Latest news with #Promises
Daily Mirror
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Robbie Williams displays worrying detail nobody's seen in iconic 90s photo
Robbie Williams' departure from Take That shocked his millions of fans, but a photo of the musician at Glastonbury taken just a few weeks earlier might've been the clue everyone missed In the summer of 1990, 16-year-old Robbie Williams was struggling through his GCSEs when his life changed forever. Selected as a recruit in new boyband Take That, he joined Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange and Mark Owen, with manager Nigel Martin-Smith believing they could be the British answer to New Kids on the Block. Robbie was the youngest, once calling himself the 'runt of the litter', while Mark had worked in a bank, Howard painted vehicles for a living, Jason was a decorator and Gary had been performing in clubs for years. 'As with many boybands, they all had their individual roles,' says BBC music correspondent Mark Savage. 'Gary was the songwriter, Mark was the heartthrob, Jason and Howard were the dancers and Robbie was the comedian. From the beginning, audiences loved his gregarious quick wit.' Despite a record deal with RCA, hopes of instant success were dashed when debut single Do What U Like limped to No82 in July 1991, and even its raunchy video, featuring the lads wrestling half-naked with jelly, failed to have the desired effect. Follow-ups Promises and Once You've Tasted Love also peaked at a lowly No38 and No47 respectively. 'They didn't really know what they were doing or who they were for,' recalls music writer Michael Cragg. 'It was a bit confused at first and, ultimately, the songs weren't good enough. It took a while for them to find a happy medium between the more upbeat stuff and ballads.' Robbie felt out of his depth from the start, and in last year's BBC documentary Boybands Forever, he admitted, 'I wanted to leave.' However, a breakthrough came in the summer of 1992, when the band's cover of It Only Takes A Minute reached No7. Subsequent singles I Found Heaven, A Million Love Songs and Could It Be Magic were also hits, and their debut album Take That And Party made it to No2 and remained in the charts for 18 months. From then on, there was no stopping the Take That juggernaut, and second album Everything Changes, released in October 1993, sold three million copies globally and spawned six hit singles. Four of them were consecutive UK No1s – Pray, Relight My Fire, Babe and the title track. By now, mass hysteria surrounded their every move and Robbie said at the time, 'It's been brilliant – girls following us everywhere.' But under the surface things were far from rosy, and he was finding the group's high-energy dance routines hard to master. 'I would have trouble picking up the steps which would make me look like I was being lazy,' he said in Boybands Forever. 'It made me feel like my place within the band was never safe.' He also told how he felt like the band's 'whipping boy', and as Michael says, 'It was a world he didn't know. After feeling like a failure at school, he was now being told he was failing in the band and that he could be replaced at any time. In that situation you're eventually going to rebel.' Riddled with insecurities, Robbie turned to drink and drugs as a coping strategy, sparking concerns among his bandmates and their management. 'Alcohol and drugs gave him a confidence he didn't otherwise have,' says the BBC's Mark. 'But being in the spotlight is hard enough to navigate as an adult, never mind as a teenager.' He persevered, and May 1995's album Nobody Else resulted in some of Take That's biggest hits, including Never Forget, which shot to No1 in more than 30 countries. However, Back For Good 's line, 'In the twist of separation, you excelled at being free', proved prophetic, as Robbie announced he was leaving the band that July – just weeks after partying at Glastonbury with Oasis. Calling his time in Take That a 'tremendous gift' that 'turned into a nightmare', he later explained his decision to quit to DJ Scott Mills, saying, 'I was in the middle of a nervous breakdown. My first of many.' Describing the situation as a 'computer overload', he stressed, 'I was new to the phenomenon of extreme fame.' Fans were heartbroken by Robbie's departure, and it threw Take That's future into disarray. Speaking on Nicky Byrne's podcast last October, Gary recalled, 'It left us four with not just a bit of what we had, but nothing… Record label dropped, no publishing, nothing.' With the band at crisis point, Mark Savage tells us, 'There's a magic and a chemistry in bands like Take That, but when you remove one element, it's like a house of cards and it can all fall apart. After Robbie left, something was missing. The band knew it, and fans did too.' Yet shockwaves still erupted when they confirmed in a press conference a few months later that they were splitting. 'Unfortunately the rumours are true,' said Gary in February 1996. 'From today Take That is no more.' The news caused such distress that the Samaritans set up a helpline, and some fans even went on hunger strike. The four spent the next few years pursuing solo ventures, but in 2005 they announced that they were reuniting. Singles like Patience, Shine and Greatest Day were monster hits, and in 2009 Robbie realised he wanted back in. He recorded the album Progress with them, saying, 'I wanted to vanquish the demons of the past, and I wanted to make it better for them and for me.' Amazingly, it became the second fastest-selling album in British history, with hit singles including The Flood and Kidz, and was accompanied by the sellout Progress Live tour in 2011. 