Entertainment category, Page 104
Review: Rock Orchestra pulls off marriage of rock, classical music in Pittsburgh showVideo
It’s been more than 40 years since the likes of AC/DC or Motörhead played the Stanley Theatre in Pittsburgh. But their songs — albeit in vastly reimagined versions — found new life Monday night at the Benedum Center (formerly known as the Stanley Theatre). In around 90 minutes, a show...
Book Review: ‘I Would Meet You Anywhere’ is a breathtaking account of an adoptee’s search for family
Susan Kiyo Ito always knew she was adopted, but uncovering her birth family became a decades-long process marked by moments of warm connection and icy divides — raw stories compiled into a memoir that’s alternately touching and heartbreaking. Opening on the fateful moment when Ito is about to meet her...
No red carpet for 2023 Billboard awards, but still plenty of fun fashion
From sparkly jean jackets to holiday-themed outfits and a fresh-out-of-the-shower look, celebrities donned a wide variety of unique looks for the 2023 Billboard Music Awards on Sunday night. There weren’t as many celebrities walking the red carpet, as this year’s awards ceremony took place live in several locations across California,...
Fan at Taylor Swift concert dies amid Rio De Janeiro’s record heat wave
A fan died at Taylor Swift’s Rio de Janeiro concert Friday night, during a record-breaking heat wave. Ana Clara Benevides, a 23-year-old psychology student, fainted in the front row of the concert and was given 40 minutes of CPR on-site before being taken to the hospital, where she died, her...
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs and singer Cassie settle lawsuit alleging abuse 1 day after it was filed
NEW YORK — A lawsuit by singer Cassie containing allegations of beatings and abuse by music producer Sean “Diddy” Combs has been settled, the artists announced Friday, one day after the lawsuit was filed. The settlement was announced in a statement sent by attorney Douglas Wigdor, who represents Cassie, whose...
George Brown, drummer and co-founder of Kool & The Gang, dead at 74Video
NEW YORK — George “Funky” Brown, the co-founder and longtime drummer of Kool & The Gang who helped write such hits as “Too Hot,” “Ladies Night,” “Joanna” and the party favorite “Celebration,” died Thursday in Los Angeles at age 74. Brown died after a battle with cancer, according to a...
Golden Globes find new home at CBS after years of scandal
NEW YORK — The Golden Globes have found a new broadcast home at CBS after the troubled awards show lost its longtime home at NBC and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association was dissolved after years of scandal. The 81st Golden Globes will air live on CBS and stream on Paramount+...
Marijuana master Snoop Dogg announces he’s giving up smoking
Pot proponent Snoop Dogg is seemingly dropping his obsessive weed habit. The 16-time Grammy-nominated hip-hop star, whose real name is Calvin Broadus, announced on Thursday that he’s giving up smoking. “After much consideration & conversation with my family, I’ve decided to give up smoke. Please respect my privacy at this...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Nov. 17-19
It’s one of the biggest event weekends of the year in Pittsburgh: the Downtown Partnership’s Light Up Night. But there are things to do beyond the season lights. Here are five fun ideas for you. Holiday happenings This weekend is the unofficial start of the holiday season with the city’s...
Univision news anchor León Krauze departs after network’s controversial Trump interview
León Krauze, a veteran news anchor for Univision and its Los Angeles TV station, has resigned in the aftermath the Spanish-language network’s recent interview with former President Trump. “After thirteen rewarding years, my journey with Univision Noticias concluded yesterday,” Krauze wrote on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter). “It...
Franklin Regional Thespians will present Dickens’ classic ‘A Christmas Carol’
Abby Wingard has spent her time with the Franklin Regional Thespians club in the wings of the theater, as a longtime member of the stage crew. But for her senior year, Wingard, 18, wanted to step onstage for a change. The problem? “I am not an actor, at all,” she...
Here’s what to know about 2023 Light Up Night
Pittsburgh kicks off the holiday season with Highmark Light Up Night on Saturday. This weekend will also be the debut of a new light display at Point State Park. Duquesne Light’s familiar “Tree of Lights” at the park’s fountain was retired after 30 years in 2021. It will replaced with...
TV Talk: Godzilla (and friends!) attack; ‘Cartoon Academy’ returnsVideo
Despite its presence on one of the smaller streaming services, WhipMedia’s anticipation report said Apple TV+’s new 10-episode live-action Godzilla series, “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” is the most-anticipated new series in November. Turns out there’s a huge fandom for Godzilla – and not just in Japan – that I only...
