David Lynch launches solo blues album, "Crazy Clown Time" (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) – David Lynch...bluesman?

The director premiered "Crazy Clown Time" -- his first solo album -- for three dozen guests seated in the Soho House's penthouse theater on Monday night. You can just imagine the early reviews:

"Damn good cacophony!"

"That hum you like is going to come back in style!"

"Fire, rock with me!"

Well, "rocking" isn't really the order of the day, of course, in Lynch's lugubriously dreamy yet dangerous-sounding universe.

Actually, Lynch's description of the album as a "modern blues" record wasn't terribly far off the mark -- if your definition of the blues stretches to include, say, Tom Waits' most experimental recordings.

Lynch made only a brief appearance to introduce the hour-plus album. The rest was left to two leggy models, ushered in through a side door between songs so that one could hold up the track number -- boxing match-style -- while the other would sweetly intone, into a reverb-laden microphone, "The title is, 'The Night Bell With Lightning.'"

The auteur has taken a great interest in music before, from the song he co-wrote for "Eraserhead" in 1977 through a recent album-length collaboration with Danger Mouse. But this is the first time we've heard him croon through an entire album -- excepting one lead vocal here by Karen O.

You won't hear anything too closely resembling his Jimmy Stewart speaking voice: Lynch is usually either singing through electronic enhancements or adopting a high-pitched character voice that sounds like Neil Young on a sick day.

The most comical song -- not to preclude the possibility he might be serious -- is the orally fixated "Strange and Unproductive Thinking," a stream of consciousness about how dental health is connected to our collective mental health, read through a Vocoder-type filter.

Against an electronic beat, Lynch recites a manifesto about "dark and evil forces which would have us living forever in confusion refusing even to acknowledge that we even existed or that there was such a thing as a bad tooth or a toothache.

Bringing our discussion to the reality of practical considerations, it is interesting to note the possibilities of dental hygiene and the remarkable idea of a world free of tooth decay and all other problems associated with the teeth, tongue, or oral cavity." He describes how "once beautiful mental images" and the "primary building blocks of happiness" can be brought down by, you know, plaque.

If anyone was destined to put the dental in transcendental meditation, it's Lynch.

Wordy as that tune is, he gets radically minimalist on other numbers. Take the title track, in which Lynch pitches his voice as high as a boy's while describing a kids' party:

"Suzy, she ripped her shirt off completely/Kimmy jumped all around, so high/Buddy screamed so loud, he spit/We all ran around the back yard/It was crazy clown time/It was real fun," he sings, and it's all innocent fun -- except for the musical bed, laden with disturbing guitar effects that make the party sound like a descent into hell, or Laura Palmer's last bacchanal.

Most often, the album produces slow shuffles that rely on Lynch's tremolo guitar fixation. That musical love once resulted in an actual hit, you'll recall, when the "Wild at Heart" soundtrack launched Chris Isaak's career-making "Wicked Game." On his own distinctly uncommercial musical turf, Lynch loves the uncertainty that whammy bar produces, as if that sweet surf-guitar sound could suddenly veer off into an aural nightmare with just the touch of a pinky.

Typical of the album's vaguely spooky laments is "Speed Roadster," an anthem of obsession. It's not Sting, but you wouldn't expect anything less peculiar when Gordon Cole gets the blues.

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David Gest, Jacksons plan tribute tour to Michael (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Producer David Gest, Tito Jackson and others close to Michael Jackson on Monday unveiled a singing and spoken-word tribute tour to the late King of Pop.

"A Jackson Named Michael: Remembering a Legend," kicks off in the United Kingdom in March 2012, and follows another tribute set for October in Wales that has caused some controversy among fans of the "Thriller" singer.

Gest's show will feature Tito, a member with Michael of Motown singing sensations The Jackson 5, along with another sibling Rebbie Jackson and friend Deniece Williams singing tunes and telling tales about Jackson's life and career. Plans call for a question-and-answer session with audience members.

"The majority of the show will be reminiscences and stories about Michael that the public has never heard," Gest said in a statement.

The tour also follows the October U.K. release of Gest's documentary film, 'Michael Jackson: The Life of an Icon," which Jackson's mother and family matriarch Katherine Jackson called "a tremendous achievement."

"This is not my story, but the story of many of Michael's friends' recollections," she said in a statement.

