As summer comes to a close, several celebs will be roaming about town in the next few weeks including; Tommy Chong, Ted Nugent, Brooks & Dunn, Brian Culbertson, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Billy Idol, Stelly Dan, Trace Adkins, Steve Lukather, Alice Cooper, Michael Bolton, Robin Thicke, Eddie Vedder, Jay Leno, Brad Paisley, George Thorogood, Jonas Bros., Foreigner, Billy Bob Thornton and Liza with a Z.

Famed British detectives Thomas Lynley and Barbara Havers have apparently come to the end of the road, at least in the BBC’s eyes they have.

Despite being a hit for the BBC for seven years, they have decided to pull the plug on the series with two episodes that will air Stateside on PBS’ Masterpiece Theater & Mystery, which airs locally on WTTW.

The Inspector Lynley Mysteries stars Nathaniel Parker (Lynley) and Sharon Small (Havers) as two detectives that come from opposite sides of the tracks. The series is based on the novels by Elizabeth George.

The two 90 minute episodes are airing through the end of August.

Go to www.pbs.org., www.wttw.com. for the complete Lynley broadcast schedule. The Inspector Lynley Mysteries in book form and on DVD are available at various outlets on the internet and bookstores.

For more information on Nathaniel Parker visit his website at: www.nathanielparker.com.

As reported last month, Wisconsin native actor Chris Noth is leaving “Law & Order: Criminal Intent.”

His last episode is scheduled to air on Sunday, August 17 on USA Cable Networks.

Fans of the show and Noth remember that the actor was one of the original characters from the mother show “Law & Order” when it started 18 years ago and left the show only to reprise his role as Det. Mike Logan in “Law & Order’s” spin off “Criminal Intent.” On “Criminial Intent,” Noth splitted lead actor chores with Vincent D’Onofrio.

Noth is enjoying his film success with the “Sex And The City”hit movie, and is busy filming “My One And Only” with Renee Zellweger.

Veteran actor Jeff Goldblum has joined the cast for next season and will now be splitting air time with D’Onofrio.

Theatre Seven of Chicago At Chicago Dramatists is part of The League of Chicago Theatres’ ”Theater Thursdays” with their presentation of “Election Day” by Josh Tobiessen on August 14.

The event starts with a meal at Avenue M followed by the Chicago Premiere of Election Day at the theater, which is only two blocks away.  As an added treat, after the performance, the cast and the crew will be part of a reception featuring wine and cheese!

Avenue M opens at 4:00 p.m. with the show starting at 8:00 p.m. Tickets: $30
For reservations, visit www.theatreseven.org or call 773-358-8153 and mention “Theater Thursdays.”

It is a sad day for Chicago.

We lost a “favorite son.”

Bernie Mac passed away this weekend from complications due to pneumonia.

Fans and his industry peers alike are still reeling from the shock.

In a statement Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich hailed Mac as “a favorite son,” and “He never forgot that he was a kid who grew up on Chicago’s South Side. Because of his Chicago roots, we picked Bernie Mac to be the face of the state lottery — his passion, enthusiasm and humor helped make that one of our most successful, and funniest, campaigns.”

Mac’s Ocean’s co-stars added their tributes via statements to Entertainment Tonight and E!: In a statement to ET, actor George Clooney said “The world just got a little less funny, he will be dearly missed.” Don Cheadle’s statement to E! said that “This is a very sad day for many of us who knew and loved Bernie. He brought so much joy to so many. He will be missed, but heaven just got funnier.” Brad Pitt said to E! Online “I lament the loss of a ferociously funny and hard-core family man. My thoughts are with Rhonda, and their family. Bernie Mac, you are already missed.” Carl Reiner’s statement echoed his fellow Ocean’s co-stars but added that he was ”in utter shock. He was just so alive.  I can’t believe he’s gone.”

Chris Rock told E! that Mac was ”one of the best and funniest comedians to ever live, but that was the second-best thing he did. Bernie was one of the greatest friends a person could have. Losing him is like losing 12 people, because he absolutely filled up any room he was in. I’m gonna miss the Mac Man.”

