[lbo-talk] Ronstadt Re-invited

[John Adams]

 From a friend on another list:


Found this on the Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com):

Soon-to-Be Owner of Aladdin Hotel Asks Ronstadt to Return

Although Bill Timmins, the president of the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas, 
has said that Linda Ronstadt will not be invited to perform there again 
while he remains in his post, the new owner of the hotel has said that 
once he takes over, he intends not only to ask her to return but also 
plans to take up Michael Moore on his offer to sing "America the 
Beautiful" with her on stage. Robert Earl, the chairman and CEO of 
Planet Hollywood, which is awaiting state approval of its purchase of 
the hotel, said in a statement Wednesday: "We were very sorry to hear 
about the unfortunate circumstances of this past Saturday night and 
want to make it clear that Planet Hollywood
has never, in our 13-year history, restricted any artist's right to 
free speech, and we will continue with that policy once we take 
ownership." Timmins, who is British, had no further comment, but a 
spokeswoman for the hotel told Reuters that Ronstadt "was there to 
entertain, not make a politically charged comment." The controversy 
arose Saturday after Ronstadt praised Moore, the director of Fahrenheit 
9/11, during her performance, touching off a chorus of boos in her 
audience, with some members walking out, demanding refunds, and 
defacing Ronstadt's posters. An editorial in the
Las Vegas Sun commented Wednesday: "Ronstadt has been touring the 
country since May and has been praising Moore at each stop. Las Vegas 
should be embarrassed at her treatment here." When she endorsed the 
film again at a concert in Los Angeles on Tuesday, she reportedly 
received a thunderous ovation.