I was fully prepared to mock Katie Holmes for the interview she gave about her upcoming, pretaped appearance on So You Think You Can Dance? Not only is Katie dancing… she’s also singing. Not only is she singing… she’s singing a Judy Garland song, just like Tom “I Love Me Some Judy” Cruise wanted her to do. But now I’m thinking twice about the mockery, because it seems Katie got involved with this whole project because she’s involved with the Dizzy Feet Foundation, a nonprofit that “provides assistance to talented underprivileged youth.”

She must have taped this thing weeks ago, when she was making zombie-like appearances all around Los Angeles. I think she also pre-taped all of the interviews about her appearance too, because she’s working in Australia now, I can’t see her flying in to LA just to promote an appearance on So You Think You Can Dance?

Katie Holmes says she is “very excited” about her upcoming singing and dancing homage to Judy Garland, airing on the 100th episode of So you Think You Can Dance Thursday.

“I like to sing and dance so it is really fun,” she tells Entertainment Tonight.

As Usmagazine.com previously reported, Holmes will dance and sing to Garland’s “Get Happy” from the 1950s musical Summer Stock, wearing an all-black ensemble similar to one Garland once wore.

At one point in the routine, Holmes – who also prances around in a black velvet fedora, nylon stockings and body-hugging skirt – is lifted over three dancers’ heads. For her finish, she tosses her fedora in the air, and one of the other male dancers catches it.

The spot is directed by show producer and judge Nigel Lythgoe and is choreographed by pal Tyce Diorio.

Holmes agreed to the dance after becoming involved with the non-profit Dizzy Feet Foundation, which provides assistance to talented underprivileged youth.

“It is to give scholarships to these young kids,” Holmes tells ET. “I think it is important to experience music and dancing and singing and the arts and sports. This is the next generation. I think it is important to give them every opportunity to grow and discover what it is that they like and to have access to the best. “

[From US Weekly]

Alright, I’m officially giving her a pass on this one. No mocking. Even though she’s going to murder Judy’s — no, I won’t go there. It’s nice that Katie is drawing attention to the foundation’s work. Zipping my lips now.

On what might turn out to be a completely unrelated note, did everyone else think this blind item was about Katie and Tom? From Blind Goosip:

The attorneys have finally hammered out an agreement! We’re finally getting close to the announcement of a split of this couple. Have you noticed how few photos there have been of them together lately? Half this couple is on a project that requires travel. The other half joins them fairly frequently, but it’s really just for the sake of the child/ren. They both have outside relationships. He has a new – albeit temporary – boy toy that his boyfriend is not too happy about. She has an extra man in her life but is afraid to be seen with him before the announcement. No need to feel bad for her, though. She is will be doing a happy dance soon enough. Dance, girl, dance!

[From Blind Gossip]

The “dance, girl” part made me think of Katie. And then I thought of Judy. And then I thought of Tom Cruise. And then… I thought of barley water. So I’m assuming “barley water” is the answer to this blind item.

Katie Holmes is shown on set in Australia with Suri on 7/21 and 7/23/09. That big guy with her is her bodyguard. Credit: BARM/Fame Pictures

We were having the debate earlier this week as to whether Katie Holmes is pregnant again, or if she’s just bloaty, slouchy and a bad dresser. If she is pregnant, I feel really bad for her, because she’s got a couple of strenuous projects lined up for the next few months. If she’s knocked up, I’d imagine she’ll be sick as a dog. Of course, she already tends to look like a zombie Stepford wife with no fashion sense. So “sick as a dog” might be an improvement.

Before Katie, Tom and Suri fly off to Australia so that Katie can film a creepy thriller, the rumor is still going strong that she’ll appear in an episode of “So You Think You Can Dance? Granted, it’s a hit show on Fox. The downside is that Katie used to be a promising actress… and now she’ll be guest-starring on a dance reality show. No fears! MSNBC’s The Scoop has the “real reason” why Katie has signed onto the dance show: because Tom Cruise really wants Katie to do a tribute to Judy Garland. Hand to God! Tom Cruise loves some Judy Garland. Cough cough of course he does cough.

The reasoning behind a Katie Holmes’ song-and-dance tribute to Judy Garland is a bit more complicated, though. This is the year of the 70th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz, and MGM is doing a lot to promote the reissue or something. MGM and Tom Cruise are tight… so Katie is doing a Judy tribute to be a good wife. Or something. JUDY!!

