Brian Stokes Mitchell To Open 'Starry Summer Nights' Series At NYC's Town Hall

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Few people are as enthusiastic about the future of musical theater as Brian Stokes Mitchell. The Tony Award-winning actor, who was last seen on the Great White Way in the musical adaptation of Pedro Almodóvar’s “Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown” in 2010, says today’s Broadway is part of a natural and “wonderful” evolution of a uniquely American art form.

“Everything evolves, and theater is the same way,” Mitchell told The Huffington Post in an interview. “It’s about new inspirations, new talent and new ways of looking at things. Musical theater is not what it was 50 years ago or 100 years ago, it’s turned into something new, so let’s stay on that horse, keep riding it and see what comes next.”

Still, Mitchell -- who belongs to that unique group of Broadway performers who inspire excitement simply by having their name attached to a marquee -- will turn back the clock a bit for his July 8 performance at New York’s Town Hall. The 55-year-old baritone is the inaugural performer of Town Hall’s 2013 “Starry Summer Nights” series, which will also include “The Hit Men” featuring the former stars of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons (July 18) and Linda Eder (July 22). The basis for Mitchell’s forthcoming show is his 2012 album, “Simply Broadway,” which includes songs from “Porgy and Bess,” “Fiddler on the Roof” and “Les Miserables” among other smash shows, and features accompaniment from longtime pianist and arranger Ted Firth.

The actor calls his new show a whirlwind tour of “50 years of classic Broadway baritone” as told in a stripped-down, piano-and-vocal style. The album (and, consequently, the forthcoming show) also features vestiges of Mitchell’s well-known stage roles in “Man of La Mancha” and “South Pacific,” though the actor says he made a point to emphasize material he’d never previously recorded.

“I call it haiku-style music, because it really is about the most essential elements,” Mitchell, who said he was inspired by the 1975 “Tony Bennett Bill Evans Album,” noted. “I treat every song as an acting moment, so these were songs that had really great acting moments in them.”

As for his own future on Broadway, Mitchell is mostly tight-lipped, but noted that he’s “getting itchy to do another show,” though recent years have seen him tackle high-profile turns on television series like “Glee,” where he’s still contracted for one additional episode as one of Rachel Berry’s gay dads (“It’s difficult to plan anything when it comes to TV and film…they’ll call us as they need to,” he said).

Citing leads in “Fiddler on the Roof” and “Sweeney Todd” as among his dream roles, he nonetheless hopes his next project will entail “something we haven’t seen yet that we don’t know…something by a new young writer. A different voice, different subject matter.”

Until then, however, he’s relishing his successful concert career: “What’s most fun about it is that it’s so spontaneous. I’m not stuck to a script and every show can be very, very different and have its own unique fingerprint.”

Brian Stokes Mitchell plays New York's Town Hall on July 8. For more information, click here.

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'Anger Management': Brian Austin Green Promoted To Series Regular

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"Anger Management" has promoted Brian Austin Green to series regular status, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The news comes little more than an hour after THR reported that the show was seeking a "male foil" for Charlie Sheen's character Charlie Goodson, an anger management therapist dealing with his own issues in that area.

Instead of casting a new nemesis for Charlie, the FX comedy has chosen to make further use of Green's character, Sean, the boyfriend of Charlie's ex-wife Jen (Shawnee Smith), who has appeared in three previous episodes.

Additionally, the show is looking for a female potential regular to replace Selma Blair, who left following a disagreement with Sheen that reportedly resulted in the actress being fired via text message.

Producers are reportedly seeking a "gorgeous, sexy Latina or Caucasian actress in her 30s or 40s" to play a fellow psychiatrist who will join the sex study research that Charlie and Blair's character Kate were working on before her exit.

According to THR, the new character is described thus: "if Charlie and Kate were like Sam and Diane on Cheers, then you are Rebecca. Tough, career driven, neurotic and you wear your heart on your sleeve. And you hate yourself for eventually becoming attracted to Charlie." The role is thought to be recurring with the possibility of transitioning to regular status.

Are you pleased with the prospect of more Green on "Anger Management"?

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Word to the wise: If your husband is ever cast in a movie opposite the world's hottest woman, encourage him to quit the business. It is widely rumored that Pitt's "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" co-star Angelina Jolie was the driving force behind his 2005 divorce from Jennifer Aniston. (Getty)

2004 certainly wasn't a "good thing" for Martha Stewart. The prim and proper do-it-yourself maven was found guilty of "conspiracy, obstruction of an agency proceeding, and making false statements to federal investigators" and sentenced to five months in jail. Plus side? We're sure that Martha had the swankest cell on the block. (Getty)

Heath Ledger's death was obviously shocking, but the "scandal factor" came into play in the fallout. It was discovered that the masseuse who found Ledger in a New York apartment didn't call 911 immediately, but first dialed Mary-Kate Olsen. (Getty)

In 2005, Michael was a court regular when he was accused of molesting a 13-year-old boy. Perhaps his case would have been helped if he didn't wear what looked like children's pajamas to his hearings. (Getty)