'A lot of people didn't think it could happen, but it was something Robbie clearly wanted to do,' says author Michael. 'It wasn't like he needed the money, but it obviously felt right.' Soon after the tour, Robbie left for a second time – although this time Gary insisted 'it ended perfectly', and that he would be 'welcome back any time'. After Jason quit in 2014, Take That continued as a trio, and Robbie joined them in May 2020 for an online lockdown performance. Today, his relationship with his former bandmates is 'loving and jovial', and the script of his Better Man film was apparently altered after Gary was granted personal approval. The Boybands Forever series also showed that harmony now reigns, with Robbie calling Gary 'an incredibly dependable person' and adding, 'I've just got overwhelming amounts of admiration for the man.' We're so glad the bromance is alive and well.
New York Times
22-04-2025
- Science
- New York Times
A New Hotel Says It's ‘Carbon Positive.' Is That Hype or Reality?
One of the first things to catch your eye on entering the Populus hotel in downtown Denver is what looks like sheets of cowhide hanging above the restaurant's bar. But the art installation material is actually Reishi, a leathery material made from mycelium, a root-like structure found in fungus. It's just one of many elements at the new 265-room hotel (rates from $299) that are meant to evoke nature and underscore a broader mission to offer what the Populus bills as an exceptional level of sustainability. (A second, 120-room Populus with a similar approach will open in Seattle this spring.) In fact, the hotel, designed by the Chicago-based Studio Gang firm, claims it is the United States' first 'carbon-positive' hotel (meaning that it is supposed to sequester more carbon than it emits). It's a bold statement, but just one among a growing list of self-applied superlatives by other properties. Aruba's Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort, for example, calls itself 'the Caribbean's first and only certified carbon-neutral resort.' IHG Hotels and Resorts bills its new Voco Zeal Exeter Science Park in Exeter, England — with an exterior clad in electricity-generating vertical photovoltaic panels — as the brand's first net zero-carbon hotel. The Alohilani Resort in Honolulu says it is the 'first hotel in Hawaii to announce carbon neutral certification commitment.' The Populus's claims go a step further, said Joseph Romm, a senior research fellow at the University of Pennsylvania's Penn Center for Science, Sustainability and the Media, and author of 'The Hype About Hydrogen: False Promises and Real Solutions in the Race to Save the Climate.' The hotel, he said, 'has the chutzpah to claim they are being a net positive for the climate, which is a much stronger claim than neutral.' 'A hotel has a lot of impact on the environment,' said Jon Buerge, the president of Urban Villages, the Denver-based developer behind the Populus. He said his team didn't find many properties that they felt took a holistic approach to reducing environmental impact while also enhancing guests' experience. The hotel's design intends to mimic the experience of being inside a tree, from the 'forest floor' aesthetic of the ground level to the rooftop restaurant and deck with citywide views (the 'canopy'). Of course, the most environmentally conscious approach would have been to not build anything. But the hotel's prime location on an unused downtown lot means the site was unlikely to escape redevelopment. Amid a hospitality landscape in which many hotels have moved far beyond the simple bathroom-counter placard urging you to reuse your towel, how does the Populus measure up? It Begins With the Building The Populus's approach started at construction, with a concrete mix said to emit 30 percent less carbon dioxide than regular concrete. Repurposed elements are heavily relied on, including wood from an already felled cottonwood tree for the reception desk; beetle-kill pine for some walls and bed headboards; and snow fencing from Wyoming as decorative ceiling beams. The 365 glass-fiber-reinforced concrete panels on the hotel's exterior, inspired by the bark of aspen trees, help keep the building cool in summer and warm in winter. The hotel did not build a parking garage — instead it uses existing lots in the area for valet parking, and encourages public transit for guests. Measures like these, said Shivya Nath, who runs the consulting firm Climate Conscious Travel, help reduce a building's embodied carbon, or the carbon emitted by making, using and eventually disposing of materials like concrete, steel and insulation. According to the American Institute of Architects, almost 40 percent of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide result from construction materials, and embodied carbon makes up 11 percent of this total. Other measures used by the Populus include guest rooms that rely on durable textiles; carpeting made from recycled, biodegradable materials; and a biodigester that turns food waste from the hotel's Pasque and Stellar Jay restaurants into a nutrient-dense liquid, which is then mixed with compost to fertilize local fields. An online carbon dashboard tracks the hotel's emissions and offsets for curious guests. 