When you’re Katie Holmes and you’re spotted walking around the studio lot of “So You Think You Can Dance,” wearing an outfit that looks hijacked from the set of “Fosse,” word will spread quickly.

Holmes has yet to confirm her “SYTYCD” participation, and Fox is steadfast with a “no comment” response, but several sources say that you can expect Holmes to both sing and dance on the reality show.

“She’ll be doing a Judy Garland tribute,” says a source who became close to Holmes when she performed in “All My Sons” on Broadway last fall.

The logical follow-up question is: Why would Holmes want to be part of the show? One theory: she’s playing the part of the good wife.

It’s the 70th anniversary of the iconic Judy Garland film “The Wizard of Oz,” which is an MGM property (and here’s where it becomes complex — stay with me). MGM and Holmes’ hubby, Tom Cruise, are closely linked since the studio was behind the resurrection of Cruise’s production company, United Artists.

MGM, which isn’t a runaway financial success right now, has high sales expectations for the “Wizard of Oz: 70th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Edition” DVD, which comes out this September.

Cruise doesn’t have any films from United Artists in theaters any time soon, so the pressure is on for him to contribute to the bottom line. One way to drum up publicity: have Holmes help where she can.

“It’s a lot of dots to connect, but for one, she’s his biggest cheerleader, and she had her eye on the Weinstein Company’s Judy Garland project, but (the role) went to Anne Hathaway,” said another source. “She has talked about doing musical theater for some time now. And even though it feels strange that she’d do ‘So You Think You Can Dance,’ it could be good for the next phase of her career.”

Holmes’ performance, which MGM says is not a promotional one to benefit the studio, is expected to air later this summer, but there’s no official air date yet.

[From MSNBC’s The Scoop]

Is any of this true? Perhaps, but I find that the thread connecting the rationale (Katie Holmes to Tom Cruise to MGM to Judy Garland to So You Think You Can Dance?) a bit confusing. I think it’s much more likely that Katie just likes to dance and be girly, and she thought the whole thing would be really fun. F-ck it, it gets her out of the house, you know? A woman can’t live by Xenu and barley water alone.

Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise are shown on 6/22/09 during the ceremony for Cameron Diaz’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Credit: WENN.com, Fame Pictures and PRPhotos

People talk a lot of smack about Judy Garland. History hasn’t always been kind to her – it seems that every year there’s some new revelation about Judy Garland’s drug usage, her (lack of) mothering skills, her bad finances and her bad marriages. But the woman was a star, and her struggles and multiple comebacks and falls from grace have earned her a place in diva history.

I’ve always thought that one of the reasons drag queens were so eager to embrace Judy was the simple fact that she was outrageously talented and incredibly ambitious, yet she wasn’t a stunner. She wasn’t one of those women who had a beautiful face that opened a thousand doors, and I’ve always thought that was her appeal. Not that she wasn’t pretty, because she was. But she wasn’t gorgeous, and her appeal was her cuteness, her spunk, her attitude.

Anyway, Hollywood is going to make another movie about Judy, this time based on one of her many biographies, Get Happy: The Life of Judy Garland. Anne Hathaway is said to be in talks to star as Judy. The Daily Mail has more:

Hollywood starlet Anne Hathaway is in talks to play her movie idol Judy Garland in an upcoming film based on Gerald Clarke’s biography, Get Happy: The Life of Judy Garland.

The 26-year-old actress is so desperate to appear in the movie – which charts Judy’s rise to fame and her struggle with drink and drugs – that she may have to sacrifice other projects, which include a lead role in a comedy called The Fiance.

The Weinstein Company has optioned the film and stage rights to the Garland story.
A Tinseltown insider says: ‘Anne dearly wants to do a musical and this could be her chance.

‘The big attraction is that it really will be her singing, not recordings of Judy. She is determined to do it justice.

‘If she nails the part, she will be a shoo-in for some big awards.’

From The Daily Mail

Anne Hathaway has a lot of the same qualities as Judy Garland – she’s talented and ambitious, without being drop-dead gorgeous. She has a cuteness, a vulnerability mixed with bad luck and bad taste in men. They even have the same kind of sad, intelligent eyes. Anne is rather Judy Garland-esque, and I think if Anne signs on, it would be a brilliant choice.

Several years ago, there was a television-movie about Judy, going through the span of her life. They had a young Broadway actress portray the young Judy, then the incredible Judy Davis portrayed Judy Garland in her later years. Considering Anne Hathaway is the only one rumored to play Judy at this point, I suspect this film will deal with Judy’s life post-Wizard of Oz, but before the drugs really got to her.