The media was certainly pumped up when it was revealed in 2011 that Arnold Schwarzenegger had fathered a love child with his family's housekeeper 14 years previously. What ensued was a split from wife Maria Shriver and one too many "Terminator" jokes. (Getty)

Just one year after her son Daniel died, in 2007 Anna Nicole Smith was found dead in a Florida hotel room. While Smith's death was shocking, the real scandal came with the custody battle over her baby girl, Dannielynn. Husband Howard K. Stern and former lover Larry Birkhead both went to court, fighting for sole custody. In the end, Birkhead, Dannielynn's biological father, won full custody. (Getty)

The world rushed to Rihanna's side in 2009 after reports surfaced that Rihanna was brutally beaten by her then-boyfriend Chris Brown. Brown ultimately pled guilty to felony assault and was sentenced to a hefty helping of community service and five years of probation.

Jesse James became public enemy No. 1 when in 2010 it was revealed that he cheated on his wife -- and America's sweetheart -- Sandra Bullock, with the tattoo-covered Michelle "Bombshell" McGee. #ClassAct (Getty)

In 2002, a sex tape involving R. Kelly and an underage girl emerged. Although the singer was indicted on 21 counts of child pornography, he was later acquitted. (Getty)

Kim and Kris caused quite the commotion when, in 2011, they divorced after just 72 days of marriage. Since their split, Kris revealed that their whole union was a sham -- though Kim still insists that she married for love. (Getty)

In 2006, Mel Gibson was pulled over for suspicion of DUI -- but that's not the headline that dominated news outlets. It was the anti-semitic, racist rant that occurred when he was with police that will follow him for the rest of his career. (Getty)

With more than a few DUIs under her belt, Lindsay Lohan hit the bad girl jackpot when she was charged with grand theft in 2011 for stealing a $2,500 necklace from a Venice, Calif., boutique -- just another tick on her growing wrap sheet. (Getty)

What started with a fender bender turned out to be the scandal of the year in 2009. Golf's golden boy Tiger Woods made headlines when it was revealed that golf wasn't the only game he was a pro at. Woods had a long list of mistresses -- who were more than chatty with the press -- that sent his wife, Elin Nordegren, packing with a hefty divorce settlement. (Getty)

Britney passed Crazy Town and kept driving when, in 2007, the pop princess stopped by a California hair salon -- to shave her own head. (Getty)

Paris Hilton was one of the first celebrities to find fame with a leaked sex tape. Now, we hardly bat an eyelash when a new sex tape hits the Internet, but in 2003 it was pretty scandalous. (Getty)

Thirsting for tiger blood and claiming that he had the power of a warlock, Charlie Sheen was off his rocker in 2011. With a "goddess" on his arm and a briefcase full of cocaine, Sheen was in his own world -- and clearly "winning." (Getty)

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Brian Cashman Challenges A-Rod To See Outside Doctor

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New York Yankees Alex Rodriguez reads a statement to the media along side Yankees general manager Brian Cashman after arriving at George Steinbrenner Field for spring training baseball in Tampa, Fla., Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2009. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

NEW YORK — Brian Cashman's expression said it all.

Every time Alex Rodriguez's name was mentioned Friday, the New York Yankees general manager appeared as if he might get sick.

The subject was the third baseman's claim that his left quadriceps really isn't injured, but it could have been any one several topics: Rodriguez's alleged performance-enhancing drug use, his pesky Twitter and radio appearances or his knack for creating tabloid headlines.

Cashman challenged A-Rod to have his leg examined by an outside doctor or perhaps even file a grievance, defending the team's medical and training staff and saying he wouldn't comment on "extra noise."

The third baseman detailed his frustration during a radio interview Thursday, just hours after team management said he wouldn't be ready to resume minor league rehab games until Aug. 1. Rodriguez wouldn't answer when asked whether he trusted the Yankees.

"The MRI is the MRI. It's fact. You can't change the results on an MRI," Cashman said before Friday's 10-6 loss to Tampa Bay in a homestand opener. "So, we're very comfortable with it, and if anybody wants to utilize the process in place with the union, go right ahead. It's not something we're afraid of."

Recovering from January hip surgery, Rodriguez is under investigation by Major League Baseball for his reported ties to a Florida clinic accused of distributing banned performance-enhancing drugs. A lengthy suspension appears likely.

Seemingly days away from rejoining the Yankees, he complained of leg pain last weekend, and the Yankees said an MRI on Sunday showed a quadriceps strain. An outside physician, Michael Gross, said Wednesday he looked at an MRI at Rodriguez's request – it's not clear when the MRI was taken – and could not detect an injury. Gross is not on baseball's list of doctors recommended for second opinions, and he admitted he never personally examined Rodriguez.

The Yankees responded angrily because Rodriguez didn't follow the procedure in baseball's labor contract, which requires him to provide written notice when a player wants a second medical opinion, and the team intends to discipline him – most likely with a fine.

