'The Steins': X-Treme Bar Mitzvahs By Stephen Hunter Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, May 26, 2006; Page C05 There are two kinds of people in this world: those who understand and revere the genius of the great Neil Diamond and those who are benighted, ignorant and pathetic. The second group should seek help. But until they get it, they should stay away from "Keeping Up With the Steins," which is no great shakes as a movie but closes out on the great N.D. in full throaty warble as he tears through a coupla choruses of "Hava Nagila," and, baby, if you ain't crying and laughing and roaring with pleasure all at once, check for a pu...

Neil Diamond Fans Cruise to Mexican Riviera 2007 Posted by Marion Sadge 2006-05-24 09:49:18.0 69.168.227.133 Hi Everyone, This is Tom Sadge's wife, Marion. I know many of you don't know me because I can't frequently travel due to our two children and other obligations at home, but I feel that I know many of you. I hear Tom on the telephone frequently speaking with you all, and/or hear stories about and see photos of the trips you all take together on a regular basis. I am very excited to announce that Donna Trapp, our Neil Diamond friend and Signal Travel agent, has booked 20 cabins for a Carnival Cruise to the Mexican Riv...

Battery Park City and River to River present Hot August Night, A Neil Diamond Celebration Date: 08/02/2006 Time: 7:00PM Description: Thirty-four years ago at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, Neil Diamond recorded a double-live LP which became his biggest selling album ever. An assemblage of Downtown singing celebs including Marshall Crenshaw, backed up by a top-notch nine-piece band, will take turns interpreting Diamond's classic hits plus selections from his critically acclaimed new album Twelve Songs. Location: Rockefeller Park Price: Free Phone: 212.945.0505

He stands behind the star and is proud of it King Errisson says he has no trouble being an unsung hero. ABOUT KING ERRISSON • Born and raised in Nassu, Bahamas, where he inherited a 3 mile-long island. Has lived in Las Vegas for 18 years. • Big break came at 23 when he played the congas in a night-club scene in the James Bond movie Thunderball. • Married five times, most recently to Agnes, "a beautiful Chinese girl." • Early riser, up between 5 and 6 a.m., in bed by 10 or 11 p.m. On the road, he goes to bed between 1 and 2 a.m. "But I'm still up by 6." • Favorite Neil Diamond songs: I've Been This Way Before and I...

Stan Miller is the sound system man By ARRISSIA OWEN TURNER Wednesday, May 17, 2006 5:21 PM PDT Stanley Miller, co-owner of the Knickerbocker Mansion in Big Bear Lake, spends most of his time staying at other hotels. Not because he prefers other hotels' pillows, it's because when Neil Diamond books a tour, Miller's itinerary is set. He's traveled the world as Diamond's concert sound designer and chief engineer for more than 35 years. What this means to Big Bear is not just a sometimes-absent inn keeper. It means a kick-butt sound system at the Big Bear Performing Arts Center thanks to Miller's good standing in the mus...

Keeping Up With the Steins By Michael Rechtshaffen Bottom line: A politely benign family comedy. That religious rite of passage/status symbol known as the uber bar mitzvah provides some ripe fodder for "Keeping Up With the Steins," but what could have made for particularly potent satire in the hands of an Albert Brooks or a Christopher Guest arrives in the form of a politely benign family comedy by first-time director Scott Marshall. While Marshall opted to pass up something dry and acidic in favor of a big bottle of Manischewitz, his movie is not without its pleasant charms, thanks to an energetic cast that manages to keep...

BY JOHN ANDERSON Special to Newsday May 12, 2006 Good-natured and as broad as a barn door, "Keeping Up With the Steins" might have been titled "Battle of the Bar Mitzvahs" - conspicuous consumption providing most of the better jokes in this almost-a-sitcom, big-screen comedy. How do you compete with a "Titanic"-themed bar mitzvah held on a Cunard liner and featuring a Kate Winslet look-alike, breakaway icebergs and a Viennese table the length of six lifeboats? More important, why compete with such ostentatious excess? Because the fathers involved are Hollywood agents, whose place on the food chain seemingly depends on how decaden...

'Keeping Up' With Mel Gibson Grass-roots marketing hits new high in Jewish community with Miramax bar mitzvah film. Curt Schleier - Special To The Jewish Week They may be singing from Mel Gibson's hymnbook, but those behind "Keeping Up With the Steins" are hoping for a big "Amen" from the Jewish community. In a grass-roots marketing strategy that bears a striking parallel, albeit on a smaller scale, to Gibson’s controversial blockbuster, "The Passion of the Christ," Miramax, the distributor of "Keeping Up With the Steins," has blanketed the Jewish community with special screenings for Jewish groups and Jewish leaders, arrangin...