Billy Porter hits the dance floor on his 5th album with the goal of ‘trying to heal people’Video
NEW YORK — Billy Porter is strutting off in an entirely new sonic direction on his fifth album. The Broadway, runway and TV star has pivoted to dance music. “I’m a new artist. There’s a transformation that has happened,” the Tony-, Emmy- and Grammy-winner tells The Associated Press. “I’ve been...
John Dyer Baizley of Baroness on creating ‘Stone’ album, artwork and glockenspielVideo
For a band that’s been around for 20 years, Baroness is finally experiencing some lineup stability. Their latest release “Stone,” which came out in September, is the first time in the metal band’s history that the same four members created a second album together. That chemistry allowed the band to...
Kevin Hart will receive the Kennedy Center’s Mark Twain Prize for lifetime achievement in comedy
WASHINGTON — Comedian Kevin Hart has been chosen to receive the Kennedy Center’s Mark Twain Prize for lifetime achievement in American humor, capping a three-decade career that has seen him rise from the open mics of Philadelphia to become one of his generation’s most successful performers. Hart, 44, launched his...
Matthew Perry’s ‘Friends’ costars reminisce about late actorVideo
LOS ANGELES — Matthew Perry’s “Friends” co-stars are sharing more remembrances of the star in their first personal social media posts since the actor’s death last month. Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer posted heartfelt notes about Perry, who died Oct. 28, on Instagram. The posts on...
Pink will give 2,000 banned books to Florida fans, says she’s ‘unwilling to stand by’
Pink wants her fans to read banned books. The Grammy winner announced this week that she intended to give away 2,000 banned books during the Florida leg of her tour. “Books have held a special joy for me from the time I was a child, and that’s why I am...
Book Review: Rock ‘n’ roller and Rush pioneer Geddy Lee goes deep in his memoir, ‘My Effin’ Life’
Geddy Lee is a rock star, that’s undeniable. But he’s also a polite Canadian to the core. So it’s fitting that the Rush icon picked a not-too-bawdy title for his memoir. “My Effin’ Life” is an engrossing tale of a “classic underachiever” who became a Rock & Roll Hall of...
Kennywood’s bumper cars get Potato Patch makeover
In an effort to be more appealing — or would this count as “a peeling”? — Kennywood is rebranding its bumper cars. Fresh for the 2024 season, the park’s Gran Prix attraction will see its 20 bumper cars re-themed with a nod to Kennywood’s iconic Potato Patch fries. Both the...
Bryan Adams returning to Pittsburgh with So Happy It Hurts tourVideo
Chart-topping Canadian singer/songwriter Bryan Adams is bringing his So Happy It Hurts to Pittsburgh next year. Adams, who ruled radio in the 1980s and 1990s with songs like “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You,” “Cuts Like a Knife,” “Heaven” and “All for Love” among others, will play PPG...
Drake adds 2nd night at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh next yearVideo
Drake’s It’s All a Blur — Big as the What? tour is coming to Pittsburgh next year, with a second show added Friday. The Grammy Award-winning singer/rapper will play Feb. 16 and 17 at PPG Paints Arena, with J. Cole opening the show. Drake, who’s known for songs like “Hotline...
Donnie Iris ‘doing great,’ set to return to Pittsburgh stage in 2024Video
Donnie Iris is returning to the stage for his first Pittsburgh concert in more than a year. The veteran Pittsburgh rock band Donnie Iris & the Cruisers will play UPMC Events Center on March 16. The Vindys will be a special guest with more bands to be announced. Iris celebrated...
Move over Thanksgiving, Christmas music is here
Face it: Once the last kid leaves your porch with Halloween candy, it’s Christmas season. Oh, you can try to cover yourself in all things Thanksgiving until after turkey day. But we all know the truth. And streaming music stations know it too. They’re already playing it. SiriusXM officially launched...
‘The Marvels’ melts down at the box office, marking a new low for the MCU
NEW YORK — Since 2008’s “Iron Man,” the Marvel machine has been one of the most unstoppable forces in box-office history. Now, though, that aura of invincibility is showing signs of wear and tear. The superhero factory hit a new low with the weekend launch of “The Marvels,” which opened...
