American Idol auditions draw thousands to Massachusetts

Foxborough, Mass. (ap) — Yes, they were singing in the rain.

Thousands of “American Idol” hopefuls braved showers and unseasonable cold winds Sunday at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., with the hopes of becoming the show’s next star.

The Season Nine kickoff auditions attracted around 7,000 contestants from the East Coast. Some showed up around 3 a.m. Sunday.

The next “American Idol” auditions are scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday in Atlanta.

Chef who fed luminaries at N.Y. restaurant dies

New York (ap) — Christian “Hitsch” Albin, who fed the world’s luminaries for decades as executive chef of The Four Seasons — a restaurant that invented the “power lunch” — has died. He was 61.

Albin died at New York University Medical Center on Saturday, five days after receiving a cancer diagnosis, the restaurant’s owners said in a statement.

The Swiss-born chef’s hearty laughter filled the ritzy Manhattan restaurant’s kitchen for 36 years, serving guests such as Elton John, Princess Diana and Martha Stewart.

‘Hangover’ hangs on as No. 1 movie with $33.4M

Los Angeles (ap) — Hollywood nursed another big weekend hangover.

The Warner Bros. comedy “The Hangover” hauled in $33.4 million to remain the top box-office draw for a second-straight weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The tale of a Las Vegas bachelor party gone to extremes raised its total to

$105.4 million after 10 days in theaters. It was the summer’s first movie to finish at No. 1 for two weekends in a row.

Disney’s latest Pixar Animation hit, the action comedy “Up,” came in a close second again with $30.5 million. That lifts the acclaimed animated film’s total to $187.2 million.

Debuting at No. 3 with $25 million was Sony’s action remake “The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3.” The thriller stars Denzel Washington as a dispatcher matching wits against John Travolta as the mastermind of a subway hijacking.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com.

1. “The Hangover,” $33.4 million.

2. “Up,” $30.5 million.

3. “The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3,” $25 million.

4. “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian,” $9.6 million.

5. “Land of the Lost,” $9.2 million.

6. “Imagine That,” $5.7 million.

7. “Star Trek,” $5.6 million.

8. “Terminator Salvation,” $4.7 million.

9. “Angels & Demons,” $4.2 million.

10. “Drag Me to Hell,” $3.9 million.