Palin a hit on 'SNL'
If Sarah Palin can do for John McCain what she did for "Saturday Night Live," the Arizona Republican might win after all. McCain's running mate appeared on "Saturday Night Live" over the weekend, helping the show earn its highest rating in 14 years. (In March 1994, people tuned in to see assaulted figure skater Nancy Kerrigan host.) In this week's opening skit, Palin impersonator Tina Fey was answering questions at a news conference when the Alaska governor walked on stage. Fey beat a hasty retreat. Palin's guest shot was widely anticipated since Fey began imitating her a month ago. Although a complete audience estimate for the rest of the country won't be available until later in the week, it is likely to be around 14 million. McCain said he watched clips of the broadcast yesterday. "Did you catch Sarah Palin on 'SNL'?" he asked a crowd in Toledo, Ohio. Palin also appeared alongside Seth Meyers on "Weekend Update," but declined to perform a rap song that had been written for her. Amy Poehler "filled in" for Palin as actors dressed as Eskimos, Palin's husband, Todd, and a moose danced across the stage. "All the mavericks in the house, put your hands up," Poehler rapped, as a bopping Palin followed the instructions. "All the plumbers in the house, pull your pants up." (AP)
The crime thriller "Max Payne" was the No. 1 movie in United States and Canadian theaters over the weekend, taking in $18 million, according to estimates. "The Secret Life of Bees" opened in third place with $11.1 million, followed by "W.," Oliver Stone's biography of President George W. Bush," in fourth with $10.6 million. Starring Mark Wahlberg, "Max Payne" is based on the video game about a US Drug Enforcement Agency officer seeking revenge after his family is murdered. "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" dropped to second place from first. The film about a pampered dog lost in Mexico has taken in $69.1 million since it was released Oct. 3. (AP)
Liza Minnelli will return to Broadway in December for the first time in nearly a decade to do a two-week run of "Liza's at the Palace." Minnelli will play the legendary vaudeville house Dec. 3-14, producer John Scher announced yesterday. She'll be accompanied by pianist-musical supervisor Billy Stritch, a 12-piece orchestra and four dancer-singers. The show will feature some of Minnelli's best-known songs, particularly numbers such as "Cabaret," "Maybe This Time," and "New York, New York," all written by John Kander and Fred Ebb. (AP) 