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Showbiz Tonight

Rolling Stones About to Launch World Tour; Interview With Michael Vartan

Aired May 10, 2005 - 19:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: If you`re a Stones fans, get ready for some satisfaction.
KARYN BRYANT, CO-HOST: And we`ve got the first photo of Renee Zellweger and Kenny Chesney`s wedding. I`m Karyn Bryant.

HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

BRYANT: The Rolling Stones start things up. The Rolling Stones make a big announcement, and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is there.

HAMMER: The movie star and the country star. That knot is tied. Tonight, the first photo from Renee Zellweger and Kenny Chesney`s rush to the altar.

BRYANT: Plus, our special series on "The Final Trek." A classic, original "Star Trek" star joins us live.

HAMMER: Diving into "The Life Aquatic." We`re checking out what`s new in DVDs, live with Mr. Moviefone himself, Russ Leatherman.

BRYANT: In "Monster-in-Law," he`s the perfect man, and we don`t think he`s too shabby in real life, either. Michael Vartan joins us live.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL VARTAN, "MONSTER-IN-LAW": Hi. I`m Michael Vartan. And if it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer, and you are at the top of the show.

BRYANT: I`m Karyn Bryant. We are live with you from Headline Prime studios in New York City for the next hour.

HAMMER: Well, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the very first photo of the new Mr. and Mrs. Chesney.

BRYANT: It is the rush-to-the-altar surprise that`s got everyone talking tonight, Oscar winner Renee Zellweger and country music superstar Kenny Chesney`s quickie wedding. We`ll have more on that and other star couples` rush down the aisle in just a moment.

HAMMER: But first: You can call it "Satisfaction," Rolling Stones fans getting word today that the band is getting back out on the road, and the Stones did it in spectacular style, announcing the show today and their tour. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer was right there, and he joins us with the details.

DAVID HAFFENREFFER, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: Boy, what a fun event this was, Karyn and A.J. The weather was absolutely perfect today here in New York City, and what better way to spend the day than to see the Rolling Stones live in concert? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there center stage.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): The Rolling Stones starting everyone up and started strutting their stuff today in New York City, and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was there, 61-year-old Mick Jagger and the ageless band announcing yet another world tour, more than 40 years after the Stones first rocked the world. The tour will kick off at Boston`s Fenway Park August 21.

MICK JAGGER, ROLLING STONES: We`re very -- you know, very upbeat about the tour, and the -- you know, we`re -- it`s going to be a great summer.

HAFFENREFFER: The media all lined up at the Juilliard School of Music, where hundreds of lucky fans heard the band play at a press event for the first time in nearly 30 years, knocking out three songs. "Start Me Up," "Brown Sugar," and even one diehard fans probably haven`t heard yet.

JAGGER: We`re going to do a new song for you now. (INAUDIBLE) Oh, no! Not you again!

HAFFENREFFER: That song is part of a new album, which Jagger says is 85 percent finished. Thirty-five dates have already been announced in the United States and Canada. The band will then hit Mexico, South America, the Far East, and then Europe, a lot of traveling for four guys whose combined age is 242 years old.

(on camera): The last time the Stones were on the road was for the 2002-2003 Licks tour, a concert tour that grossed nearly $300 million.

(voice-over): And this tour could make even more. Ticket prices are going up 10 percent to about 100 bucks a pop. The band says it`s still putting the finishing touches on the tour, like drawing up set lists and picking their opening acts. But this is no Cher farewell tour. Mick says the Stones will keep on rolling.

JAGGER: We never said this was going to be our last tour. We never think about it. We take each tour as it comes.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAFFENREFFER: And this looks like it`ll be a fun one. Today is a big day, by the way, in Rolling Stones history. On this day in 1963, the band began its first recording session in London for Decca records. The Stones recorded the Chuck Berry song "Come On" and Willie Dixon`s "I Want To Be Loved" -- Karyn.

BRYANT: Well, you know, the Stones are not the only seasoned rockers who just keep on going. From Bob Dylan to Bruce Springsteen to U2, the public still loves them. But why? That is our "SHOWBIZ In Depth" tonight, coming up at the bottom of the hour. But we want to know your thoughts. It`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Vintage rockers: better with age? you can vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight, or if you want to tell us more, e-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`ll share some of what you had to say later on in the show.

HAMMER: Well, now let`s get to the water cooler story of the day, the sudden and big surprise wedding of Oscar-winning actress Renee Zellweger and country music superstar Kenny Chesney. It was Hollywood`s hush-hush romance rush. People are saying that she had him at hello, and not so long ago.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): Just minutes after they got married on the beach at Chesney`s home on St. John in the Virgin Islands, the happy couple posed for their wedding photo, and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT obtained the world`s first look at Renee`s Carolina Herrera dress. For Kenny, a simple white shirt, linen pants, but of course, his trademark black cowboy hat. It`s the surprise wedding that has everybody buzzing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MEREDITH VIEIRA, "THE VIEW": Congrats also in order for Renee Zellweger, who got married yesterday to country music star Kenny Chesney.

(CROSSTALK)

BARBARA WALTERS, "THE VIEW": ... no engagement parties, and nobody knew about it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: It`s been a whirlwind affair, meeting just this January at the Concert of Hope tsunami relief benefit. And just 24 hours before they met, Kenny showed SHOWBIZ TONIGHT the softer side of himself, just a clue of what Renee fell for.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KENNY CHESNEY, COUNTRY MUSIC STAR: (INAUDIBLE) seen enough to last them for a lifetime (INAUDIBLE) So I hope that something like this will allow people -- you know, give them an avenue to help and to make a difference.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: And what a difference he`s made to Renee. She`s played the lovelorn "Bridget Jones" twice. But relationship expert Dr. Judy told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT she`s not surprised the relationship went so far so fast.

DR. JUDY KURIANSKY, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: When you meet at something that`s very emotional and that really touches your heart, nothing could be more passionate. It really tends to make people fall in love with other people who care about the same emotional, touching issue.

HAMMER: But we`ve known Kenny Chesney has long been a fan. He wrote, "You had me from `Hello`" after seeing the actress play opposite Tom Cruise in "Jerry Maguire" back in 1996.

Rush weddings are not new in Hollywood. You remember Britney Spears`s quickie Vegas wedding to childhood friend Jason Alexander. That lasted 55 hours. Another Vegas rush job, Nicky Hilton and money manager Todd Meister, who married last August. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT found her last night at an LA party, single. It lasted three months. Jennifer Lopez had a quickie wedding with both ex-husband Cris Judd and current hubby Marc Anthony. Add Nicolas Cage to the list. He had a quickie wedding to Alice Kim last July. They`re still together.

KURIANSKY: It`s Hollywood to have a rush wedding because everything happens immediately, right away. You fall in love instantly, and it`s like you`re in a part.

HAMMER: And who could forget the rush wedding of Julia Roberts and Lyle Lovett in 1993? Which brings us back to newlyweds Kenny and Renee. What is it about actresses and country music singers? Julia Roberts and Lyle Lovett lasted less than two years, but Lisa Hartman and Clint Black were looking happy at the music awards, and so were country singer Brad Paisley and actress Kimberly Williams.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

Well, just minutes ago, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT heard from Kenny himself. Get your insulin ready. He told us, quote, "I`m incredibly happy. I may well be the luckiest man alive, to be so in love with someone who is so perfect for me. It`s just hard not to imagine that I`m not going to wake up." Renee`s next movie is called "Cinderella Man," but it sounds like she found her Prince Charming.

BRYANT: That`s sweet. I`m happy for them.

Well, Simon speaks. Simon Cowell spoke out for the first time today about the "American Idol" controversy. Simon is hitting back at season two contestant Corey Clark, who claims he had an intimate relationship with judge Paula Abdul. Today, on "Regis and Kelly," Simon came to Paula`s defense in a big way.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SIMON COWELL, "AMERICAN IDOL" JUDGE: It was unfair, you know, because I`ve worked with Paula now for four years, and we`ve had our moments, but you know, she`s there to offer support to the contestants. And that`s all she`s ever done. I mean, I`ve never, ever seen anything untoward in all the years I`ve been working with her. And then I watch the show, and I think to myself, What a coincidence, he`s got an album out, he`s got a book out...

KELLY RIPA, "REGIS AND KELLY": And suddenly...

COWELL: And he brings all this out.

RIPA: Right.

COWELL: And yet he manages to sing the worst song I`ve ever heard in my life throughout the show.

RIPA: Right. Right.

COWELL: And it`s, like, why bother?

RIPA: Right.

COWELL: I mean, it was a joke!

REGIS PHILBIN, "REGIS AND KELLY": Yes.

RIPA: Yes. I agree.

PHILBIN: How long was he on the show?

COWELL: Too long. Too long. And you know, we were very nice to him. You know, we liked him when we saw him in the auditions. He was one -- for us, one of the top six contestants. He was given a shot. He lied to get on the show.

RIPA: That`s right.

COWELL: We -- you know, we didn`t hold it against him. It happens. But it just -- it was a little bit like bullying, I thought.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: When Simon was asked if there would be any repercussions against Paula on the show, he said, "absolutely not."

HAMMER: Well, here`s something else that Simon would probably like to judge. "Maxim" out today with their "Hot 100." It`s the men`s magazine`s sixth annual list of sexy female celebs. And joining us now here in New York, Charles Coxe, executive editor of the magazine.

Charles, this is already causing problems here on the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT set. It`s already tattered from the guys here in the studio. I imagine you guys come up with this list in plenty of long nights and heated debates at the office.

CHARLES COXE, EXECUTIVE EDITOR, "MAXIM" MAGAZINE: There`s definitely a lot of argument that goes on. It`s what`s makes it such a difficult job for us. We stay up long nights. And there`s a special scientific device we have to make the final decisions that most people refer to as a coin.

HAMMER: Yes.

COXE: So we flip that, and that helps us make the decision.

HAMMER: Tough gig. Well, let`s get right to the list, and start with the top three. You know, it would seem you`re almost playing favorites to the ABC television network here. They got a little trifecta at the top. Let`s tart with number one on your list, Eva Longoria.