Michael Jackson, who rose to fame in a family of singers before embarking on a solo career that included smash hits such as "Thriller" and "Billie Jean," died in June 2009 of an overdose of the surgical anesthetic propofol which he used as a sleep aid.

His physician at the time, Dr. Conrad Murray, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in Jackson's death. He has pleaded not guilty and a trial will start in September.

Katherine Jackson is just one of the family's members who has backed a one-night tribute planned for October 8 in Cardiff, Wales. But that tribute has caused some fans to cry foul over the singers who were invited, the charities benefiting from ticket sales and its timing during Murray's trial.

(Reporting and writing by Bob Tourtellotte; Editing by Chris Michaud)

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David "Honeyboy" Edwards, blues man, dies at 96 (Reuters)

CHICAGO (Reuters) – Grammy-winning Delta bluesman David "Honeyboy" Edwards, whose emotional singing and eccentric timing thrilled audiences from his native Mississippi to Europe, has died at age 96, his manager said on Tuesday.

Edwards died on Monday from congestive heart failure, said manager Michael Frank, who also played harmonica in Edwards' trio.

"Honeyboy was the quintessential Delta bluesman," Frank said.

Edwards was among the last musicians to know and play with legendary bluesman Robert Johnson, who died in 1938, and his career was intertwined with the likes of Charlie Patton, Big Joe Williams, Sonny Boy Williamson, Howlin' Wolf, Lightnin' Hopkins, Big Walter, Little Walter and Muddy Waters.

Edwards, who was born in 1915 in Shaw, Mississippi, earned a 2008 Grammy Award for best traditional blues album for "Last of the Great Mississippi Delta Bluesmen: Live In Dallas." He was awarded a lifetime achievement Grammy in 2010.

Edwards usually performed on acoustic guitar, sitting in a chair on stage, although he was in constant movement.

"He was a very emotional and physical player and singer," Frank said. "He used his body in his stage performance for effect.

"He had an eccentric style, with unusual timing. He would make changes unpredictably. That was the Honeyboy test. (Musicians who sat in) found out very quickly you can't just count. He would do some funny turnaround, or funny lick, then look over and just laugh, knowing he was messing with us," Frank said.

Edwards, who fell ill in April, last toured Europe in 2009, performing 10 shows back to back in England, Frank said. On tour, he played in small clubs, theaters, and music festivals.

In 1942, archivist Alan Lomax recorded Edwards in Clarksdale, Mississippi, for the Library of Congress, according to his website. Edwards did not record again commercially until 1951, when he made "Who May Your Regular Be" for Arc Records.

Although known more for rearranging other blues artists' tunes, Edwards wrote several songs including "Long Tall Woman Blues," "Gamblin' Man" and "Just Like Jesse James."

(Reporting by Andrew Stern; Editing by Bill Trott)

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David Letterman jokes about militant death threat (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Late-night TV comedian David Letterman on Monday shrugged off a death threat made against him by a Muslim militant, joking on his show that his audience could "shield" him.

Last week, the U.S.-based SITE intelligence monitoring group said a death threat against Letterman was posted on a website used by militants.

The militant who made the threat, and was apparently angered by a joke Letterman made about the death of a leading member of al Qaeda killed in an air strike in Pakistan, called on Muslims in the United States to "cut the tongue" of the comedian and "shut it forever."

While taping an episode of CBS network's "Late Show with David Letterman" on Monday, the comedian addressed the threat during his opening monologue.

"Tonight, you people are more, to me, honestly, more than an audience ... you're more like a human shield," Letterman joked in front of audience members at the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York where the show is produced.

"I'm so sorry, I'm a little late coming out. Backstage, I was talking to the guy from CBS. We were going through the CBS life insurance policy to see if I was covered for jihad," Letterman said.

Letterman went on to jokingly suggest the threat really originated from late night rival Jay Leno.

Letterman's comedic take on the death threat will air on the "Late Show" on Monday night.

An FBI spokesman said last week that the agency was looking into the militant threat against Letterman.

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis: Editing by Peter Bohan)

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Militant makes death threat against David Letterman (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – A Muslim militant has urged American followers to assassinate talk show host David Letterman, saying his tongue deserved to be cut out, a U.S. intelligence monitoring group said on Wednesday.

The SITE intelligence group said the death threat was posted on an online website used by militants after the writer became upset by a joke Letterman made about the death of a leading member of al Qaeda killed in an air strike in Pakistan.

