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By: Susan Harrow
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The phone rings. You hear an authoritative voice say, *Hello, I’m the producer of…Good Morning America or Oprah, or Larry King Live* or any other top talk show, you name it. This is your big moment, the break you’ve been waiting for. After you catch your breath what do you do?

Producers make an instant assessment of you in thirty seconds–or less. When you get that coveted call from a producer, you aren’t just *talking* to him: you’re auditioning. You are being screened to be accepted or eliminated as a guest on their show. How can you pass the audition?

Secret #1: Ask Before You Speak

Before you even open your mouth to start pitching yourself and your story to the producer, ask them a simple question: *Can you tell me a little bit about the kind of show you envision?* In other words, ask the producer the angle he is planning to take.

Doing so has two advantages. First, it gives you a moment to overcome the shock and to collect your thoughts.

Second, once you hear the producer’s reply, you can gear your pitch to the type of information he’s seeking. Listen closely to the angle that he’s interested in and tailor your points to it. Publicists often use this technique to get their clients booked on shows. They *get* before they *give* – so they are in a good position to tell only the most pertinent information about their client.

Secret #2: Wow the Producers with Brevity

Follow the advice of jazz musician Dizzy Gillespie: *It’s not how much you play. It’s how much you leave out.* Keep your list of talking points by the phone when you call a producer (or a producer calls you), so you’ll be succinct. You will already have rehearsed your points so that they’ll sound natural and inviting. Be prepared with several different angles or pitches, different ways to slant your information. *Nobody gets on these shows without a pre- interview,* says publicist Leslie Rossman. *Be a great interview but don’t worry about the product you want to sell them because if you’re a great guest and you make great TV, they’ll want you.*

And keep in mind the words of Robert Frost: *Half the world is composed of people who have something to say and can’t, and the other half who have nothing to say and keep on saying it.*

Secret #3: Prove You’re Not a Nutcase

If you area nutcase on the air, the producer will lose their job. What constitutes a nutcase? You may think it’s a positive trait to be enthusiastic (and it is), but anyone who is overly zealous about his passion is considered a nut. Best-selling author and screenwriter Richard Price talks about this phenomenon as *The dangerous thrill of goodness.* He says, *What happens is you can get very excited by your own power to do good.* Don’t get carried away by this thrill.

One way to tell if you’re being too zealous is that you’re hammering your point at top speed with the energy of a locomotive pulling that toot lever non-stop. I remember a man calling me up about how he was single-handedly taking on Starbucks – who, he felt, had done him wrong. He wanted me to promote his cause. While this could have been a great David versus Goliath type story, he was long on emotion and short on facts. Some statistics or figures would have tempered his mania.

But he also never checked in with me to see if he had my interest. By talking loudly and barely pausing for a breath, he appeared to be a man who wouldn’t take direction well. His single-mindedness was off- putting, not engaging.

When you’re talking to a producer speak for 30 seconds or so and then check in by asking, *Is this the kind of information you’re looking for?* Listen for other verbal cues, such as encouraging grunts, or *uh huhs.*

Secret #4: Can You Mark *The Big Point?*

Contributors to the popular radio show *This American Life,* hosted by Ira Glass, have taken to calling the wrap-up epiphany at the end of a story, *The Big Point.* This is the moment that the narrator gives his perspective on the story in an attempt to elevate it from the mundane to the universal.

Another radio personality, Garrison Keillor, is a master at it. He tells long, rambling stories (not good advice for you), then ties up all the story strands in a coherent and satisfying way. As a great guest, you want to illuminate your story with a big standout point that helps the audience see the significance of your story in their world and the world at large. Rather than hitting them over the head with a two-by-four, you want to share your insights with a feather-like touch. By framing your story you alert the producer to the fact that you’re a thinker and can contribute great insights and clarity to a story thus increasing its appeal.

