Cooped up with chicken pox

Edinburgh, Scotland — The show must go on, but not if the star — in this case Christian Slater — has chicken pox.

Producers had to cancel the opening night of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” which was due to open Friday in Edinburgh and run for three weeks in conjunction with the city’s annual arts festival.

“In order to safeguard the rest of the run we are having to take the doctor’s advice to let Christian recover for one more day,” producer Nica Burns said Tuesday. “R.P. McMurphy is an enormous part requiring great energy.”

Jack Nicholson won an Oscar for his role as McMurphy in the 1975 movie adaptation of Ken Kesey’s novel, set in an Oregon mental hospital.

Trump’s latest racket

New York — He’s hired! Donald Trump is helping the U.S. Tennis Assn. promote participation in the sport.

Trump will appear in print ads in the official U.S. Open program and in national publications in the fall. He also taped a promo that will be shown on video screens during the Grand Slam tournament starting Aug. 30.

A regular at the U.S. Open for many years, Trump did the promos as a favor to a friend who’s a former USTA board member.

It’s all part of a campaign called “Tennis. Come Out Swinging” launched in March by the USTA and the Tennis Industry Assn., which includes manufacturers and retailers.

Rowling plans eighth ‘Potter’

Dublin, Ireland — Author J.K. Rowling is planning to write an eighth “Harry Potter” novel, reported Ireland Online on Tuesday. The English novelist — currently adding the finishing touches to her sixth “Potter” book — had previously vowed to only create seven adventures about the magical wizard. But she now wants to add an eighth entry, featuring outtakes from the series so far.

Rowling will donate all proceeds from the book to charity, and publishers estimate the “Harry Potter Encyclopedia” could make in excess of $18 million.

But the 39-year-old insists she’s ready to retire when the hugely successful series ends. Rowling, who has made an estimated $960 million from “Harry Potter,” said: “I think it highly unlikely I’ll write more novels. I’ve got enough for seven books and I never meant to carry the story beyond the end of book seven.”

Lineup grows for MTV awards

Miami — The guest list for the 21st MTV Video Music Awards is growing as the cable music network prepares to launch its biggest awards show yet from Miami’s AmericanAirlines Arena on Aug. 29.

Among the performers announced Tuesday are comedian Dave Chappelle and a slew of hip-hop “crunk” slingers, including Lil’ Jon, Petey Pablo, Ying Yang Twins and Terror Squad featuring Fat Joe.

Adding to the glitterati parade on the red carpet and elsewhere, MTV announced, will be celebrity heiress Paris Hilton and budding pop star Ashlee Simpson, joined by the ever-present P.Diddy, skateboard icon Tony Hawk, rocker Lenny Kravitz, rappers LL Cool J and Ludacris, and comedian Jon Stewart.