To say that Keshas performance at the 2016 Billboard Music Awards on Sunday night had some advance publicity is a major understatement.
The singer,who for months has been embroiled in a legal battle with former mentor Dr. Lukein which she claims that he raped and psychologically abused her,was originally slated to perform a cover of Bob Dylans 1964 song It Aint Me, Babe during the show. But thenLuke --whose contract with the singer gives him veto power over certain performances --barred her from appearing for fear that she would use it as an opportunity to speak out against him. Then, after receiving assurances that she would not do that, he relented and allowed her to perform.
See the 2016 Billboard Music Awards Photos
"Keshas performance on the Billboard Music Awards was always approved, in good faith. Approval was only suspended when Kemosabe learned Kesha was to use the performance as a platform to discuss the litigation, a statement from Dr. Luke"s record labelreleased on Thursday reads. Now that Kemosabe has obtained assurances, that it is relying upon, from Kesha, her representatives and d**k Clark Productions that neither Kesha nor her supporters will use the performance as such a platform, the approval has been restored."
Owing to her standoff with Luke, the singer has become a sort of poster child for artists bound by contracts that give the label an unusual degree of control.
That complicated situation formed the backdrop for Sunday night"s performance, but Kesha, clad in what appeared to be aNudie suit, played it straight. Accompanied by Ben Folds and a violist, she delivering the song in a slow and stately manner, carefully enunciating the song"s kiss-off lyrics, showing off her vocal chops without overdoing it. The slow tempo allowed her to play gently and unostentatiously with the song"s melody and phrasing, putting a lift here, a pause there.She smiled gently at the end, raising her hands together in thanks for the standing ovation that followed.
No statements, no histrionics -- she let the music do the talking.
Sergio Garcia Great Golf Shots 2015 Players Championship
May 17, 2016 at 1:12 pm | Print View
CEDAR RAPIDS Sergio Garcia is a fine golfer, but was no match for Sean McCarty Monday.
The longtime head pro at Coralvilles Brown Deer Golf Club outscored Garcia and 73 other players in the U.S. Open local qualifier at the Cedar Rapids Country Club, and joined three other players in advancing to June 6 sectional qualifying that will determine spots for the June 16-10 Open in Oakmont, Pa.
OK, it wasnt THAT Sergio Garcia, not the winner of 28 professional tourneys globally. Instead, it was a junior on the St. Ambrose University mens golf team, who carded a 79 on the course that played at par-72 Monday.
A 79 wasnt too bad this day, with the course playing fast and firm and the greens slick, to say the least. McCarty got the fourth and final qualifying spot with a 75. He finished the round with a couple of unsatisfying pars and didnt believe it when he was told he might want to hang around the course a while to see if he finished in the top four.
I thought I had no prayer, McCarty said. Then I watched the scores come in, and wow.
This isnt McCartys first push at a U.S. Open berth. He said its got to be six times he has advanced out of a local qualifier to a sectional. In 2003, he made the Open field.
It seems like yesterday, McCarty said. That journey began with a local qualifier at the CRCC. Hes 43 now, and still has game.
I like to compete, he said.
When told he beat Sergio Garcia, McCarty said Thats hilarious. I beat Mickelson, too.
No, not Phil Mickelson. Matt Mickelson of Lamoni shot 79.
The other players who advanced Monday were Nate McCoy of Ankeny and Charlie Delsman of Hartland, Wis., who had 73s, and Aaron Krueger of Des Moines, who shot a 74.
Like McCarty, Krueger is a former University of Iowa golfer. McCarty was an All-American for the Hawkeyes in 1995. Krueger, the head pro at Des Moines Wakonda Club, graduated in 2003. Hes a young pup, McCarty said.
Ex-Hawkeyes Gene Elliott and Steven Ihm shot 76s.
Im very surprised, Krueger said about qualifying with his score. The golf course played incredibly hard today.
Krueger qualified for the PGA Championship in 2014. This is the first time he has advanced out of an Open local qualifier.
So what about this Sergio Garcia fellow? Like the famous one, he is from Spain. This Sergio left home to play on the mens golf team at Ashford University in Clinton, then transferred to St. Ambrose in Davenport after Ashford dropped its golf program.