Harrow’s clients have appeared on Oprah, 60 Minutes, GMA, 20/20, Larry King Live, E!, CNN, MSN, and in TIME, USA Today, Parade, People, O, NY Times, Wall Street Journal, and Inc. Don’t miss your chance to appear on the top TV talk shows. Discover what it takes to make the cut when you get that coveted call from the producer: www.prsecrets.com

LILONGWE, Malawi – Madonna toured an impoverished village and discussed plans Sunday for building a new school in Malawi, the central African nation where officials said she would begin proceedings this week to adopt a young girl.

Madonna, casually dressed with a white fedora, walked through the village of Chinkhota holding the hand of her 12-year-old daughter, Lourdes. Dozens of reporters looked on.

The 50-year-old pop star refused to answer questions about reports that she was in Malawi to adopt a four-year-old girl. She said it was “amazing” to be back in the country where she runs a charity organization and from where she adopted her son David, 3, last year.

Then she rushed away in a convoy of at least three sport utility vehicles, as crowds of shouting, waving children ran after her.

A security guard with the convoy said Madonna was speaking to villagers about building a school there, and she was seen looking at an artist’s impression of the proposed building. Hours earlier, Madonna landed at the airport in the capital of Lilongwe.

Madonna was expected to appear Monday in court in Lilongwe to sign adoption papers.

A Malawian welfare official and another person involved in the adoption proceedings have said the girl Madonna is hoping to adopt is about 4 years old and her unmarried mother died soon after she was born. The girl’s father is believed to be alive but no other details were available. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the case is considered sensitive.

A U.S. government official has also confirmed that an adoption bid by Madonna, an American, was under way.

Madonna has faced harsh criticism for years over David’s adoption. Children’s advocacy groups accused her of wielding her immense wealth and influence to circumvent Malawian law requiring an 18- to 24-month assessment period before adoption.

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NEW YORK – Adam Lambert showed his softer side on “American Idol,” earning a standing ovation for his smooth performance of “The Tracks of My Tears.”

Guest mentor Smokey Robinson, who originally performed the classic song with the Miracles, rose to his feet after watching the 26-year-old theater actor hit all the right notes during Wednesday’s Motown-themed installment of the “Fox” singing competition.

Lambert, who’s from Los Angeles, ditched his rocker duds for a sleek silver suit and smoothed his black hair back into an Elvis-style pompadour.

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NEW YORK – Robin Williams was recovering at the Cleveland Clinic after heart surgery that his doctors deemed successful, his publicists said Monday.

The 57-year-old actor had an operation to replace an aortic valve on March 13, publicists Mara Buxbaum and Chris Kanarick said. He was expected to make a complete recovery in the next eight weeks.

“His heart is strong and he will have normal heart function in the coming weeks with no limitations on what he’ll be able to do,” said Dr. A. Marc Gillinov, a cardiothoracic surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic. “A couple of hours after surgery, he was entertaining the medical team and making us all laugh.”

Williams was initially treated at the University of Miami Hospital before being transferred to Cleveland. He had been in Florida earlier this month when he was forced to cancel the remainder of his one-man comedy show, “Weapons of Self-Destruction,” after experiencing shortness of breath.

Williams, whose sold-out, multi-city tour is expected to resume in the fall, thanked staff at both hospitals.

“I can’t thank them enough for their kindness and dedication while I was in their care,” he said in a statement. “I must also thank all the people who have expressed their love and concern for me. I have been deeply touched by their support.”

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NEW YORK – A mahogany casket bearing Natasha Richardson’s body has been taken from the Manhattan townhouse where screen and stage stars gathered to pay their respects.

The Daily News says the actress’ casket was driven later Saturday to the upstate New York country home where she married Liam Neeson in 1994. It is in a stretch of hills and horse farms in Millbrook, about 90 miles north of New York City.

There has been no official word on a funeral, but reports have suggested one is planned Sunday in Millbrook.

The 45-year-old Richardson died Wednesday at a New York hospital after a skiing accident in Canada.

Neeson greeted a stream of celebrity mourners Friday at the American Irish Historical Society in Manhattan.

