There'll be no wave of the magic Harry Potter wand for the 3-year-old students of a ballet school in southern England.
Choreographer Valerie Le Serve says she was forced to change a 10-minute segment based on the adventures of the boy wizard and his friends after author J.K. Rowling 's agent pointed out a contract with movie giant Warner Bros. that bans rival productions.
Le Serve says she wrote to Rowling's London-based agent, Christopher Little, as a courtesy and was surprised to receive a letter banning her from going ahead with the amateur event in Worthing, West Sussex.
Warner Bros., which produces the hit "Harry Potter" movies based on the books, has rights over any live theatrical or musical production until 2007.
"Sadly the position is that contractually we are precluded from granting the type of rights requested by the Worthing dance school unless Warner Bros. relent and waive their rights," says Neil Blair , a spokesman for Little. "It is simply not possible for us to pick and choose however worthy the cause, which in this particular case was clearly most worthy."
Le Serve's production was scheduled as part of a variety show in November to raise money for London's Great Ormond Street Hospital for children and the Cleft Lip and Palate Association. Le Serve says she will adapt the costumes of black cats, owls and wand-carrying street traders to another story line.
Don Johnson's creditors includes grocer seeking $5,470
An Aspen, Colo., grocery store has accused actor Don Johnson of leaving an unpaid bill of $5,470, according to court records.
Other Aspen businesses also are suing the "Miami Vice" and "Nash Bridges" star in Pitkin County Court for outstanding bills. A list of creditors in a bankruptcy petition include $7,345 from Aspen Valley Hospital, $1,228 from Isberian Rug Co., $1,688 from Holy Cross Energy and $2,787 from Garfield & Hecht law firm.
A spokesman for the actor could not be reached for comment.
Johnson, 54, filed for bankruptcy protection last month to secure his Woody Creek ranch and stave off a lender's attempt to auction his home.
The lender, Los Angeles-based City National Bank, filed court papers in Pitkin County District Court in March against Johnson. That lawsuit asks a judge to auction Johnson's home to recoup $930,000 he owes the bank, according to court papers.
Bee Gees to receive honors from university in England
The University of Manchester, England, is awarding honorary degrees to Robin and Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees, as well as a posthumous honor for their brother, Maurice .
The awards will be presented to the two Gibb brothers during a ceremony at the university Wednesday. They'll also receive from Chancellor Anna Ford a degree for their brother, who died in January 2003.
Born on the Isle of Man, the Gibb brothers moved to the northwestern English city of Manchester in the 1950s.
In the 1970s, they sang the soundtrack for the disco scene with hits such as "Stayin' Alive" and "Night Fever," and have now sold more than 110 million copies of their 28 albums.
Maurice died in a Miami hospital at the age of 53 on Jan. 12, 2003. He had suffered a heart attack during emergency surgery for an intestinal blockage.
Wayne Brady joining cast of 'Chicago' on Broadway
TV talk show host Wayne Brady is joining the cast of the long-running Broadway musical revival "Chicago" as the opportunistic Billy Flynn.
The performer, star of "The Wayne Brady Show," joins "Chicago" Sept. 7 at the Ambassador Theatre and will continue in the musical through Nov. 11.
The 31-year-old Brady will end production of his television show after this season, its second on the air. The Florida native has won Emmy Awards for his talk show and for his work on the ABC comedy series "Whose Line Is It Anyway?"
Brady has appeared in Florida productions of "A Chorus Line," "Fences," "I'm Not Rappaport" and "A Raisin in the Sun," as well as in such television series as "I'll Fly Away," "Home Court" and "American Dreams."
Two arrested after 50 Cent show
Police broke up a shoving match at a Boston club after rapper 50 Cent and his entourage jumped from the stage during a surprise appearance and scuffled in the audience.
Two people were arrested for disturbing the peace at the Hippodrome club early Saturday morning, said Springfield Police Capt. Charles Arpin.
Police also were investigating whether a nearby shooting was related.
The crowd of 1,400 people didn't know 50 Cent was there until he took the stage after other acts. About 10 minutes later, someone in the crowd threw water at him from a cup or a bottle, Hippodrome co-owner Michael J. Barrasso said.
"He removed his gold chain, handed it to someone on the stage next to him and jumped off the stage into the crowd," Barrasso says. The rapper's entourage, including bodyguards, also jumped off the stage.
The audience was so dense, Barrasso couldn't tell whether there was any fighting beyond pushing. Security guards and police officers pushed the rapper -- whose real name is Curtis Jackson -- and his entourage back on stage, Barrasso says.
"He finished the song, believe it or not," Barrasso says. "Then the whole entourage and him just rushed for the exit, got in their cars and left."
Two men were charged with disturbing the peace.
Afterward, a man walked into the Mercy Medical Center emergency room with a gunshot wound to the leg, saying he'd been shot about a block from the theater. Arpin says police aren't certain whether the shooting was related to the disturbance to the Hippodrome.
Future king loses to fiancee
Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark lost to his Australian fiancee, Mary Donaldson, in a pre-marriage regatta in Copenhagen's harbor.
Thousands of onlookers packed onto a pier Sunday to watch the sailing competition, part of the celebrations leading up to Friday's wedding in the capital's cathedral.
"It feels fantastic," said Donaldson, who was trimming the yacht Song that Australian ace John Bertrand helmed. Bertrand led the crew of Australia II to win the America's Cup in 1983.
Frederik was at the helm of Sjaelsoe, an identical 37-foot, six-person crew boat. His tactician was Jesper Bank, a double Olympic gold medalist from Denmark.
"It's sad, but we'll have a drink or two," Denmark's future king said with a smile.
After each of the boats with jibs sporting the royal monogram won a leg, Song picked up a strong northwest breeze in the final leg and took a comfortable lead after passing the last buoy.
When it was evident that Frederik couldn't catch up, Bertrand handed the helm to Donaldson who steered the boat across the finish line.
While Donaldson only had a brief practice to prepare for the event, Frederik is an experienced yachtsman. In August, he finished 13th in the European Dragon Championships off of Ireland.
"She is tough," Bertrand said of the 32-year-old Tasmanian native who will become the first Australian woman to stand in line to become queen. "She was all over the boat."
Donaldson and the 35-year-old Frederik met during the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.
Singer notices details about hotel cleanliness
When Nelly Furtado checks in at hotels during her tours, she sees things others might miss.
Furtado's view is shaped by the fact that, as a girl, she spent years helping her mother tidy up rooms at the Robin Hood Motel in British Columbia.
"I totally notice the chambermaid. I check out the carts and even what kind of wheels are on them," she told The Philadelphia Inquirer in Friday's editions. "It's not like 'Maid in Manhattan' where Ralph Fiennes walks in and doesn't notice J.Lo ."
The 25-year-old singer is on tour to promote her second CD, "Folklore." The Grammy Award winner has outgrown the trepidation of performing live that she battled while touring with her 2000 debut, "Whoa, Nelly!"
"I have a love-hate relationship with performing," she says. "I dreaded the big, huge gigs, especially the European festivals with their massive stages."
But maturity has created confidence. "The new show is very energetic," she says. "It has a new maturity, but it's still electric. I'm much more confident onstage."
