Broadway fans still not warming up to Holmes

Courtney Hazlett The Scoop

One needs to look no further than the successes of “A Chorus Line” and “Spamalot” for proof that celebrities sell Broadway tickets, but in the case of “All My Sons,” that rule might not necessarily apply.

Ticket sales for the show, which stars Katie Holmes and Patrick Wilson, are thus far “definitely off from what the production hoped,” according to a source close to “Sons.” It’s hard to know what exactly is to blame.

“You can’t say it’s the economy,” says the source, “because there are shows, like ‘Mamma Mia’ that are selling out.” One possibility bandied about is that audiences are too nostalgic for Holmes’ “Dawson’s Creek” persona to clamor for tickets. “It’s not that Katie’s bad in the part. She’s good enough. The producers are just getting the feeling people still want to view Katie as sweet little Joey Potter.”

That said, Jackie Green, a publicist for “All My Sons,” says that chatter about tepid ticket sales and rumors of a shorter-than-expected run are entirely untrue. “That information is totally false. There is a healthy advance for the show, and there is no chance of the run being shortened,” says Green. “Sons” opens Oct. 16 and runs through Jan. 11.

Patrick Swayze staying healthy
Patrick Swayze is doing well, is still in Chicago filming his new A&E drama “The Beast” and doesn’t have to return to California for treatments for his pancreatic cancer until next month, reports Life & Style. The magazine caught up with the actor, who told the magazine, “I’m feeling good and doing everything that I need to do to stay healthy.

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“I don’t have to return to California until next month for my next round of treatments. ... Right now, I’m taking the medication as I am scheduled to take it.”

The actor is expected to continue shooting on location until November, but when he’s not on set, he says that he and his wife, Lisa, are taking it easy. “We have been walking our dogs and enjoying some of the restaurants,” Swayze told the mag. “Also, we stay in the hotel so I can rest for filming.”

Trump-McMahon deal not set
In the continuing saga of Ed McMahon’s foreclosure woes, this just in: Donald Trump might not be buying McMahon’s house and then leasing it back to him.

The L.A. Times reports that McMahon’s Beverly Hills property is in a “multiple offer situation.” The second buyer is remaining anonymous, and there’s no word as to whether his offer would be similar to Trump’s.

Weekend box office

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The coming weekend is a tough one to predict. Jason Stratham’s film “Death Race” is the only action flick to come out this week, and it opens in 2,531 theaters. Downside: it’s rated R, so the teen boy set who wants to watch a film with lots of stuff blowing up won’t be able to.

Instead, they’ll likely head to PG-13 flick “The House Bunny,” which centers around the story of a Playmate who gets evicted from the Playboy mansion. Deep stuff. For more family friendly fare, look to “The Longshots,” but since it has the smallest release of the week (a little more than 2,000 theaters) it won’t do well. Speaking of not doing well: Much as I love Rainn Wilson, I doubt “The Rocker” will do much business. It opened Wednesday, which will dilute sales, and is in no way big enough to dethrone “Tropic Thunder,” much less the weekend’s other new releases. So my pick: “Tropic Thunder,” “The House Bunny” and “Death Race” will be nearly a three-way tie, with “Bunny” hopping through the finish line first.

Courtney Hazlett delivers the Scoop Monday through Friday on msnbc.com.

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