| 1. MADONNA'S BILLBOARD AWARDS PERFORMANCE COST $5 MILLION: Last night at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards, held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Madonna performed her new single, “Medellín,” live for the first time. The singer was joined on stage by collaborator Maluma, along with CGI effects and holograms of herself. The stage design also reportedly came with a hefty price tag. The Oprah Magazine: “During her performance—which reportedly cost $5 million—Madonna took inspiration from Colombia—her new single is named after the country’s capital, after all—by bringing some Latin American flair to the live act. Specifically, the performance began by Madonna lying beneath a fake garden that eventually took her to various locations like a city square and, at one point, the clouds…. If that weren’t enough, Latin heartthrob Maluma danced alongside Madonna for his reggaeton-infused lyrics as four—yes, four—CGI and holographic versions of Madonna tapped their feet to the choreography next to the duo, making for the ultimate 2019 optical illusion.” 2. ORGANIZED TOURS BANNED FROM STATUE OF LIBERTY AND ELLIS ISLAND: Two of New York’s most popular tourist attractions have become, well, too popular. An influx of tour groups visiting the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration has caused major congestion, resulting in obstructed traffic flow and safety concerns. So starting in mid-May, the National Park Service is banning organized tours from the statue’s outdoor observation deck and to the Ellis Island museum. The New York Times: “Michael Morgenthal, a tour guide and a member of Guides Association of New York City, an industry group, said the guides had asked park officials to adopt a reasonable code of conduct, among other possible solutions, instead of issuing a ban. ‘Instead, they just dropped the hammer on us,’ he said. ‘We think it’s an overreaction and it’s going to hurt the visitor experience.’” 3. WOODSTOCK 50 PRODUCTION COMPANY BACKS OUT: Just days after Woodstock 50’s financial backer, Dentsu-Aegis, announced that the festival was canceled, its production partner, Superfly, revealed it is no longer involved with the event, which was supposed to take place August 16-18 in Watkins Glen, New York. Woodstock 50 organizer Michael Lang, who co-founded the original Woodstock, has vowed to continue with the festival as planned. Rolling Stone: “‘The producers of the Woodstock 50th anniversary festival hired Superfly to leverage our expertise as veteran event producers to manage festival operations, a role that aligned with our mission of creating shared experiences that build community,’ a spokesperson for the company tells Rolling Stone. ‘Throughout our engagement our team provided counsel and recommendation on the necessary elements required to produce a safe and first-class experience. Following the decision of one of our clients, Dentsu, to cancel the event, we will no longer be participating in ongoing related activities.’” | 