The militant called on Muslims in the United States to "cut the tongue of this lowly Jew and shut it forever," the threat against Letterman said, according to a translation by SITE. The popular late-night television host is not Jewish.

The FBI said it was taking the threat seriously.

The writer was angered by watching Letterman on his show drawing his finger across his neck while talking about the June death of senior al Qaeda figure Ilyas Kashmiri.

The message was posted on the website Shumukh al-Islam. SITE analyst Adam Raisman told Entertainment Weekly the website was "a clearing house for al Qaeda material" and drew supporters of the group headed by the late Osama bin Laden.

Executives at broadcaster CBS and a spokesman for Letterman declined on Wednesday to comment on the threat.

Tim Flannelly, an FBI spokesman in New York, said the agency was looking into the matter.

"The FBI takes all threats seriously and we will run it down like we do all threats," Flannelly said.

A Muslim group in 2010 threatened the makers of "South Park" after the animated satirical show depicted the Prophet Mohammad in a bear suit. Most Muslims consider any depiction of the founder of Islam as offensive.

A 21-year old man from Virginia was sentenced in February to 25 years in prison for publishing the home addresses of the "South Park" creators and urging readers to pay them a visit, as well as trying to help a Somali militant group.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte and Peter Cooney)

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Threat to David Letterman on Muslim forum (AP)

NEW YORK – A frequent contributor to a jihadist website has threatened David Letterman, urging Muslim followers to "cut the tongue" of the late-night host because of a joke the comic made on his CBS show.

The Site Monitoring Service, a private intelligence organization that watches online activity, said Wednesday that the threat was posted a day earlier on the Shumuka al-Islam forum, a popular Internet destination for radical Muslims.

The contributor, who identified himself as Umar al-Basrawi, was reacting to what he said Letterman did after the U.S. military announced on June 5 that a drone strike in Pakistan had killed al-Qaida leader Ilyas Kashmiri.

Al-Basrawi wrote that Letterman had made reference to both Osama bin Laden and Kashmiri and said that Letterman had "put his hand on his neck and demonstrated the way of slaughter."

"Is there not among you a Sayyid Nosair al-Mairi ... to cut the tongue of this lowly Jew and shut it forever?" Al-Basrawi wrote, referring to El Sayyid Nosair, who was convicted of the 1990 killing of Jewish Defense League founder Meir Kahane. Letterman is not Jewish.

Al-Basrawi, which is likely to be an alias, has made some 1,200 postings to the Muslim website, said Adam Raisman, an analyst for the Site Monitoring Service. The private firm, part of the Site Intelligence Group, provides information to government and commercial clients on what jihadists are saying on the Internet and traditional media. Raisman said the online forum is often used by al-Qaida.

Muslim extremist groups in the past few months have increased calls for people to take violent action against certain targets in the West, he said.

"The concern is that there is someone who will read it, agree with it and say, `I want to be the Sayyid Nosair of 2011 and kill David Letterman,'" Raisman said.

The FBI is also looking into the threat, said Jim Margolin, spokesman for the bureau's New York office. "We take every potential threat seriously," he said.

Neither CBS nor a Letterman spokesman, Tom Keaney, would comment on the threat. CBS would not make available a transcript of Letterman's monologue on the killing of Kashmiri.

Letterman has been the target of criminal threats in the past. A former CBS News producer was jailed for trying to extort $2 million from Letterman in 2009 by threatening to expose the host's sexual dalliances with members of his staff. A former painter at Letterman's ranch in Montana was jailed following a 2005 plot to kidnap the TV funnyman's nanny and son.

A radical Muslim group last year warned the creators of "South Park" that they could face violent retribution for depicting the prophet Muhammad in a bear suit on the Comedy Central cartoon. Author Salman Rushdie spent years in hiding after Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini urged he be killed for blasphemy after writing the book "The Satanic Verses."

Filmmaker Theo van Gogh was killed on an Amsterdam street in 2004 by a Dutch Muslim angered by his film "Submission," a fictional study of abused Muslim women.

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David Lynch is now a musician (Reuters)

NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) – David Lynch refers to himself as a "non-musician," but don't think that such a technicality would keep the free-spirited "Twin Peaks" creator from releasing an album of his songs anyhow. Because it didn't. His debut album, "Crazy Clown Time," will arrive on November 8.

