted her to scrap a series of end-of-year shows in 2010.
She underwent surgery in December (10) but has continually refused to reveal the exact nature of her condition - only speaking out to deny reports she had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Franklin has now opened up about the health troubles that led to her hospitalisation in a candid interview with U.S. talk show host Wendy Williams, revealing she had no choice but to cancel her tour - because she could barely stand up.
In the taped chat, which is due to air in America on Wednesday (02Mar11), she said, "The pain was so hard it nearly brought me to my knees. So I said, ‘The concerts are over. I have to go and find out what is wrong.’ "It was my first inkling that something was wrong, that something wasn’t what it should be." But the 68-year-old hitmaker is still dodging questions about the cause of her pain.
Williams attempted to press her for details by saying, "In December we all found out that you were having abdominal surgery…", to which Franklin replied, "Hmm… Is that what you heard?"

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Oscar winner TOM HOOPER is still puzzled about reports his THE KING’S SPEECH set was once used for a gay porn film - and can’t believe scenes were shot in the room where two adult stars once had sex on camera.
Images from both Snookered and The King’s Speech were posted on website QueerClick.com last week (ends25Feb11) - and it appears the backgrounds in the films are identical.
It seems that in the same room where King George VI (Colin Firth) and his voice teacher Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush) practised speech therapy in the Oscar-winning movie, two men once performed hardcore gay sex acts around a snooker table.
Both films were shot at a Portland Place address in London.
And now director Hooper has spoken out about the location link, insisting he had no idea his set was once used for a porn film.
He tells Eonline.com, "Everyone seems to be ahead of me on this. I mean, is it… is it literally… that room?" But, even if the room was the same, Hooper insists the knowledge would not have made him change venue: "It was the right set for me and it was the right set for them."

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Hollywood producer RUSTY LEMORANDE has filed a $6 million (£4 million) lawsuit against the filmmakers of a documentary about comedy classic CADDYSHACK, amid allegations of defamation.
Lemorande has hit out at Pangolin Pictures bosses for depicting him as an onset spy in Caddyshack: The Inside Story, suggesting he was hired by movie executives to report on the behaviour of the golf film’s stars, Bill Murray, Rodney Dangerfield and Chevy Chase.
In legal papers, Lemorande claims an interview he granted to documentary makers was heavily edited to make it appear as if he was a 23-year-old snitch for chiefs at the Jon Peters Organization, which financed the 1980 film with Orion Pictures.
Lemorande’s lawyer, Alexander Shapiro, says, "They really wanted to get the juicy stuff out of him. When they didn’t get the answers they wanted, they manufactured a fiction to make him look like a spy." The producer is suing for damages, claiming the documentary, which aired on the A&E Biography Channel in 2009, tainted his reputation and cost him future jobs in Hollywood, reports the New York Daily News.

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Pop superstar CHRISTINA AGUILERA was arrested for drunkenness in West Hollywood on Tuesday morning (01Mar11), according to a report.
The Dirrty singer and her new boyfriend, Matthew Rutler, were both taken into custody by Los Angeles police after their vehicle was allegedly seen being driven erratically.
Aguilera was booked on a misdemeanour charge of public intoxication and Rutler was held for driving under the influence.
A source tells TMZ.com that Aguilera appeared to be "extremely intoxicated" and was "unable to take care of herself".
Rutler’s bail has been set at $30,000 (£18,750), according to the website.

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Rocker SLASH has pledged his support for CHARLIE SHEEN as the embattled actor feuds with TV bosses over the cancellation of TWO AND A HALF MEN.
Sheen sparked a war of words after publicly criticising the show’s creator Chuck Lorre, prompting executives to axe the current eighth season.
Critics have been quick to slam the star for his rants, but the former Guns N’ Roses guitarist, who lives near Sheen in Los Angeles, insists he admires him for his ‘rock ‘n’ roll’ attitude.
Slash tells Triple M Sydney, "We’re neighbours. I love Charlie. Charlie is probably the most rock ‘n’ roll character in entertainment today. All things considered, he’s been having a little bit of a hard time just recently with all the bad press and everything. But he’s been managing to get away with what he’s been doing on that show and get a raise over the last… more than ten years! I think that’s pretty cool." And Slash - who, like Sheen, has also struggled with substance abuse issues - admits it is difficult to find the balance between excess partying and work.
He adds, "I never did find a balance. I was one of those guys that managed to work and be under the influence on a regular basis. But I was responsible and I showed up and I never fell over on stage and I never missed a gig.
"I finally just got to a point where I got sick and tired of all that and just wanted to focus on music and stop dividing my time with the energy of keeping that together. With that said, there is a cap - there is a point where you can’t be productive (while under the influence)… There is a point where you really have to make a decision as to how you’re going to have to go about your future."