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NEW YORK – As a steady stream of celebrities pay their last respects to Natasha Richardson, questions are arising over whether a medical helicopter might have been able to save the ailing actress.

The province of Quebec lacks a medical helicopter system, common in the United States and other parts of Canada, to airlift stricken patients to major trauma centers. Montreal’s top head trauma doctor said Friday that may have played a role in Richardson’s death.

“It’s impossible for me to comment specifically about her case, but what I could say is … driving to Mont Tremblant from the city (Montreal) is a 2 1/2-hour trip, and the closest trauma center is in the city. Our system isn’t set up for traumas and doesn’t match what’s available in other Canadian cities, let alone in the States,” said Tarek Razek, director of trauma services for the McGill University Health Centre, which represents six of Montreal’s hospitals.

While Richardson’s initial refusal of medical treatment cost her two hours, she also had to be driven to two hospitals. She didn’t arrive at a specialized hospital in Montreal until about four hours after the second 911 call from her hotel room at the Mont Tremblant resort, according to a timeline published by Canada’s The Globe and Mail newspaper.

Not being airlifted directly to a trauma center could have cost Richardson crucial moments, Razek said.

“A helicopter is obviously the fastest way to get from Point A to Point B,” he said.

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britney_spears

Britney Spears will be gracing Glamour magazine in it’s January issue. The pop princess also spoke to the magazine about her life these days, saying she is stronger and more focused than she has been in some time.
GLAMOUR: OK, the VMAs. Three awards, that standing ovation. How did it feel?

Britney Spears: It was awesome. It was really cool.

GLAMOUR: What was going through your head while you were standing onstage?

BS: This whole year has been a hell of a year for me. I have been working so hard on my album, but…I didn’t know exactly where I stood with everyone. When I received the awards and [the audience] stood for me, it showed me how much love is out there.
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Los Angeles – Matthew Fox won’t make another TV show when Lost ends.

The actor – who plays Dr Jack Shephard in the cult US series – believes his small-screen career will be over when the programme finishes at the end of season six next year.

He said: “I’m pretty sure that will be the last television thing that I will do.”

Matthew believes his character has become a firm favourite with fans of the show because he isn’t perfect.

He explained: “We didn’t want Jack to be a classic archetype of a hero, riding in to save the day. People aren’t that way. People have flaws and heroism comes from rising above those flaws.”

Matthew admits his dream role would be to play Steve McQueen in a biopic.

He said: “Steve McQueen was pretty f**king cool. He was an action guy and a man of few words and he liked his roles like that.”

NEW YORK – Tony-winning actress Natasha Richardson, part of the Redgrave dynasty of British actors, was flown to New York on Tuesday after apparently being injured – perhaps seriously – in a skiing accident.

Varying reports swirled about her condition. IrishCentral.com reported that the wife of Liam Neeson was in critical condition with a head injury.

In Los Angeles, a person close to the family, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter, confirmed that Richardson landed in New York after leaving Montreal’s Sacre-Coeur hospital in the afternoon, where she was treated after falling during a private lesson Monday at the famed Mont Tremblant ski resort.

The person did not say if or where the actress was being treated in New York.

Richardson, 45, is the elder daughter of Oscar-winning actress Vanessa Redgrave and the late director Tony Richardson, and belongs to the British acting dynasty.

“We know that she has had an accident but we really do not know any more details,” said Kika Markham, who is married to Richardson’s uncle, Corin Redgrave. “We are very concerned.”

A statement from the Mont Tremblant resort said Richardson fell on a beginners trail and later reported not feeling well.

“She did not show any visible sign of injury but the ski patrol followed strict procedures and brought her back to the bottom of the slope and insisted she should see a doctor,” said the statement from the resort, about 80 miles northwest of Montreal.

The ski resort said the instructor and a member of the ski patrol accompanied Richardson to her hotel, where they again recommended she should be seen by a doctor.

Mont Tremblant spokeswoman Catherine Lacasse said Richardson said she was fine at first.