The avant garde filmmaker wrote each of the LP's 14 tracks, and he also plays guitar and sings on them. Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs contributes guest vocals on one song.

Two singles from "Crazy Clown Time" -- "Good Day Today" and "I Know" -- have already been released, and sound very much like the kind of things that Donna Heyward and Laura Palmer might have listened to while hanging out with James Hurley.

In a press release, Lynch summed up the experience of recording "Crazy Clown Time" in a typically Lynchian way.

"There were so many accidents," he said. "This album should be in the hospital."

You can see the official videos for the songs here: http://www.thewrap.com/tv/column-post/david-lynch-crazy-clown-time-album-release

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Brooke Burke, David Charvet tie the knot (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – "Dancing With the Stars" co-host Brooke Burke and former "Baywatch" star David Charvet have tied the knot after a five-year engagement.

Burke hinted at the news Saturday morning on Twitter, posting that she had "big news to share." Her rep later confirmed the marriage reports to E! News.

The couple, who are both 39 and have two children together, were married Friday aboard a yacht off the Caribbean island of St. Barts, Life & Style magazine reported. Burke also is the mother of two daughters, ages 9 and 11, from her previous marriage to "Extreme Makeover" plastic surgeon Garth Fisher.

(Reporting and writing by Sheri Linden; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte

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A minute with: Harry Potter director David Yates (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) – British director David Yates has spent the last six and half years of his life bringing the wizard world of Harry Potter to the big screen.

The 47 year old has made the final four of the eight films based on the top-selling books by author J.K. Rowling films.

But as the franchise comes to an end with the release of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" this week, Yates talked to Reuters about putting a full stop on an epic experience and what he plans to do next.

Q: Why did you sign on to do these movies?

A: "It was too good of an opportunity to pass up. I hadn't read the books and they asked me, 'Would you like to do it?' I was like 'Oh my God, I'd better read a book.' It was so funny and charming and I quickly read the second one. It was a difficult world to walk away from, and once I started, everybody was really great. They asked me to stay and I said yes. And they asked me to stay and I said yes again, and I didn't want to be the bloke who made the two in the middle."

Q: Like the middle child?

A: "Yeah, exactly. And no one takes you that seriously. So I stayed."

Q: Was it a conscious decision to keep the atmosphere of this film rather mature?

A: "One way to keep the whole series fresh is to keep making it grow old with the audience and that's the most important thing for me. (The audience) may have been six or seven or eight and they are 16, 17 and 19 now ... They don't want to be patronized with cute stuff anymore. Also, little kids love to be scared. I loved to be scared when I was little."

Q: What are your next moves, now that you have these big blockbusters under your belt?

A: "I am going to make a small film next -- a very lean, mean, small film with a tiny budget. I don't know what it is yet. With big movies, you get slightly indulged because everything is there. And it is not healthy. You need to step away from that and be challenged again."

Q: Your first movie was "When I was a Girl", how have you grown as a director since then?

A: "Wow. It nearly killed me making that. It was 16 minutes long and nearly killed me. Because making your first film is your hardest film to ever make. All these muscles start to develop and it's painful. At that time I was much more interested in lenses and cameras and all that gear. You get obsessed with the wrong things. The biggest way I have changed is I care about the things that really matter, which are the story, acting, writing, and mise-en-scene of the story telling. I am less obsessed with dollies now."

Q: What characteristics do you want people to look for in knowing they are watching a Yates film?

A: "You know it's a really hard question to answer because I often get asked that question. But I asked (producer) David Heyman, 'Why did you choose me and why did you keep me for four films?' And he said, 'You're work has humanity in it. You really love the characters and there is a warmth and empathy with the characters and I love that.' So honestly, I have no idea, or when I retire I'll look back and know."

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David Beckham, wife Victoria welcome a baby girl (AP)

LONDON – David Beckham's spokesman said that the soccer star's wife Victoria has given birth to a healthy baby girl on Sunday.

Simon Oliveira said that the celebrity couple are "delighted to announce the birth of their daughter."

"Happy and healthy she arrived at 7.55 am this morning at Cedars Sinai hospital in Los Angeles and weighed 7lbs 10oz," Oliveira posted on Twitter, adding that the Beckhams' three sons "are excited to welcome their baby sister to the family."