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Studio bosses behind CHARLIE SHEEN’s suspended sitcom TWO AND A HALF MEN have agreed to pay the crew for half of the eight episodes they cancelled after the troubled actor launched a war of words against show creator CHUCK LORRE.
Warner Bros. and CBS network executives were left unimpressed after Sheen branded Lorre a "stupid, stupid little man and a p**sy punk" for halting production on the show in January (11) to allow him time to deal with his substance abuse issues in rehab.
They subsequently announced there would be no more Two and a Half Men this season, prompting the actor to lash out again and promise to sue for axing the shoot.
In a hard-hitting Today Show interview, which aired in America on Monday (28Feb11), Sheen publicly challenged Lorre for shutting down the comedy, asking: "When you were told that the crew would suffer gravely as a result of your dictatorial laziness would you please explain what you meant by your statement, ‘They are not my problem’. I’m sure there’s, like, 120-something people that would love to hear the answer to that." Warner Bros. bosses appeared to heed Sheen’s comments and announced on Monday night (28Feb11) they would compensate the show’s crew for four of the axed episodes - but the actor has vowed to continue fighting until TV chiefs agree to pay set hands for the remainder of the season.
In another interview with the Today Show, which aired on Tuesday (01Mar11), Sheen said, "Good, good, it’s a start. I won’t sleep ’til they get eight. Then I’m gonna work on my cast, and I then I’m gonna work on myself last." And Sheen is taking credit for forcing studio bosses into action, alleging his Two and a Half Men co-stars Jon Cryer and Angus T. Jones have done nothing in the wake of the scandal.
He added, "Who else is applying pressure? Jon Cryer, Angus? Anybody? Nobody’s applying pressure, no one’s doing anything. They’re just sitting at home waiting for something to happen." A spokesman for Warner Bros. has denied Sheen’s "pressure" contributed to bosses’ decision to pay the crew.

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LINDSAY LOHAN is adamant she’s feeling "great" and "happy" - even though she’s facing a possible jail term over allegations she stole a necklace.
The star is accused of taking the expensive jewellery from the Kamofie & Company store in California in January (11) and was last month (Feb11) warned by a judge she will be sent to prison if she accepts a plea deal.
The troubled actress has now spoken out in her first interview since the incident, insisting her "recovery" is still on track following three months in a rehab clinic last year (10).
Lohan tells U.S. news show Extra, "I feel great. I feel happy. There’s always, you know, things… bumps that we have in the road. As long as I’m focusing on the one thing that I know I need to put first in my life, which is, you know, my recovery and stuff, then I’m doing good, and that’s most important for me." The Mean Girls star is currently free on bail after her probation for a 2007 misdemeanour DUI conviction was revoked last month (Feb11). She is due back in court on 10 March (11).

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AMANDA SEYFRIED and JENNIFER GARNER have paid tribute to director GARY WINICK, who passed away aged 49 on Sunday (27Feb11).
Winick, best known for big screen romantic comedies, died after a lengthy battle with brain cancer.
And Seyfried, who worked with him on his last film, Letters To Juliet, remembers her time with him fondly, telling The Hollywood Reporter, "Gary’s heart was so big I think each of us who loved him have a piece of it now. It’s unreal that he’s gone and I’ll miss my friend more than I can say." Garner was the star of Winick’s film 13 Going on 30, and has praised the moviemaker’s friendly nature, adding to Entertainment Weekly: "Gary and I had the most successful collaboration possible. I don’t mean success in terms of box office, or from anyone else’s point of view other than my own. I left it better at what I do. He was one of the most inclusive people you could ever meet, and I was energised by our creative mess together everyday. From then on, there wasn’t a single project that I didn’t try to do with him.
"I think everybody who was a friend of Gary’s considered him one of their best friends. He had a hundred best friends. He just was unafraid of being intimate. And that spilled over into his directing."