He shot a 70 for St. Ambrose at Quad Cities TPC Deere Run in the second round of the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Championship, and was the tourneys runner-up. h**l play the same course with the Fighting Bees on May 24-27 in the NAIA National Championships.
He said came to Cedar Rapids for the experience of being able to say I played in a U.S. qualifier.
Even though I didnt play that well, I liked the course. It felt like I was playing in a U.S. Open.
Naturally, Garcia is often asked or teased about his name.
The first couple of holes, players always joke about it, he said. Its funny.
When I saw the tee times I said Hey! It sits in the back of your mind for a second, said Tanner Megal, assistant pro at CRCC and one of Garcias playing partners Monday.
Hes a real good player, too.
The amateur Sergio met the pro Sergio in 2010 at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in Akron, Ohio. The older Garcias manager noticed the boy when he saw he was wearing a Spanish flag on his clothing.
After the boy showed the manager an ID with his name on it, a meeting of the Sergio Garcias was arranged. The boy was the recipient of a hat, gloves and golf b***s from his namesake.
Hes a really nice guy, and a pretty good role model to follow, Garcia said.
But what else would you expect Sergio Garcia to say about Sergio Garcia?
Lukas Graham Talks Justin Bieber At Billboard Music Awards 2016
Aol.com Editors
May 22nd 2016 9:02PM
WORST: Kesha channeled Liberace and a bullfighter in an ornate purple suit with silver floral embroidery. Tassled shoes and a black bowtie confused the dizzying look even more --not to mention her wild, "70s-inspiredcoif.
(Photo by Frazer Harrison/BBMA2016/Getty Images for dcp)
BEST:We"re obsessed with Halsey"sfunky white gown with asymmetrical straps and fun, curlicue accents. Sexy cutouts and a deep V added a touch of s*x appeal to her unique gown.
(Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)
WORST: Lindsey Stirling looked washed out in a n**e gown with exposed boning and a drop-waist tulle skirt that cut her off.
(Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage)
BEST: Zendaya looked nearly n***d but totally sexy in a n**e high-waisted skirt and tiny bra top that harkened back to music awards of the past.Shiny, pin-straight locks completed her knockout look.
(Photo by Lester Cohen/BBMA2016/Getty Images for dcp)
WORST:TV personality Sibley Scoles donned a tacky sheer black dress with shiny gold beading that mimicked the look of lingerie. Her white furry clutch matched her frosty "do.
(Photo by Frazer Harrison/BBMA2016/Getty Images for dcp)
BEST: Ciara stunned in an ultra-sexy silver gown with a side b**b-revealing design and hip-high slit that left the majority of her profile exposed. Blunt bangs completed her disco era-inspiredensemble.
(Photo by Frazer Harrison/BBMA2016/Getty Images for dcp)
WORST: Demi Lovato looked matronly in a sheer lace tank tucked into wide-legged slacks and topped with a tweed blazer. Fingerless gloves didn"t do her any favors, either.
(Photo by Lester Cohen/BBMA2016/Getty Images for dcp)
BEST: "Empire" star Serayah McNeill threw it back to pop stars of years past in high-waisted silk pants and a sexy bandeau top.
(Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)
WORST: Recording artist Heather Russell donned a frumpy berry jumpsuit with dramatic wide legs. Peeptoe black booties and undone hair completed her slumpy look.
(Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)
BEST: Rihanna knocked it out of the park in a vintage-inspired brown minidress with accentuated soldiers and asymmetrical buttons and fun pumps with square metallic medallions. A messy bob with bangs and flawless makeup completed her incredible, totally unique look.
(Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage)
WORST:Renee Bargh rocked an itty-bitty minidress lam minidress that just looked cheap. A limp silver ruffle contributed to the major flop.
(Photo by Frazer Harrison/BBMA2016/Getty Images for dcp)
BEST: Keke Palmerlooked killer in a sexy latex dress that hugged her fit frame. Fun sandals and a topknot completed her knockout look.
(Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)
WORST:Jessica Alba looked a bit costume-ish in a lace turtleneck skater dress, thigh-high boots, thick eyeliner and a harsh topknot.
(Photo by Frazer Harrison/BBMA2016/Getty Images for dcp)
BEST: Heidi Klum wowed in a gorgeous asymmetrical creation with a sheer, checkerboard textile that flaunted her long legs. We love the mesh straps and lace hemline. A fresh blowout and whimsical bowtie sandals completed her gorgeous look.
(Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)
WORST: Model Meredith Mickelson donned a Elvis-esque jumpsuit with ruffled sleeves and flared pant legs.
(Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)
BEST: TV personality Lauren Elizabeth stunned inan easy, breezy white wrap dress with a plunging neckline, butterfly sleeves and leg-exposing slit. Strappy sandals and a flirty ponytail completed her pretty ensemble.
(Photo by Lester Cohen/BBMA2016/Getty Images for dcp)
WORST: Actress Laura Marano donned a strange one-sleeved white and blue minidress with a wild striped pattern and architectural accent panel.
(Photo by Frazer Harrison/BBMA2016/Getty Images for dcp)
BEST: Rebecca Romijn wowed in a tiny lace minidress and bombshell waves. Sexy lace-up sandals completed her stunning look.
(Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage)
WORST: Lindsey Vonn"s long locks and even longer legs stole the show, but we could have done without the loincloth-esque panel on her dress.
(Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)
BEST: Grace Helbig put her long legs on display in a tuxedo jacket-inspired minidress, edgy necklace and simple black flats.
(Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)
WORST: Internet personality Lauren Giraldo"s flimsysheer gownand edgy knee-high black sandals erred on the tacky side.
(Photo by Frazer Harrison/BBMA2016/Getty Images for dcp)
BEST: Mila Kunis looked absolutely adorable in a bulbous studded minidress that flaunted her toned gams. Flawless makeup and a chic topknot completed her delicatelook.
(Photo by Lester Cohen/BBMA2016/Getty Images for dcp)
WORST: Ashton Kutcher looked wild and extremely disheveledin a slouchy, soft linen suit tucked into combat boots.
(Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)
BEST: Nick Jonas looked very stylish in plaid slacks, a white T-shirt and navy moto jacket. Bright slip-on sneakers and an even brighter smile completed his chic ensemble.
(Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)
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The Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas was the perfect breeding ground for daring, fun and sexy styles. And while some stars like totally nabbed the spotlight on the red carpet, others took risks that just didn"t pay off.
Zendaya rocked one of the most memorable styles at the show. The actress looked nearly n***d but totally sexy in a n**e high-waisted skirt and tiny bra top that harkened back to music awards of the past. Shiny, pin-straight locks completed her knockout look.
SEE ALSO: All the red carpet arrivals at the 2016 Billboard Music Awards
Ciara definitely rocked the most buzzworthy gown of the night. The host stunned in an ultra-sexy silver gown with a side b**b-revealing design and hip-high slit that left the majority of her profile exposed. Blunt bangs completed her disco era-inspired ensemble.
Lindsey Stirling, on the other hand, looked washed out in a n**e gown with exposed boning and a drop-waist tulle skirt that cut her off. Demi Lovato also missed the mark in a sheer lace tank tucked into wide-legged slacks and topped with a matronly tweed blazer. We weren"t fans of her fingerless gloves, either.
More on AOL.com2016 Billboard Music Awards: Complete list of winners2016 Billboard Music Awards: Black rules the red carpetBritney Spears" 2016 Billboard Music Awards dress looks identical to her outfit 15 years ago
Top 5 moments at Roland Garros: Rafael Nadal"s matches
AP 12:36 p.m. EDT May 22, 2016
(Photo: The Associated Press)
PARIS (AP) The Latest on the French Open (all times local):
___
6:30 p.m.
Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic has closed out a comfortable 6-0, 6-2 win against Vitalia Diatchenko, getting back to the warmth of the locker room just as rain picked up again at the French Open and forced the cancellation of all remaining matches Sunday.
The runner-up to Serena Williams last year at Roland Garros made light work of the Russian ranked 210 spots below her.
Safarova didn"t let a mid-match rain delay of nearly three hours throw off her rhythm. The 11th seed closed out the first-round match as umpires on other courts were pulling players off court again for more rain.
Organizers announced that because players were sliding on the tramlines, it was too risky for them to continue and that play wouldn"t resume before Monday morning.
___
5:50 p.m.
Heavy showers have stopped and play has resumed under still overcast skies at the French Open.
The rain delay of nearly three hours has forced the postponement of matches that were scheduled for later Sunday, the tournament"s opening day.