'They have a lot of things in the right place,' said Ms. Nath. Carbon Offsets: How Effective Are They? The Populus also relies on carbon offsets, as do many other sustainability-focused hotels that compensate for at least part of their emissions by tree planting, for example, or purchasing renewable energy certificates (RECs). (A REC equates to one megawatt-hour of renewable power in environmental value.) With 20 properties worldwide, Florida-based 1 Hotels, for instance, contributes to reforestation projects through the Arbor Day Foundation and 'has also offset more than 46,000 metric tons of CO2 to date through independently verified carbon credits,' according to Elizabeth Traub, a hotel spokesperson. Room2's residence-style Chiswick in London works with a reforestation partner in Nicaragua. And the Alohilani Resort plants trees in Hawaii and buys additional offsets. Climate change experts have debunked the efficacy of most such measures. 'I don't know any company right now that is serious about climate change that still thinks tree planting is a legit offset,' said Mr. Romm. That's because the seedlings take time to grow into trees, which can then take years to fully absorb — and truly offset — carbon. Additionally, those trees are at risk of infestation and vulnerable to weather and wildfire. The Populus's own tree-planting efforts faced that kind of vulnerability. In 2022, when the hotel was being constructed, it paid for the planting of some 77,000 Engelmann spruce in Colorado in a partnership with the National Forest Foundation to replace trees wiped out by mountain pine beetles. Extreme weather killed 80 percent of the saplings. Mr. Buerge said the higher-than-expected death rate hasn't dissuaded his team from its belief in the program's ultimate efficacy in tipping the hotel's scale to carbon positive. The Populus aims to plant another 50,000 to 70,000 trees this year. The Need for Legislation Class action suits against companies making misleading environmental claims are increasing in the United States. California adopted a bill in 2023 that requires companies to disclose evidence for carbon neutrality and similar statements. In Europe, the legal system is paying close attention to the sustainability claims of businesses. 'Major companies have lost court cases in Europe in recent years for merely saying they are carbon neutral based on dubious offsets,' said Mr. Romm. Indeed, in Germany, hotels can no longer advertise that they are climate neutral without proof. And hotels throughout the European Union must comply with a new directive against greenwashing — overstating environmental claims — that will take effect next year. Perhaps a more accurate claim than carbon neutral is the one made by the Hotel Marcel in New Haven, Conn., which opened in 2022 in a retrofitted, 1960s, Marcel Breuer-designed building. The property calls itself America's first fossil-fuel-free hotel, thanks to more than 1,000 solar panels that help power the hotel's electric infrastructure. But some question environmental mitigation itself. Such steps are well-meaning but ultimately ineffective, according to Auden Schendler, the author of 'Terrible Beauty: Reckoning With Climate Change and Rediscovering Our Soul,' and the former senior vice president of sustainability for Aspen One, which oversees the Aspen Skiing Company. He argues that real sustainability comes with changes in governmental policy, not via the free market. 'These actions are voluntary and taken by sub 1 percent of the hotel industry,' Mr. Schendler said. 'They're inadequate.' To really address food waste, for instance, Mr. Schendler suggested that the Populus's operators argue for better waste legislation. 'People listen to businesses,' he said. In fact, Mr. Buerge said that he was a voting member of Denver's climate change task force, which put in place regulations that aim to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions in large buildings by 2040, and that he's currently on the city's sustainability council, working to improve electricity distribution, which would allow the Populus to go all electric. Others within the hospitality industry see value in individual mitigation. Amanda Ho, a co-founder of Regenerative Travel, a collection of independently owned, sustainably minded hotels, said, 'The private sector has more power in making change happen quickly. We'd be moving very slowly if we waited for government.' And what role does the traveler play? The best approach may be to appreciate the real sustainability measures hotels undertake, which can range from renewable energy and eliminating single-use items to local sourcing, without attributing as much to hyped-up marketing messages. At their best, hotels that emphasize sustainability may increase environmental awareness among guests. 'It's not just about building more efficiently and reducing our carbon footprint,' said Mr. Buerge of his hotel's mission. 'My hope is that someone leaves the Populus and says the natural world is pretty amazing and we need to protect it.' Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2025.