COXE: I swear to you it`s pure coincidence. But yes, number one is Eva Longoria from "Desperate Housewives." I don`t think many people can argue that she is absolutely the hottest woman in Hollywood right now. She`s got an amazing career going. She`s so sexy, so sultry on that show, such a funny character. And she`s -- her character is kind enough to sleep with the help, so she got bonus points for that.

HAMMER: Well, another -- that`s nice. Another ABC show landing at number two is "Lost." Evangeline Lilly, who plays Kate, of course, on the show, is on the top of your list, practically, tonight.

COXE: Right, and she`s another relative newcomer. We`ve got a lot of people on the list this year, a lot of fresh new TV stars. And you got to hand it to "Lost" and you got to hand it to Evangeline. I mean, this is a show with a lot of really, really attractive, really hot women who`ve got really great careers right now, and she managed to beat them all out.

HAMMER: Well, not new to the list this year are Jennifer Garner, who`s at number three for you guys, of course, from "Alias."~

COXE: Right. And Don`t take this as a slight to Jennifer Garner because she`s been number one in the past. She`s still absolutely amazing and still up there at number three. Admittedly, "Electra," the movie she did this year, she was really hot in that, as well. but the movie didn`t do so well, so that probably hurt her a little bit. But she`s definitely right up at the top of our list.

HAMMER: OK, well, rounding out your top five are Lindsay Lohan and Jessica Alba. Rachel Bilson from "The O.C." She`s number 6 this year. She was number 58 on last year`s list. Why the big jump for Rachel?

COXE: It`s the same situation as Eva Longoria, where she was relatively unknown, compared to how she is now, a year ago, and then she managed to really get a big upswing with the success of "The O.C." and people are seeing a lot more of her and really liking what they see.

HAMMER: And really quickly. Angelina Jolie`s at number 7 now. Was she this high on the list -- I manage you did this before the Brad Pitt rumors started flying around.

COXE: Right. Right. I mean, she`s been on our list every single year. Every movie she`s in, even movies such as "Alexander," that most people agreed don`t quite succeed at the box office or critically...

HAMMER: Right.

COXE: ... she still does an amazing job in, and she always captures people`s attention.

HAMMER: And she`ll be back next year, I`m sure. Thank you very much, Charles Coxe. I got to sell this to the highest bidder here on the set. You can find the "Hot 100" list inside the June issue of "Maxim" magazine with the number 19, Vanessa Marshall (ph), by the way, on the cover. It`s on newsstands May 19.

BRYANT: OK, enough with the hot babes. Let`s get some equal time going. Michael Vartan should fit the bill nicely. Half the SHOWBIZ staff is in love with this guy, and he is here live, coming up.

HAMMER: Plus, it`s a wonderful "Life Aquatic." Coming up in the "SHOWBIZ Guide," Mr. Moviefone`s going to stop by, and he`ll tell us what`s new on DVD.

BRYANT: And taking up space. In our special series, "The Final Trek," one of the original "Star Trek" cast members joins us live.

HAMMER: It`s time now for "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." Uma Thurman`s father, Robert, is a respected professor of what at Columbia University, French, American studies, Indo-Tibetan Buddhist studies or economics? We`re coming straight back on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the answer.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Welcome back. So again, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." Uma Thurman`s father, Robert, is a respected professor of what at Columbia University, French, American studies, Indo-Tibetan Buddhist studies or economics, or as Karyn says, eeconomics. The answer is C, Indo-Tibetan Buddhist studies.

BRYANT: All right. Well, it is time for a "SHOWBIZ Sitdown" with Michael Vartan. He plays CIA operative Michael Vaughn on the hit ABC drama "Alias." But on the big screen, Vartan isn`t fighting international crime, he is fighting off his own mother in the new romantic comedy, "Monster-in- Law," which opens this Friday. Michael, welcome. Thanks for joining us here.

MICHAEL VARTAN, "MONSTER-IN-LAW": Thanks for having me, very much.

BRYANT: So in this movie, you play Kevin Fields. He is the only son of Viola, who is played by Jane Fonda. And you -- she`s kind of all up in your grill, if I can use that phrase about your...

VARTAN: She`s clinically insane.

BRYANT: ... about your fiancee.

VARTAN: Absolutely. She`s not a big fan of my choice in fiancees, and she`s a little crazy. And she can`t stand losing her one and only son, so she`s going to do everything she can to end it.

BRYANT: OK. Well, we`re going take a look at a clip. And I believe this is where you and Jennifer, your characters, are just starting to get to know each other.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VARTAN: Wait a second. So I know two things about you. You work in catering, and you have a lot of dogs.

JENNIFER LOPEZ, ``CHARLOTTE``: Oh, that? No. I`m a dog walker. I`m not some crazy dog lady with 12,000 dogs.

VARTAN: That makes -- that`s (INAUDIBLE)

LOPEZ: And sorry about before. I didn`t mean to be eavesdropping.

VARTAN: Well, you`re right, you shouldn`t have. You should have stayed and talked to me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: But you`ve got a dog yourself, don`t you.

VARTAN: I do have a dog. I do.

BRYANT: What kind?

VARTAN: She`s a Labrador retriever.

BRYANT: Oh!

VARTAN: And she likes to retrieve anything she can eat, swallow and destroy.

BRYANT: Very nice! Hopefully, not high-end shoes.

VARTAN: No. no. Jimmy Chews.

BRYANT: Oh.

VARTAN: See? Jimmy Chew, C-H-E-W.

BRYANT: That`s a pun.

VARTAN: It is.

BRYANT: Very nice. So how close to home is this? Is your mom, you know, in your business when it comes to who you date?

VARTAN: No. I`m very lucky. I have a very supportive mom who`s always supported anything I`ve done. And I think that, ultimately, you know, of course, as a mother, she would like to be a grandmother. I think that`s a normal feeling. But ultimately, as long as I`m happy, she`s happy. And that`s -- well, that`s as great as a mom can be, really.

BRYANT: Yes. Definitely. Now, Wanda Sykes was here, and she told us that we had to specifically ask you about your earnings playing poker on the set. What`s up with that?

(LAUGHTER)

VARTAN: Well, Jennifer`s driver is the brother of a very, very famous poker player, and -- well, he`s a professional poker player. And so Massoud (ph), her driver, fancies himself a professional, as well, and he`s not. So I took him for most of his money. And no, we had friendly games, you know, during lunch sometimes. And as you know, there are always long breaks on film sets, so that`s what we did because why read an interesting book when you can give your money to people?

(LAUGHTER)

BRYANT: Well, and I should say, of course, that Wanda is in the film with you, so...

VARTAN: Right. Very funny woman. Now, I heard a few odd things about you that I wanted to just ask you about.

VARTAN: Uh-oh!

BRYANT: Is it true that you got a BMW before you even got your first job?

VARTAN: That is true. That`s my manager, Steven`s (ph), fault, who said, Don`t worry, everything`s going to be fine. I guarantee you`re going work. And I said, OK. I bought it, and I`d say pretty much a couple of months later, I got a job that paid for the car, so -- but it was a pretty stupid and bold thing to do that I probably won`t repeat.

BRYANT: Well, in LA, anyway, people often fake it until they make it, so you`re not the only guy that`s ever done that, believe me.

VARTAN: Oh, believe me, I faked it for a long time.

(LAUGHTER)

BRYANT: Now, would you also rather be a professional athlete than an actor?

VARTAN: Yes. But see, this is where the flip side starts kicking in is because at the age -- I`m 36 now, and I would probably be retiring in any sport, other than maybe golf. So now I can, you know, start my acting career. But yes, I love sports, and that was always a passion of mine. But hey, I`m too old, so...

BRYANT: Now, I`m going to a Mets game on Sunday. I hear you`re a Mets fan, right?

VARTAN: Where are you going to the Mets...

BRYANT: I`m going to the Mets here at Shea Stadium.

VARTAN: On, they`re back in town?

BRYANT: Yes.

VARTAN: I`m sorry. I`m a huge...

BRYANT: Playing the Cards.

VARTAN: ... Mets fan, and it`s typical that they`re out of town when I`m in New York.

BRYANT: Well, it must have been weird with Jane, you know, with her Braves connection, and with Jennifer being a Yankees fan, I`m sure.

VARTAN: The two most hated teams in the world, the Yankees and the Braves. And I have to hear it all summer long. And of course, they`re winning teams, and the Mets recently have not done so well. We`re on the comeback trail. Are you a Mets fan?

BRYANT: Well, you know, I like Pedro. I`m from Boston, so the fact that Pedro`s there now pitching...

VARTAN: You can admit it, it`s the electric blue and the orange.

BRYANT: Oh, right!

VARTAN: The colors, right?

BRYANT: It`s that. It`s the colors. They look great on me. Well, Michael Vartan, thanks for joining us here. You can catch "Monster-in-Law" in theaters this Friday.

HAMMER: Well, it`s shaping up to be a great summer for rock shows. Bruce Springsteen is already out there, and today the Stones announced they`re hitting the road. Coming up in "SHOWBIZ In Depth," a look at the staying power of veteran rockers.

Plus, we`re in good company tonight. We`re checking out new DVDs with Mr. Moviefone himself. That`s coming up live in the "SHOWBIZ Guide."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: It is a story right out of a Broadway play. Today Christina Applegate was nominated for a Tony Award for her performance in "Sweet Charity." Now, this comes after she broke her foot, after the show was canceled and after she convinced producers to uncancel the show. Monty Python`s "Spamalot" led the pack with 14 nominations, including nods for Tim Curry and Hank Azaria. John Lithgow was nominated for his role in "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels." I saw that show the other day. It was terrific. This is his fifth nomination. Now, the Tony Awards ceremony is in June, and Hugh Jackman will be hosting.

HAMMER: It is time now for the "SHOWBIZ Guide," where throughout the week we help you decide where to spend your dollars on movies, music, DVDs and more. And tonight, we`re checking out what`s new on DVD. Joining us live to help us out is none other than Mr. Moviefone himself, Russ Leatherman. Thanks for joining us. Appreciate you being here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We`re get right to it. I`m going to press one for "In Good Company," Topher Grace, Dennis Quaid. What`s this DVD like? And anything special to see on it?

