Times Square Gossip

Al Roker The producers of Broadway’s Waitress announced today that both Al Roker and Nicolette Robinson will extend their stays at the most popular diner on 47th Street through November 18. Sara Bareilles, the show’s composer and lyricist, said this about Nicolette, “The poise, grace, humor, fire, quiet generosity, and insane vocals THAT GOT APPLAUSE IN THE MIDDLE OF SONGS... Nicolette is the real deal. Don’t miss this jewel who is telling this story with such truth and grit. We are so lucky. May YOU all be so lucky”. Mr. Roker said, “The cast and crew at the Brooks Atkinson are obviously gluttons for punishment or have a sadistic streak, so they asked me to stick around for another week.” Nicolette Robinson is currently making her Broadway debut in Waitress. She appeared Off-Broadway at Second Stage Theater in the new musical, Invisible Thread, directed by Tony Award winner, Diane Paulus. Invisible Thread began its life as Witness Uganda at the ...

Hoda Kotb E! NEWS -- No one is happier for Hoda Kotb's career advancement than Matt Lauer. Hours ago, Kotb was named Lauer's successor as co-anchor of Today. She will join Savannah Guthrie for two hours a day, starting at 7 a.m., and will continue to clink wine glasses with Kathie Lee Gifford in the fourth hour. E! News spoke to Kotb in between segments Tuesday, where she revealed Lauer was among those who privately congratulated her on the promotion. "He was sweet this morning. Certain texts popped up, and there was one from Matt: 'Congratulations!'" said Kotb, who joined Today a decade ago. "And he said some nice words." Lauer has stayed out of the public eye since he was fired from NBC News in November amid allegations of sexual misconduct. A staple on Today since the '90s, he was "embarrassed" after coming clean. "There are no words to express my sorrow and regret for the pain I have caused other...

Matt Lauer Conversation @ The View Hot Topics @ The View : Matt Lauer fired from NBC over sexual misconduct allegations. "This was really hard for me to hear because I grew up at the Today show and I worked with Matt for years and years," Sara Haines said of her experience at NBC after the long-time anchor was fired due to "inappropriate sexual behavior." "He was someone that cheerleaded for me and supported me — and as I know Savannah said, he was extremely beloved there." "I do commend the person with the bravery who comes out to speak about any of this type of behavior." "I feel for my friends over there today because I know it's a dark day there at the Today show — it's just hard."

Ray Rice On CNN’s Reliable Sources hosted by Brian Stelter, ESPN reporter Jemele Hill explains how she landed the first Janay Rice interview, why she agreed to certain conditions, and what Janay feels towards the outcome of the situation. Reliable Sources airs Sundays, 11 a.m. to noon (ET). Hill on Janay Rice’s perception of the situation with her husband: “I think obviously she would not like to relive the situation. However, I think that that's pretty obvious. There were certain positives or a silver lining, if you will, that came out of this. Among the many was the fact that the level and awareness of domestic violence is now, you know, maybe more than we have seen in this country in quite some time. The other side of her, from a personal level, too, is that she felt like she learned a lot about herself, about her own strength, the strength of her family, the strength of her relationship with her husband. So, even though it was horrible and t...

**** THE GLORIOUS CORNER Story By: G.H. Harding **** Matt Lauer Has Powers At NBC TODAY SHOW MADNESS --- What’s in the water over at NBC/Universal? Having just gotten somewhat over the Ann Curry-debacle, there’s been a flurry of stories about the morning show crew; with Natalie Morales and Willie Geist suddenly being fired and Hoda Kotb replacing Savannah Guthrie. Yesterday, on their 9:00-AM hour, the so-named Today’s Take, Geist and Morales addressed it directly. A big rumor was that Matt Lauer went to the powers that be and instructed them NOT to do this, which resulted in the immediate firing of a NBC exec.  The once untouchable Today Show, which is limping to the end of its 63rd year amid backbiting, talent anxiety, lurid headlines, and for the past two years, second-place ratings, have cost the network news division tens of millions of dollars in advertising revenue. This latest embarrassment—Monday night’s very public dismissal of ...

**** THE GLORIOUS CORNER Story By: G. H. HARDING **** Adam Levine MAROON’S V --- Adam Levine and his Maroon 5 are on an enviable ride for sure. Just saw them on today’s Today show, tub-thumping their new album V out tomorrow; (they performed their new single “Maps” and “One More Night.”) Levine, just married, has also just begun the next cycle of his TV show The Voice (this time with Gwen Stefani and Pharrell Williams); and, just had his debut movie Once Again come out and he was terrific in it. Levine and crew are just writing and producing some of the best music around right now. I’m a die-hard fan and actually became one when the group had just released their Hands All Over album (September 2010) and on it was the song “No Curtain Call” that convinced me this was a group to watch. The song was multi-layered, with a chorus that was orchestral, operatic even, to a degree and sounded just terrific. Their performance today was pretty sensational ...

