Cate Blanchett Snubbed !

Update : after a polite slap across the wrists from the awards committee we must point out that 'Streetcar' and Paul Charlier has been nominated in the Sound Event section.
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In a puzzling move actress Cate Blanchett has been completely overlooked in the nominations for the most prestigious Australian theatre awards, the Helpmann Awards.

Liv Ullmann, Cate & Joel Edgerton

The awards are named after one of the world's greatest ballet stars, Sir Robert Helpmann who was born in a remote country town in South Australia in 1909. When his mother noticed his tendency to dress in her clothes and dance about with great agility, his parents actively encouraged his artistic talents. Eventually he became one of the most renowned dancers appearing in and choreographing ballets from London and New York to Moscow.

Sir Robert Helpmann

At the announcement for the award nominations which will be presented at the Sydney Opera House on September 6th, Cate's "A Streetcar Named Desire" didn't receive a mention. Streetcar was not only an artistic success in Sydney, Blanchett's production which was directed by Liv Ullmann and starred Cate and Joel Edgerton in the main roles was hailed throughout the USA when it toured there as one of the all time great productions of Tennessee Williams' play, earning the Sydney Theatre Company a much needed $3.5M in profit.

As Artistic Director since 2008 Blanchett, along with her husband Andrew Upton has been guiding the fortunes of the Sydney Theatre Company ( STC) and has revived the company with a number of noted talents for it's 12 productions each year including Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Steven Soderbergh and William Hurt.Cate was also responsible for attracting designer Giorgio Armani as the theatre companies major sponsor.

The Helpmann Awards , one motto being "ensuring the Awards are the most prestigious awards in the industry and the highlight of each Season." ironically has nominated a host of artists who trained at the STC including Neil Armfield and Robin Nevin.

# trivia moment : In 2007 the Social Shuttle attended the premiere of the film 'I'm Not There' at the then new Sydney Theatre Company Theatre in which Blanchett gives a stunning performance as Bob Dylan.

After introducing the movie with a small speech stating she had not yet seen the film, Cate Blanchett left the stage and took a seat next to the Shuttle with Upton and proceeded to narrate various anecdotes to her husband as the film ran.
A woman sitting behind reached over and tapped her on the shoulder and said "could you please keep the noise down-I'm watching Cate Blanchett on screen and can't hear a word she is saying !"


## Channeling Mystic Meg earlier tonight we advised 4 paparazzi not to bother attending a function at the State Theatre which would feature Don Spencer, father-in-law of Russell Crowe who was expected to attend. "Our crystal ball says he won't be there", we said. Russell and wife Danielle can always be relied on to support Don in his ventures. And so it came to pass as the following tweet says:

russellcrowe

Got that flu coming on feeling?Both our boys were sick last week, so bound to happen.Need an early night,not a late one on the giggle juice.3 hours ago
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At tonight's Young Chef Awards (not to be missed-buckets of Bollinger and fine food) the Shuttle happily informed Federal Tourism Minister Martin Ferguson MP that despite the doom and gloom mainly emanating from the Murdoch media in their campaign to bury Prime Minister Julia Gillard, that Labor will be returned or govern with a 3 seat majority but that could be made up of independents/Greens.. I think we made his night. And that too will come to pass. Trust me.

Jerry Hall jets in

an ecstatic Guy Sebastian

Myers held their Summer Spring fashion show tonight in the Carriage Works in downtown Redfern. The contrast between the David Jones fashion parades this Tuesday could not have been more stark. No expense was spared with about 4 times the guests, huge platters of delicious Sydney oysters, champers etc.

And a special guest-Jerry Hall who flew in this morning sans her reputed boyfriend chauffeur. Jerry tells me she is on her way to Perth for 3 weeks rehearsals before opening in The Graduate. Her daughter Georgia May Jagger joins her tomorrow and they expect to be in Oz for 3 months. "Lots of things lined up" says Jerry, "adverts, promotions and so on". At 54, she looks sensational. She joined Leah Woods, Ron Wood's daughter for pre-show cocktails.Singer Leah is living in Sydney for the foreseeable future.