The Beckhams, who married in 1999 and whose celebrity is entrenched on both sides of the Atlantic, already have three boys: Brooklyn, 11, Romeo, 8, and Cruz, 5.

On his Facebook page, David Beckham said the girl had been named Harper Seven Beckham.

The the little girl was born the morning after Beckham scored directly from a corner kick to give the Los Angeles Galaxy a 2-1 victory over the Chicago Fire, extending his team's Major League Soccer unbeaten streak to 12 matches.

The 36-year-old Beckham captained England's national team from 2000 to 2006. He played for Manchester United and Spain's Real Madrid before moving to L.A. to join the Galaxy in 2007.

Thirty-seven-year-old Victoria Beckham found fame as a singer for 1990s girl band the Spice Girls and has since become a fixture of the fashion circuit.

Just days ago the LA Galaxy star posted a picture of his heavily pregnant wife on Facebook. Beneath the image — which appeared to show his wife sunbathing — Beckham wrote: "Took this pic of Victoria while she wasn't looking. She looks amazing, so close now to the baby being born!"

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David, Victoria Beckham welcome new baby girl (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Celebrity couple David and Victoria Beckham welcomed a new baby girl into the world on Sunday, adding a daughter to the three sons they already have in their growing family.

"I am so proud and excited to announce the birth of our daughter Harper Seven Beckham," Beckham posted on his Facebook page. "She weighed a healthy 7 pounds 10 ounces and arrived at 7.55 this morning, here in LA. Victoria is doing really well and her brothers are delighted to have a baby sister."

The Beckhams have three sons, Brooklyn is 12 years old, Romeo 8 and Cruz 6.

A representative for the family said the boys' baby sister was born "happy and healthy" at Los Angeles' Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

David Beckham is the British football superstar who has played on soccer teams in the United States, and Victoria is an equally well-known singing star and fashion designer who was a member of the Spice Girls pop music group.

(Reporting by Bob Tourtellotte; Editing by Philip Barbara)

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"Curb" writer David Mandel talks about show's new season (Reuters)

NEW YORK (TheWrap) – David Mandel is one of only a handful of people in Hollywood not named Larry David who can legitimately claim to have written for both "Seinfeld" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm," the two most influential TV sitcoms of the past 20 years.

With the eighth-season premiere of the HBO comedy arriving Sunday at 10 p.m. ET, the 40-year-old talks about what's in store for Larry David this year, how he's approaching a reboot of the 1985 movie "Fletch," starring Chevy Chase, and whether there'll be a ninth season of "Curb Your Enthusiasm."

Q: This season, the show shifts to New York. Did you need to do this because you were out of ideas, like when "Laverne and Shirley" moved to Los Angeles?

A: Everyone's always gone west. Laverne and Shirley went west. Lucy and Desi went west. No one ever went east, so I think that's where we're really reinventing the wheel here. No, honestly, look -- first of all, it was fun. Also, the thing about the show is, despite the fact that it takes place mostly in a three-block area of the Palisades in Los Angeles, it's a New York show that happens to be set in the Palisades. So, there was an internal logic. Larry is the quintessential New Yorker, even though he hasn't lived in New York in 20 years. It's not like we took "The Dukes of Hazzard" and sent them up north. And the reason Larry goes to New York, I think people will really enjoy it. It's a reason that only Larry David would go to New York for, or because of.

Q: He goes out there to find a perfect marble rye, doesn't he?

A: I don't want to give up the reason! It's going to happen five episodes in. I'll just say that it's an incredibly unique Larry David reason, and only he would do it. I'll leave it at that. Honestly, you would hate me if I actually told you because you will enjoy it that much more. It is not arbitrary. He doesn't win the lottery and go there. He doesn't do it because he loses a bet, or anything of that nature. It is a genuine reason, that only Larry David could have.

Q: Oh, so he go there because of a grudge?

A: It is grudge-related. It's grudge-adjacent. That's all I'm saying! Changing the subject!

Q: You coined the incredibly useful expression "man hands" in the "Seinfeld" episode "The Bizarro Jerry." Is that still the best line you've ever come up with?

A: Boy, it's tough -- I don't even really think like that, is the honest answer.

I mean, it's probably "man hands," or people using the word "bizarro." But I enjoy weird little lines that probably no one cares about. That's what I like. I'm much more happy that there's, like, a James Polk reference in that episode than I am specifically about the catch-phrasiness of "man hands." That's where I'm coming from. Because I personally don't think James Polk gets enough credit for the westward expansion of the United States of America. That's my agenda. Other people have their own -- but that's my agenda.