Natalie Morales Homework! School clothes! Activities! Natalie Morales of NBC’s TODAY show speaks with the Fall 2014 issue of Woman’s Day for Latinas about the simple tricks she uses to keep her busy home humming. Her go-to time saving tricks include keeping a family calendar, instituting family “homework” time, saving hand-me-downs arranged by age for her youngest son, and decluttering her home in short 15 minute bursts. As she smoothly delivers live TV segments ranging from breaking news to cooking lessons— often while wearing impressively high heels—TODAY news anchor and co host Natalie Morales seems to define the word organized. But the idea makes the 42-year-old chuckle. To hear her tell it, once she’s home in New Jersey with husband Joseph and sons Josh and Luke, she’s just another busy working mom. “Josh is 10 and Luke is 5, so it’s always chaos in the house,” she says. “I try to keep things organized. But I have to work at it.” This means using the tr...

**** THE GLORIOUS CORNER Story By: G. H. Harding **** Meredith Viera SOCHI SOCIAL --- So, what’s been the #1 story of this year’s Winter Olympics? Bob Costas’ crippling pinkeye. As the 11 days of events begin to wind down, the biggest stories besides the anchor’s optical mishaps, were Matt Lauer and Meredith Viera’s double-duty; as both pinched in for the ailing sportscaster, and, alpine skier Bode Miller crying after being prodded about his dead brother by the network’s Christin Cooper. Also, NBC’s solid viewership has also shown signs of fatigue, lagging 13% behind the Vancouver games in 2010. An inside source at the network admitted, “It’s been very underwhelming.” The source continued, "The lack of really dramatic American performances is a big part of it." Two blows to NBC's coverage has been the scarcity of Winter Games stalwarts Lindsey Vonn and Shaun White. "Sometimes it's just the dynamic of the sport. Gabby Douglas broke o...

**** DAYTIME TALK **** The rumors are true! After months of speculation about former TODAY show co-anchor Meredith Vieira being considered for her own talk show, the veteran journalist has moved on to shooting the proposed series, sources confirm exclusively to Us Weekly . Insiders tell Us that Vieira, 59, is currently filming the pilot for her NBC show, which is in the vein of Katie Couric's ABC daytime talk show. The series has not yet been picked up, but if and when it is, it would air sometime in 2014. New York Times journalist Brian Stelter -- author of the controversial morning show tell-all Top of the Morning: Inside the Cutthroat World of Morning TV -- first reported in his Media Decoder blog in January that the Dateline NBC contributor was "in talks" with NBCUniversal for a syndicated talk show to premiere no sooner than September 2014. NBC declined to comment on the rumors at the time, but Vieira hinted earlier that month that...

Rob Marshall Rob Marshall appeared on The Today Show in New York City, on this very cold and windy day. That did not stop all the visitors to the Big Apple from waiting in the cold to get a glimpse of the star. Photo By: Derek Storm / Retna Ltd.

Multi-Talented Justin Bieber Justin Bieber Justin Bieber performs on the Today Show in New York City this morning. We do not know what it is with this kid, but lately he has been the trending topic on Twitter. He must be doing something right. Photos By: Derek Storm / Retna Ltd.

Meredith Vieira And Matt Lauer Katy Perry Katy Perry performed on the Today Show live in New York City this morning. The superstar looked wonderful as she entertained the masses in Rockerfeller Center. Photos By: Derek Storm / Retna Ltd.

The Fray's Isaac Slade Isaac Slade of The Fray performed on NBC's "Today Show" at Rockefeller Center in New York City this morning. Photo By: RD / Dziekan / Retna Digital

Miley Cyrus Miley Cyrus Rocks New York City Super teen sensation Miley Cyrus performed on the Today Show in New York City today. Famed photographer Derek Storm captured these amazing shots from NBC studios in Rockerfeller Plaza. Visit his website by clicking here ! Photos By: Derek Storm

Prince Harry and Prince William British royals PRINCE WILLIAM and HARRY have opened their hearts in a revealing TV interview.The pair have recorded an interview with American morning show NBC's Today, and it promises to be explosive viewing when it is aired later this month (May 07). Interviewer Matt Lauer says, "They were quite open and they talked a lot about their mom and about the pressures they face… the exposure and the over exposure and their quest for normalcy."They treat it like the Holy Grail. They don’t think they will ever be able to attain it. A source on the show tells British newspaper the Daily Express, "The young men speak frankly about absolutely everything - their mother’s untimely death, Harry going to war in Iraq and how they feel about the paparazzi." The interview will air days before the Diana, Princess of Wales memorial concert on July 1st, which the princes have organized to commemorate what would have been their late mother’s 46th bir...

Happy Again Nicole Kidman And Keith Urban Country music star Keith Urban credits his stint in rehab for helping him bond with new wife Nicole Kidman. The 39-year-old checked into a rehab facility in October, just four months after marrying Kidman in their native Australia. He tells morning show "Today," "They say grief makes hearts and closer bonds than joy ever can. We've been through a lot, and she's been extraordinary." Urban says words can't describe the lessons the couple have learned saying, "I can't really quantify it, because it's not a sound bite what we've learned. But, it's really profound." The singer, who has admitted to a past addiction to cocaine and previously underwent rehab in 1998, says his life had become "unmanageable" and he sought treatment to get back on track. He adds, "This disease of addiction, you know, it's nothing to do with contentedness and happiness, because I had all of that...