But fifth-seeded Kei Nishikori of Japan is back on Court Philippe Chatrier, resuming his match against Simone Bolelli of Italy, with a 6-1, 5-4 lead.
Other matches that were interrupted mid-flow are also resuming. But all other matches on Sunday"s schedule that had yet to start are postponed.
___
3:50 p.m.
With an eye on the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, Serena and Venus Williams are entered in women"s doubles at the French Open their first Grand Slam tournament as a team since 2014.
In the doubles draw for Roland Garros, announced Sunday, the sisters will open against Jelena Ostapenko and Yulia Putintseva.
The Williams-Williams pairing has not appeared in a bracket at a major since the U.S. Open two years ago. They hadn"t played together anywhere since then until this month at the Italian Open, where they lost their first match.
The American siblings already have won three gold medals in doubles, at the 2000, 2008 and 2012 Summer Games. They also own 13 Grand Slam titles as a pair, most recently at Wimbledon in 2012.
___
3:10 p.m.
Play is being delayed on all courts at the French Open because of rain.
Among the matches in progress, fifth-seeded Kei Nishikori of Japan leads Simone Bolelli of Italy 6-1, 5-4 on Court Philippe Chatrier, and No. 23 Jack Sock of the United States leads Robin Haase of the Netherlands 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 2-1.
___
1:55 p.m.
Nick Kyrgios was warned by a French Open chair umpire for shouting at a ballkid to retrieve a towel, leading to a prolonged and angry monologue by the 21-year-old Australian.
Otherwise, the 17th-seeded Kyrgios did just fine in his first-round match Sunday.
Kyrgios wound up with a 7-6, (6), 7-6 (6), 6-4 victory over Marco Cecchinato, a 23-year-old Italian ranked 124th who has lost all four Grand Slam matches in his career.
In the first-set tiebreaker, umpire Carlos Ramos gave Kyrgios a code violation warning over the way the player called for a towel between points. That prompted a string of curse-filled arguments from Kyrgios.
___
1:40 p.m
Petra Kvitova is through to the second round of the French Open after battling more than 2 hours on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Danka Kovinic came close to creating the first upset of this year"s tournament but failed to build on her momentum when she served for the match in the deciding set.
She broke for a 5-4 lead after Kvitova hit three double faults but the two-time Wimbledon champion won the next three games to seal the match. The 10th-seeded Kvitova won 6-2, 4-6, 7-5.
___
12:50 a.m.
Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova is having trouble on Court Philippe Chatrier.
The 10th-seeded Czech looked in control after breaking Danka Kovinic twice to win the first set 6-2 but dropped the second 6-4.
Kovinic has never gone beyond the second round at any Grand Slam tournament while Kvitova"s best result at the French Open is a semifinalist spot back in 2012.
Earlier, 24th-seeded Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova became the first player to advance to the second round with a 6-2, 6-0 win over Sara Sorribes Tormo.
___
11:35 a.m.
Despite rain much of the morning, the French Open has started.
The forecast calls for showers on Sunday, but a break in the weather allowed two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova onto Court Philippe Chatrier to face 59th-ranked Danka Kovinic of Montenegro in a first-round match.
Other players scheduled to play on Day 1 of the clay-court tournament include 2014 U.S. Open runner-up Kei Nishikori, eighth-seeded Milos Raonic, and 2015 Wimbledon finalist Garbine Muguruza.
The French Open is the only Grand Slam tournament that begins on a Sunday.
About six months after the deadly attacks in Paris, heightened security at Roland Garros was noticeable, including extra bag checks and patdowns that led to longer-than-usual waits at the entrance gates.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Calvin Harris Reportedly Skips Medical Care After Bad Car Accident Click photo to enlarge
FILE - In this Oct. 24, 2015 file photo, Calvin Harris performs at the We Can Survive Concert at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. Harris is resting after he was involved in a car accident Friday, May 21, 2016 and sustained minor injuries. His publicist said Saturday that Harris was a passenger in a vehicle that was struck ?in a collision? in Los Angeles. Further details were not provided.(Photo by Rich Fury/Invision/AP,file)
NEW YORK (AP) Popular DJ-producer Calvin Harris is resting after he was involved in a car accident Friday night and sustained minor injuries.