Q: There's going to be a big Polk reference in your "Fletch" script, isn't there?

A: God willing.

Q: Are you bringing any Larry Davidisms to your revamp of "Fletch"?

A: Look, I love "Fletch." I love "Fletch Lives." There was nothing funnier than Chevy Chase back then. Like any other red-blooded American male, I can quote both movies at will. But because I loved that first movie so much, I devoured all of the books, the entire series, as a younger man and, you know, they definitely made their mark on me. Gregory McDonald wrote such amazing, crisp dialogue.

The differences between the books and the movies are small -- but also huge. In the books, the Fletch character is not above using a fake name, and things like that. But there are perhaps fewer funny wigs and funny teeth. So I think there's an opportunity to go back to the source material. I know, that's very, like, J.J. Abrams' "Star Trek"/"Batman Begins." But they're not bad models, taking things that are very beloved, and putting a new spin on them. In no way saying that the past is bad, but just going, "Here's a new version."

And I do think the Fletch character, in the books, is more of a character. He is more particular and has his own code of morality. I think Larry David has his own code of morality. And I think I have my own code of morality. There are certain things I wouldn't do. There are certain things that I consider to be ultimate betrayals. Whether you think they are or not, I do. And hopefully, I can bring some of that to Fletch, if that makes sense. What I'm basically saying is, the new Fletch is going to be a 50-year-old balding Jewish guy with glasses.

Q: What's the status on season nine of "Curb Your Enthusiasm"?

A: I'm in New York now, working on "The Dictator"...and Larry's sort of at the point of going, "So when are you guys going to be done?" He sort of starting with the "So, when are you guys going to be back in L.A.?" And I'll say "September" and he'll go, "Well, maybe we'll talk then." Which doesn't mean there'll be a season nine, but it also doesn't not mean season nine, if you know what I mean.

Q: Wait -- so Larry doesn't die at the end of season eight? Thanks for the spoiler alert!

A: Oh, maybe he does. You don't know that. He could have meant the Jeff Garlin and Susie Essman spinoff.

Q: Nice cover-up. And I suppose Larry did survive dying at the end of season five.

A: Exactly. I mean, he came back from that. If death can't stop him, what can?

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David and Victoria Beckham welcome new baby girl (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES, July 10 (Reuters) – Celebrity couple David and Victoria Beckham welcomed a new baby girl into the world on Sunday, adding a daughter to the three sons they already have in their growing family.

A representative for the family said the girl, whose name was not revealed, was born "happy and healthy" at Los Angeles' Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. She arrived at 7:55 a.m. PDT (1455 GMT) on Sunday morning and weighed 7 lbs 10 oz (3.46 kg).

"Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz are excited to welcome their new baby sister to the family," said family representative Jo Milloy. Brooklyn is 12 years old, Romeo 8 and Cruz 6.

David Beckham is the British football superstar who has played on soccer teams in the United States, and Victoria is an equally well-known singing star and fashion designer who was a member of the Spice Girls pop music group.

(Reporting by Bob Tourtellotte; Editing by Sandra Maler)

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David Beckham, wife Victoria welcome a baby girl (AP)

LONDON – A spokesman for David Beckham says the soccer star's wife Victoria has given birth to a healthy baby girl.

Simon Oliveira says that the couple are "delighted to announce the birth of their daughter," who was delivered Sunday morning at Cedars Sinai hospital in Los Angeles and weighed in at 7lbs, 10oz.

The Beckhams, who married in 1999 and whose celebrity is entrenched on both sides of the Atlantic, already have three boys: Brooklyn, 11, Romeo, 8, and Cruz, 5.

Oliveira posted the happy news on Twitter Sunday, adding that the Beckhams' three sons "are excited to welcome their baby sister to the family."

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Justin Bartha, David Wilson Barnes, Anna Camp and Krysten Ritter Are 'All New People' Off-Broadway June 28 (Playbill)

The world premiere of the play All New People, penned by "Scrubs" star Zach Braff, begins previews Off-Broadway June 28 at Second Stage Theatre. Justin Bartha, David Wilson Barnes, Anna Camp and Krysten Ritter star.