Actor Samuel L. Jackson told People in a statement that “He was also an attentive husband, a great father and loving grandfather. I feel blessed to have shared years of friendship with Bernie Mac, and I’m honored to have finally co-starred with him in what I consider to be his finest cinematic acting achievement. Mac is co-starring with Jackson in the forthcoming film “Soul Men.”

“His comedic approach was his own brand and will definitely stand the test of time. The level of his talent always inspired me, and other comedians, to ‘bring their A-game.’ I promise you that you never wanted to be the guy who had to follow Bernie’s set!” said Cedric the Entertainer in a statement to E!.

A public memorial is scheduled for Saturday, August 16 at noon at the House of Hope, 752 E. 114th St. Chicago, announced Danica Smith, Mac’s publicist.

If you can’t attend the service, donations are being accepted in Mac’s honor at the Bernie Mac Foundation for Sarcoidosis, 40 E. 9th St., Suite 601, Chicago, IL  60605.

Chris Mancinelli

By: Robert Bradshaw,
Chicagoactor.com Global Correspondent

I’ve been seduced.

And what a seduction it has been.

I’ve completely surrendered to the sounds of cutting edge music technology and
I have Chris Mancinelli to thank for it.

It is not very often that you meet a true Renaissance man, let alone have the privilege
of calling him a friend.

Chris Mancinelli is one such friend.

He’s a performer, composer, arranger, producer and has just released the innovative
“Ritual Fiction,” part of his critically acclaimed Twilight Archive Series.

What makes this album so different is that Chris has his finger on the pulse of music
technology and all of its wonder and possibilities.

And as Chris says, “the possibilities are endless!”

I’ve know Chris for quite a few years and there are two sides to Chris.  One is the
innovative artist/performer and the other side is an astute business man through his on-
going role as touring manager for the popular supergroup The Moody Blues. In fact, that
is where I met Chris, on the road all those years ago.

Despite Chris’ busy schedule, I managed to corner him for a brief Q&A about his new album and his career.

I was seduced by “Ritual Fiction” and I think you will be too.

Q: How long have you been a musician?

A: Most of my life - my father is a violinist/conductor and my mom a violist. My sister is a violinist as well. So I was constantly around music in my early days. I started out doing the kid roles in operas and musicals at the Brevard Music Center (in North Carolina) where my dad taught every summer. My first role was “Little Jake” in Annie Get Your Gun and I went from there to be in all kinds of amazing performances. Everything from Verdi to Rossini to Gilbert & Sullivan to Lerner & Lowe to Menotti to Puccini etc. It was great to be involved with the professional singers and with the whole scene. I have very fond memories of that time.
I also studied piano from age 5 and started cello when I was 11. I discovered the drum set at 15 and became smitten with rhythm for quite a while! Started my first rock band at 16.

Q: Have you played in group or professionally?

A: Oh yes. I drummed in a couple of rock bands in Illinois in high school. I decided to really go for it when I enrolled at Berklee College of Music in Boston when I was 18. There I played in numerous groups mostly moving into jazz-rock and fusion. I also got very interested in Afro-Cuban music and ended up playing in a jazz-salsa group for a couple of years. We worked a lot in the Boston jazz scene, which was really thriving.
There were tons of clubs and theatres to play in the area. It was a tremendous learning opportunity being in Boston for my college years. I’m thankful for that opportunity. Pretty amazing place…

Anyway, when I graduated I opted to move to Los Angeles to pursue my career. I returned to my rock roots and starting working around town with various bands. I landed a gig with Bonnie Bramlett (of Delaney and Bonnie and Friends which included Eric Clapton, Dave Mason, et al) and did some recording and road work with her.

However I was feeling frustrated in a sideman role and started an experimental band with bassist Steuart Liebig. We added guitar god Nels Cline and jammed for a while as a trio developing ideas. Later we added another fab guitarist/singer Nick Kirgo and completed the band with a female vocalist. This band was BLOC, which was pretty successful in the LA club scene. We had a lot of major label interest and ended up signing with A & M Records. The rest is unfortunately a bit of a clichÈd sob story. Basically the label suits had little idea how to market us and parallel to this, the band was imploding from within. The album was released, but had no marketing behind it. We were bought out 6 months later. After 8 years of being together we all decided to move on. Long story short.