RUSS LEATHERMAN, "MR. MOVIEFONE": Well, I think you`re making a good choice. It`s a nice time to start this DVD segment because we actually have good movies out there. You do have Topher Grace and Dennis Quaid. The movie is "In Good Company." I really like this movie. Topher Grace plays an ad executive who takes over for Dennis Quaid and really replaces him in his job. And obviously, he`s half his age, and that doesn`t go over very well with Dennis Quaid. Plus, he gets involved with his daughter, played by Scarlett Johansson. I have to tell you, I think this is a really enjoyable movie. You can go rent it and feel good about it. Good extras on the DVD. Paul White`s the director, commentary from him. So I like this movie. I think you can rent it and feel pretty good about it.

HAMMER: All right, Russ. Well, then, let`s move on to number two, "The Life Aquatic," which has an all-star cast, but for most people, it was off their radar or maybe something they said, I`m going to see it when it gets to DVD. So it`s finally out.

LEATHERMAN: That`s exactly -- this is a little bit of a weird movie. It`s got Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Cate Blanchett. And Murray plays Steve Zissou, who`s a wacky eccentric and renowned oceanographer who seeks revenge on a shark that ate one of his teammates. Now, this is by Wes Anderson, the same guy who did "Rushmore," "The Royal Tannenbaums," "Bottle Rocket," movies that I thought were really good, but they`re about 10 degrees off center. So they`re quirky. They`re different. I think that`s what makes them unique, and so that`s why I liked it. This is another good DVD. You can rent it and feel pretty good about it.

HAMMER: All right. Well, let`s see if we can feel good about number three on our list, which is "Racing Stripes." Now, I actually understand there`s some good stuff for kids on here in terms of the extras.

LEATHERMAN: Well, it`s a good time for it because there is good stuff in the extras. But this is just a nice little movie. There`s nothing really in theaters to do with the kids right now, so you can take them to see this talking animal movie. And when I heard about it, I was a little nervous. Oh, no, not another talking animal movie. But this is really a heart-warming story, and you can -- literally, you can -- you don`t even have to get a baby sitter this weekend. You can just sit the kids down, they`ll watch this thing for eight, ten hours. You show back up, and they`re in the same exact place. So you got a lot of great DVDs this weekend.

HAMMER: All right. Eight to ten hours. A lot of time to spend with it. And real quickly, there is some good interactive stuff we should mention for the kids on the "Racing Stripes" DVD, as well.

LEATHERMAN: Absolutely. They can sit there for hours.

HAMMER: All right, Russ. Thank you very much for joining us. We appreciate your insight on all of this. And once again, Russ is going to be joining us every single Tuesday with what`s new on DVD.

BRYANT: We are taking a week-long stroll through the final frontier, with the "Star Trek" franchise coming to an end. Our series, "The Final Trek," tonight features one of the original cast members live. And that is coming up.

Plus, what would you say to a new record from Dave Matthews Band? We`ll check it out and get a review of last night`s concert from A.J. Hammer himself. That`s coming up. A.J. Hammer!

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Still rocking. The Stones are still rolling and U2 is coming to you. Rock royalty rocks on. We go in depth.

BRYANT: And the final trek. Our week-long series of "Star Trek" stars past and present. Tonight we check in with Chekov, Walter Koenig, live.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KENNY CHESNEY: Hey, everybody. I`m Kenny Chesney. If it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 31 minutes past the hour. I`m Karyn Bryant.

HAMMER: I`m AJ Hammer. Here are tonight`s hot headlines.

BRYANT: Renee walks away with a country star. Just a short time ago, through his publicist, music`s Kenny Chesney gushed about his hush- hush wedding yesterday to "Bridget Jones" star Renee Zellweger. He told us quote, I am incredibly happy. I may well be the luckiest man alive to be so in love with someone who is so perfect for me. It is just hard to imagine that I`m not going to wake up.

HAMMER: Well, starting today, again, today in New York the Rolling Stones said they are hitting the road for a new world tour. They`re going play favorites and material from a brand new album which is almost done. The Stones last tour grossed more than $300 million. This one`s going to kick off August 21st at Fenway Park in Boston, Mass.

BRYANT: The Rolling Stones are certainly not the only seasoned musicians still rocking. Tonight`s showbiz in depth, a look at some of rock`s longest running acts. The Stones have been at it for four decades. They released their first album called "Rolling Stones Number One" in 1964. Two years before that in `62, Bob Dylan debuted his first album, his self- titled "Bob Dylan." He is touring this summer with another legend, Willie Nelson. A year later in 1963, the Beatles dropped their first album "Please Please Me." And former Beatle Paul McCartney goes back on tour in September.

Other seasoned acts still going strong, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, U2, Duran Duran, Motley Crue, even Black Sabbath. So why have these groups been able to stand the test of time? Joining us live tonight for showbiz in depth, Alan Light, the editor in chief of "Tracks" magazine. Good to see you and Joe Levy, the deputy managing editor for music at "Rolling Stone" magazine. So guys, Alan, I`m going to start with you. What is the attraction of these vintage acts?

ALAN LIGHT, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, TRACKS MAGAZINE: I think that people know that they`re going get a night full of big hits that they know, performed well. There is no question is this an act I`m going like or not. And for an aging fan base, for them to se somebody they grew up with who is still up there, still making noise, still sounds really good, it makes them feel young, too. It is too much for those fans to resist.

BRYANT: Joe you agree, it is that familiarity factor?

JOEL LEVY, ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE: The songs, yeah. It is the songs. I`m pretty sure they come to hear the songs unless you`re going to see Black Sabbath in which case you`re checking to see if Ozzy can actually make it through the show. These groups have been around for as you just said, 40 years. When McCartney goes on tour, you`re talking about a tour that mom can go to with the kids and frighteningly enough mom, the kids and the grandkids could possibly show up for this one. So you`ve got acts that have enough hit songs that generations know them now and they want to hear those hits live.

BRYANT: Are you seeing generations, Joe, going to this or who is actually in the audience?

LEVY: Yeah. There is old and young if that`s what you`re asking. The Stones did not make that $300 million just by playing to the old folks, just by playing to people their own age, which, by the way is about 60 now. There were people in their 20s at the last Stones tour. Are the majority of the people in their 40s and 50s? Probably. On the Springsteen tour, is that the case? Yes. But Motley Crue, are they younger? Yeah.

BRYANT: What is interesting, Alan, is that you don`t necessarily get a lot of radio air play from these bands anymore. They`ll maybe release new records but you don`t necessarily get that radio support. Yet they`re still selling out.

LIGHT: A lot of times the new record is the excuse to roll out the tour and get back out there and seem like you`re still doing new things or still creating. It is not just an oldies tour. I think the amazing thing about some of these acts is they have been able to stay away. They`re not going to Branson, Missouri. They`re not just the old folks show. There still is at least the feeling of vitality. And the new songs, even if you don`t want to sit through the new songs, the fact that they`re still writing new songs helps add that sense that there is still something going on there.

BRYANT: Joe, would you say that the new songs are the chance to go to the bathroom and go get a beer?

LEVY: I didn`t say that. But I know what happens when the Stones break into their new materials when you`re at the show now.

BRYANT: No, no, no. That`s not me.

LEVY: It depends on the act.

BRYANT: Right.

LEVY: If it is Bob Dylan, the new songs are actually interesting. Dylan has been interesting on tour and on record for years. New Dylan albums are an event. Anybody else --

BRYANT: Springsteen?

LEVY: Springsteen, the new songs actually are interesting. He`s touring solo acoustic, so that people will pay attention to him when he plays the new songs. When it is the Stones, look, the tour is the event. The release of the new record is not the event. And people generally don`t know all of the words to the new songs. But they do to "Brown Sugar."

BRYANT: Yes, they do.

LEVY: Yes, don`t they.

BRYANT: That`s a classic, honey. I played that one in my house many times. Well, OK so here is the thing, though. Some of these acts, are they getting better with age Alan? I`m a huge U2 fan. I would argue they`re just as great as they`ve always about been. What do you think about U2 getting better or not?

LIGHT: I think U2 is so far a remarkable exception to a lot of the things that we have said. But U2 is 20 years younger than the Stones or than McCartney. We`ll see another generation from now if we`re still as excited when there say new U2 record, but U2 is really the only band --U2 and then kind of Dave Matthews band who aren`t full on baby boomer generation and yet can sell those kind of tickets at those kind of ticket prices and sell as many tickets, play as many shows as they want. It is an amazing career that U2 has kept going and the question is will they still be doing it in what, 2030?

BRYANT: I`ll be there. So, Alan Light, Joe Levy, thanks for joining us here. To go in depth, we have been asking you at home to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Vintage rockers, better with age? Keep voting at cnn.com/showbiztonight and send us your e-mails at showbiztonight@cnn.com.

HAMMER: "Star Trek" has certainly stood the test of time. But now we take a final trek. Walter Koenig who played Chekov on the original series joins us live.

BRYANT: And Dave Matthews is starting out on a trek of his own. We`ll hear all about his brand new album and tour coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Tonight another showbiz sit down. It`s part of our final trek special series. When the current "Star Trek" TV show ENTERPRISE goes off the air this Friday, it`s going to be the first time in 18 years that there`s going to be no new "Star Trek" on the small screen. And as of now, there are no new "Star Trek" movies in the planning.

BRYANT: All this week we are bringing you interviews with the "Star Trek" stars, past and present, spanning the last 40 years. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer is back here on the bridge with tonight`s final trek. David.

HAFFENREFFER: It does feel like the bridge, just a little bit. "Star Trek" certainly boldly went where no one had ever gone before in so many ways. The original series that aired from 1966 until 1969 featured one of most racially and ethnically diverse casts ever seen on television up to that point. Joining us now live from Los Angeles is Walter Koenig who played Ensign Pavel Chekov. Walter, welcome to the program.

WALTER KOENIG, PLAYED ENSIGN PAVEL CHEKOV: Thank you. Nice to be here.

HAFFENREFFER: Take us back, right back to the mid 1960s. Your character Chekov was a Russian, certainly right in the middle of the cold war there. Did that read sort of odd to you when you first got hired for that role?

KOENIG: No. I thought was great. I thought it was an opportunity to harken back to my heritage as a matter of fact. My folks were Russian. And I thought it was a nice opportunity to pay some tribute to my family heritage.