Natrasha Belling & Jackie Frank

Leah Woods & Jerry Hall

footballer Kris Smith models

the magnificent Maggie Tabberer

Jennifer Hawkins and friends

pontificating on fashion

Leona Edmiston

designer Jayson Brunsdon

Jessica Hart

Rumbled by ex-PM Paul Keating

 From a speech on the loss of privacy to be given by Paul Keating tonight at The Centre for Advanced Journalism ,University of Melbourne

"The press is overstepping in every direction the obvious bounds of propriety and of decency. Gossip is no longer the resource of the idle and of the vicious, but has become a trade, which is pursued with industry as well as effrontery. To satisfy a prurient taste, the details of sexual relations are spread broadcast in the columns of the daily papers. To occupy the indolent, column upon column is filled with idle gossip, which can only be procured by intrusion upon the domestic circle. …In this, as in other branches of commerce, the supply creates the demand. Each crop of unseemly gossip, thus harvested, becomes the seed of more, and, in direct proportion to its circulation, results in the lowering of social standards and of morality. Even gossip apparently harmless, when widely and persistently circulated, is potent for evil. It both belittles and perverts. It belittles by inverting the relative importance of things, thus dwarfing the thoughts and aspirations of a people. When personal gossip attains the dignity of print, and crowds the space available for matters of real interest to the community, what wonder that the ignorant and thoughtless mistake its relative importance.’1

Says Keating: "Some of that language is a give away - that it wasn’t written by me, or written yesterday. But the content is highly relevant to a discussion about privacy and the media, as a trip to the local newsagent, or time spent in front of the television, or online will quickly affirm."

The quote is from The Right to Privacy by Boston lawyers Samuel Warren and Louis Brandeis, published in the Harvard Law Review in 1890.

You can read all of Keating's speech on privacy here.  It would be difficult to fault his thinking. One thing he does point out that has not been spotted or discussed in the media anywhere. 2 Law Commission Reports have stated that the general public should have a formal recourse to a breach of privacy.

Tweet of the Day !

We bring you the mindless tweets so you don't have to bother-
 
ParisHilton

  

Been at the "Happiest Place on Earth" since this morning! I Love Disneyland! Having the best time ever! :) It's so much fun being a kid. ;) 41 minutes ago via UberTwitter


 
russellcrowe

  

begging tweets,whingeing tweets,negative tweets about 2 hours ago via web  



justinbieber

  

EVERYONE GO FOLLOW MY BOY @TLANEZ HES SOO TALENTED. about 2 hours ago via web  




maxmarkson

  

Hanging with Dick Smith at Terrey Hills.. You? about 2 hours ago via web  
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Twit of the Day !

No guesses-first prize goes to designer Alannah Hill for her 'grope' gaffe at the David Jones spring fashion show ( see story below) Yes that's we thought...24 hours is all it will take for the penny to drop !

Read it here. 

"I Wish He Had Touched Me Up !"

That was designer Alannah Hill's claim today when she showed off her wares at the David Jones department store in the spring / summer fashion collection.
This was following the announcement that former DJ's publicist  Kristy Fraser-Kirk's  has launched a $37million lawsuit against the firm following allegations the CEO Mark McInnes "touched her up".

It's the largest claim of it's kind and Fraser-Kirk is asking for 5% of DJ's takings and of McInne's wages during his tenure as boss. She says she will donate the money to charity. Good luck!

This morning's parade at the Sydney flagship store was pretty well packed despite the absence of DJ's mascot model Miranda Kerr who is recovering from her honeymoon after wedding Orlando Bloom.

Nicole Trunfio

She twittered the troops at DJ's at lunchtime :"Hey guys, Thank you so much for chatting with me today. I hope you all have the most amazing day and night."

Alannah says of McInnes: " I threw myself at him. He told me he didn't want to mix business with pleasure." Yeah, sure.

Kristy Fraser-Kirk says McInnes phoned her one night wanting to have dinner with her and said he could have had sex with a brunette the night before.

"Yes I was the brunette, yes, yes I was the brunette," Hill said."He could have bedded me but he chose the other one. He is dreamy". Ahhh..sounds just like she was dreaming .

In place of Kerr there were 4 other 'supermodels'- Nicole Trunfio ,Abbey-Lee Kershaw,  Catherine McNeil and Alexandra Agoston.

