Buzz Briefs: Whoopi Goldberg, "The Office"

Whoopi To Produce "Sister Act" Musical In London

Whoopi Goldberg is getting in the act again with "Sister Act."

The performer will produce but not star in a London stage version of her hit 1992 movie about an on-the-lam lounge singer who hides out in a convent. The musical will open June 2, 2009, at the London Palladium, with preview performances beginning May 6.

Goldberg will join forces with Stage Entertainment, one of Europe's largest theatrical producers, a company headed by Joop Van Den Ende, in presenting the show.

Melora Hardin Goes From "The Office" To Broadway

For nearly seven weeks, Melora Hardin is trading the offices of Scranton's Dunder Mifflin for the bright lights of Broadway.

The actress who plays Jan Levenson on the hit NBC TV series "The Office" will join the cast of "Chicago" Dec. 29 to portray that killer chorine Roxie Hart. Hardin will appear in the long-running revival at the Ambassador Theatre through Feb. 12.

Ryan O'Neal, Son Delay Entering Pleas

Ryan O'Neal and his son have delayed entering pleas in their felony drug cases until after the new year.

The Oscar-nominated actor and his son appeared in court Thursday morning, where attorneys asked a judge for more time to review evidence.

The 67-year-old actor and his 23-year-old son were ordered to return on Jan. 9.

They were arrested in September when Los Angeles sheriff's deputies did a routine parole check on Redmond O'Neal, who was staying at his father's Malibu home.

O'Neal, 67, was nominated for a best actor Academy Award for 1970's "Love Story." Redmond, 23, is his son from a relationship with Farrah Fawcett.

The actor's attorney has denied the drugs belonged to his client.

Horror Master Stephen King Has Digital Appeal

Stephen King is a video star.

The animated video adaptation of the horror master's short story "N." has been viewed more than a 1 million times on the Internet and on mobile phones since its release in July, according to publisher Simon & Schuster. King has well demonstrated his digital appeal before; his e-novella "Riding the Bullet" was a sensation in the early years of the Internet.

"Stephen King has once again lured his readers to try a new way to enjoy a story," Susan Moldow, executive vice president and publisher of Scribner, a division of Simon & Schuster, said Thursday in a statement.

The print version of King's short story, in which a psychiatrist fatally absorbs the madness of one of his patients, is included in the collection "Just After Sunset," released this week.

Pop Singer Rihanna: Safety Comes First

Rihanna has canceled a concert scheduled Friday in Indonesia over security concerns.

Dive Purnomo, a spokeswoman for the event organizer, said the 20-year-old singer had been scheduled to perform before a sold-out crowd of 6,000 in the capital, Jakarta.

But she changed her mind while in Australia, one of several countries that issued a travel advisory to citizens in Indonesia after the weekend executions of three Islamic militants convicted in the 2002 Bali bombings.

The men called on followers to carry out revenge attacks if their deaths by firing squad went ahead.

Purnomo, of Show Master Live, said she hoped the "Umbrella" singer would come to Jakarta in January.

Sandra Bullock's Stalker Gets Three Years Probation

A woman has been placed on three years of probation following her guilty plea to a misdemeanor charge of stalking actress Sandra Bullock.

A felony charge of assault with a deadly weapon was dropped against Marcia Valentine, 47, after she entered her guilty plea to stalking on Nov. 5, according to the Orange County Superior Court Web site.

Bullock obtained a restraining order in May 2007 barring Valentine from contacting her or coming near her home, family or work for three years.

The actress testified in court that on five occasions, Valentine left in her yard palm fronds adorned with "weird signs" and "pieces of animal fur."

Bullock testified that after Valentine was spotted April 22, 2007, outside her home in Sunset Beach, her husband, Jesse James, went outside and tried to write down the woman's license plate.

Bullock said Valentine screamed obscenities and twice tried to run over James with her silver Mercedes-Benz. James, host of TV's "Monster Garage," was not hurt.

Valentine was arrested the next day by sheriff's deputies while driving in the area.

Lohan Refers To Obama As "First Colored President"

Lindsay Lohan referred to President-elect Barack Obama as the country's "first colored president" in an interview on "Access Hollywood."

Describing her experience on Election Day, Lohan said: "It was really exciting. It's an amazing feeling. It's our first colored president."

A spokeswoman for Lohan didn't immediately return messages left Wednesday.

Interviewer Maria Menounos didn't question the 22-year-old actress on her use of the term. "Access Hollywood" also didn't cite her remark in its online story, but did post an "extended interview" video on its Web site that included the remark.

A spokesman for the syndicated entertainment news program said in a statement Wednesday: "We believe the word in question that Ms. Lohan used was unintelligible."

Lohan blogged about her support of Obama during the presidential campaign.

Jimi Hendrix Drummer Found Dead

Authorities say Mitch Mitchell, the British drummer for the legendary 1960s band Jimi Hendrix Experience, has been found dead in his Portland hotel room.

Erin Patrick, a deputy medical examiner, says Mitchell was found dead a little after 3 a.m. Wednesday in his room at the Benson Hotel in downtown Portland.

She says Mitchell apparently died of natural causes at 62. An autopsy is planned.

Mitchell was touring with the Experience Hendrix Tour, which performed Friday at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in Portland. It was the last stop on the West Coast part of the tour.

Hendrix died in 1970. Noel Redding, bassist for the trio, died in 2003.

Jury "Flips" A&E Dispute

A federal jury awarded a South Carolina real estate investor more than $4 million Wednesday in a dispute over profits from the reality television show "Flip This House."

Charleston jurors deliberated five hours before awarding the money to Richard C. Davis, who created the show and appeared on its first season, the Post and Courier reported.

Davis, who runs the Trademark Properties Inc. real estate firm on James Island, sued after he said the cable network broke an oral agreement to split profits from the show.

Attorneys for A&E have said the network had no such agreement.

"We are deeply disappointed in the jury's decision and will follow up the appropriate steps to have the verdict reversed," A&E spokesman Michael Feeney said Wednesday.