HAFFENREFFER: But originally Chekov was not supposed to be Russian, right? It was supposed to -- cast originally as what?

KOENIG: I guess a kind of -- a Monkee, an English Monkee character. You know. That`s what they had in mind.

HAFFENREFFER: All right, now hypothetically speaking, if you could beam back 40 years ago, say and have somebody tell you that 40 years from then you would still be talking about "Star Trek", what would you say?

KOENIG: It is absolutely extraordinary. It`s one of those phenomenon that really stand alone. All the hyperbole you can muster would not really describe what it has been like to live with a particular show and a particular character for this -- these many years. It is really amazing.

HAFFENREFFER: Was it true that you were hired in part to appeal to the audience that was so in love with the Monkees at the time, Davey Jones` character in particular.

KOENIG: That`s what I was talking about. Yeah they were looking for somebody who would have the same appeal as Davey Jones, looking to capture the 8 to 14-year-olds. And that`s what most of my mail was, from 8 to 14-year-olds.

HAFFENREFFER: Did that mean you were consequently a bit of a heartthrob as well as the time?

KOENIG: Well, it is not for me to say.

HAFFENREFFER: Let the fan club decide that one, right.

KOENIG: Yeah.

HAFFENREFFER: We had Nichelle Nichols on last night and she was kind enough to talk about the cast in general and about how you guys all got along so well. Do you still stay in touch with any of the cast members from the original series?

KOENIG: As a matter of fact, I had dinner with both George Takai, who I think will be on tomorrow night and Nichelle and Nichelle who was on last night. We had dinner over the weekend. So we do get a chance to trade stories and remember the past and look forward to the future, which is the thing that we all try to underscore is the future.

HAFFENREFFER: We`ve got people coming on all week as you mentioned. George is coming on tomorrow night. We`re asking everybody the same final set of questions here. So I`m just going to throw them right at you. Here we go, the favorite trek character besides your own?

KOENIG: Well, I think -- I think Leonard`s interpretation of 00 Leonard Nimoy`s interpretation of Spock was really quite brilliant. I think anybody -- I think all of us could have been played by other characters. All of our characters could have been played by other actors with the exception of Leonard. Nobody could have done Mr. Spock quite as well as Leonard did. I think that`s a singular character and one that will remain in television lore for generations and generations.

HAFFENREFFER: Walter Koenig, thank you for being with us tonight. We appreciate it.

KOENIG: My pleasure.

HAFFENREFFER: And tomorrow, the final trek continues as SHOWBIZ TONIGHT salutes "Star Trek" with special guest Anthony Montgomery from "Star Trek: Enterprise" and Mr. Sulu himself, George Takai. Then Thursday, the "Next Generation`s" Lavar Burton beams up for a chat. The final frontier ends this Friday for "Star Trek: Enterprise" in a two-hour series finale on UPN -- AJ.

HAMMER: All right, David. Now from David Haffenreffer to the Dave Matthews band in concert. The band has been grinding out hits like "Ants Marching" and "Crash" for a decade now, selling 30 million albums around the world. Last night I was fortunate enough to be there as the Dave Matthews band put on a very special live concert right here in New York City where we are located for the AOL music series including some material from their new album.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER (voice-over): The Dave Matthews band drops its sixth studio album today.

DAVE MATTHEWS, MUSICIAN: We`ve been a long time really since we have -- quite a few years since we made a completely new record.

HAMMER: "Stand Up" is the name. Dave Matthews tells us it contains some of his best song writing yet.

MATTHEWS: I think they`re my best lyrics ever. I think I still deal with the same things I always deal with which I guess maybe is a source of inspiration for everyone, love and sex and death and faith. And those are all the same things I deal with but I dealt with them in a much clearer way.

HAMMER: "Stand Up" is the first product to come out of the band`s new recording studio in Charlottesville, Virginia, the same town where the guys first hooked up and cut their teeth 14 years ago.

MATTHEWS: It was just a really magic time and the experience was very different. It sounds really contemporary, but also very natural. So it`s got some of the real new sound, real slick sound but it got a lot of back porch sound to it as well. There was a real sort of alchemy going on our minds throwing things into this pot.

HAMMER: The band chose 14 songs for the new album.

MATTHEWS: It wasn`t like I was sitting there saying, what am I going to play? What am I going to play, which brings an anxiety to the recording process. It never felt like we were laboring. But we were coming up with results all the time. In an odd way, I think everyone will agree, that largely thanks to Mark, I think the band has been captured for the first time, the creative side of us more on this record than ever before. And I think everything about it seems to me clearer.

HAMMER: The guys celebrated the release of "Stand Up" by performing an intimate concert in New York City.

MATTHEWS: Once we started getting out of frat parties and small clubs in the southeast, the place that really grabbed us early on was sort of the underground scene in New York.

HAMMER: This concert is being broadcast on the web by AOL.

MATTHEWS: I think we love to play live. And sort of what we grew closer and closer and tighter and tighter doing is just performing. I think there is sort of an infectious quality, the joy that we find playing live. We`ll all be saying by midsummer the stuff is going to be soaring because the way we play, we don`t really learn songs to reflect accurately the same picture that we put on the record. We have no attachment to -- we don`t need to be an imitation of the album. In fact, it is growth and the changes are kind of what this band is about.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: Last night at the show, you could tell that Dave and the boys had a lot of pent-up energy when they hit the stage. It was absolutely outrageous. Dave Matthews band shows rarely disappoint and the new material held up too. Nobody was running off to the bathroom or to get beer when they were breaking out new stuff from "Stand Up." You can check out that concert on AOL music and you can catch the guys live at a city near you. Today the band announced a 28 city tour and the first stop, St. Louis, Missouri, on June 1st.

BRYANT: It`s time to get your laugh on in laughter dark. As we do every night, we bring you the late night laughs you may have missed. Monday is headlines night on "The Tonight Show" with Jay Leno.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAY LENO, HOST, TONIGHT SHOW: Lost, search and rescue dog. House bans gay unions. Can you show the full picture? Dustin Olson, fourth grader at Bridgeview Elementary in Plymouth demonstrates what happens when you touch a lit match to a balloon full of hydrogen.

Look how pissed off this cat is. That cat is not going to wear that stupid hat. Magnetic shoulder supports, 12 strategically placed magnets. Look at the woman before. She`s got 12 magnets, works great until she walks by the refrigerator, bam, bam, bam.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Very nice. Tonight on "The Tonight Show," (INAUDIBLE) Matt LeBlanc.

Coming up, going global. Jordana Brewster is all dressed up with plenty of places to go. It is Tuesday in style.

HAMMER: And there is still time for you to sound off in our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Vintage rockers, better with age? Vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: It is time now for today`s in style. We`re going global. Fashion from around the world fused into some stunning dresses all modeled by international beauty Jordana Brewster.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOBY TUCKER PETERS, IN STYLE MAGAZINE: Global is this wonderful trend we`re seeing for this season and it`s incorporating a lot of things that we have seen in the past. It is everything. It is Indian, American Indian. It is Baliwood. It is African. It is almost every corner of the world incorporated into one outfit.

Jordana Brewster is perfect for our global shoot because she is a child of the world. She`s grown up all over. And she`s got that wonderful look to her that you can`t really pinpoint. Is she American Indian? Is she Spanish? She`s got that wonderful, wonderful dark hair, brown skin and beautiful eyes. In Jordana`s first look we put her in this beautiful new dress. It`s got this great kind of African tribal beading around the neck. And then it bleeds out into this beautiful striped pattern with these really bright colors, orange and black and white, really make a statement.

Jordana loved wearing this Vera Wang coat. It`s got a ton of texture to it. It`s actually half made out of raffia. That bottom, that black and white pattern really lends kind of a tribal feel to it.

It is really all about the jewelry. She has this beautiful earth tone top by Gucci on. But it is all about the bone necklace by Steven Dweck (ph). Jewelry is huge this season, especially jewelry made out of natural fibers.

When we saw this skirt on the runway, we knew we had to shoot it on somebody really special. This Gautier skirt is multi-layers and multi- colors of just beautiful chiffon. She looked so beautiful in it. Jordana loved wearing this (INAUDIBLE) dress. She said she felt like it was a sarong that you just put on. She said the shape of the dress was very loose, but the fabric itself was very intricate. She loved it.

(INAUDIBLE) this skirt in this beautiful kind of banded almost Mexican Tex Mex kind of skirt that we just fell in love with. (INAUDIBLE) this beautiful, beautiful global collection and we couldn`t have a global story without including this piece.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: And if you want to read more about these gorgeous global dresses, just pick up a copy of this month`s "In Style" magazine. It`s on news stands now.

BRYANT: Throughout the show, we have been asking you to vote online on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Vintage rockers, better with age? Let`s take a look at the vote so far. 42 percent of you say yes, vintage rockers are better with age, 58 percent of you say no, they aren`t.

HAMMER: Simple as that.

BRYANT: Simple as that.

HAMMER: Good to have the Stones coming back, though. I can tell you that. It`s time right now to see what is playing on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow.

BRYANT: Let`s take a look at the showbiz marquee, marquee guy, take it away.

ANNOUNCER: Oh, boy. It is Beth Ostrosky (ph) and oh do we have questions for her. Like what is it like to be Howard Stern`s girlfriend? And why did she name her dog Bianca Romijn-Stamos? (ph) She`s tall. She`s beautiful and she`s here live, Beth Ostrosky, tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

It is a race under pressure. Will survivors Rob and Amber survive the amazing race? We`re drinking lots of coffee and pulling an all nighter for this one behind the scenes after the amazing race tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. This is the marquee guy and I`m racing out of here to get myself all caffeinated and such because I`m staying up late tonight.

BRYANT: AJ, what do you think, Dave Matthews Band, vintage rockers still rocking in 30 years?

HAMMER: I was thinking about that last night while I was watching the concert here in New York City. They`ll be around forever.

BRYANT: We will see.

HAMMER: They will stand the test of time.

BRYANT: That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Karyn Bryant.

HAMMER: I`m AJ Hammer. Stay tuned for the very latest from CNN HEADLINE NEWS.

