Hurricane Irene Hits Hollywood as East Coast Shuts Down

Massive storm forces celebs like Cee Lo Green and Kenny Chesney to cancel gigs, plus one hit TV show shut down production

By Marc Malkin, Brett Malec Aug 27, 2011 12:19 AMTags
Kenny Chesney, Kerry Washington, Cee Lo GreenJanette Pellegrini/WireImage.com; Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images; Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

Hurricane Irene may be on its way to the East Coast, but that doesn't mean we aren't feeling the massive storm 3,000 miles away in Hollywood.

Read on to find out which celebs would rather be safe than sorry...

"I was stressing about how 2 be @ MLK dedication in DC on Sun night & then @ work in LA Mon morning. But hurricane IRENE took care of that," Kerry Washington tweeted earlier today after this weekend's event honoring the capital's new Martin Luther King Jr. memorial was cancelled.

In Wilmington, NC, production on One Tree Hill has been shut down. Show star Sophia Bush tweeted, "OTH production has been canceled for tomorrow. All our fans in town, please stay inside! We will not be filming. Stay safe #HurricaneIrene."

In New York City, the Dave Matthews Band postponed both their Saturday and Sunday "Caravan" festival performances on Governors Island. The city's street fairs and outdoor events, including Brooklyn's Afro-Punk Festival featuring Cee Lo Green and Janelle Monae, have been nixed after the city withdrew all its outdoor events permits in light of NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg's call for evacuations and shutdowns of mass transit.

Broadway shows like Mary Poppins and The Lion King also pulled the plug on their weekend performances.

American Idol Live!'s concert stop in upstate New York at Albany's Times Union Center on Sunday has been postponed. Scotty McCreery, Paul McDonald and Pia Toscano have been rescheduled for Sept. 4.

Country star Kenny Chesney bumped up his Sunday concert at the Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA to tonight. "I want the last weekend of the 'Goin' Coastal' Tour to be a great experience for everybody," Chesney posted on his website. "But I also want it to be the safest experience for everyone."