Peter DuBois, who directed Braff in Paul Weitz's Trust at 2ST last summer, directs All New People, which opens July 25 for a run through Aug. 14.

According to 2ST, "It's the dead of winter and the summer vacation getaway of Long Beach Island, New Jersey is desolate and blanketed in snow. Charlie is 35, heartbroken and just wants some time away from the rest of the world. The island ghost town seems to be the perfect escape until his solitude is interrupted by a motley parade of misfits who show up and change his plans. A hired beauty, the townie fireman, and an eccentric British real estate agent desperately trying to stay in the country suddenly find themselves tangled together in a beach house where the mood is anything but sunny."

Bartha made his Broadway debut last season in the revival of Lend Me a Tenor. His film roles include "The Hangover," "The Rebound" and "National Treasure." Barnes was last seen in the 2ST production of Becky Shaw and Broadway's The Lieutenant of Inishmore. Camp performed in the 2ST production of The Scene and the Broadway revival of Equus; while Ritter was seen in 2ST's All This Intimacy and the films "Confessions of a Shopaholic" and "She's Out of My League."

All New People has scenic design by Alexander Dodge, costume design by Bobby Frederick Tilley II, lighting design by Japhy Weideman, sound design by M.L. Dogg and projections by Aaron Rhyne.

Perhaps best known for his role on "Scrubs," Braff is also the author-director of the 2004 film "Garden State," in which he also starred. Second Stage also presented Trust last summer, which featured Braff alongside Bobby Cannavale, Sutton Foster and Ari Graynor.

DuBois is the artistic director of the Huntington Theatre Company. For 2ST, he also staged Gina Gionfriddo’s Becky Shaw. He has also directed Bob Glaudini’s Jack Goes Boating with Philip Seymour Hoffman, A View from 151st Street, Adrienne Kennedy’s Mom, How Did You Meet the Beatles and Richard III with Peter Dinklage.

For tickets visit 2ST.com. Second Stage Theatre is located at 305 West 43rd Street in Manhattan.

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David O. Russell circling Sleeping Beauty story (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – David O. Russell has surfaced as one of the directors circling Disney's fantasy "Maleficent," a live-action version of the "Sleeping Beauty" story starring Angelina Jolie as the evil witch.

Tim Burton exited the project earlier this year, opening up the director's spot. Russell is among those now being considered for the job, but insiders stressed there are other names in the mix as well.

"Maleficent" is told from the witch's point of view.

Russell's calendar opened up when he parted ways last month with Columbia Pictures, where he was attached to direct "Unchartered Drake's Fortune," based on the popular video game. He was last in theaters with the Oscar-winning drama "The Fighter."

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David Hyde Pierce starring in psychological thriller (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Backstage) – David Hyde Pierce, best known for his Emmy-winning role as neurotic shrink Dr. Niles Crane on "Frasier," will show a different side in the upcoming psychological thriller "The Perfect Host."

He plays a seemingly well-to-do, uptight suburban man set to be victimized by a criminal seeking refuge for the night. But Pierce's character has a dinner party to throw that night, and instead of playing hostage, he decides to play host -- and hostage taker. The film opens July 1 in Los Angeles and New York through Magnolia Pictures.

The actor is also venturing into directing. His first staging venture will be "It Shoulda Been You," a new musical starring Tyne Daly, set for the George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick, N.J., this fall.

HOW DID YOU BECOME INVOLVED WITH "THE PERFECT HOST"?

David Hyde Pierce: I think part of what drew me to it is that the character starts out in ways that are kind of similar to the way people are used to seeing me. But then what happens in the course of the movie allows me as an actor to move along with the character away from that way of people seeing me. And that's a great luxury because of course the flip side of the success of a long-running television show is people tend to see you only one way, so this is a nice opportunity for me to play off my more popular image.

YOU STARTED OUT STUDYING PIANO. WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE YOU WANTED TO GO IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION?

Pierce: I loved music, but my real skill and a lot of the pleasure I got from it was as a performer, but not necessarily as a musician. I didn't really have the technique (and) I didn't have the interest. The discipline, the time, the solitude, the work required to really be a musician, I didn't have the drive to do that, whereas I could rehearse a play all day.

WHAT DO YOU THINK THE MOST CHALLENGING ROLE YOU'VE PLAYED HAS BEEN?