END


Aired May 10, 2005 - 19:00:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: If you`re a Stones fans, get ready for some satisfaction.
KARYN BRYANT, CO-HOST: And we`ve got the first photo of Renee Zellweger and Kenny Chesney`s wedding. I`m Karyn Bryant.

HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

BRYANT: The Rolling Stones start things up. The Rolling Stones make a big announcement, and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is there.

HAMMER: The movie star and the country star. That knot is tied. Tonight, the first photo from Renee Zellweger and Kenny Chesney`s rush to the altar.

BRYANT: Plus, our special series on "The Final Trek." A classic, original "Star Trek" star joins us live.

HAMMER: Diving into "The Life Aquatic." We`re checking out what`s new in DVDs, live with Mr. Moviefone himself, Russ Leatherman.

BRYANT: In "Monster-in-Law," he`s the perfect man, and we don`t think he`s too shabby in real life, either. Michael Vartan joins us live.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL VARTAN, "MONSTER-IN-LAW": Hi. I`m Michael Vartan. And if it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer, and you are at the top of the show.

BRYANT: I`m Karyn Bryant. We are live with you from Headline Prime studios in New York City for the next hour.

HAMMER: Well, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the very first photo of the new Mr. and Mrs. Chesney.

BRYANT: It is the rush-to-the-altar surprise that`s got everyone talking tonight, Oscar winner Renee Zellweger and country music superstar Kenny Chesney`s quickie wedding. We`ll have more on that and other star couples` rush down the aisle in just a moment.

HAMMER: But first: You can call it "Satisfaction," Rolling Stones fans getting word today that the band is getting back out on the road, and the Stones did it in spectacular style, announcing the show today and their tour. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer was right there, and he joins us with the details.

DAVID HAFFENREFFER, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: Boy, what a fun event this was, Karyn and A.J. The weather was absolutely perfect today here in New York City, and what better way to spend the day than to see the Rolling Stones live in concert? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there center stage.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): The Rolling Stones starting everyone up and started strutting their stuff today in New York City, and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was there, 61-year-old Mick Jagger and the ageless band announcing yet another world tour, more than 40 years after the Stones first rocked the world. The tour will kick off at Boston`s Fenway Park August 21.

MICK JAGGER, ROLLING STONES: We`re very -- you know, very upbeat about the tour, and the -- you know, we`re -- it`s going to be a great summer.

HAFFENREFFER: The media all lined up at the Juilliard School of Music, where hundreds of lucky fans heard the band play at a press event for the first time in nearly 30 years, knocking out three songs. "Start Me Up," "Brown Sugar," and even one diehard fans probably haven`t heard yet.

JAGGER: We`re going to do a new song for you now. (INAUDIBLE) Oh, no! Not you again!

HAFFENREFFER: That song is part of a new album, which Jagger says is 85 percent finished. Thirty-five dates have already been announced in the United States and Canada. The band will then hit Mexico, South America, the Far East, and then Europe, a lot of traveling for four guys whose combined age is 242 years old.

(on camera): The last time the Stones were on the road was for the 2002-2003 Licks tour, a concert tour that grossed nearly $300 million.

(voice-over): And this tour could make even more. Ticket prices are going up 10 percent to about 100 bucks a pop. The band says it`s still putting the finishing touches on the tour, like drawing up set lists and picking their opening acts. But this is no Cher farewell tour. Mick says the Stones will keep on rolling.

JAGGER: We never said this was going to be our last tour. We never think about it. We take each tour as it comes.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAFFENREFFER: And this looks like it`ll be a fun one. Today is a big day, by the way, in Rolling Stones history. On this day in 1963, the band began its first recording session in London for Decca records. The Stones recorded the Chuck Berry song "Come On" and Willie Dixon`s "I Want To Be Loved" -- Karyn.

BRYANT: Well, you know, the Stones are not the only seasoned rockers who just keep on going. From Bob Dylan to Bruce Springsteen to U2, the public still loves them. But why? That is our "SHOWBIZ In Depth" tonight, coming up at the bottom of the hour. But we want to know your thoughts. It`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Vintage rockers: better with age? you can vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight, or if you want to tell us more, e-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`ll share some of what you had to say later on in the show.

HAMMER: Well, now let`s get to the water cooler story of the day, the sudden and big surprise wedding of Oscar-winning actress Renee Zellweger and country music superstar Kenny Chesney. It was Hollywood`s hush-hush romance rush. People are saying that she had him at hello, and not so long ago.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): Just minutes after they got married on the beach at Chesney`s home on St. John in the Virgin Islands, the happy couple posed for their wedding photo, and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT obtained the world`s first look at Renee`s Carolina Herrera dress. For Kenny, a simple white shirt, linen pants, but of course, his trademark black cowboy hat. It`s the surprise wedding that has everybody buzzing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MEREDITH VIEIRA, "THE VIEW": Congrats also in order for Renee Zellweger, who got married yesterday to country music star Kenny Chesney.

(CROSSTALK)

BARBARA WALTERS, "THE VIEW": ... no engagement parties, and nobody knew about it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: It`s been a whirlwind affair, meeting just this January at the Concert of Hope tsunami relief benefit. And just 24 hours before they met, Kenny showed SHOWBIZ TONIGHT the softer side of himself, just a clue of what Renee fell for.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KENNY CHESNEY, COUNTRY MUSIC STAR: (INAUDIBLE) seen enough to last them for a lifetime (INAUDIBLE) So I hope that something like this will allow people -- you know, give them an avenue to help and to make a difference.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: And what a difference he`s made to Renee. She`s played the lovelorn "Bridget Jones" twice. But relationship expert Dr. Judy told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT she`s not surprised the relationship went so far so fast.

DR. JUDY KURIANSKY, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: When you meet at something that`s very emotional and that really touches your heart, nothing could be more passionate. It really tends to make people fall in love with other people who care about the same emotional, touching issue.

HAMMER: But we`ve known Kenny Chesney has long been a fan. He wrote, "You had me from `Hello`" after seeing the actress play opposite Tom Cruise in "Jerry Maguire" back in 1996.

Rush weddings are not new in Hollywood. You remember Britney Spears`s quickie Vegas wedding to childhood friend Jason Alexander. That lasted 55 hours. Another Vegas rush job, Nicky Hilton and money manager Todd Meister, who married last August. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT found her last night at an LA party, single. It lasted three months. Jennifer Lopez had a quickie wedding with both ex-husband Cris Judd and current hubby Marc Anthony. Add Nicolas Cage to the list. He had a quickie wedding to Alice Kim last July. They`re still together.

KURIANSKY: It`s Hollywood to have a rush wedding because everything happens immediately, right away. You fall in love instantly, and it`s like you`re in a part.

HAMMER: And who could forget the rush wedding of Julia Roberts and Lyle Lovett in 1993? Which brings us back to newlyweds Kenny and Renee. What is it about actresses and country music singers? Julia Roberts and Lyle Lovett lasted less than two years, but Lisa Hartman and Clint Black were looking happy at the music awards, and so were country singer Brad Paisley and actress Kimberly Williams.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

Well, just minutes ago, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT heard from Kenny himself. Get your insulin ready. He told us, quote, "I`m incredibly happy. I may well be the luckiest man alive, to be so in love with someone who is so perfect for me. It`s just hard not to imagine that I`m not going to wake up." Renee`s next movie is called "Cinderella Man," but it sounds like she found her Prince Charming.

BRYANT: That`s sweet. I`m happy for them.

Well, Simon speaks. Simon Cowell spoke out for the first time today about the "American Idol" controversy. Simon is hitting back at season two contestant Corey Clark, who claims he had an intimate relationship with judge Paula Abdul. Today, on "Regis and Kelly," Simon came to Paula`s defense in a big way.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SIMON COWELL, "AMERICAN IDOL" JUDGE: It was unfair, you know, because I`ve worked with Paula now for four years, and we`ve had our moments, but you know, she`s there to offer support to the contestants. And that`s all she`s ever done. I mean, I`ve never, ever seen anything untoward in all the years I`ve been working with her. And then I watch the show, and I think to myself, What a coincidence, he`s got an album out, he`s got a book out...

KELLY RIPA, "REGIS AND KELLY": And suddenly...

COWELL: And he brings all this out.

RIPA: Right.

COWELL: And yet he manages to sing the worst song I`ve ever heard in my life throughout the show.

RIPA: Right. Right.

COWELL: And it`s, like, why bother?

RIPA: Right.

COWELL: I mean, it was a joke!

REGIS PHILBIN, "REGIS AND KELLY": Yes.

RIPA: Yes. I agree.

PHILBIN: How long was he on the show?

COWELL: Too long. Too long. And you know, we were very nice to him. You know, we liked him when we saw him in the auditions. He was one -- for us, one of the top six contestants. He was given a shot. He lied to get on the show.

RIPA: That`s right.

COWELL: We -- you know, we didn`t hold it against him. It happens. But it just -- it was a little bit like bullying, I thought.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: When Simon was asked if there would be any repercussions against Paula on the show, he said, "absolutely not."

HAMMER: Well, here`s something else that Simon would probably like to judge. "Maxim" out today with their "Hot 100." It`s the men`s magazine`s sixth annual list of sexy female celebs. And joining us now here in New York, Charles Coxe, executive editor of the magazine.

Charles, this is already causing problems here on the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT set. It`s already tattered from the guys here in the studio. I imagine you guys come up with this list in plenty of long nights and heated debates at the office.

CHARLES COXE, EXECUTIVE EDITOR, "MAXIM" MAGAZINE: There`s definitely a lot of argument that goes on. It`s what`s makes it such a difficult job for us. We stay up long nights. And there`s a special scientific device we have to make the final decisions that most people refer to as a coin.

HAMMER: Yes.

COXE: So we flip that, and that helps us make the decision.

HAMMER: Tough gig. Well, let`s get right to the list, and start with the top three. You know, it would seem you`re almost playing favorites to the ABC television network here. They got a little trifecta at the top. Let`s tart with number one on your list, Eva Longoria.