I became very interested in composing, production and electronic music. I  have worked for several years with Osamu Kitajima doing production/composing/arranging for Sony, Toshiba/EMI, Pony Canyon, and Apollon Records for releases in Japanese and Asian markets. We have also done solo projects for Higher Octave Music and another for a Miles Copeland label called Ark/21-MondoMelodia. We even did a techno/surf album under the moniker Fabulous Breaker Boys. I also recorded quite a few soundtracks for documentary films, mostly on established visual artists. This was in conjunction with the Long Beach Museum of Art…oh and a few commercial advertising spots.

Q: Your new CD is really good and I like it very much, can you tell us something about it? how you came to make something in this style, how long you worked on it, any anecdote about the making of it?

A: Thanks for the compliment Bob. It’s always nice to get positive feedback on my work. I just love instrumental music that creates some kind of audio space and musical place.

This style of music is fairly new to the world. My goal is to come up with a sound that is fresh and hip. I’m attempting to create a new hybrid of style loosely residing in an ambient jazz sphere…but not limited to that…. of course to be influenced by other music but the aim is to do something different and sophisticated.

“Ritual Fiction” is the second album for Twilight Archive. The first was released in 2003 It is basically “my baby” though I have a writing/production partner (Tom Vedvik) who is very instrumental in the sound. We did the first album with just the two of us. For this new album we added John Fumo playing trumpets and Alex Machacek playing guitars. Both are incredible musicians as one can hear!

The process is this…. I begin all the writing and production at my home studio and get the songs into a developed form.

Some evolve easier than others…When they are ready to “move out” on their own (so to speak) I take them over to Tom’s studio and we transfer everything. We then listen and discuss…(and enjoy some espresso together) I leave them in his hands for a while. The amount of time depends…but it’s great for me to step away from the stuff at this point.

After Tom has worked on the music and gotten it to the next level then we start to have sessions together at his studio. Tweaking things out… Following this step we then finish up by having a few sessions with our guests. This time it was trumpet and guitars. Next album will depend on the vibe of the music.  I’d say we worked on “Ritual Fiction” (on and off) over a time period of about 3 years.

Q: How long have you been associated with the music industry?

A: Hmmm I guess from an industry standpoint I would say about 30 years now….wow….. doesn’t seem like it! time passes so quickly…

Q: What have you done in this capacity ? 

A: Bands and session work as a drummer, personal management, a&r, ran a small boutique record label, music editing for film, tour coordination & tour management (for Moody Blues), musical programming, arranging, composition, and production.

Q: What kind of future plans do you have?

A:  To continue letting Twilight Archive evolve into a totally unique sound and to keep making music. Maybe start making my own wine too….

Q: Will you take this music on the road or do any live performances??

A:  It’s definitely geared into being a studio project…. but we are open to performing in the future. It all depends on how we do with this new release and if we can add to our audience in a substantial way.

Q: Has your association with other groups influenced what you write and compose?

A: Well I would first say I’ve been lucky enough to have worked with some of the best musicians on the planet. So when you are around this high quality it lifts you up. I continue to use these past experiences for inspiration to just keep going with it. In style though I have really veered off a beaten path into this electronica world. Not many of my peers have the enthusiasm for it that I do. I see the future of this music as unchartered territory. It’s not really a style that has been done before. Much of the influences are from current artists such as Eno, Massive Attack, Groove Armada, William Orbit, and the Austrian duo Kruder & Dorfmeister. We’re just attempting to do our own take on it and find our own voice within the genre.

Q: Anything you would like to add in closing??

A: Please check out the Twilight Archive albums and support innovative creative music. We need all the listeners we can get! Thanks for listening and thanks to you Bob.

For more information on Chris Mancinelli and “Ritual Fiction” visit www.twilightarchive.com, to hear two minute audio clips of every song on the CD click on: www.cdbaby.com/cd/twilightarchive2 and don’t forget to purchase a copy of this innovative CD at: www.cdbaby.com.