On the Scene Going a Round at the Bar: Keeping up with the Marshalls: Dad Garry's a keeper - Michael Elkin Bar Mitzvah boy Benjamin (Daryl Sabara) holds on for dear life under the watchful eyes of his parents (Jami Gertz and Jeremy Piven) The tribe has - schpilkes. In a Jewish "Survivor" battle of the Bar Mitzvahs, "Keeping Up With the Steins" sets the bar high above a Jew's oys. The Bar Mitzvah boy? Bimah him up way beyond celebrations ever experienced by others his age. May the Force be with him; but then it's the bills that belong to his papa and mama. "Keeping Up With the Steins," directed by Scott Marshall, ope...

A Miramax Films release of a Road Picture/Winsome production. Produced by A.D.A.D. Oppenheim, Mark Zakarin, David Scharf. Executive producers, Daniel L. Oppenheim, Rochelle Shapell. Directed by Scott Marshall. Screenplay, Mark Zakarin. With: Jeremy Piven, Jami GertzJami Gertz, Garry MarshallGarry Marshall, Daryl Hannah, Daryl Sabara, Doris Roberts, Larry Miller, Cheryl Hines, Richard Benjamin. By RONNIE SCHEIB Daryl Sabara stars in 'Keeping Up With the Steins,' directed by Scott Marshall. A sure-fire audience-pleaser, Scott (son of Garry) Marshall's winning comedy bow could have been titled "My Big Fat Jewish Bar Mitzvah." Ma...

By CHRISTY LEMIRE, AP Movie Critic Tue May 9, 11:40 AM ET With its sitcommy dialogue, wacky family antics and good-natured ribbing of religious traditions, "Keeping Up With the Steins" plays like "My Big Fat L.A. Bar Mitzvah." And yet, like the 2002 surprise smash "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," the movie is so warmhearted and well-intentioned, it's hard not to be charmed. The movie's TV comedy origins are solid and unmistakable, with a cast including Jeremy Piven (playing an agent as he does on "Entourage"), Doris Roberts ("Everybody Loves Raymond"), Jami Gertz ("Still Standing"), Cheryl Hines ("Curb Your...

Latinos give new life to Neil Diamond anthem By Ann Powers, Times Staff Writer Amid the mariachi music, socially conscious corridos and civil rights hymns at last week's immigration-rights rallies, a surprising voice arose - a strong Jewish baritone usually favored by middle-aged women and retro-hip college kids. It was Neil Diamond, singing his own exodus anthem: "America," from the pop elder statesman's 1980 remake of America's first talkie, "The Jazz Singer." The recording opened and closed the May 1 speakers' program at City Hall. It's made its way into reports of rallies in Dallas, Kansas City and Milwaukee. Although hardly...

Forever Neil Diamond Hits Shelves May 23rd On May 23rd, Shout! Factory will celebrate the songwriting talents of superstar musician and performer Neil Diamond with a brand new collection of songs on CD. Recorded by a tremendously varied group of artists over an equally expansive period of time, Forever Neil Diamond showcases the wide appeal of these 14 Diamond-penned classics. Beginning with pop band The Monkees' 1967 #2 Billboard pop chart hit "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You" to the legendary Elvis Presley's 1970 recording of "And The Grass Won’t Pay No Mind" to alternative rockers Urge Overkill's cover of "Girl, You'll Be A W...

Winners discover a way to stand out among the competition. The easiest way to do that is to play to your strengths. Singer Neil Diamond takes his songs personally. If they don't mirror his feelings and emotions, he says, they won't be any good. "The main objective in any song I write," says Diamond, "has always been that it reflects the way I feel. That it touches me when I'm finished with it and involves me in what its saying. And that's really the only rule I use when writing." In all, Diamond has 31 gold albums, making him second only to Elvis Presley among male solo artists in that category. When fans flock to Diamond’s con...

The sincerest form of flattery Kristen Maxwell Thursday, April 27, 2006 Dave Damm doesn't look like Neil Diamond. His chin-length black hair and lineman build hardly suggest he could impersonate the singer of a romantic melody like 'Hello Again,' but that's just what he does. But of all the performers and bands out there, why Neil? The answer is simple: the Wichita senior loves Neil Diamond. And it shows in an interview as much as in performance. Upon calling Damm for an interview, I got his voice mail. Ten seconds later he called back. "Sorry, Kristen," he says, sounding out of breath. "I had Neil cranked up on my headphones...

Forget the spangly shirts, sideburns and over-the-top Vegas lounge routines, Neil Diamond has stripped himself down to the sum of his parts. It's an equation that seems to be working. His new album, 12 Songs, is garnering critical acclaim from all corners of the music industry. Brian Boyd talks to a legend who's learning to do without the reverb VAN Halen, Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Steve Miller Band, and even cartoon beardies ZZ Top have all been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame. No place, though, for the self-described "big-nosed Jewish kid from Brooklyn". The book of evidence is mighty impressive: from his early days in the Bril...