COXE: I swear to you it`s pure coincidence. But yes, number one is Eva Longoria from "Desperate Housewives." I don`t think many people can argue that she is absolutely the hottest woman in Hollywood right now. She`s got an amazing career going. She`s so sexy, so sultry on that show, such a funny character. And she`s -- her character is kind enough to sleep with the help, so she got bonus points for that.

HAMMER: Well, another -- that`s nice. Another ABC show landing at number two is "Lost." Evangeline Lilly, who plays Kate, of course, on the show, is on the top of your list, practically, tonight.

COXE: Right, and she`s another relative newcomer. We`ve got a lot of people on the list this year, a lot of fresh new TV stars. And you got to hand it to "Lost" and you got to hand it to Evangeline. I mean, this is a show with a lot of really, really attractive, really hot women who`ve got really great careers right now, and she managed to beat them all out.

HAMMER: Well, not new to the list this year are Jennifer Garner, who`s at number three for you guys, of course, from "Alias."~

COXE: Right. And Don`t take this as a slight to Jennifer Garner because she`s been number one in the past. She`s still absolutely amazing and still up there at number three. Admittedly, "Electra," the movie she did this year, she was really hot in that, as well. but the movie didn`t do so well, so that probably hurt her a little bit. But she`s definitely right up at the top of our list.

HAMMER: OK, well, rounding out your top five are Lindsay Lohan and Jessica Alba. Rachel Bilson from "The O.C." She`s number 6 this year. She was number 58 on last year`s list. Why the big jump for Rachel?

COXE: It`s the same situation as Eva Longoria, where she was relatively unknown, compared to how she is now, a year ago, and then she managed to really get a big upswing with the success of "The O.C." and people are seeing a lot more of her and really liking what they see.

HAMMER: And really quickly. Angelina Jolie`s at number 7 now. Was she this high on the list -- I manage you did this before the Brad Pitt rumors started flying around.

COXE: Right. Right. I mean, she`s been on our list every single year. Every movie she`s in, even movies such as "Alexander," that most people agreed don`t quite succeed at the box office or critically...

HAMMER: Right.

COXE: ... she still does an amazing job in, and she always captures people`s attention.

HAMMER: And she`ll be back next year, I`m sure. Thank you very much, Charles Coxe. I got to sell this to the highest bidder here on the set. You can find the "Hot 100" list inside the June issue of "Maxim" magazine with the number 19, Vanessa Marshall (ph), by the way, on the cover. It`s on newsstands May 19.

BRYANT: OK, enough with the hot babes. Let`s get some equal time going. Michael Vartan should fit the bill nicely. Half the SHOWBIZ staff is in love with this guy, and he is here live, coming up.

HAMMER: Plus, it`s a wonderful "Life Aquatic." Coming up in the "SHOWBIZ Guide," Mr. Moviefone`s going to stop by, and he`ll tell us what`s new on DVD.

BRYANT: And taking up space. In our special series, "The Final Trek," one of the original "Star Trek" cast members joins us live.

HAMMER: It`s time now for "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." Uma Thurman`s father, Robert, is a respected professor of what at Columbia University, French, American studies, Indo-Tibetan Buddhist studies or economics? We`re coming straight back on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the answer.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Welcome back. So again, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." Uma Thurman`s father, Robert, is a respected professor of what at Columbia University, French, American studies, Indo-Tibetan Buddhist studies or economics, or as Karyn says, eeconomics. The answer is C, Indo-Tibetan Buddhist studies.

BRYANT: All right. Well, it is time for a "SHOWBIZ Sitdown" with Michael Vartan. He plays CIA operative Michael Vaughn on the hit ABC drama "Alias." But on the big screen, Vartan isn`t fighting international crime, he is fighting off his own mother in the new romantic comedy, "Monster-in- Law," which opens this Friday. Michael, welcome. Thanks for joining us here.

MICHAEL VARTAN, "MONSTER-IN-LAW": Thanks for having me, very much.

BRYANT: So in this movie, you play Kevin Fields. He is the only son of Viola, who is played by Jane Fonda. And you -- she`s kind of all up in your grill, if I can use that phrase about your...

VARTAN: She`s clinically insane.

BRYANT: ... about your fiancee.

VARTAN: Absolutely. She`s not a big fan of my choice in fiancees, and she`s a little crazy. And she can`t stand losing her one and only son, so she`s going to do everything she can to end it.

BRYANT: OK. Well, we`re going take a look at a clip. And I believe this is where you and Jennifer, your characters, are just starting to get to know each other.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VARTAN: Wait a second. So I know two things about you. You work in catering, and you have a lot of dogs.

JENNIFER LOPEZ, ``CHARLOTTE``: Oh, that? No. I`m a dog walker. I`m not some crazy dog lady with 12,000 dogs.

VARTAN: That makes -- that`s (INAUDIBLE)

LOPEZ: And sorry about before. I didn`t mean to be eavesdropping.

VARTAN: Well, you`re right, you shouldn`t have. You should have stayed and talked to me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: But you`ve got a dog yourself, don`t you.

VARTAN: I do have a dog. I do.

BRYANT: What kind?

VARTAN: She`s a Labrador retriever.

BRYANT: Oh!

VARTAN: And she likes to retrieve anything she can eat, swallow and destroy.

BRYANT: Very nice! Hopefully, not high-end shoes.

VARTAN: No. no. Jimmy Chews.

BRYANT: Oh.

VARTAN: See? Jimmy Chew, C-H-E-W.

BRYANT: That`s a pun.

VARTAN: It is.

BRYANT: Very nice. So how close to home is this? Is your mom, you know, in your business when it comes to who you date?

VARTAN: No. I`m very lucky. I have a very supportive mom who`s always supported anything I`ve done. And I think that, ultimately, you know, of course, as a mother, she would like to be a grandmother. I think that`s a normal feeling. But ultimately, as long as I`m happy, she`s happy. And that`s -- well, that`s as great as a mom can be, really.

BRYANT: Yes. Definitely. Now, Wanda Sykes was here, and she told us that we had to specifically ask you about your earnings playing poker on the set. What`s up with that?

(LAUGHTER)

VARTAN: Well, Jennifer`s driver is the brother of a very, very famous poker player, and -- well, he`s a professional poker player. And so Massoud (ph), her driver, fancies himself a professional, as well, and he`s not. So I took him for most of his money. And no, we had friendly games, you know, during lunch sometimes. And as you know, there are always long breaks on film sets, so that`s what we did because why read an interesting book when you can give your money to people?

(LAUGHTER)

BRYANT: Well, and I should say, of course, that Wanda is in the film with you, so...

VARTAN: Right. Very funny woman. Now, I heard a few odd things about you that I wanted to just ask you about.

VARTAN: Uh-oh!

BRYANT: Is it true that you got a BMW before you even got your first job?

VARTAN: That is true. That`s my manager, Steven`s (ph), fault, who said, Don`t worry, everything`s going to be fine. I guarantee you`re going work. And I said, OK. I bought it, and I`d say pretty much a couple of months later, I got a job that paid for the car, so -- but it was a pretty stupid and bold thing to do that I probably won`t repeat.

BRYANT: Well, in LA, anyway, people often fake it until they make it, so you`re not the only guy that`s ever done that, believe me.

VARTAN: Oh, believe me, I faked it for a long time.

(LAUGHTER)

BRYANT: Now, would you also rather be a professional athlete than an actor?

VARTAN: Yes. But see, this is where the flip side starts kicking in is because at the age -- I`m 36 now, and I would probably be retiring in any sport, other than maybe golf. So now I can, you know, start my acting career. But yes, I love sports, and that was always a passion of mine. But hey, I`m too old, so...

BRYANT: Now, I`m going to a Mets game on Sunday. I hear you`re a Mets fan, right?

VARTAN: Where are you going to the Mets...

BRYANT: I`m going to the Mets here at Shea Stadium.

VARTAN: On, they`re back in town?

BRYANT: Yes.

VARTAN: I`m sorry. I`m a huge...

BRYANT: Playing the Cards.

VARTAN: ... Mets fan, and it`s typical that they`re out of town when I`m in New York.

BRYANT: Well, it must have been weird with Jane, you know, with her Braves connection, and with Jennifer being a Yankees fan, I`m sure.

VARTAN: The two most hated teams in the world, the Yankees and the Braves. And I have to hear it all summer long. And of course, they`re winning teams, and the Mets recently have not done so well. We`re on the comeback trail. Are you a Mets fan?

BRYANT: Well, you know, I like Pedro. I`m from Boston, so the fact that Pedro`s there now pitching...

VARTAN: You can admit it, it`s the electric blue and the orange.

BRYANT: Oh, right!

VARTAN: The colors, right?

BRYANT: It`s that. It`s the colors. They look great on me. Well, Michael Vartan, thanks for joining us here. You can catch "Monster-in-Law" in theaters this Friday.

HAMMER: Well, it`s shaping up to be a great summer for rock shows. Bruce Springsteen is already out there, and today the Stones announced they`re hitting the road. Coming up in "SHOWBIZ In Depth," a look at the staying power of veteran rockers.

Plus, we`re in good company tonight. We`re checking out new DVDs with Mr. Moviefone himself. That`s coming up live in the "SHOWBIZ Guide."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: It is a story right out of a Broadway play. Today Christina Applegate was nominated for a Tony Award for her performance in "Sweet Charity." Now, this comes after she broke her foot, after the show was canceled and after she convinced producers to uncancel the show. Monty Python`s "Spamalot" led the pack with 14 nominations, including nods for Tim Curry and Hank Azaria. John Lithgow was nominated for his role in "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels." I saw that show the other day. It was terrific. This is his fifth nomination. Now, the Tony Awards ceremony is in June, and Hugh Jackman will be hosting.

HAMMER: It is time now for the "SHOWBIZ Guide," where throughout the week we help you decide where to spend your dollars on movies, music, DVDs and more. And tonight, we`re checking out what`s new on DVD. Joining us live to help us out is none other than Mr. Moviefone himself, Russ Leatherman. Thanks for joining us. Appreciate you being here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We`re get right to it. I`m going to press one for "In Good Company," Topher Grace, Dennis Quaid. What`s this DVD like? And anything special to see on it?