His publicist said Saturday that Harris was a passenger in a vehicle that was struck "in a collision" in Los Angeles. He was examined by doctors at a hospital and released. Further details were not provided.
Harris canceled a performance in Las Vegas and a Saturday performance at the Hangout Festival in Gulf Shores, Alabama.?
Born Adam Richard Wiles, Harris is known for the electronic dance music hits "Summer," ""Sweet Nothing" and "We Found Love" with Rihanna.
MTV News | Kylie Jenner"s Sex Tape "Leak" & Harry Styles" Solo Career Dont be surprised if Kylie Jenner keeps really quiet about her split from Tyga. The teenager definitely wont be bashing her ex publicly, because he knows WAY too much about her and even has some major leverage in the form of the pairs alleged s*x tape!
Kylie Jenner, 18, is totally freaking out about whatTyga, 26, might tell or show the world now that theyre broken up! But whats worried the reality star the most is that she and Tyga allegedly have a s*x tapeand shes scared it could get into the wrong hands, HollywoodLife.com has EXCLUSIVELY learned. Yikes!
Tyga will not sign off on releasing it to the masses, but Kylie is scared that a s*x tape could get in the wrong persons hands with one of his buddies and they could put it online to embarrass her, an insider tellsHollywoodLife.com EXCLUSIVELY. She is freaking out that something like that will happen, especially if she starts bashing Tyga in any way. If the Kardashians bash him, it would open the door for something like that to happen. He has a lot of power right now.
As we previously reported, Kylie and Tyga split before the Met Ball on May 2, and even though they spent time together at the event, things were very tense. But the 18-year-old has been living life as normal at least on social media and we definitely shouldnt expect her or her family to say anything negative about the rapper.
Hes ready to talk about it all. Hes ready to do it through upcoming raps and he would also consider a book, an insider toldHollywoodLife.com EXCLUSIVELY. He knows a lot and he knows that everyone from Kris down is scared about what he could and would say. Theyre hoping he doesnt spill some major family secrets.
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This isnt the first time Kylie and Tyga have broken up, but it seems like this time it might be for good. The 26-year-old even took a hot new model to Mothers Day lunch with his mom, according toTMZ could he already be moving on?!
Stream music, completely unlimited and ad-free, RIGHT HERE
Meanwhile, Tygas ex and baby mama,Blac Chyna, 28, recently got engaged to Kylies brother,Rob Kardashian, 29, and now theyre expecting their first child together! Perhaps this tangled, complicated web is what drove Kylie and Tyga to their breaking point?!
Do you thinka Tyga and Kylie s*x tape would ever get leaked,HollywoodLifers?
Fat Joe, Remy Ma - All The Way Up ft. French Montana (Official Lyric Video)
Accidental president. Vietnam. Civil Rights Act. Bully. This is Lyndon B. Johnsons legacy, or at least how hes often remembered. New HBO film All the Way seeks to illuminate many sides of the man who stepped into the highest office in the land after John F. Kennedys assassination.
Bryan Cranston plays LBJ in the film, premiering on HBO tonight, following his Tony-winning turn as the president in All the Way on Broadway.
After hed already done extensive research and study of the plays text (itself thoroughly researched by playwright Robert Schenkkan), Cranston went on a second visit to the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum in Austin, TX, and thats where the person of LBJ really clicked for the actor.
The character is always outside of you until you hopefully allow it to seep in. Then it becomes a part of you, Cranston told HitFix.
He found something in the museum hed missed on his first visit: A letter from Jackie Kennedy to Johnson, dated November 26, 1963, four days after JFKs death. She thanks Johnson for always treating her well, for walking with the Kennedys three-year-old son at thefuneral, and for writing letters to the boys who had just lost their father.
That hit me like a ton of bricks, Cranston said of his realization that Johnson had written letters to the Kennedy children just a couple days after the shock and chaos of suddenly becoming head of state. The entire burden of being the president of the United States, and all that implies here he is, writing to two children. That was his emotional core. I was able to build from there. His emotional core was true desire and appreciation and concern for others. Yeah, it got muddied up with ambition and agenda and that sort of thing, and ego and politics. Everything is added to the soup [and] you forgot the original stock.
