"Mister Rogers" tribute canceled

It's probably not a beautiful day in the neighborhood for Michael Kinsell, who announced Thursday he's canceled a tribute to "Mister Rogers" that was to take place Sunday at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido.

Kinsell's announcement came after he was unable to deliver any of the celebrity performers that the show's advertising had promised.

The cancellation also followed complaints from the Public Broadcasting System and the production company representing Fred Rogers for attempting to link the event to them.

"I'm sure it's all over," Kinsell said in an e-mail to the North County Times on Thursday evening. "I'm so sorry for any trouble."

Kinsell also told the Current, a trade newspaper that covers public broadcasting, that the "event is in motion to be officially canceled. I am in the means of letting our staff know now. At this point I'm finished with this whole thing."

Kinsell had said he wanted to honor Rogers, who appeared on PBS for decades on the "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" show before passing away in 2003.

In his publicity for the show, Kinsell intimated that a host of celebrities such as Bette Midler, Dick Van Dyke, Bob Newhart and Eddie Murphy would attend his "gala" tribute.

The publicity also said Kinsell, who says he is 18, would be introduced as the next Mister Rogers and that he would present a $10,000 check to Family Communications Inc., the company that represents Rogers.

PBS objected to the suggestion he would be the next Mister Rogers and issued several letters telling him to stop making any reference to the network. Family Communications did the same, and said no one from the company or Rogers' family would attend the event.

One of the performers who was planning to attend, Mallory Lewis, daughter of the late Shari Lewis who was a famed puppeteer with Lamb Chop, said she was taken in by what she termed a gross misrepresentation by Kinsell. Mallory Lewis has been performing with Lamb Chop since shortly after her mother died about 10 years ago.

"Once it was established this was bogus, I was less than thrilled," Lewis said. "It sounded like a good cause, but trying to do something in someone else's name, when told not to, to raise money for yourself is just wrong."

Kinsell had said the fundraiser would benefit his Children's Media Foundation and help underwrite his attempt to produce a children's television show he calls "Michael's Enchanted Neighborhood."

Lewis said she had made arrangements to spend the weekend in the area, planned to take her son out of school and was looking forward to being introduced by Maria Shriver, the wife of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. She even wrote some special material to zing at the governor and the stars Kinsell had said would be in attendance.

"I thought how cool would this be and I would get a chance to meet Bette Midler," Lewis said. "But then I remembered she's performing in Vegas and I looked at her schedule and sure enough, she has a performance there that night."

The governor declined to attend the event when he received an invitation, and Maria Shriver also had no plans to attend, the governor's spokesman said Wednesday.

The only good coming out of the episode for her, Lewis said, is that she bought a new purse for the event and will keep it.

Kinsell's attorney and his publicist said earlier in the day that they were no longer associating themselves with him. Each said they began to realize some of what he was promising for the show Kinsell said he spent about $100,000 to produce would not be delivered.

The publicist, Lisa Jamal, said she spoke to arts center officials Thursday and told them they would not need to roll out the red carpet.

"I told them there aren't going to be any celebrities attending except some celebrity impersonators," Jamal said.

Arts center spokeswoman Teresa Ramirez said that people who purchased tickets for the 7 p.m. event that was to take place in the 1,523-seat main concert hall can obtain refunds.

"If any show cancels we refund all the ticket money," she said.

Tickets had been on sale for prices ranging from $75 to $300. On Wednesday, Kinsell set a flat ticket price of $100 per ticket and a fee of $150 for what he said would pay for the show and a dinner with unnamed celebrities.

Just one add, the frequency spectrum in studios is better captured than on a Graham Bell spectrum of possibly 500hz to 8khz.

from http://www.childrensheroaward.com/

"You are invited to celebrate the life of Mister Rogers on May 31, 2009, at the California Center for the Arts in Escondido, California.
During a live taping and concert, The Children’s Media Foundation will present the 2009 Children's Hero Award to Fred Rogers in recognition of 40 years of serving children as host of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.
Join a live studio audience along with special celebrity performers and impersonators for the taping of this ceremony and event."

