Kenny Ortega

The director and producer of Michael Jackson's comeback concerts want to mount a splashy tribute to the late entertainer using some of the choreography, costuming, musical staging and films Jackson created for his 50-date "This Is It" concert run at London's O2 Arena. Plans are not confirmed, and the logistics of such an undertaking are only beginning to be explored.

A makeup artist and longtime friend of Michael Jackson said Thursday that in the days before his death the singer was paranoid, repeated himself continuously and was so cold she bundled him in a blanket, put him in front of a space heater and hugged him to try to stop the shivering. Karen Faye, who had known Jackson for 27 years, said she took her concerns to an AEG executive five days before Jackson died of an overdose of the anesthetic propofol at his rented Holmby Hills mansion.

A makeup artist and longtime friend of Michael Jackson said Thursday that in the days before his death the singer was paranoid, repeated himself continuously and was so cold she bundled him in a blanket, put him in front of a space heater and hugged him to try to stop the shivering. Karen Faye, who had known Jackson for 27 years, said she took her concerns to an AEG executive five days before Jackson died of an overdose of the anesthetic propofol at his rented Holmby Hills mansion.

It had all the makings of an epic disaster: short notice, family tensions, multiple freeway closures, a potential crowd in the hundreds of thousands, divas galore, even a circus that was waiting in the wings.

Kenny Ortega stops his rehearsal for a dance sequence in the movie "Salsa" and stomps to the middle of a crowded dance floor, grabbing a shirtless and muscled young man by his sweaty neck. "You've got to chase that white boy out of you," Ortega hollers, gently guiding the dancer's face to his partner's cleavage. "Passion, man, I want passion," he says. "People go to movies to see a way of being that they're missing in their lives. So you got to create that magical place.

It had all the makings of an epic disaster: short notice, family tensions, multiple freeway closures, a potential crowd in the hundreds of thousands, divas galore, even a circus that was waiting in the wings.

When Kenny Ortega was a high school student in Redwood City, Calif., his counselor told him he had to choose between his two extracurricular passions: track and drama. He couldn't do both. It was policy. Now some 40 years later, that dream-squashing counselor has been paid back -- big time. "High School Musical" -- the Disney TV movie Ortega directed and choreographed urging kids to be true to their dreams -- has been seen by more than 160 million people around the world. The little $4.

Ithappens. We have a blast spending money in the shops, restaurants and casinos (oh yes, the casinos) only to realize that our travel budget is shot. Sure, you can pull out the plastic, but in Vegas, you don't have to. In fact, Sin City is teeming with free stuff to do and see after you've played that last chip. FOUNTAINS OF THE BELLAGIO Grab a bench to view this stellar choreographed water show - consisting of more than 1,200 dancing fountains and a spectacular sound system - at the Bellagio.

Viva!The Music Center handed out awards Sunday to six Latino arts and entertainment figures. The awards program, "Viva Los Artistas," was designed to recognize Latino contributions in conjunction with Mexican Independence Day and the ongoing "Artes de Mexico" festival. Recognized were Edward James Olmos (acting), Luis Valdez (directing), Martika (pop and Latin music), Bea Rodriguez (dance) and Kenny Ortega (choreography). In addition, a memorial award went to the late Margo Albert.

Actors Antonio Banderas, Laura Harring, Lupe Ontiveros, Benito Martinez and Constance Marie were among those honored Friday night with Golden Eagle Awards by Nosotros, a Los Angeles-based organization that works to improve the image and employment of Latinos in the entertainment industry.

The director and producer of Michael Jackson's comeback concerts want to mount a splashy tribute to the late entertainer using some of the choreography, costuming, musical staging and films Jackson created for his 50-date "This Is It" concert run at London's O2 Arena. Plans are not confirmed, and the logistics of such an undertaking are only beginning to be explored.

When Kenny Ortega was a high school student in Redwood City, Calif., his counselor told him he had to choose between his two extracurricular passions: track and drama. He couldn't do both. It was policy. Now some 40 years later, that dream-squashing counselor has been paid back -- big time. "High School Musical" -- the Disney TV movie Ortega directed and choreographed urging kids to be true to their dreams -- has been seen by more than 160 million people around the world. The little $4.

Kenny Ortega stops his rehearsal for a dance sequence in the movie "Salsa" and stomps to the middle of a crowded dance floor, grabbing a shirtless and muscled young man by his sweaty neck. "You've got to chase that white boy out of you," Ortega hollers, gently guiding the dancer's face to his partner's cleavage. "Passion, man, I want passion," he says. "People go to movies to see a way of being that they're missing in their lives. So you got to create that magical place.

As Michael Jackson's highly anticipated comeback shows approached, promoter AEG was so desperate to become No. 1 in the concert industry that its executives ruthlessly pushed the pop star to perform, caring little about his health, an attorney said Monday. In his opening statement, Brian Panish, who represents Jackson's mother and his three children, told the jury that Anschutz Entertainment Group was willing to do whatever it took to catch up to its competitor, Live Nation. "AEG had a problem, and they wanted to fix it," he said.

The scene in Michael Jackson's London hotel suite left Randy Phillips in a panic. Phillips was one of the world's most powerful music promoters and used to rock 'n' roll chaos, but the star's condition still floored him. "MJ is locked in his room drunk and despondent," Phillips said in an email to his boss at Anschutz Entertainment Group, the Los Angeles company staking a fortune on the singer. "I [am] trying to sober him up. " Across the Atlantic, where it was still early morning, AEG President Tim Leiweke read the message and fired back on his BlackBerry: "Are you kidding me?"