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tony Roberts, Broadway star and actor in Woody Allen films, dies
The Brief Tony Roberts, the Broadway actor who starred alongside Woody Allen in several of his films, has died. Tony Roberts, the Tony-nominated Broadway star who appeared in several Woody Allen movies, has died. He was 85. Roberts' daughter, actor Nicole Burley, confirmed his death to The New York Times. "I've never been particularly lucky at card games. I've never hit a jackpot. But I have been extremely lucky in life," he wrote in his memoir, "Do You Know Me?" "Unlike many of my pals, who didn't know what they wanted to become when they grew up, I knew I wanted to be an actor before I got to high school." Roberts had a genial stage personality perfect for musical comedy and he originated roles in such diverse Broadway musicals as "How Now, Dow Jones" (1967); "Sugar" (1972), an adaptation of the movie "Some Like It Hot," and "Victor/Victoria" (1995), in which he co-starred with Julie Andrews when she returned to Broadway in the stage version of her popular film. He also was in the campy, roller-disco "Xanadu" in 2007 and "The Royal Family" in 2009. RELATED: Music producer Irv Gotti dead at 54: reports Roberts also appeared on Broadway in the 1966 Woody Allen comedy "Don't Drink the Water," repeating his role in the film version, and in Allen's "Play It Again, Sam" (1969), for which he also made the movie. Other Allen films in which Roberts appeared were "Annie Hall" (1977), "Stardust Memories" (1980), "A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy" (1982), "Hannah and Her Sisters" (1986) and "Radio Days" (1987). Among his other movies were "Serpico" (1973) and "The Taking of Pelham One Two Three" (1974). He was nominated twice for a Tony Award — for "How Now, Dow Jones" and "Play It Again, Sam," when he was billed as Anthony Roberts. One of Roberts' biggest Broadway successes was Charles Busch's hit comedy "The Tale of the Allergist's Wife" (2000), in which he played the title character's husband. Roberts, who made his Broadway debut in 1962 in the short-lived "Something About a Soldier," also was a replacement in some of its longest-running hits including "Barefoot in the Park," "Promises, "Promises," "They're Playing Our Song," "Jerome Robbins' Broadway," "The Sisters Rosensweig" and the 1998 Roundabout Theatre Company revival of "Cabaret." In London, he starred with Betty Buckley in the West End production of "Promises, Promises," playing the Jack Lemmon role in this stage version of "The Apartment." Roberts' television credits include the short-lived series "The Four Seasons" (1984) and "The Lucie Arnaz Show" (1985) as well as guest spots on such well-known shows as "Murder, She Wrote" and "Law & Order." The backstory Roberts was born in New York on Oct. 22, 1939, the son of radio and television announcer Ken Roberts. "I was raised in the middle of a lot of actor talk," he told the AP in 1985. "My cousin was Everett Sloane, who was a very fine actor. My father's friends were mostly actors. I'm sure that in some way I needed to prove myself in their eyes." He attended the High School of Music and Art in New York and graduated from Northwestern University in Illinois. His marriage to Jennifer Lyons ended in divorce. He is survived by his daughter. The Source This report includes information from the Associated Press.
