Entertainment Today: Showbiz news

PUFFY AND J.LO AGAIN?

Jennifer Lopez recently acknowledged that she would be okay working again with former lover P. Diddy -- formerly known as Sean "Puffy" Combs -- and now P. Diddy says that would be okay with him too.

The hip-hop mogul -- whose new album "We Invented the Remix" just debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard album chart -- told "Access Hollywood" he and Lopez are okay despite the breakup.

"Yeah. That's my home girl, we're friends," he said. "We just used to go out back in the day, it's that simple. You know, we're going to always work together, we're going to always be cool. She called me and congratulated me on being No. 1."

P. Diddy said he's over the love affair.

"It's nothing, it's not that big of a deal, she's married, she's happy," he said. "I'm single, I'm happy. We're No. 1 today and it's all good."

STANDING 'O' FOR MADONNA

The audience gave Madonna a standing ovation following her London theater debut Thursday in the comedy "Up for Grabs."

Madonna watchers were keenly interested in the event, particularly after some negative buzz built up around the production having to do with her performance and her reported demands on producers.

The audience included the pop star's husband, director Guy Ritchie, as well as Sting and fashion designer Donatella Versace.

FORGET 'ELEPHANT MAN'

Producers of the Broadway revival of "The Elephant Man" have posted a closing notice for June 9.

The show was nominated for best actor and featured actress Tonys for Billy Crudup and Kate Burton, but was not nominated for best play revival. Business has not been good. Last week, the production played to 51 percent of capacity at the Royale Theater.

Producers said the combination of 16 new plays opening on Broadway this season and an economic downturn was too much for the show to overcome.

The revival will close after 65 performances -- considerably short of the 916 performance logged by the original Broadway production in 1979.

GETTING SET FOR TONYS

Plans call for a medley of Richard Rodgers tunes and a musical bouquet to New York at Sunday's Tony Awards, but according to a report in Daily Variety producers aren't quite sure whether to open the show with the Rodgers medley of the New York tribute.

This is the centennial year of the birth of Rodgers, who collaborated with Oscar Hammerstein on some of the greatest hits in Broadway history -- including "South Pacific," "The Sound of Music" and "Oklahoma!" The medley will be performed by an all-star line-up and finish up with a performance by cast members from the current Broadway revival of "Oklahoma!"

Producers said the show -- hosted by Bernadette Peters and Gregory Hines -- will feature production numbers from each of the nominated musicals. Sources told Variety the line-up will include:

-- Sutton Foster singing "Forget About the Boy" and the title tune from "Thoroughly Modern Millie"

-- The cast of "Urinetown" singing "Run, Freedom, Run!"

-- John Lithgow and the chorus of "Sweet Smell of Success" performing "Dirt"

-- The cast of "Mamma Mia!" signing a medley ending with "Dancing Queen"

ANOTHER RECORD FOR THE LITTLE WIZARD

With four days left until the DVD and videocassette releases of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" on May 28, Amazon.com has announced that it has already received more than 100,000 pre-orders for the DVD -- the biggest DVD pre-order in the company's history.

The pre-order has propelled the movie to No. 1 on both Amazon.com's DVD and video best-sellers lists.

The company has also announced the results of national survey, indicating that Potter fans like the first of J.K. Rowling's four books best. "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" came out on top in the survey with 58 percent of the vote.

The third book, "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," was No. 2 with 18 percent. Book four, "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," was third with 15 percent, and the second book, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" was least favorite with 9 percent.