STAR TRACKIN'

(National Music Notes)

by Ernie Thomas

 BBMAK GETS SOAPED...

    The talented trio of Brit-boys - Christian, Steve and Mark - best known
to teenage girls worldwide as BBMAK, jetted into Chicago a few weeks ago to
give a special live performance at Disney Quest and to chat with Midwest
Beat's teen columnist Sarah Lounges.

   While hanging at the Hilton Hotel, the lads chatted with Sarah about their
new Hollywood Records release (shipping May 16), their upcoming U.S. tour
supporting Britney Spears, and their adventures in America. One such
adventure was taping three episodes last month of the popular daytime drama,
"All My Children". Those shows are set to air on May 16-18. Watch for Sarah's
BBMAK interview to appear in the June issue of Midwest Beat.

A TELEVISION TAKE OVER...

    A lot of celebs favored by young America will be splashing their faces
all over television this month...

.   Teenage heart-throb Britney Spears will give a promotional boost to her
new album and her upcoming U.S. summer tour, when she doubles as both the
host and the musical guest  on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" on May 13th.

.   Sugar Ray singer and sometime Madonna boy-toy, Mark McGrath, will
reportedly invades America's living rooms and play a psych resident on the
May 11th episode of NBC's hit series, "ER".

.  Jessica Simpson and Jason Raize, star of Broadway's "Lion King", have
taped an "In Concert" special for The Disney Channel which is expected to
premier on the channel in June. In addition to the concert footage, the
special will include behind-the-scenes footage of the two visiting Disneyland
and other Los Angeles attractions.

RADIOACTIVE SPIDER TO BITE LEO?

    Hot on the heels of the recent silver screen adaptation of Marvel Comics
"X-Men", comes news that Peter Parker's bolder alter-ego will likewise be
going Hollywood soon. 

    Production is expected to begin later this year on Sam Raimi's upcoming
film, "Spiderman".  The scariest thing about this the whole deal is that
Leonardo DiCaprio is said to among the top contenders for the lead role. 
Others being considered include: Heath Ledger, Wes Bentley, Chris Klein,
Tobey Maguire, and Ewan McGregor.  Tobey Maguire seems as Peter Parker-ish as
one can get...

.   MTV Films reportedly has plans to soon begin pre-production work on
"Alice", a contemporary musical adaptation of the classic children's
story,"Alice In Wonderland".  Britney Spears is rumored as being top choice
for the title role. With a new album and tour to keep her busy, when will she
find time to go romp with rabbit down a hole?

.  We knew it was only a matter of time until those record-breaking
hit-makers, 'N Sync, would set their sites on the silver screen. The industry
buzz says that 'N Sync will announce a "huge" film project next month at
Cannes, which will shoot for a release around Christmas 2001. 

   Will they still be a hot ticket by then?  Look what happened to "Spice
World" which hit the screens after the Brit-babes had cooled waaaaaaay down.

.   Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit will direct "Runt", a high school drama about a
picked-on student seeking revenge on his tormentors. Durst is being mentored
for his directorial debut by veteran, David Fincher.

JUST "MALL"-VALOUS!

    Youngstown - Dallas, D.C. and Sammy - graciously shared a little taste of
insanity with Midwest Beat publisher Tom Lounges and his daughter Sarah last
month.  The Ohio-based teen sensations invited our staffers to join them at
Spring Hill Shopping Mall in suburban Dundee,  their Chicagoland stop on the
Hollywood recording act's Kodak-sponsored mall tour.

    Nearly two thousand screaming, crying and fainting fans turned out to
greet the boys for a 30-minute live music set and a nearly three hour of
autograph signing.

    When it came for them to exit the secured area, Dallas told the Lounges
to huddle with them as police formed a human shield around them.  "It was
like old television clips about Beatlemania," mused Tom Lounges.  "As we
jogged through the mall girls were screaming and hands were grabbing at us. 
It rocked!" 

    After being escorted through the cramped passages behind the stores and
through the back of a restaurant's kitchen, the battle-weary collective of
pop stars and music scribes found solace in a private dining room. 
Youngstown will return to Chicago in early August for a full concert date.  

   Want more info on that appearance?  Then be sure to read Sarah Lounges'
Youngstown interview in our July issue. 

.   While hanging out backstage at the Rosemont Theatre with Nobody's Angel
after they opened for A.J. McLean on the April 4 "Save The Music" tour
sponsored by VH-1, we learned that the girls will return to the area this
month!  

    These high-flyin' Angels will be back to rock the house at the Stratford
Square Mall in Orland Park, Illinois on May 27.  The gals - Sarah, Amy Sue,
Stacey and Ali - will give their fans a live 30-minute song and dance set and
then do what girls to best, hang out at the mall with a few thousand of their
closest friends.

.   Also currently in the midst of a U.S. shopping mall tour is Sweden's
A*Teens, who will soon be hooking up on tour with teen queen Britney Spears
from July 19th to August 14th.  The A*Teens' newest Abba cover song is
"Dancing Queen."  Do we really need a teenage ABBA tribute band?  Wasn't
living through the real ABBA painful enough?   

A HIT-FILLED SUMMER!

   Three talented teenage sistas from the UK called Cleopatra - made their
mark in America last year with their debut disc, Comin 'Atcha. 

   During the course of supporting that project, the girls gained a high
profile via their Disney Channel special, "Cleopatra In Concert".  They also
opened for the Spice Girls at Wembley Stadium and they flirted with Jay Leno
on "The Tonight Show." 

   Cleopatra's sophomore CD for Madonna's Maverick Records imprint, Steppin'
Up, is one of this summer's most anticipated teen music releases.  Set to
ship later this summer, the CD features tracks produced by the likes of Jimmy
Jam & Terry Lewis, and Daryl Simmons.

 .   The newest signee to the growing Maverick stable is Innercorse, a
Michigan-based band whose members are all under the legal drinking age.  The
five-piece outfit is in the studio as you read this, rolling tape with
producer Dave Jerden (Jane's Addiction) for their label debut, expected in
August.

AGUILERA WARMS UP IN THE REGION!

    N.W. Indiana residents would have to either be living under a rock or
else not have teens in their house to be unaware that Grammy-winning teen
thrush, Christina Aguilera, is coming to Merrillville's Star Plaza Theatre on
July 4.  It's been the buzz of the region for the last few weeks...

    The MTV "it" girl obviously felt the Star Plaza was a good place to warm
up before a live audience while preparing to launch her 35-city summer tour,
sponsored by Sears and Levi's. The tour kicks off on July 31st in Kansas City
and will wrap up in mid-October on the West Coast.  

   Those "Say My Name" singin' sistas - Destiny's Child - will open most of
the dates once Aguilera's official summer tour begins.  As part of the
sponsorship, Sears will be offering merchandise from the singer in
specially-themed areas.     
 
   That's all the news for now!