December 11, 2018: Oscars Consider Having No Host After Kevin Hart Scandal, Netflix to Release Fyre Festival Documentary, Kennedy Airport's Historic Terminal Will Have a Vongerichten Restaurant

1. OSCARS CONSIDER HAVING NO HOST AFTER KEVIN HART SCANDAL: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences is considering their options for who should host the 91st Oscars, in the wake of Kevin Hart stepping down as host for refusing to apologize for his homophobic tweets. The Academy has considered having no host at all, with multiple A-listers carrying the ceremony. Variety: "The Academy was blindsided by Hart’s announced departure Thursday night, according to two insiders. The Board of Governors will convene on Tuesday night at a previously-scheduled meeting where the matter will inevitably be discussed. 'They’re freaking out,' said a top comedy agent, speaking on the condition of anonymity. There were no contingency plans in place by the Academy or broadcaster ABC, according to another insider. The show’s producers are back to square one. Late night hosts might seem an obvious choice, given their national profiles and history with the show (think Jimmy Kimmel, Jon Stewart, and David Letterman). But the Academy is now said to be gun shy about going with anyone who might be too edgy, noted an industry source. Then again, going too safe could be fatal for the show’s record-low ratings—the telecast was watched by 25.6 million people in March, a 19 percent drop from the previous year. Another option being tossed around is not having any host at all, but rather 'a bunch of huge celebs, something "SNL" style, and buzzy people' to keep the show moving, the insiders said. A stunt like a group monologue was floated, one source added. ABC and the Academy did not return requests for comment on their search for a new host." https://bit.ly/2C3Pmmi

2. NETFLIX TO RELEASE FYRE FESTIVAL DOCUMENTARY: The chain of unfortunate events experienced by the attendees of last year's Fyre Festival is now the subject of a documentary, which will be released by Netflix in January. Deadline: "Smith, who directed Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond, connected with the organizers to tell a behind the scenes tale. Netflix will bow the doc on January 18. Created by Billy McFarland and Ja Rule, Fyre was promoted as a luxury music festival on a private island featuring bikini-clad supermodels, A-List musical performances, and posh amenities. The reality was far from the promises—boxed lunches, a tent city, and no music. McFarland was sentenced in October to six years in prison for fraud. Smith wrote and directed and produced with Vice Studios’ Danny Gabai and Jerry Media’s Mick Purzycki. Brett Kincaid, Max Pollack, Matthew Rowean, Gabrielle Bluestone, James Ohliger, and Elliot Tebele are executive producers. Netflix struck the deal with 30West. The deal comes as Hulu is planning a docuseries about the festival to stream sometime next year in a co-production with Cinemart, Billboard, and Mic." https://bit.ly/2GccV03

3. KENNEDY AIRPORT'S HISTORIC TERMINAL WILL HAVE A VONGERICHTEN RESTAURANT: Kennedy International Airport's historic T.W.A. terminal, which has been closed for 18 years, will have a restaurant and lounge run by chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten when it reopens. The New York Times: "Now it is being brought back to life as the lobby of the T.W.A. Hotel, to open this spring with a restaurant and a lounge run by the renowned chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, working with Tastes on the Fly, a company that specializes in airport food. 'It’s an exciting project; food in airports has been improving a lot,' said Mr. Vongerichten, a prolific restaurateur who, unlike many of his empire-building peers, has not opened an airport restaurant. The restaurant, with 200 seats, will have the same name as its predecessor in the original terminal: Paris Café. Next to it will be the Lisbon Lounge (another name from the original terminal), serving cocktails and food. 'We thought Jean-Georges was a perfect match for Paris Café because of his French background,' said Tyler Morse, the chief executive and managing partner of MCR and Morse Development, which is renovating the terminal and building the hotel. His companies also developed and run the High Line Hotel in Chelsea, as well as scores of properties across the country. Mr. Morse said they were researching T.W.A. in-flight menus from the 1950s and ’60s, and planned to bring back versions of some dishes, like chicken Champagne with truffles. Waiters and other personnel at the new restaurants will be dressed in outfits that echo what crew members wore at the dawn of the jet age, often bearing designer names like Valentino and Pierre Balmain. (Mr. Morse pointed out that before their industry was deregulated in 1978, airlines could not compete on price, only on service, so details like food, comfort and presentation counted.)" https://nyti.ms/2zRRZGd

* LOCAL NEWS *

AUSTIN:  The 54th annual Austin Trail of Lights, powered by H-E-B, runs nightly through December 23 in Zilker Park. The holiday event has more than 65 light displays. 

BOSTON:  AWH Partners LLC, a privately held real estate investment, development, and management firm—along with two other New York City investors—has acquired three Holiday Inn hotels in Boston: the Holiday Inn & Suites Boston-Peabody, Holiday Inn & Suites Marlborough, and Holiday Inn Boston-Dedham Hotel and Conference Center. 

LOS ANGELES:  Will Ferrell and Molly Shannon, playing their parody personalities Cord Hosenbeck and Tish Cattigan, will host Funny or Die’s coverage of the 2019 Rose Parade. The Hollywood Reporter: https://bit.ly/2EqYsvu

CBS Los Angeles: “A Los Angeles city councilman wants to require all movie theaters, large-scale entertainment venues, and other locations in the city to provide at least one vegan protein option in order to combat climate change. A motion introduced by Councilman Paul Koretz pointed to several studies which suggest a link between the meat and dairy industry and the environment, including a University of Oxford study that found if more people in the United States adopted plant-based eating it could cut greenhouse-gas emissions from food sources by 70 percent.” https://cbsloc.al/2Qyvv6L

For information on upcoming events in Los Angeles, visit Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/losangeles

MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA:  Miami Beach Botanical Garden will host Jingle and Mingle, an event to celebrate the holidays and introduce incoming board members, on December 19. 

RLH Corporation will open Hotel RL in Miami Beach in spring 2019. The oceanfront hotel will have 143 rooms and two onsite restaurants. 

NEW YORK:  The Soho Holiday Block Party will take place December 12. Showrooms including Aether, Anita Rogers Gallery, Bonobos, and Tom Dixon will offer complimentary drinks, discounts, and more. 

The Madison Square Garden Company has announced that Victoria Mink, the company’s current executive vice president of finance, will succeed Donna Coleman as executive vice president and chief financial officer. Coleman will retire on January 1 and stay with the company through March to help with the transition. 

For information on upcoming events in New York, visit Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/newyork

SAN FRANCISCO:  Resort at Squaw Creek in Lake Tahoe will complete a $2 million renovation of its lobby, meeting, and event spaces in January. The hotel has 33,000 square feet of indoor event space and 14,750 square feet of outdoor event space. 

WASHINGTON, D.C.:  Potomac Distilling Company, a new project from Todd Thrasher, has opened at the District Wharf. The venue features Tiki TNT, a three-story Polynesian-style tiki bar. 

CSG Creative, a marketing agency that specializes in associations and events, has appointed Boney Pandya associate director; Jess Schafer director of strategic accounts; Elle Lawrence account specialist; Madeline Gillin account executive; and Lara Lee digital designer. 

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With contributions from Claire Hoffman in Los Angeles and Beth Kormanik, Michele Laufik, and Ian Zelaya in New York.

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