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British singer ELIZA DOOLITTLE has denied using her showbiz family roots as a fast track to fame.
The Pack Up hitmaker shot to stardom in Europe last year (10) following the release of her self-titled debut album.
It later emerged her father is playwright and stage director John Caird, her mother is famed theatre star Frances Ruffelle, and her grandmother Sylvia Young runs the U.K.’s biggest stage school, which has spawned artists including Amy Winehouse, Billie Piper, and former Spice Girl Emma Bunton.
But Doolittle is adamant she has never used her famous family to advance her career - because she wanted to be recognised for her own talents.
She tells The New Review magazine, "It was more that I just wanted to get known for me, and my music, and just actually do something without anyone… I just didn’t want to use it to my advantage, even if it was just talking about it. I didn’t want to use anything. I just wanted to do it by myself.
"I hope people don’t think that because my mum and dad are in the theatre, there are some kind of connections or anything. Cos I have done this by myself. I haven’t used anything that they could have had. I don’t even know if they do have any connections on my side of the industry. I think my mum knows a few people, but I’ve never wanted to use her connections."

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Pop star LADY GAGA waited until she turned 17 before losing her virginity - but she only learned to enjoy sex after falling in love.
The Bad Romance hitmaker’s first intimate encounters with men were "absolutely terrible" and she admits it took a monogamous relationship with her boyfriend Luc Carl to change her mind about sex.
She tells Britain’s Grazia magazine, "I didn’t lose my virginity until I was 17. But I have to say, even then I wasn’t ready and it was an absolutely terrible experience. It wasn’t good at all. I have never not had safe sex, I have always asked a guy to be tested and to use protection, that was always my rule. Otherwise you’re playing Russian Roulette.
"But I never actually enjoyed sex until two years ago with (Carl)… It was a proper monogamous relationship in which I felt free enough to trust and I had enough self love. Sex is the ultimate expression of vulnerability and, for me, it was important to know that I was in a proper relationship so it was sex as a source of love and nothing else."

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PEARL JAM and MAROON 5 are among the bands who have donated tracks to a new music initiative to benefit eco-friendly causes.
The rockers join Jack Johnson, Bonnie Raitt and the Zac Brown Band in lending exclusive music to the Patagonia Music Collective website, which will offer fans more than 20 songs for $0.99 (£0.62).
After the launch on Tuesday (01Mar11), a new song will be made available every week, with proceeds going to the environmental cause of the artist’s choice Pearl Jam are offering up their track Oceans, with earnings to benefit marine life charity Conservation International, and guitarist Stone Gossard is hopeful "there’s an opportunity for some real change to happen".

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STEVEN TYLER is worried his excitement about the talent on the current series of AMERICAN IDOL could land him in trouble - because he’ll happily curse on live TV if he enjoys a performance.
The Aerosmith rocker has become an instant hit on the U.S. TV talent show for his supportive comments and outlandish quips.
But the star fears TV executives could soon lose faith in him because he’s convinced he’ll swear during the show’s live stages.
He tells New York Post gossip column Page Six, "I really love Idol. There’s a lot of talent and some great kids out there. Now we are seeing 15-year-olds who seem like they are 28. We are taping live now, and I am trying not to swear, but sometimes you’ve just got to be emphatic. If someone is f**ing good, I’m going to say it."

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BEYONCE has defended her controversial perfume commercials after they were deemed too sexy for U.K. TV, insisting she has no regrets over the advertisements.
The steamy clip for Beyonce’s Heat fragrance, which features the singer lying in a bathtub and seductively stroking her chest, was banned by officials at the Advertising Standards Authority in November (10).
But the Crazy in Love hitmaker is unfazed by viewers’ complaints, admitting she found the furore "funny".
She tells Britain’s Cosmopolitan magazine, "I wasn’t annoyed, I thought it was funny. Personally, I don’t think my ad was any more crazy sexy than other ads out there - I loved it, despite whatever anyone else thought.
"It was based on a really hot George Michael video and yes, it was sexy, but then you have to think about what you’re doing. It was for my fragrance and I believe a wonderful fragrance brings out the sex appeal in a woman. That was what I was trying to express. I don’t regret it."

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