"In addition to commemorating the life and legacy of Fred Rogers, celebrity guests and celebrity impersonating performers will be on hand to bid farewell to a staple of great American children's programming, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. As of 2009, the show that has ran on PBS for 40 years, will no longer air regularly."

Efan said:http://www.northcountytim...66d27c.txt

Giovanni777 said:

Wow. I was joking. I'm backing away very slowly...

Haha... this bucket of crow is going to taste delicious!
[Edited 5/29/09 11:33am]

BanishedBrian said:

LOL!

Re-reading this thread is funnay... it wasn't Prince people... and its not about vocal tone, frequency, or anything else. Listen to the dialect. That's not Prince's dialect. Listen to the long vowels and the way the 'n' sounds hang. Not him.

NuPwrSoul said:

Hmmm... I should have been suspicious when he said he loves to eat!

Not to sound cold or anything but I can't see Prince performing at a benefit for Mr Rogers. It's not to say that he wouldn't, it would definately be "a beautiful day in the neighborhood" if it's true and if it is, then wonderful but Prince and Mr Rogers? That's just sounds funny to me.

purplecam said:

I didn't realize this was Mr. Rogers of Mr. Rogers fame.

I had just assumed there was some famous Kingdom Hall leader named Mr. Rogers who was retiring in the SD area.

U been bamboozled, hoodwinked, took
If U thought that U could put me down
And not get a page in my book
U been bamboozled, hoodwinked, took
Tryin' 2 ball, U will fall
And never get a second look



I knew it wasn't Prince!

Folks... That article says that the guy organizing it was doing it on his own, without any official PBS involvement... shady, yes.

That doesn't mean that wasn't Prince on the radio.

It means that the event was a scam on everyone involved.

Actually, I wouldn't be surprised at all if Prince had something 2 do with uncovering it. He's very organized, and due diligence is very efficient within his camp.

If that was an impostor, then he's got a hell of a career ahead of him. I'm still betting it was Prince.
[Edited 5/29/09 12:19pm]

U been bamboozled, hoodwinked, took
If U thought that U could put me down
And not get a page in my book
U been bamboozled, hoodwinked, took
Tryin' 2 ball, U will fall
And never get a second look



I knew it wasn't Prince!

I'm going to hang in there with Gio for now and still say it's Prince, though my left nut is no longer available for bets.

If there was a Prince and Leno impersonator who were part of this scam, I'd think the Prince impersonator would have been someone who was more of an 80s-themed (i.e., stereotypical) Prince, catering more to the mainstream audience's leftover perception of Prince.

This guy was "totally" (lol) down with Prince's current persona (Jehovah, etc.). Even his discussion about people giving Bria a fair listen.

If you put a gun to my head, I'd vote that Leno and Prince got duped by the promoter (probably Jay first, and then he asked Prince to be involved last night, and that's how the interview got arranged).

If they were fakes, I'd think they would have been a little more aggressive about promoting the event as well. When the rest of the interview gets posted, I think it may be clearer but I still don't hear anything suspicious in the content of any of the answers or the way any of them are delivered.
[Edited 5/29/09 12:58pm]

Also... U all really think that if that was an impostor, that the site would still have it featured on their front page??

U don't think P would've found out by now, and had it removed?

Let's see if the Good Dr can clear THIS one up.

Stay tuned...

~G

squirrelgrease said:

That 2, but all it really takes is an accurate ear 4 a voice.

If I hear a voice once or twice, I'll remember it 4ever. My aural memory and acuteness is extreme, and it helps with my music. I have spoken with him once on the phone 4 about 15 minutes.

Are you going to try and rip him up if he says it's not him like you've done in the past?

Giovanni777 said:

Gio777, You're cute and all but you need to get your aural memory tuned up because that idiot was NOT Prince.

I repeat, NOT. "Yes totally". NOT NOT NOT.