RUSS LEATHERMAN, "MR. MOVIEFONE": Well, I think you`re making a good choice. It`s a nice time to start this DVD segment because we actually have good movies out there. You do have Topher Grace and Dennis Quaid. The movie is "In Good Company." I really like this movie. Topher Grace plays an ad executive who takes over for Dennis Quaid and really replaces him in his job. And obviously, he`s half his age, and that doesn`t go over very well with Dennis Quaid. Plus, he gets involved with his daughter, played by Scarlett Johansson. I have to tell you, I think this is a really enjoyable movie. You can go rent it and feel good about it. Good extras on the DVD. Paul White`s the director, commentary from him. So I like this movie. I think you can rent it and feel pretty good about it.

HAMMER: All right, Russ. Well, then, let`s move on to number two, "The Life Aquatic," which has an all-star cast, but for most people, it was off their radar or maybe something they said, I`m going to see it when it gets to DVD. So it`s finally out.

LEATHERMAN: That`s exactly -- this is a little bit of a weird movie. It`s got Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Cate Blanchett. And Murray plays Steve Zissou, who`s a wacky eccentric and renowned oceanographer who seeks revenge on a shark that ate one of his teammates. Now, this is by Wes Anderson, the same guy who did "Rushmore," "The Royal Tannenbaums," "Bottle Rocket," movies that I thought were really good, but they`re about 10 degrees off center. So they`re quirky. They`re different. I think that`s what makes them unique, and so that`s why I liked it. This is another good DVD. You can rent it and feel pretty good about it.

HAMMER: All right. Well, let`s see if we can feel good about number three on our list, which is "Racing Stripes." Now, I actually understand there`s some good stuff for kids on here in terms of the extras.

LEATHERMAN: Well, it`s a good time for it because there is good stuff in the extras. But this is just a nice little movie. There`s nothing really in theaters to do with the kids right now, so you can take them to see this talking animal movie. And when I heard about it, I was a little nervous. Oh, no, not another talking animal movie. But this is really a heart-warming story, and you can -- literally, you can -- you don`t even have to get a baby sitter this weekend. You can just sit the kids down, they`ll watch this thing for eight, ten hours. You show back up, and they`re in the same exact place. So you got a lot of great DVDs this weekend.

HAMMER: All right. Eight to ten hours. A lot of time to spend with it. And real quickly, there is some good interactive stuff we should mention for the kids on the "Racing Stripes" DVD, as well.

LEATHERMAN: Absolutely. They can sit there for hours.

HAMMER: All right, Russ. Thank you very much for joining us. We appreciate your insight on all of this. And once again, Russ is going to be joining us every single Tuesday with what`s new on DVD.

BRYANT: We are taking a week-long stroll through the final frontier, with the "Star Trek" franchise coming to an end. Our series, "The Final Trek," tonight features one of the original cast members live. And that is coming up.

Plus, what would you say to a new record from Dave Matthews Band? We`ll check it out and get a review of last night`s concert from A.J. Hammer himself. That`s coming up. A.J. Hammer!

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Still rocking. The Stones are still rolling and U2 is coming to you. Rock royalty rocks on. We go in depth.

BRYANT: And the final trek. Our week-long series of "Star Trek" stars past and present. Tonight we check in with Chekov, Walter Koenig, live.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KENNY CHESNEY: Hey, everybody. I`m Kenny Chesney. If it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 31 minutes past the hour. I`m Karyn Bryant.

HAMMER: I`m AJ Hammer. Here are tonight`s hot headlines.

BRYANT: Renee walks away with a country star. Just a short time ago, through his publicist, music`s Kenny Chesney gushed about his hush- hush wedding yesterday to "Bridget Jones" star Renee Zellweger. He told us quote, I am incredibly happy. I may well be the luckiest man alive to be so in love with someone who is so perfect for me. It is just hard to imagine that I`m not going to wake up.

HAMMER: Well, starting today, again, today in New York the Rolling Stones said they are hitting the road for a new world tour. They`re going play favorites and material from a brand new album which is almost done. The Stones last tour grossed more than $300 million. This one`s going to kick off August 21st at Fenway Park in Boston, Mass.

BRYANT: The Rolling Stones are certainly not the only seasoned musicians still rocking. Tonight`s showbiz in depth, a look at some of rock`s longest running acts. The Stones have been at it for four decades. They released their first album called "Rolling Stones Number One" in 1964. Two years before that in `62, Bob Dylan debuted his first album, his self- titled "Bob Dylan." He is touring this summer with another legend, Willie Nelson. A year later in 1963, the Beatles dropped their first album "Please Please Me." And former Beatle Paul McCartney goes back on tour in September.

Other seasoned acts still going strong, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, U2, Duran Duran, Motley Crue, even Black Sabbath. So why have these groups been able to stand the test of time? Joining us live tonight for showbiz in depth, Alan Light, the editor in chief of "Tracks" magazine. Good to see you and Joe Levy, the deputy managing editor for music at "Rolling Stone" magazine. So guys, Alan, I`m going to start with you. What is the attraction of these vintage acts?

ALAN LIGHT, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, TRACKS MAGAZINE: I think that people know that they`re going get a night full of big hits that they know, performed well. There is no question is this an act I`m going like or not. And for an aging fan base, for them to se somebody they grew up with who is still up there, still making noise, still sounds really good, it makes them feel young, too. It is too much for those fans to resist.

BRYANT: Joe you agree, it is that familiarity factor?

JOEL LEVY, ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE: The songs, yeah. It is the songs. I`m pretty sure they come to hear the songs unless you`re going to see Black Sabbath in which case you`re checking to see if Ozzy can actually make it through the show. These groups have been around for as you just said, 40 years. When McCartney goes on tour, you`re talking about a tour that mom can go to with the kids and frighteningly enough mom, the kids and the grandkids could possibly show up for this one. So you`ve got acts that have enough hit songs that generations know them now and they want to hear those hits live.

BRYANT: Are you seeing generations, Joe, going to this or who is actually in the audience?

LEVY: Yeah. There is old and young if that`s what you`re asking. The Stones did not make that $300 million just by playing to the old folks, just by playing to people their own age, which, by the way is about 60 now. There were people in their 20s at the last Stones tour. Are the majority of the people in their 40s and 50s? Probably. On the Springsteen tour, is that the case? Yes. But Motley Crue, are they younger? Yeah.

BRYANT: What is interesting, Alan, is that you don`t necessarily get a lot of radio air play from these bands anymore. They`ll maybe release new records but you don`t necessarily get that radio support. Yet they`re still selling out.

LIGHT: A lot of times the new record is the excuse to roll out the tour and get back out there and seem like you`re still doing new things or still creating. It is not just an oldies tour. I think the amazing thing about some of these acts is they have been able to stay away. They`re not going to Branson, Missouri. They`re not just the old folks show. There still is at least the feeling of vitality. And the new songs, even if you don`t want to sit through the new songs, the fact that they`re still writing new songs helps add that sense that there is still something going on there.

BRYANT: Joe, would you say that the new songs are the chance to go to the bathroom and go get a beer?

LEVY: I didn`t say that. But I know what happens when the Stones break into their new materials when you`re at the show now.

BRYANT: No, no, no. That`s not me.

LEVY: It depends on the act.

BRYANT: Right.

LEVY: If it is Bob Dylan, the new songs are actually interesting. Dylan has been interesting on tour and on record for years. New Dylan albums are an event. Anybody else --

BRYANT: Springsteen?

LEVY: Springsteen, the new songs actually are interesting. He`s touring solo acoustic, so that people will pay attention to him when he plays the new songs. When it is the Stones, look, the tour is the event. The release of the new record is not the event. And people generally don`t know all of the words to the new songs. But they do to "Brown Sugar."

BRYANT: Yes, they do.

LEVY: Yes, don`t they.

BRYANT: That`s a classic, honey. I played that one in my house many times. Well, OK so here is the thing, though. Some of these acts, are they getting better with age Alan? I`m a huge U2 fan. I would argue they`re just as great as they`ve always about been. What do you think about U2 getting better or not?

LIGHT: I think U2 is so far a remarkable exception to a lot of the things that we have said. But U2 is 20 years younger than the Stones or than McCartney. We`ll see another generation from now if we`re still as excited when there say new U2 record, but U2 is really the only band --U2 and then kind of Dave Matthews band who aren`t full on baby boomer generation and yet can sell those kind of tickets at those kind of ticket prices and sell as many tickets, play as many shows as they want. It is an amazing career that U2 has kept going and the question is will they still be doing it in what, 2030?

BRYANT: I`ll be there. So, Alan Light, Joe Levy, thanks for joining us here. To go in depth, we have been asking you at home to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Vintage rockers, better with age? Keep voting at cnn.com/showbiztonight and send us your e-mails at showbiztonight@cnn.com.

HAMMER: "Star Trek" has certainly stood the test of time. But now we take a final trek. Walter Koenig who played Chekov on the original series joins us live.

BRYANT: And Dave Matthews is starting out on a trek of his own. We`ll hear all about his brand new album and tour coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Tonight another showbiz sit down. It`s part of our final trek special series. When the current "Star Trek" TV show ENTERPRISE goes off the air this Friday, it`s going to be the first time in 18 years that there`s going to be no new "Star Trek" on the small screen. And as of now, there are no new "Star Trek" movies in the planning.

BRYANT: All this week we are bringing you interviews with the "Star Trek" stars, past and present, spanning the last 40 years. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer is back here on the bridge with tonight`s final trek. David.

HAFFENREFFER: It does feel like the bridge, just a little bit. "Star Trek" certainly boldly went where no one had ever gone before in so many ways. The original series that aired from 1966 until 1969 featured one of most racially and ethnically diverse casts ever seen on television up to that point. Joining us now live from Los Angeles is Walter Koenig who played Ensign Pavel Chekov. Walter, welcome to the program.

WALTER KOENIG, PLAYED ENSIGN PAVEL CHEKOV: Thank you. Nice to be here.

HAFFENREFFER: Take us back, right back to the mid 1960s. Your character Chekov was a Russian, certainly right in the middle of the cold war there. Did that read sort of odd to you when you first got hired for that role?

KOENIG: No. I thought was great. I thought it was an opportunity to harken back to my heritage as a matter of fact. My folks were Russian. And I thought it was a nice opportunity to pay some tribute to my family heritage.

