Broadway is taking some necessary action to remain afloat in this shiteous economy.

Show producers are offering a lot more discounts because they know y'all don't have the big entertainment budgets that you used to.

Here's some of the discount programs you or your friends/family can take advantage of on the Great White Way:

- Tell Granny or Gramps! Starting Tuesday, Pulitzer and Tony-winning play August: Osage County will offer rush tickets to senior citizens for weekday performances.

- In early 2009, the Broadway League’s annual Season of Savings program, which offers deals on tickets to a variety of Broadway and Off Broadway shows, will return! No details are yet available, but experts speculate that more shows than usual will find themselves participating in the initiative. And, the league’s recurring Kids Night on Broadway (buy a full priced adult ticket, get a kid's ticket free) was recently upped from once a year to monthly.

- Disney shows on Broadway are going the discount route as well. You know times are shit when the monet loving Mouse is offering a deal! Anyway, for Broadway performances of The Lion King, The Little Mermaid and Mary Poppins scheduled the weeks between January 6th and March 13th, if you buy one full-priced adult ticket you'll get a kid's ticket for free. Orders will be taken starting today, Monday, and ending Dec. 12 at midnight. Note, a free kid’s ticket will be offered only with the purchase of a full-priced ticket for the orchestra or front mezzanine.

Is Simon Cowell really that interesting?

Apparently, he is to some psychos out there.

The X Factor judge has just discovered that his car had been bugged with listening devices!!!!

Simon kept wondering what was going on when an unknown motorcyclist kept showing up everywhere he went and even outside of buildings where he had private meetings.

Simon told his security team about his worries. They searched around and found the bug.

His $175,000 Bentley Continental was found with a sophisticated tracking device that was magnetically attached to the car's undercarriage.

An insider says, "Simon is completely freaked out by this. He can't believe someone has gone to so much trouble and expense to monitor his every movement. It's extremely sinister."

And very illegal!

The source adds, "He was aware that someone kept turning up a few minutes after he went everywhere. He couldn't work out how that person knew his movements. The tracking device was quite sophisticated and could have been used by the security services."

Shady!

Cowell is believed to have an idea of who he thinks is responsible for this. He might even take legal action.

He should! No one wants more crazies going around and bugging their place.

The source adds, "Simon has his suspicions as to who is responsible. He is so angry he is considering calling in the police to investigate further. It is a hassle he could do without - especially with The X Factor in its final stages - but it has to be done. He can't take any chances."

Wonder if Cowell said anything really juicy???

[Image via WENN.]

If you weren't able to catch her Madgesty's AIDS/Malawi documentary, I Am Because We Are, in the theaters, then you can see it today, Monday, which also happens to be World AIDS Day.

The doc will be airing this evening on the Sundance Channel.

Malawi is an impoverished African nation where one million children are orphaned by AIDS.

As y'all know, Madonna's 'awakening' to Malawi led her to adopt little David Banda and open a school in the country.

She told a reporter in a new interview that she had many goals for the documentary, "I did get to a point where I thought, 'I'm being overambitious, I'm trying to say too much, I'll never accomplish it.' But I feel proud of the fact that I did get to make all my points."

One of the most important points Madge reportedly makes in the documentary is that any crisis comes with solutions, however hard-won and piecemeal.

[Image via Michael Carpenter/WENN.]

Travis Barker and DJ AM are slowly getting over the tragic plane crash that took the lives of their friends and almost killed them as well.

The pair will perform together later this month for the first time together since the accident, they just announced. They will take stage and headline the New Year's Nation's Los Angeles New Year's Eve Party at The Lot in West Hollywood.

And in a statement, Barker seems happy to be getting back to work.

Says Travis, "I'm ready to get back on stage with AM and continue to rock the house. I'm very excited to bring in the New Year in my hometown of L.A."

And for those of you that can't make it, their performance will be streamed on the Internet and will also be broadcast at the other New Year's Nation parties across the country.

[Image via WENN.]

LezLo will be hosting the festivities at Mansion in Miami Beach this New Year's Eve.

And her gal pal won't be far away!

saMAN Ronson is going to be providing the "sounds."

We'd rather here good music over sounds, but whatever!

While BiHan send in a hawt pic of herself for the promo flyer, saMAN sent in a cartoon drawing.

Awwww, how sad!!!!

Paris Hilton launches 'Fairy Dust By Paris Hilton' at Macy's-Woodbridge Center Mall in Woodbridge, New Jersey, on Sunday.

Paris Hilton's new fragrance, Fairy Dust, smells like ________.

[Image via WENN.]

Sad.

Live Earth India, which was scheduled to take place in Mumbai, India on December 7th, has been cancelled because of security fears after last week's terrorist attacks that left almost two hundred dead and hundreds more injured.

According to reports, the concert was designed to highlight environmental concerns and India's Light a Billion Lives solar energy program.

Bon Jovi and other booked acts were quick to cancel travel plans when the violence erupted, which prompted organizers to call off the sold-out charity event.

A British artist, Amar Dhanjan, who was booked to perform, thought cancellation was the right thing to do, "It's just not important compared to what's happening there right now."

[Image via WENN.]

Following the poor ratings performance of her first (and last) variety show, Rosie O'Donnell took to her haiku style blog to respond to fans' praise, comments, and criticisms, and even explain why she thought the NBC-hosted show didn't go over so well with viewers.

She also revealed that she's taking a "break"!

Hasn't she been on a break mostly since she left The View????

As to why the show sucked, says O'Donnell:

not enough rehearsal
the live part wasnt a plus
the in theater experience didnt transfer to tv
…
we were going for ed sullivan
and theres only one carol b
and hey
i gave it my best shot

The plan was to launch the variety show as a holiday special, and then order a series if the special hit the mark.

Which the show didn't, halting it in its tracks.

there will b no more
no ratings
bad reviews
yet still - a thrill 4 me

And then she diplomatically encouraged fans to try out the other variety-type shows hitting television, such as the Osbourne's.

Maybe next time RoRo!

[Image via Mavrix Online.]

Reigning Disney princess, Selena Gomez, really knows how to look good yet dress her age.

Nick Jonas' girlfriend was spotted Sunday night in London at the British Academy Children's Awards 2008 held at the London Hilton in Park Lane.

And unlike some other Disney stars, no embarrassing pictures of Selena have leaked…..yet!

[Image via WENN.]

Barack Obama named Hillary Clinton his Secretary of State on Monday morning in Chicago.

Yay!!!!!!!!

[Image via WENN.]