BAT BUCKS BONANZA

“The Dark Knight” continues to squash all competition as it still claims the #1 position on the film charts for the 4th week in a row.

The Warner Bros. flick is currently in the #3 position for all time domestic box office charts with $441 million bat bucks, running behind the original “Star Wars” ($461 million) and “Titanic” with $600 million).  Industry insiders are predicting that the batsequel will crush Star Wars’ record within a week.

The film has exceeded all expectations from Warner Bros. Chris Nolan and the stars of the film.

While the film has the legion of bat fans, it also has the performance of a career ended way too soon: Heath Ledger.

Even though director Chris Nolan is taking a break from all things batty, there has been talk of a 3rd film and there has been talk of it being filmed in Chicago once again.

Also feeding fuel to the fire is the heavy rumor that Johnny Depp is being sought to play The Riddler in the 3rd installment of the film franchise.

Olives, oil, wine and Antonio Banderas aside, Penelope Cruz is one of Spain’s greatest imports.

The actress-model known for her work in Spanish cinema is the newest addition to Woody Allen’s hall of fame.

The actress is starring alongside Scarlett Johansson in Allen’s latest film “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” opening in theaters on Friday.

Cruz, known for her famous boyfriends including Tom Cruise and Matthew McConnaughey, not only has a very successful film career in Spain, but also has one Stateside as well.

Her films include “Vanilla Sky,” “Bandidas” and “Sahara.”

In 2006, Cruz was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar for her performance in the Spanish film “Volver.”

Cruz is currently dating Oscar winner Javier Bardem and will next be seen in the musical film version of “Nine” alongside Daniel Day Lewis, Nicole Kidman and Kate Hudson.

Robert Downey Jr. is like a Phoenix that rises out of the ashes.

After several years of hitting rock bottom, Downey is finally is riding high on the recent box office success of “Iron Man.” Not so long ago, Downey’s world was turned upside down as the actor fought his drug habit problem in public on the world stage.

From 1996-2001, Downey was in and out of rehab and prison on drug related charges.

He was almost out of chances and time.

The star of hits like “Less Than Zero,” “Chaplin” and Air America” couldn’t get a job and couldn’t get clean.

In 2000, Producer David E. Kelly took a chance on him and hired him for the TV series Ally McBeal.  He not only was a hit on the show, he also brought life and ratings
back into the show.

However, it was not to last long. Downey succumbed once again to his drug habit and lost his gig on the show.

In 2001, after his latest stint in rehab, Downey was offered a role in an Elton John video “I Want Love” and it was a major hit.

However, film roles were hard to come by. He was uninsurable. That’s where his close friend Mel Gibson came in. Gibson had been part of the actor’s rehab, visiting him constantly and offering moral support. In this instance, it was more that moral support, Gibson paid his insurance bond for Gibson’s film “The Singing Detective.”

At last, the actor was on the road to recovery in all aspects of his life.

His career was back on the upswing including roles in “Scanner Darkly,” “Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang,” “Gothika,” “Zodiac” and in the comedy “Tropic Thunder” which hits theaters on August 15.

But probably the biggest surprise of his career was his lead role in the mega hit “Iron Man,” which grossed over $300 million dollars this past Spring.

Downey has already signed on for the sequel to “Iron Man,” as well as the lead role in Guy Ritchie’s “Sherlock Holmes.”

Like son, like father….errrrrr…parents.

It’s no secret that Ben Stiller comes from a funny
family.

That’s is, his mother and father are legendary comedians and actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara.

Ben Stiller not only followed in his famous parents’ footsteps, but has become an acclaimed director and producer and noted best friend of actor Owen Wilson.

The multi-faceted performer has several directorial projects
under his belt including “Cable Guy,” starring Jim Carrey.

His latest directorial effort is the comedy “Tropic Thunder”
which will be released in theaters August 15.

While directing is his passion, he is mostly known for his
various roles in hit films including “Starsky and Hutch,”
“Meet The Parents” and it’s sequel “Meet The Flockers,”
the animation hit “Madagascar” and the sleeper hit
“Night At The Museum.”

Next up for Stiller are several sequels: “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa” and “Night At The Museum 2: Escape From The Smithsonian.”