Meanwhile as we blog, CH 9's Today Tonight show is screening some ham fisted replies after they interviewed a host of designers at the parade today on the controversy. 2 hapless PR people unsuccessfully tried to snatch a newspaper that ran a headline on the matter out of the reporter's hands .Go to the website and watch the video at the right titled "David Jones Backlash". Why didn't they prep these  PR folk beforehand ?. Didn't people like Megan Gale and designer Alex Perry realise the press was out in force and they would be asked difficult questions ?

Star with Russell Crowe

The Shuttle attended an announcement last week at the Blue Hotel on Woolloomooloo Wharf. It was to announce who would be the narrator of the Ben Hur spectacular at the ANZ Stadium in October.

 One didn't have to be a genius to know that it would be Russell Crowe who lives at the end of the wharf in a penthouse.

Here is a snap from the earlier launch which was hosted by broadcaster Alan Jones at the Sydney Town Hall and a video of Russell at the Wharf plus the fantastic chariot race from the original film with Charlton Heston. For our younger readers, the role of Pontious Pilot who you see in the film drop a scarf to start the race was played by the wonderfully camp Melbourne actor Frank Thring.

Alan Jones smiles..and some  butch Centurions

The production company is also asking for extras to appear in the coliseum scenes.  If they tell you that it's to play the role of a Christian you better check that there won't be lions involved in this show. It's the most amazing and realistic spectacle according to those who saw it in France, the only other time it has been staged. 

As for Russell-he announced on the day he had given up smoking after one of his young kids embarrassed him into it and he will be spending at least the rest of the year in Australia to be with his children. We , as usual will bring you the first news of where Crowe and wife Danielle Spencer will be moving to. They are still looking for a house.

For info on the extra jobs go to  www.benhur.com.au

Larry King toasts Frank Monte

A visit to the chic restaurant Lotus for a glass of Dom Perignon to toast the 60th birthday of the man dubbed by the media as the world's most famous private eye, Frank Monte.

outrageous !

Monte was celebrating with his buxom ex-fiancee Sharon Sergeant who has recently caused a media storm with her outrageous antics hosting parties for a group of visiting British footballers and dancing to gay abandon with one of the most famous US porn stars in Las Vegas.

The highlight of the evening-apart from the series of lavish presents from the ex, was a phone call from US talk show host Larry King wishing Monte a happy birthday. Monte was a regular on King's show in the US when he lived for a few years in New York and he still catches up with King for dinner on visits there, as recently as 2 months ago.

In fact Monte was a regular on all sorts of TV shows-Howard Stern and Oprah to name 2 but that's a tale for a future story.

King & Monte-old pals

After a 5 minute chat Monte handed over his mobile phone so the Shuttle could introduce ourselves to Larry and of course, give the Social Shuttle a good plug. 

King says he'll weave in a mention of the site on air. What a lovely chap !. Let's hope he does it before he retires shortly.

A scoop : We also asked Larry about the tales that have swirled about the British media  that journalist Piers Morgan would be replacing him on CNN.

"Piers who ?" was the response. Ouch.

Our guest snapper Stephen Fry

Just received from Stephen Fry..a snap from a grey day on Sydney Harbour.

Fry's Sydney Opera House appearances have been a sell-out success. Last night he celebrated by dining with Cate Blanchett and Andrew Upton at Aria.
Today he is filming in Cronulla-the scene of the infamous race riots in 2006 - for a BBC documentary on language. Let's hope he understands the locals.

..and let's not forget Max Markson in Rome !

Man of the month

It must be Paul Yarrow who is making a career out of appearing in the background of news broadcasts as One Fat Guy. He says it's a statement for the ordinary man. We agree. He is ordinary but he's a star !

Jono's tribute to John & Yoko

Jono Coleman channels Dawn French in his tribute to Yoko Ono and John Lennon with Give Schnitz A Chance

Sometimes they get it right

The much lambasted advertising industry occasionally comes up with an interesting advert. Levis have done it with their Guy Walks Across America advert which has had nearly 1 million views on YouTube. They still sell the best and most affordable jeans as well.

Travels with Max

Twittering Max Markson is in Rome. We thought it was quiet in town. Some pics from our favourite celebrity publicist's travels via twitter: