Lopez hosting event at Playboy mansion
George Lopez is taking over as master of ceremonies of the annual Playboy Jazz Festival. The comedian was announced as the festival’s new host at an event at the Playboy Mansion.
“This is iconic,” said the former star of the ABC sitcom “George Lopez” and the TBS talk show “Lopez Tonight.” “I’ve never been here before. I was married for 17 years. I couldn’t even have a Playboy air freshener.”
Bill Cosby previously served as the festival’s host for more than 30 years. Cosby was a fixture at the gathering of jazz luminaries since the first festival was held in 1979.
This year’s show will feature such artists as Herbie Hancock, Jeffrey Osborne, Sheila E. and Grace Kelly. The Playboy Jazz Festival is scheduled for June 15 and 16 at the Hollywood Bowl.
Lohan trial will proceed as scheduled
A Los Angeles judge refused Friday to delay Lindsay Lohan’s trial on reckless driving and other charges and admonished her attorney, saying the lawyer needs help on the case.
Superior Court Judge James Dabney advised New York lawyer Mark Heller that his pleadings weren’t appropriate under California law. Heller was told to get assistance from another attorney or Lohan would be required to attend hearings to gauge his ability to represent her.
Dabney also said there was no good reason to delay the March 18 trial, noting that he was skeptical that more time would allow Lohan to demonstrate she had changed after years of run-ins with the law.
Lohan has pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor charges of reckless driving, lying to police and obstructing officers after her sports car crashed in June as she and a passenger headed to a movie shoot.
Boyle to make her movie debut
Susan Boyle is making her big-screen acting debut in a Christmas-themed British period drama.
The Scottish singer appears in “The Christmas Candle,” a story of angels and wishes set in an English village in the 1890s. Boyle’s role has not been disclosed. The movie also stars British actors Lesley Manville, John Hannah and Samantha Barks, who recently played Eponine in “Les Miserables.” It is due for release later this year.
A shy church volunteer from a small Scottish village, Boyle became a global sensation in 2009 after she performed “I Dreamed a Dream” on the television program “Britain’s Got Talent.”
The birthday bunch
Author Tom Wolfe is 83. Actress Laraine Newman is 61. Rock singer Jon Bon Jovi is 51. Actor Daniel Craig is 45. Rock singer Chris Martin is 36. Actress Bryce Dallas Howard is 32.