Cranston has been getting to know all the ingredients that madeLBJ for about four years now, both in what he said was daily discovery of the man during filming and, before that, in prep for the Broadway production that was staged in 2013. It was five years before that when Schenkkan began his own deep dive into life of LBJ when the Oregon Shakespeare Festival commissioned him to write a play for their program called American Revolutions. The line-up of new plays strives to do with American history and American writers what William Shakespeare did with English history.
Photo credit: Hilary Bronwyn Gayle/HBO
Alison Carey, director of OSFs American Revolutions program, told HitFix that Schenkkan, who also wrote the HBO films screenplay, has a very, very thorough approach to history but a remarkable capacity to essentialize it down to those most important moments that tell a story super effectively.
The Vietnam War, several pieces of civil rights legislation, enacting Medicare, and the act that created PBS and NPR are all part of LBJs time in office. All the Way focuses in on just some of that. The film begins with Kennedys assassination just the sounds of it while the opening credits appear onscreen:the cheers of the Dallas crowd, three gunshots, then those cheers turned to screams and takes the viewer through election night in 1964. It delves into LBJs campaign for the presidency and his calculated methods of persuasion to pass civil rights legislation without jeopardizing his campaign. There is one intense scene dealing with Vietnam, featuring somefraught but quick decision-making by Johnson and a clash with his eventual vice president Hubert Humphrey (played Bradley Whitford). More of the film deals with the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
A second play by Schenkkan, The Great Society, which also premiered at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, covers Johnsons first elected term.
Photo credit: Hilary Bronwyn Gayle/HBO
Constantly on display in the film is Cranstons portrayal of LBJs strategic approach, alternately bullying and beguiling, to get the Civil Rights Act of 1964passed. In one Oval Office scene, the president tells Martin Luther King, Jr. (Anthony Mackie)that hes taken the section protecting voting rights out of the bill. Were gonna take care of segregation and public accommodations first, the president says. The scene featuring that meeting was filmed on Mackies first day of shooting.
I dont know if [director] Jay Roach brilliantly did this or if it just happened, Mackie said of that scheduling that ended up being helpful to the two actors. That first opportunity with another actor is always hesitant. And you see that hesitance in the scene. But it works in the scene because thats how they were with each other in real life at that moment.
Mackie filmed All the Way last summer two weeks after wrapping shooting on Captain America: Civil War. His Avengers hero, Falcon, certainly doesnt have the same build as Dr. King. While Cranston spent more than two hours in the makeup chair each day of filming to become LBJ, Roach and Mackie decided to forego prosthetics and any kind of body suit in Mackies transformation into the civil rights activist.
I didnt want to disrespect him and his legacy by being the actor that tried to look like him instead of capturing his essence, Mackie explained during his phone call withHitFix while he was in a car taking him fromAtlantas airport to the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library for an All the Way screening and Q&A on Thursday.
A play launching political conversation
Events like that one in Atlanta are what Roach has thoroughly enjoyed in the process of promoting the film.
I like talking about a movie thats about something because you can extend the story beyond the boundaries of the actual film. You sort of hope thats what happens, that it triggers conversations, said Roach, who previously directed political dramas Recount and Game Change for HBO. He also directed Cranston in last years Trumbo, which earned the Breaking Badalum an Oscar nomination.
With the play premiering at OSF in an election year in 2012, and the film now debuting with another presidential election less than six months away, All the Ways creative team have watched the productions become part of political conversations. Parallels drawn between the civil rights movement and the unrest in Ferguson has further embedded All the Way and The Great Society in attention on #BlackLivesMatter. A 1964 campaign ad recently went viral for its uncanny relevance to the 2016 presidential campaign.
The play and now the film have definitely entered the national conversation about race and politics and presidential power, Schenkkan said. The issues about which we fight so stridently today have their origins in 1964. It doesn"t matter whether its budget deficits or immigration reform or race or institutionalized violence against black people, health care you can check them off the list one by one.
From stage to screen
Schenkkan and Roach, along with Steven Spielberg, whos an executive producer on the film, all agreed they werent simply going to shoot the play. They set out to make a cinematic telling of Johnsons first 11 months in office.
Cranston, not having to project to the 1445th seat in the back of the Neil Simon Theatre, could reveal different details about Johnsons emotional state in some moments where the camera comes in close, making this adaptation feel not at all like a play.