Meanwhile, we've also learned of the death of Billy Frank Whitten, costumer to the stars. Whitten, the grand-uncle of Maiya Sykes (VH1's "Bands on the Run"), succumbed to lymphoma on Saturday, April 8, 2006 at the age of 62. Most noted for the creation of Michael Jackson's famed glove, Whitten provided custom costumes for some of the most notable names in the music industry. He started his own design and production company, Workroom 27, where he was able to manufacture his own designs from start to finish. He quickly expanded his portfolio and introduced as his trademark the dazzling hand-beaded clothing that brought him and his clie...

Boys & Girls Club is coming By DIANE WETZEL, The North Platte Telegraph 04/11/2006 Email to a friendPrinter-friendly Advertisement The Boys and Girls Club of America is coming to North Platte, according to Nate Jensen, a board member of the organization. Jenson announced that the club was coming at a meeting of the Original Town Association Tuesday night. "The national Boys and Girls Club and Nebraska Attorney General Jon Brunning decided that North Platte would be a good place for the club to come," Jensen said. "The board of directors was finalized on Monday." The organization plans to launch its program here in the fall...

Another sad lament Neil Diamond is a bona-fide superstar who has written some of the world's finest love songs. His new album has been hailed as a masterpiece and, at 64, he sells out venues the world over. Yet despite all this, he tells Rachel Cooke, he's still can't shed 'that melancholia' Sunday April 9, 2006 The Observer It is very exciting to be on the way to meet Neil Diamond and not even having to go to Chelsea Harbour, a horrible corner of London that is forever 1988, can dim my enthusiasm for it. Men can be - and often are - rather snooty about Diamond. They will concede that 'Sweet Caroline', especially as harmonis...

I?ll be what I am. A solitary man It took Neil Diamond years to realise his best song was about him, he tells Pete Paphides The American PR briefly surveys the space between the chair and the coffee table, then shakes her head. "He'll need to stretch his legs out," she frets. She pulls the chair back a little. That's much better. Neil Diamond's legs now have at least a foot of clearance. Happy that the suite is ready, she calls up for him. Within a minute, he walks past the chair and installs himself beside the window for a sunny morning view of the yachts in Chelsea Harbour. Asked to autograph a CD, he stalls on the words "c...

Out of his own shadow (Filed: 08/04/2006) Neil Diamond tells Craig McLean how he finally achieved that most elusive thing - credibility Last month brought a landmark in the storied career of Neil Diamond. His umpteenth album, 12 Songs, a beautiful collection of quiet, reflective, almost "unplugged" Diamond compositions, entered the charts at number five. It was his highest-ever first-week position in the UK. He might have sold 120 million albums but, at last, the 65-year-old superstar was a proper chart sensation. Unplugged: on his new album, Neil Diamond was encouraged to return to his roots "Yeah," chuckles a black-clad,...

I know what most of you are thinking, why is an alternative music site reviewing a Neil Diamond album? Well, apart from the fact he's one of our--or should I say, your parents' generation's--finest songwriters, there's something else about this album that might make you want to give it a listen. After the success of the Johhny Cash cover version of Hurt, many younger music fans got turned on to the genius of Johnny. One of the big selling points of that song, and his last few albums, was the amazing talent of producer Rick Rubin, who has been in great demand since and who produced this album for Mr Diamond. When listening to 12 So...

MARK COLVIN: It's not just humans who suffer through eating junk food, like takeaway chips. It seems that fat seagulls in Hobart are also demonstrating the dangers of eating poorly. Add to that high levels of seagull cholesterol, and you've got a weighty problem with environmental consequences. Tim Jeanes reports. (Sound of Neil Diamond, 'Skybird': "Skybird, make your sail. And every heart will know of the tale.") TIM JEANES: Move over Jonathon Livingstone, it seems Jonathon Goodliving Seagull is the new type of seabird to hit town, specifically Hobart town, where a ready diet of chips and other human delicacies from the local tip...

Friends, relatives recall victims' struggles, triumphs By Seattle Times staff Those who knew the victims of Saturday's shooting remembered them as music lovers, gentle souls and devoted friends. Police have not released the names of any victims. But relatives have confirmed the deaths of three people:Christopher Williamson, Jason Travers and Jeremy Martin. Christopher Williamson Christopher Williamson was trying to extricate himself from a music scene that gave him an outlet for his creative urges but also pulled him into a world of drugs. Friday night, the budding disc jockey went again, though, to a techno-music concert. ...