“An hour later she said she didn’t feel well. She had a headache, so we sent her to the hospital,” Lacasse said. “There were no signs of impact and no blood, nothing.”

Another spokeswoman for the resort, Lyne Lortie, told the New York Times that Richardson was not wearing a helmet at the time. “It was a normal fall; she didn’t hit anyone or anything,” Ms. Lortie said.

An ambulance was called and Richardson eventually was transferred to Sacre-Coeur hospital in Montreal.

Neeson immediately left the Toronto set of his upcoming movie, “Chloe,” for Montreal, a publicist for the film said.

Richardson’s films include “Gothic,” “A Month in the Country,” “Nell” (in which she appeared with her future husband), “The Parent Trap” and “Maid in Manhattan.”

Trained at London’s Central School of Speech and Drama, Richardson has had extensive stage experience in the West End and Broadway. She won a Tony in 1998 for playing Sally Bowles in a revival of “Cabaret.”

Her maternal grandparents were the actors Michael Redgrave and Rachel Kempson, and her uncle Corin and aunt Lynn Redgrave are both actors. Sister Joely Richardson is also an actress, best known for starring in the TV series “Nip/Tuck.”

In January, Richardson and her mother played the roles of mother and daughter in a one-night benefit concert version of “A Little Night Music,” the Stephen Sondheim-Hugh Wheeler musical, at Studio 54 in New York.

She married Neeson in 1994, and the couple have two sons, aged 13 and 12.

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NEW YORK – The “American Idol” judges are willing to give Anoop Desai one more chance to keep them satisfied.

The 21-year-old college student from North Carolina impressed tough critic Simon Cowell and the rest of the panel with his soulful cover of “Always on My Mind” during Tuesday night’s Grand Ole Opry-themed performance show.

Cowell – who criticized Desai’s rendition of Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” last week – changed his tune, saying Desai “managed to go from zero to hero” thanks to stellar vocals and choice of the song. “Always on My Mind” has been recorded by Willie Nelson, Elvis Presley and others.

Desai, who prefers R&B music, told Ryan Seacrest he wasn’t surprised by the positive response. He said he expects “to do the best” he can.

Kris Allen and Matt Giraud also received unanimous love from the judges. Cowell told Giraud, the 23-year-old dueling piano player from Kalamazoo, Mich., that he outsang front-runner Danny Gokey on the top-rated Fox singing contest with his heartfelt take on a Carrie Underwood tune.

“I don’t think you’ve had enough credit, actually, for your vocals in this competition so far because everyone’s been talking about Danny and Adam (Lambert),” Cowell told Giraud, comparing him to pop-and-standards singer Michael Buble.

Not all of the contestants scored such strong reviews. Michael Sarver, the 27-year-old oil rig worker from Jasper, Texas, disappointed judges in a genre he might otherwise have nailed. Rating Sarver’s rendition of Garth Brooks’ “Ain’t Goin’ Down (’Til the Sun Comes Up),” Cowell said the unassuming singer came across not as a star but “a likable guy who likes country music who is a bit clumsy.”

Lil Rounds fell off her A-game a bit by performing a straightforward cover of Martina McBride’s “Independence Day.” Randy Jackson said that song wasn’t a good fit for the bubbly 23-year-old mother of three from Memphis, Tenn., who usually gets high marks for her raw R&B edge that was missing this week.

Guest mentor and country singer Randy Travis did not know quite what to make of Lambert, 26, of Los Angeles, who put his own theatrical spin on “Ring of Fire,” giving the Johnny Cash gem less of a country twang and more of an exotic Middle Eastern vibe.

Cowell said Lambert’s performance was “absolute indulgent rubbish” while Paula Abdul praised him for staying true to who he is. Kara DioGuardi said his Cash cover left her “confused and sort of happy.”

One of the 11 finalists will be sent packing on Wednesday’s elimination show – unless judges act on the new rule that allows them to save a favorite contestant they feel has been unfairly booted by voting viewers.

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