Some of those moments, Roach said, particularly the vulnerable moments,and also the threatening momentswhen he comes to Hubert Humphrey, one of my favorite moments, when he says, Cold comfort you are the cameras right there. Sometimes going smaller and closer and putting the audience almost too close you feel like it"s uncomfortably close can be very powerful.
Photo credit: Hilary Bronwyn Gayle/HBO
Among the changes Schenkkan made to All the Way in his screen adaptation was expanding the roles of Lady Bird Johnson and LBJs aide Walter Jenkins. The decision to give more screentime to the relationship between the president and the First Lady was in part born of LBJ experts responding to the play with the criticism that there wasnt enough of Lady Bird in it.
Then we got Melissa Leo [to play Lady Bird], and we just won the lottery as far as that goes, Schenkkan said.
Also a key setpiece that wasnt so doable onstage: LBJs Amphicar. The president was known to playa prank with the vehicle that looked like a car but also could travel on water. He would host friends and dignitaries at his Texas ranch, and hed take them for a drive, not telling them the car was amphibious. Then hed pretend to lose control of the car, and splash into the lake, and while everyone else was screaming, LBJ was cracking up.
Johnson driving his Amphicar in April 1965. Photo credit: LBJ Presidential Library
Schenkkan wrote that practical joke into the films script for a scene with Humphrey, and the production used a couple real Amphicars that Cranston learned to drive. In the scene, LBJ throws Humphrey off-guard with his crashing into the lake, and then the president springs on Humphrey his plan to have him be the floor manager of the bill for civil rights and, down the road, his running mate.
He needs Humphreys supportand by using this tactic it fits into the overall practice of manipulation affectionately known as the Johnson treatment or the Texas Twist, which was all about Johnson getting into somebodys physical space and upending them. Really putting them off balance to such a degree that he could then bend them to his will, Schenkkan said.
As for exactly how Schenkkan and the All the Way team got a meeting with HBO, that was in part thanks to the playwrights connection with Spielberg and the network after writing for the 2010 mini-series The Pacific. The journey from the Oregon Shakespeare Festival to New York was made when theater producer Jeffrey Richards optioned the play for a Broadway staging during the playsrun in Ashland, OR.
While OSFsCarey noted that Schenkkans skill with writing history-based plays lies in his ability to show that history isnt inevitable, that it takes certain people making certain decisions and taking specific actions to direct the course of history, in this case, it felt like actually going all the way to Broadway and then going on to some kind of screen adaptation was, in fact, inevitable, Carey said. I was delighted and not the least bit surprised that the play journeyed from OSF to HBO.
Lightening the mood
While All the Way (which takes its title from LBJs campaign slogan) certainly has its humorous moments, its largely a serious drama.
So in between takes, the cast found opportunities for moments of levity were a bunch of big goofs, Mackie said.
When the cameras stopped rolling, Cranston had great fun ad-libbing as LBJ against Frank Langellas Richard Nixon. (Langella had starred in Frost/Nixon, also taking a presidential character from stage to screen. In All the Way he plays Senator Richard Russell.) Whitford joined in too.
Bradley does an amazing Bill Clinton, but its like dirty Clinton. Everything he says is just dirty, and hes hilarious, Mackie recalled.
Cranston as LBJ in All the Way; Langella as Nixon in 2008"sFrost/Nixon.Photo credit: Hilary Bronwyn Gayle/HBO; Universal Pictures
Though Cranston began staying in character off-camera just for fun, he also found it helpfulto continually play with LBJs colorful way of speaking.
If you can get so comfortable with a character that you can ad lib in character, then you"ve got him, Cranston said. It was actually very beneficial. Something that you say might come out in the running of the scene, a look or a gesture or something that you can work out that you"ve discovered in the improv.
A sequel?
The Great Society picked up where All the Way left off for audiences at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and a handful of other theaters across the country. Its not clear yet whether Broadway and HBO will also continue LBJs story with Schenkkans companion script. The Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright told HitFix its certainly my hope that The Great Society will have a New York production. No official plans are in place to make that play into an HBO film.
As for whether Cranston would be up for reprising the role, he said, I have to just evaluate whether or not I have reached my fill of the character. I think I need to step away and see if I miss it.
HBOs All the Way premieres on the network tonight, Saturday, May 21, at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