HAFFENREFFER: But originally Chekov was not supposed to be Russian, right? It was supposed to -- cast originally as what?

KOENIG: I guess a kind of -- a Monkee, an English Monkee character. You know. That`s what they had in mind.

HAFFENREFFER: All right, now hypothetically speaking, if you could beam back 40 years ago, say and have somebody tell you that 40 years from then you would still be talking about "Star Trek", what would you say?

KOENIG: It is absolutely extraordinary. It`s one of those phenomenon that really stand alone. All the hyperbole you can muster would not really describe what it has been like to live with a particular show and a particular character for this -- these many years. It is really amazing.

HAFFENREFFER: Was it true that you were hired in part to appeal to the audience that was so in love with the Monkees at the time, Davey Jones` character in particular.

KOENIG: That`s what I was talking about. Yeah they were looking for somebody who would have the same appeal as Davey Jones, looking to capture the 8 to 14-year-olds. And that`s what most of my mail was, from 8 to 14-year-olds.

HAFFENREFFER: Did that mean you were consequently a bit of a heartthrob as well as the time?

KOENIG: Well, it is not for me to say.

HAFFENREFFER: Let the fan club decide that one, right.

KOENIG: Yeah.

HAFFENREFFER: We had Nichelle Nichols on last night and she was kind enough to talk about the cast in general and about how you guys all got along so well. Do you still stay in touch with any of the cast members from the original series?

KOENIG: As a matter of fact, I had dinner with both George Takai, who I think will be on tomorrow night and Nichelle and Nichelle who was on last night. We had dinner over the weekend. So we do get a chance to trade stories and remember the past and look forward to the future, which is the thing that we all try to underscore is the future.

HAFFENREFFER: We`ve got people coming on all week as you mentioned. George is coming on tomorrow night. We`re asking everybody the same final set of questions here. So I`m just going to throw them right at you. Here we go, the favorite trek character besides your own?

KOENIG: Well, I think -- I think Leonard`s interpretation of 00 Leonard Nimoy`s interpretation of Spock was really quite brilliant. I think anybody -- I think all of us could have been played by other characters. All of our characters could have been played by other actors with the exception of Leonard. Nobody could have done Mr. Spock quite as well as Leonard did. I think that`s a singular character and one that will remain in television lore for generations and generations.

HAFFENREFFER: Walter Koenig, thank you for being with us tonight. We appreciate it.

KOENIG: My pleasure.

HAFFENREFFER: And tomorrow, the final trek continues as SHOWBIZ TONIGHT salutes "Star Trek" with special guest Anthony Montgomery from "Star Trek: Enterprise" and Mr. Sulu himself, George Takai. Then Thursday, the "Next Generation`s" Lavar Burton beams up for a chat. The final frontier ends this Friday for "Star Trek: Enterprise" in a two-hour series finale on UPN -- AJ.

HAMMER: All right, David. Now from David Haffenreffer to the Dave Matthews band in concert. The band has been grinding out hits like "Ants Marching" and "Crash" for a decade now, selling 30 million albums around the world. Last night I was fortunate enough to be there as the Dave Matthews band put on a very special live concert right here in New York City where we are located for the AOL music series including some material from their new album.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER (voice-over): The Dave Matthews band drops its sixth studio album today.

DAVE MATTHEWS, MUSICIAN: We`ve been a long time really since we have -- quite a few years since we made a completely new record.

HAMMER: "Stand Up" is the name. Dave Matthews tells us it contains some of his best song writing yet.

MATTHEWS: I think they`re my best lyrics ever. I think I still deal with the same things I always deal with which I guess maybe is a source of inspiration for everyone, love and sex and death and faith. And those are all the same things I deal with but I dealt with them in a much clearer way.

HAMMER: "Stand Up" is the first product to come out of the band`s new recording studio in Charlottesville, Virginia, the same town where the guys first hooked up and cut their teeth 14 years ago.

MATTHEWS: It was just a really magic time and the experience was very different. It sounds really contemporary, but also very natural. So it`s got some of the real new sound, real slick sound but it got a lot of back porch sound to it as well. There was a real sort of alchemy going on our minds throwing things into this pot.

HAMMER: The band chose 14 songs for the new album.

MATTHEWS: It wasn`t like I was sitting there saying, what am I going to play? What am I going to play, which brings an anxiety to the recording process. It never felt like we were laboring. But we were coming up with results all the time. In an odd way, I think everyone will agree, that largely thanks to Mark, I think the band has been captured for the first time, the creative side of us more on this record than ever before. And I think everything about it seems to me clearer.

HAMMER: The guys celebrated the release of "Stand Up" by performing an intimate concert in New York City.

MATTHEWS: Once we started getting out of frat parties and small clubs in the southeast, the place that really grabbed us early on was sort of the underground scene in New York.

HAMMER: This concert is being broadcast on the web by AOL.

MATTHEWS: I think we love to play live. And sort of what we grew closer and closer and tighter and tighter doing is just performing. I think there is sort of an infectious quality, the joy that we find playing live. We`ll all be saying by midsummer the stuff is going to be soaring because the way we play, we don`t really learn songs to reflect accurately the same picture that we put on the record. We have no attachment to -- we don`t need to be an imitation of the album. In fact, it is growth and the changes are kind of what this band is about.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: Last night at the show, you could tell that Dave and the boys had a lot of pent-up energy when they hit the stage. It was absolutely outrageous. Dave Matthews band shows rarely disappoint and the new material held up too. Nobody was running off to the bathroom or to get beer when they were breaking out new stuff from "Stand Up." You can check out that concert on AOL music and you can catch the guys live at a city near you. Today the band announced a 28 city tour and the first stop, St. Louis, Missouri, on June 1st.

BRYANT: It`s time to get your laugh on in laughter dark. As we do every night, we bring you the late night laughs you may have missed. Monday is headlines night on "The Tonight Show" with Jay Leno.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAY LENO, HOST, TONIGHT SHOW: Lost, search and rescue dog. House bans gay unions. Can you show the full picture? Dustin Olson, fourth grader at Bridgeview Elementary in Plymouth demonstrates what happens when you touch a lit match to a balloon full of hydrogen.

Look how pissed off this cat is. That cat is not going to wear that stupid hat. Magnetic shoulder supports, 12 strategically placed magnets. Look at the woman before. She`s got 12 magnets, works great until she walks by the refrigerator, bam, bam, bam.

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BRYANT: Very nice. Tonight on "The Tonight Show," (INAUDIBLE) Matt LeBlanc.

Coming up, going global. Jordana Brewster is all dressed up with plenty of places to go. It is Tuesday in style.

HAMMER: And there is still time for you to sound off in our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Vintage rockers, better with age? Vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight.

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HAMMER: It is time now for today`s in style. We`re going global. Fashion from around the world fused into some stunning dresses all modeled by international beauty Jordana Brewster.

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TOBY TUCKER PETERS, IN STYLE MAGAZINE: Global is this wonderful trend we`re seeing for this season and it`s incorporating a lot of things that we have seen in the past. It is everything. It is Indian, American Indian. It is Baliwood. It is African. It is almost every corner of the world incorporated into one outfit.

Jordana Brewster is perfect for our global shoot because she is a child of the world. She`s grown up all over. And she`s got that wonderful look to her that you can`t really pinpoint. Is she American Indian? Is she Spanish? She`s got that wonderful, wonderful dark hair, brown skin and beautiful eyes. In Jordana`s first look we put her in this beautiful new dress. It`s got this great kind of African tribal beading around the neck. And then it bleeds out into this beautiful striped pattern with these really bright colors, orange and black and white, really make a statement.

Jordana loved wearing this Vera Wang coat. It`s got a ton of texture to it. It`s actually half made out of raffia. That bottom, that black and white pattern really lends kind of a tribal feel to it.

It is really all about the jewelry. She has this beautiful earth tone top by Gucci on. But it is all about the bone necklace by Steven Dweck (ph). Jewelry is huge this season, especially jewelry made out of natural fibers.

When we saw this skirt on the runway, we knew we had to shoot it on somebody really special. This Gautier skirt is multi-layers and multi- colors of just beautiful chiffon. She looked so beautiful in it. Jordana loved wearing this (INAUDIBLE) dress. She said she felt like it was a sarong that you just put on. She said the shape of the dress was very loose, but the fabric itself was very intricate. She loved it.

(INAUDIBLE) this skirt in this beautiful kind of banded almost Mexican Tex Mex kind of skirt that we just fell in love with. (INAUDIBLE) this beautiful, beautiful global collection and we couldn`t have a global story without including this piece.

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HAMMER: And if you want to read more about these gorgeous global dresses, just pick up a copy of this month`s "In Style" magazine. It`s on news stands now.

BRYANT: Throughout the show, we have been asking you to vote online on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Vintage rockers, better with age? Let`s take a look at the vote so far. 42 percent of you say yes, vintage rockers are better with age, 58 percent of you say no, they aren`t.

HAMMER: Simple as that.

BRYANT: Simple as that.

HAMMER: Good to have the Stones coming back, though. I can tell you that. It`s time right now to see what is playing on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow.

BRYANT: Let`s take a look at the showbiz marquee, marquee guy, take it away.

ANNOUNCER: Oh, boy. It is Beth Ostrosky (ph) and oh do we have questions for her. Like what is it like to be Howard Stern`s girlfriend? And why did she name her dog Bianca Romijn-Stamos? (ph) She`s tall. She`s beautiful and she`s here live, Beth Ostrosky, tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

It is a race under pressure. Will survivors Rob and Amber survive the amazing race? We`re drinking lots of coffee and pulling an all nighter for this one behind the scenes after the amazing race tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. This is the marquee guy and I`m racing out of here to get myself all caffeinated and such because I`m staying up late tonight.

BRYANT: AJ, what do you think, Dave Matthews Band, vintage rockers still rocking in 30 years?

HAMMER: I was thinking about that last night while I was watching the concert here in New York City. They`ll be around forever.

BRYANT: We will see.

HAMMER: They will stand the test of time.

BRYANT: That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Karyn Bryant.

HAMMER: I`m AJ Hammer. Stay tuned for the very latest from CNN HEADLINE NEWS.

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