TRACK LIST: The Monkees - "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You" Bobby Womack - "Sweet Caroline (Good Times Never Seemed So Good)" The Box Tops - "Ain't No Way" Urge Overkill - "Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon" Deep Purple - "Kentucky Woman" Elvis Presley - "And The Grass Won't Pay No Mind" Crooked Fingers - "Solitary Man" Shane McGowan & The Popes - "Cracklin' Rosie" UB40 - "Red Red Wine" Arthur Alexander - "Glory Road" Four Tops - "I'm A Believer" Lulu - "The Boat That I Row" Jr. Walker & The All-Stars - "Holly Holy" The Band with Neil Diamond - "Dry Your Eyes" SHOUT! FACTORY CRAFTS SONGS WRITTEN BY 'THE SOLITARY MAN' ...

Conan director Fleischer dies, 89 Fleischer's father was a pioneer in the field of animated shorts Richard Fleischer, veteran director of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Fantastic Voyage and Tora! Tora! Tora!, has died in Los Angeles at the age of 89. His other films include 10 Rillington Place, The Boston Strangler and the 1967 version of Doctor Dolittle. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who worked with Fleischer on Conan the Destroyer, called him "a true Hollywood legend". "He was a man of great talent and an extraordinary director," said the actor, now governor of California. According to his son Mark, Fleischer died on Saturd...

Production the key to unearthing diamonds Kim Porcelli GRANTED, a new album can provoke any number of reactions, but it's still pretty unusual to listen and feel a creeping sense of betrayal. There's something about the Rick Rubin-produced Neil Diamond album 12 Songs that makes me come over all green-eyed- monsterish. When Rubin first approached Johnny Cash, on the basis that he would help him record the songs he'd always wanted to sing, plus maybe a few well-chosen covers, we thought the resulting American Recordings series was a beautiful one-off, a once-in-a- lifetime, written-in- the-stars pairing between two people who we...

By ADAM CLAYTON So close, yet so far, far away. A shot at stardom has slipped through my fingertips and I blame Neil. Neil Diamond, that is. I was one of 10 would-be singers representing local media outlets who "auditioned" for Canadian Idol at CTV studios yesterday. Up for grabs in the eTalk Daily Media Idol competition was $1,000 for your charity of choice and a free trip to Toronto to compete against regional winners from across Canada. The only catch is that you had to sing a capella in front of a pair of judges that included Zack Werner, Canada's answer to acid-tongued American Idol judge Simon Cowell. Winnipegger Cher ...

NEIL DIAMOND 12 Songs Tom Gray Thu, 02 Mar 2006 It's hard to find someone who doesn't have an opinion on Neil Diamond, most of them sadly centred around the fact that the man just ain't cool enough anymore. But love him or hate him, you can't deny that the man can write a cracking pop song. Whether it's for himself, or the legions of artists without the kudos to write their own songs (hang your head in shame, Steve Hofmeyer). From the evergreen 'Sweet Caroline' to 'Red Red Wine', and 'Girl, You'll be a Woman Soon', Diamond has ensured that he's kept in hot dinners well into his retirement. And so by the late nineties, ...

Neil) Diamonds are a girl's best friend: New manager prepares arena for big talent By GARY HERRON/OBSERVER STAFF REPORTER It turns out that the New Mexico Scorpions won't be the only important team occupying the new Rio Rancho All Events Center when it opens this fall. Arguably, the most important team at the arena will be that being assembled by general manager Sean Langer, on board just two weeks and without business cards, but already a homeowner in Enchanted Hills. Langer, 39, took a roundabout route to reach the City of Vision. Born and raised in Bakersfield, Calif., he graduated Ohio State University, where he ...

He brings back the sparkle Mark Edwards talks to Rick Rubin, the man who reinvented Johnny Cash and is now polishing Neil Diamond What is the secret of success in modern music? The right haircut? The right guitar sound? The right drug habit? Or could it be making sure that you do your homework? According to the producer Rick Rubin, it's the homework, every time. It's hard to square Rubin's hard-work ethic - surely the very thing most people join bands to avoid - with a production CV that includes such notorious party animals as the Beastie Boys and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. But a strong belief in the benefits of hard slog has...

Show a costly lesson for city Diamond gig gouges Stockton for $480K DAVID SIDERS Record Staff Writer Published Monday, Feb 20, 2006 STOCKTON - The city lost $480,223 on the Neil Diamond concert at Stockton Arena last month, according to a city estimate. The city paid Diamond $1million to perform the arena's debut concert, a sellout hit but financial boondoggle in which the city acknowledged two days before the Jan. 15 event that it expected to lose about $400,000 and net nothing for the charity billed as the beneficiary of the event. The actual loss was greater than expected, but City Hall officials said the nonprofit St...