NBC News
08-02-2025
- Entertainment
- NBC News
Stage and film actor Tony Roberts, who often starred in Woody Allen movies, dies at 85
NEW YORK — Tony Roberts, a versatile, Tony Award-nominated theater performer at home in both plays and musicals and who appeared in several Woody Allen movies — often as Allen's best friend — has died. He was 85. Roberts' death was announced to The New York Times by his daughter, Nicole Burley. Roberts had a genial stage personality perfect for musical comedy and he originated roles in such diverse Broadway musicals as 'How Now, Dow Jones' (1967); 'Sugar' (1972), an adaptation of the movie 'Some Like It Hot,' and 'Victor/Victoria' (1995), in which he co-starred with Julie Andrews when she returned to Broadway in the stage version of her popular film. He also was in the campy, roller-disco 'Xanadu' in 2007 and 'The Royal Family' in 2009. 'I've never been particularly lucky at card games. I've never hit a jackpot. But I have been extremely lucky in life,' he write in his memoir, 'Do You Know Me?' 'Unlike many of my pals, who didn't know what they wanted to become when they grew up, I knew I wanted to be an actor before I got to high school.' Roberts also appeared on Broadway in the 1966 Woody Allen comedy 'Don't Drink the Water,' repeating his role in the film version, and in Allen's 'Play It Again, Sam' (1969), for which he also made the movie. Other Allen films in which Roberts appeared were 'Annie Hall' (1977), 'Stardust Memories' (1980), 'A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy' (1982), 'Hannah and Her Sisters' (1986) and 'Radio Days' (1987). 'Roberts' confident onscreen presence — not to mention his tall frame, broad shoulders and brown curly mane — was the perfect foil for Allen's various neurotic characters, making them more funny and enjoyable to watch,' The Jewish Daily Forward wrote in 2016. In Eric Lax's book 'Woody Allen: A Biography,' Roberts recalled a complicated scene in 'A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy' that Allen shot over and over — even after the film had been edited — to get his intended effect. 'When you go back to see (Allen's work) two, three, four times, you begin to see the amazing amount of art in it, that nothing is accidental,' Roberts said. Among his other movies were 'Serpico' (1973) and 'The Taking of Pelham One Two Three' (1974). He was nominated twice for a Tony Award — for 'How Now, Dow Jones' and 'Play It Again, Sam,' when he was billed as Anthony Roberts. One of Roberts' biggest Broadway successes was Charles Busch's hit comedy 'The Tale of the Allergist's Wife' (2000), in which he played the title character's husband. Roberts, who made his Broadway debut in 1962 in the short-lived 'Something About a Soldier,' also was a replacement in some of its longest-running hits including 'Barefoot in the Park,' 'Promises, 'Promises,' 'They're Playing Our Song,' 'Jerome Robbins' Broadway,' 'The Sisters Rosensweig' and the 1998 Roundabout Theatre Company revival of 'Cabaret.' 'I was lucky enough to get in on the last years of the Golden Age of Broadway. In that era there was a lot more going on that seemed to have high quality about it and great conviction,' he told Broadway World in 2015. In London, he starred with Betty Buckley in the West End production of 'Promises, Promises,' playing the Jack Lemmon role in this stage version of 'The Apartment.' Roberts' television credits include the short-lived series 'The Four Seasons' (1984) and 'The Lucie Arnaz Show' (1985) as well as guest spots on such well-known shows as 'Murder, She Wrote' and 'Law & Order.' Roberts was born in New York on Oct. 22, 1939, the son of radio and television announced Ken Roberts. 'I was raised in the middle of a lot of actor talk,' he told the AP in 1985. 'My cousin was Everett Sloane, who was a very fine actor. My father's friends were mostly actors. I'm sure that in some way I needed to prove myself in their eyes.' He attended the High School of Music and Art in New York and graduated from Northwestern University in Illinois. His marriage to Jennifer Lyons ended in divorce. He is survived by his daughter, the actor Nicole Burley. He first met Allen backstage when he was starring in 'Barefoot in the Park,' having replaced Robert Redford. Roberts had unsuccessfully auditioned four times for Allen's first Broadway play, 'Don't Drink the Water.' Seeing Roberts perform in 'Barefoot in the Park' convinced Allen that Roberts was worth casting. According to his memoir, Allen told him, 'You were great. How come you're such a lousy auditioner?'
