Quick Takes: Toni Braxton’s money woes

Toni Braxton has filed for bankruptcy a second time, citing millions of dollars in debt and financial problems exacerbated by a heart condition that forced her to cancel a series of Las Vegas shows.

The filing will likely result in the six-time Grammy Award winner having to sell some of her assets to pay off debts listed in court records as ranging between $10 million and $50 million.

Braxton, 43, has had high-profile health issues in recent years. In 2008 she was forced to cancel a series of Las Vegas shows after experiencing chest pains that were later diagnosed as microvascular angina. Later that year, she performed on the ABC series “Dancing With the Stars” but missed the finale while recovering from removal of a benign breast tumor.

—Associated Press

‘Dora’ actress files complaint

Caitlin Sanchez, a 14-year-old from Fairview, N.J., who voiced “Dora the Explorer” on the Nickelodeon show starting in 2007, has filed a complaint in New York County Supreme Court alleging that the network hasn’t properly compensated her for her work.

According to a statement issued by the lawyers representing Sanchez, the suit claims that Nickelodeon “took advantage of a hard-working teenage girl” and that she is “due millions in promised compensation for merchandising, re-runs, promotional work and recordings.”

Nickelodeon issued a statement calling the allegations baseless and contending that Sanchez was “well-compensated for her work and for personal appearances.”

—CNN

M.D. telethon to be shorter

The Muscular Dystrophy Assn.’s Labor Day Telethon is getting shorter.

The group says it plans to shave more than 15 hours off its annual fundraising telecast. The 2011 MDA Labor Day Telethon will be a six-hour, prime-time program, organizers said.

Spokesman Jim Brown said the hope is that the shorter format will capture more viewers, bigger performers and generate more donations for the nonprofit group.

Last month’s Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon raised $58.9 million to fund research to find a cure for muscular dystrophy and ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease.

—Associated Press

Crow to give free concert

Sheryl Crow will play a free show Nov. 16 at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, in part to make up for what she felt was a subpar performance last month at the Greek Theatre and to raise awareness for breast cancer, of which she is a survivor.

“As you know, I was quite ill that evening and not at my best,” said Crow, who played Sept. 10 after being told she had strep throat and a sinus infection. “My fans deserve better, so I am playing a special show just for them and to spread awareness about the fight against breast cancer.”

Priority access for tickets to the free show will be given to those who attended the Sept. 10 Greek concert. Ticket stubs must be presented at the Greek’s box office by Oct. 17. After that date, remaining tickets will be distributed at the Greek’s box office to anyone who brings a lid from a container of Yoplait yogurt, which is sponsoring the event.

—Randy Lewis

Fringe Festival will return

The inaugural Hollywood Fringe Festival took place this past summer and featured 175 artistic groups in offbeat stage offerings that included the weird, the avant-garde and the downright silly.

That apparently turned out to be a good thing. Organizers announced that the festival is scheduled to return in June with new programming.

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—David Ng

Finally

Hope fulfilled: The Fox comedy “Raising Hope” is the television season’s first new show to earn a full-season order.

Weekend radio: With the Dodgers’ season over, KABC-AM (790) will augment its Sunday schedule with an NFL game of the week at 1 p.m. and “Money Talk” with Bob Brinker from 5 to 8 p.m., beginning this weekend.