Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Stiller, De Niro have a message for New Yorkers: Stay home!
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has gone straight to the people to spread his stay-at-home message — the famous people, that is.
“This is not life as usual. There is a density level in NYC that is destructive. It has to stop and it has to stop now. NYC must develop an immediate plan to reduce density. #StayAtHome,” Cuomo tweeted Sunday morning.
Video messages from Robert De Niro, Danny DeVito, Ben Stiller and La La Anthony followed, all tagged with New York state’s new slogan: “Stay home. Stop the spread. Save lives.”
The messages, aimed at stopping the spread of the coronavirus, were a reaction to situations in New York that were similar to the scenes at California’s beaches and parks over the weekend. Those gatherings, many of which failed to adhere to social distancing guidelines, resulted in the closure of trails, parks and beach parking lots.
In New York, Stiller addressed his fellow city dwellers on Cuomo’s behalf, saying, “We really have to all stay at home. It’s the only way we can stop the spread of this virus. And it’s only going to work if we all do it together.” He urged people to chill out, maybe watch movies or explore a new hobby.
Then he went back to practicing his new chainsaw-sculpting skills, which he finally had the time to learn.
De Niro, DeVito and Anthony all had similar messages, which included a plea to think about protecting other people from the coronavirus.
“Please. I’m watching you,” De Niro said, pointing two fingers at his own eyes and then at the camera lens.
Dibango dies in France:
Manu Dibango, 86, who fused African rhythms with funk to become one of the most influential musicians in world dance music, died Tuesday with the coronavirus, according to his music publisher.
The Cameroon-born saxophonist, who gained international fame with his 1972 song “Soul Makossa,” died in a hospital in the Paris region, Thierry Durepaire said. Dibango was hospitalized with an illness “linked to COVID-19,” his official Facebook page said last week.
Funeral services were to be “held in strict privacy” followed by a tribute
“when possible,” Tuesday’s announcement said.
O’Donnell’s show raises cash:
Rosie O’Donnell’s streaming Broadway charity show raised over $600,000 for virus victims. Sunday’s show featured Kristin Chenoweth singing “Taylor the Latte Boy,” Gavin Creel singing “You Matter to Me,” Darren Criss singing “Being Alive” and Gloria Estefan singing “There’s Always Tomorrow.” The special was streamed live on Broadway.com and its YouTube channel. The money went to the Actors Fund to help those suffering with the coronavirus.
March 25 birthdays:
Film critic Gene Shalit is 94. Singer Anita Bryant is 80. Musician Elton John is 73. Actress Marcia Cross is 58. Actress Sarah Jessica Parker is 55. Singer Katharine McPhee is 36. Comedian Chris Redd is 35. Rapper Big Sean is 32.