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Michael Jackson spokesman quits

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 30 (UPI) -- Michael Jackson's top spokesman has quit, BBC News reported Tuesday, as the pop star is embroiled in one of the biggest public relations battle of his life.

Stuart Backerman left his job as Jackson's chief spokesman one day after the singer appeared on CBS' "60 Minutes" and announced that he thought it was "OK" to share a bed with children.

"I resigned ... over strategic differences with the way things are going," Backerman said Monday in a statement.

Backerman said he has no definite plans for the future and is unsure of who will replace him.

"The one thing I will say is that I love Michael Jackson and his fans," Backerman said.

Jackson has been charged with seven counts of felony child molestation and two counts of providing "an intoxicating agent" to a minor after a boy accused the pop singer of sexually abusing him during the past year at Jackson's Santa Barbara ranch, Neverland. Jackson is free on $3 million bail and faces up to 20 years if convicted.

Cronkite recovering in NY hospital

NEW YORK, Dec. 30 (UPI) -- Legendary newscaster Walter Cronkite is recovering in a New York hospital following surgery on his Achilles tendon, eOnline.com reported Tuesday.

The 87-year-old broadcaster is expected to be released in time to travel to Vienna to host the annual New Year's Day concert given by the Vienna Philharmonic. This year marks the 20th year that Cronkite has hosted the Austrian concert.

This year's event, taped for a PBS broadcast, will feature Cronkite touring the city's Albertina Museum and its collection of paintings of 16th-century artist Albrecht Durer.

Cronkite, a veteran anchor who retired from the "CBS Evening News" more than two decades ago, continues to write a weekly syndicated column and periodically hosts documentaries.

'Return of King' tops film critics' list

NEW YORK, Dec. 30 (UPI) -- "The Return of the King" topped the nominations for the 2003 OFCS Awards, announced Tuesday by the New York-based Online Film Critics Society.

The third installment to the popular "Lord of the Rings" trilogy received nominations in 10 categories, including best picture, director and cinematography.

"City of God," "Kill Bill: Vol. 1," "Lost In Translation" and "Mystic River" round out the best picture category.

Johnny Depp ("Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl"), Paul Giamatti ("American Splendor"), Ben Kingsley ("House of Sand and Fog"), Bill Murray ("Lost in Translation") and Sean Penn ("Mystic River") will compete for top actor.

Eighteen-year-old Angela Bettis ("May"), Scarlett Johannson ("Lost in Translation"), Charlize Theron ("Monster"), Uma Thurman ("Kill Bill: Vol. 1") and Naomi Watts ("21 Grams") received best actress nominations.

The OFCS, comprised of international film journalists and scholars who publish their reviews exclusively online, annually nominates and selects the year's top films. The 2003 winners will be announced Jan. 5.

J.Lo tops 2003 celebrity news

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 30 (UPI) -- Jennifer Lopez topped the list of celebrities making news in 2003, according to "Entertainment Tonight's" annual list, Zap2It.com reported Tuesday.

The singer-actress, who primarily made news for her romance with actor Ben Affleck and the bomb movie they made together, "Gigli," outranked actress Jennifer Aniston, who was E.T.'s No. 1 newsmaker in 2002. Aniston, who is married to actor Brad Pitt, placed second this year.

Michael Jackson, who is in the midst of child molestation accusations, came in third, with Affleck, who is currently starring in "Paycheck," ranking fourth. Golden Globe nominee Nicole Kidman was the fifth most-talked-about celebrity in the news.

Catherine Zeta-Jones, Pitt, Cameron Diaz, Britney Spears and Demi Moore filled spots six through 10, respectively.

Previous popular newsmakers Julia Roberts, currently starring in "Mona Lisa Smile," and Tom Cruise from "The Last Samurai" did not make the 2003 list.

Hugh Jackman's break stops Broadway show

NEW YORK, Dec. 30 (UPI) -- Producers of the Broadway musical "The Boy from Oz" will cancel performances when star Hugh Jackman takes vacation, according to a spokesman of the show.

Rather than risk having members of the audience demand refunds, producers have decided to cancel 10 performances when Jackman takes his vacation early in the new year.

Performances will be canceled Feb. 1, Feb. 3-6, March 28, and March 30-April 2.

The cancellations are virtually unheard of on Broadway, where understudies regularly fill in for a show's stars even of the magnitude of Nathan Lane ("The Producers") and Bernadette Peters ("Annie") when they were ill and could not perform. However, Jackman, an Australian-born actor who plays the role of entertainer-songwriter Peter Allen in the biographical show, virtually carries the production.

The show opened last October to negative reviews although Jackman's performance was praised. It has been playing ever since to full houses at the Imperial Theater where two addition performances, Jan. 26 and March 22, have been scheduled to make up for canceled shows.