Pierce: I just finished this stage production of "La Bete" by David Hirson. It was written entirely in rhyming couplets, set in the 1600s, and for large chunks of the play my character doesn't say a lot. (It's) tough because in a way nothing's been charted for you specifically by the playwright in the same way it would be if you had lines. So there's so much trial and error in the rehearsal process. You can have moments where you discover that you don't really know what this moment is about and the greatest way to find out is to turn to the other actors. Your reaction with them, your interaction with them, will tell you more than anything you try to figure out on your own.

YOU'RE MAKING YOUR DIRECTORIAL DEBUT IN THE FALL WITH "IT SHOULDA BEEN YOU." WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO TRY DIRECTING?

Pierce: People for years have said to me they thought I should direct. And I have never wanted to. I've always wanted to be onstage. And then this show, "It Shoulda Been You," came along. (It's) something that would attract me as an actor. I just finished "La Bete" and it was in every way different from anything I'd ever done before. So plays that were offered to me after that could be perfectly fine, but nothing came close to what that experience was and so I thought it was time to try a different direction. And at the exact time this piece came along in need of a director.

WHEN YOU'RE DIRECTING, DO YOU LOOK AT THE SHOW FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE THAN AS AN ACTOR?

Pierce: I think the reason people always said, "Oh, you should direct" is that as an actor, I tend to be someone who is very aware of the whole picture and how my character and the other characters fit into the storytelling. Now that I'm actually directing, I find that I look at theater completely differently. Kathleen Marshall, who directed the revival of "Anything Goes," and Rob Ashford, who directed the revival of "How to Succeed in Business," let me sit in on technical rehearsals for their shows as they were mounting them. I have been through many, many, many technical rehearsals in my life, but never sitting out front in the position of having to make them happen -- looking at things like lighting and set design, meeting with the designers and all that. It's stuff that I've been aware of and appreciated as an actor, but not as the guy who's going to shape the whole event.

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David and Victoria Beckham Arrive Dressed to the Nines at Royal Wedding

David and Victoria Beckham arrived dressed to the nines at the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey on Friday.

According to UsMagazine.com, a pregnant Victoria donned a navy dress and heels, with a fashionable "fascinator" hat designed by Philip Treacy. David looked daper in a Ralph Lauren suit, complete with a top hat.

"It really is amazing. Our country needs it. Our country wants it. The British public love the royal family," the soccer stud recently said in a video message on his Facebook page.

"I was brought up around the royal family and around loving the royal family with my granddad, with my nan," he continued.

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Eddie Murphy, David Letterman, Tina Fey Win Big at Star-Studded Comedy Awards

It was a night off this weekend for 'Saturday Night Live,' as nearly all the funniest folks in show business, 'SNL'-related and otherwise, were trading jokes and picking up prizes at the inaugural Comedy Awards. Producing network Comedy Central expects the awards to be an annual event. The ceremony this weekend was taped for broadcast April 10.

No joke: A wealth of comedy stars crowded the red carpet in New York City, including Garry Shandling, Jon Stewart, Will Ferrell, Andy Samberg, Tracy Jordan, Stephen Colbert, Andy Richter, Kristen Schaal, and 'South Park' creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. Jon Cryer of 'Two and Half Men' performed a musical number with backup dancers, cracking wise about the Charlie Sheen debacle.

Eddie Murphy turned up to accept the Comedy Icon award, and Bill Murray presented the first Johnny Carson Award for Comedic Excellence to David Letterman.

Tina Fey and Zach Galifianakis won awards for their movie work in 'Date Night' and 'Dinner for Schmucks,' respectively. Meanwhile, Alec Baldwin and Kristen Wiig were named best TV actor and actress.

'Toy Story 3' was named best animated comedy film, and 'South Park' won best animated comedy series. 'Louis C.K.: Hilarious' took the prize for best standup special. Daniel Tosh, of 'Tosh 2.0' was honored with the breakthrough performer award.

Perhaps least surprising among all the picks: 'Auto-Tune the News: Bed Intruder Song' was voted by fans as the best viral original video of the year. And what a year it was.

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David Arquette is sick of talking about Courteney Cox

Ever since their split/separation back in October, David Arquette has been blabbing to the press about wife Courteney Cox. In fact he’s been talking about the state of his relationship so much that even he’s sick of hearing about it.

Talking at a charity event in Hollywood, David told Us Weekly,

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