Rodriguez did conditioning work Friday at the team's minor league complex in Tampa, Fla., a day ahead of his 38th birthday, and Cashman said the three-time MVP is on a schedule that could have him resume minor league games Aug. 1.

As Rodriguez's car was departing, a fan held a light-colored, oversized card above his head and saw the side that read: "Happy Birthday!" and had a cartoon-like drawing of a clown. Rodriguez went by quickly and wasn't around by the time the fan opened the card to reveal the side read: "From One Clown to Another."

When or whether he returns to the Yankees has become a daily drama.

"I think we all kind of want it to get behind us, no matter what it is, and once something happens or doesn't happen, then we can kind of deal with it then," injured first baseman Mark Teixeira said.

Cashman's careful answers sounded more like those of a White House press secretary rather than responses of a big league GM.

"I'm not going to comment really on the Alex stuff. Feel free to just reach out to Alex and ask him, because that's something that's hard to keep up with and follow," Cashman said. "So I can just provide you the facts, and that's what I'll continue to do. We're running a baseball team, and I will provide you with the most accurate information that I can provide on a daily basis about anybody and everybody who's either healthy on that field or hurt and what the current state of their medical condition is and their rehab."

Cashman praised outfielder Alfonso Soriano, acquired Friday from the Chicago Cubs for minor league right-hander Corey Black. His accolades for Soriano's attributes could be interpreted by some as criticism of what Rodriguez is not.

"Over the years, we used to be attracted to all types of players and all types of personalities. If they could play, that's all the mattered," Cashman said. "I do think with the evolution social media and the explosion of the Internet and ESPN, everything, that having high-character guys that work hard and get along with everybody and obviously you have talent to boot, clearly is important."

Given his team's offensive struggles, manager Joe Girardi said he would be happy to have Rodriguez back as quickly as possible.

"People follow him around a lot. I never really had to deal with that," Girardi said. "When I was in rehab, no one came to watch. They didn't care if I teed or tossed or anything."

NOTES: CC Sabathia allowed six runs in the second inning and seven runs over five innings in all. He is 0-3 with a 7.04 ERA in his last four starts, dropping to 9-9 on the season. "Left a fastball up, a couple sliders, a changeup up," Girardi said. "That was the problem in the second inning. He was up in the zone, and they didn't miss it." Sabathia became the only big league pitcher this year to give up seven runs or more in three straight outings and only the second Yankees pitcher since 1935, joining Chien-Ming Wang in April 2009. "If I can help us out, I feel like we would be doing a lot better. But getting no help from me is making it tough," Sabathia said. ... Soriano was 0 for 5 with an RBI grounder in a three-run ninth in his first game for the Yankees since 2003.

___

AP freelance writer Mark Didtler in Tampa contributed to this report.

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Dr. Brian Weiss' Daughter, Amy, Says Past-Life Regression Helped Heal Her Cataracts (VIDEO)

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As the daughter of past-life regression expert and "Miracles Happen" author Dr. Brian Weiss, social worker Amy Weiss says she had on more than one occasion attempted regression therapy to uncover who she may have been in another life. Yet, for her, none of the sessions had ever worked. So, when the then-25-year-old was diagnosed with cataracts that could eventually leave her blind, Amy says she certainly didn't expect one more past-life regression attempt to make much difference ... until it did.

In this clip from "Super Soul Sunday," Amy opens up about the past-life regression that changed her present life. One day, Dr. Weiss came to lead a past-life regression workshop at the hospital where his daughter was working and, with zero expectations, Amy figured it couldn't hurt to attend. "I decided I'll give it a try. I'll see if I can figure out the source of my cataracts," she recalls. "Regression therapy had never worked for me personally in the past, so I just went in thinking, 'Maybe I'll have a good nap.'"

Amy says she closed her eyes and heard Dr. Weiss instruct her to go back in time to when the symptoms first began. Rather than picturing herself as the young woman she was, Amy experienced something very different. "Immediately, I saw myself in the body of an old man with long white hair, living in the Middle Ages," Amy says.

This old man, she explains, lived a very solitary life inside a hut. "I was basically a hermit," Amy says of her past life. "But these townspeople thought I was a wizard and that I was doing evil."

The townspeople took action, storming the hut. "They came in with their torches and set fire to everything I owned," Amy says. "And the fire burned my eyes. It blinded me... I could feel his pain, and, so, that man just sunk into a deep depression."

Dr. Weiss then told his workshop attendees to go to the end of that life and hear what the message of that life was. "The message I heard was, 'Sadness clouds the eyes,'" Amy remembers. "For me, that had a double meaning, not just that I had been carrying the cataracts and the literal blindness from the past life, but... I had been carrying that man's sadness in the present life too."

After this regression, much to Amy's surprise, her doctors told her that her cataracts had disappeared. "There could be biological explanations for why my cataracts healed," she says. "But it doesn't really matter to me. What matters to me is that they were gone."

"Super Soul Sundays" airs at 11 a.m. ET on OWN.

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