CBS News
08-02-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Stage and film actor Tony Roberts, who often starred in Woody Allen movies, dies at 85
Tony Roberts, a versatile, Tony Award-nominated theater performer at home in both plays and musicals and who appeared in several Woody Allen movies — often as Allen's best friend — has died. He was 85. Roberts' death was announced to The New York Times by his daughter, Nicole Burley. Roberts had a genial stage personality perfect for musical comedy and he originated roles in such diverse Broadway musicals as "How Now, Dow Jones" (1967); "Sugar" (1972), an adaptation of the movie "Some Like It Hot," and "Victor/Victoria" (1995), in which he co-starred with Julie Andrews when she returned to Broadway in the stage version of her popular film. He also was in the campy, roller-disco "Xanadu" in 2007 and "The Royal Family" in 2009. "I've never been particularly lucky at card games. I've never hit a jackpot. But I have been extremely lucky in life," he write in his memoir, "Do You Know Me?" "Unlike many of my pals, who didn't know what they wanted to become when they grew up, I knew I wanted to be an actor before I got to high school." Roberts also appeared on Broadway in the 1966 Woody Allen comedy "Don't Drink the Water," repeating his role in the film version, and in Allen's "Play It Again, Sam" (1969), for which he also made the movie. Other Allen films in which Roberts appeared were "Annie Hall" (1977), "Stardust Memories" (1980), "A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy" (1982), "Hannah and Her Sisters" (1986) and "Radio Days" (1987). "Roberts' confident onscreen presence — not to mention his tall frame, broad shoulders and brown curly mane — was the perfect foil for Allen's various neurotic characters, making them more funny and enjoyable to watch," The Jewish Daily Forward wrote in 2016. In Eric Lax's book "Woody Allen: A Biography," Roberts recalled a complicated scene in "A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy" that Allen shot over and over — even after the film had been edited — to get his intended effect. "When you go back to see (Allen's work) two, three, four times, you begin to see the amazing amount of art in it, that nothing is accidental," Roberts said. Among his other movies were "Serpico" (1973) and "The Taking of Pelham One Two Three" (1974). He was nominated twice for a Tony Award — for "How Now, Dow Jones" and "Play It Again, Sam," when he was billed as Anthony Roberts. One of Roberts' biggest Broadway successes was Charles Busch's hit comedy "The Tale of the Allergist's Wife" (2000), in which he played the title character's husband. Roberts, who made his Broadway debut in 1962 in the short-lived "Something About a Soldier," also was a replacement in some of its longest-running hits including "Barefoot in the Park," "Promises, "Promises," "They're Playing Our Song," "Jerome Robbins' Broadway," "The Sisters Rosensweig" and the 1998 Roundabout Theatre Company revival of "Cabaret." "I was lucky enough to get in on the last years of the Golden Age of Broadway. In that era there was a lot more going on that seemed to have high quality about it and great conviction," he told Broadway World in 2015. In London, he starred with Betty Buckley in the West End production of "Promises, Promises," playing the Jack Lemmon role in this stage version of "The Apartment." Roberts' television credits include the short-lived series "The Four Seasons" (1984) and "The Lucie Arnaz Show" (1985) as well as guest spots on such well-known shows as "Murder, She Wrote" and "Law & Order." Roberts was born in New York on Oct. 22, 1939, the son of radio and television announced Ken Roberts. "I was raised in the middle of a lot of actor talk," he told the AP in 1985. "My cousin was Everett Sloane, who was a very fine actor. My father's friends were mostly actors. I'm sure that in some way I needed to prove myself in their eyes." He attended the High School of Music and Art in New York and graduated from Northwestern University in Illinois. His marriage to Jennifer Lyons ended in divorce. He is survived by his daughter, the actor Nicole Burley. He first met Allen backstage when he was starring in "Barefoot in the Park," having replaced Robert Redford. Roberts had unsuccessfully auditioned four times for Allen's first Broadway play, "Don't Drink the Water." Seeing Roberts perform in "Barefoot in the Park" convinced Allen that Roberts was worth casting. According to his memoir, Allen told him, "You were great. How come you're such a lousy auditioner?"
