Entertainment category, Page 38
TV Q&A: Is WTAE’s Ryan Recker related to a Pirates batboy?
Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen answers reader questions every Wednesday at TribLive.com in a column that also appears in the Sunday Tribune-Review. Q: Is Ryan Recker of WTAE related to Bobby Recker who was the batboy for the Pirates back in the early ‘60s? — Michael, Beaver Falls...
Broadcast television is in trouble. Stations are asking Washington for help
As television station owners gathered in Las Vegas this week for the annual National Association of Broadcasters convention, they sent an urgent message to Washington that could be summed up in one word — “Help.” Streaming video has siphoned away the traditional viewing audience. Advertisers have shifted their budgets to...
Clem Burke, multifaceted drummer of iconic rock group Blondie, has diedVideo
Clem Burke, whose versatile drumming propelled the iconic rock group Blondie during its decades performing everything from new-wave punk to disco-infused tunes, has died. He was 70. The band said in a statement on its website Monday that he died from cancer but no additional details were provided. “Clem was...
CBS host Gayle King criticized for quoting gay slur in interview
After a wild moment on air, long-time CBS anchor Gayle King is under fire from fans. On an April 3 episode of “CBS Mornings,” Matteo Lane, an openly gay comedian, appeared on the show. During the segment with King, the host repeated a joke from Lane’s comedy routine. “Let’s talk...
‘Happy Days’ main cast reunites at Steel City Con
This weekend made for some happy days in Monroeville. Four main cast members of the popular 1970s show “Happy Days” — Ron Howard, Henry Winkler, Anson Williams and Don Most — had a reunion at Steel City Con in Monroeville. The actors participated in a panel discussion about the series...
The Linda Lindas growing up from viral moment, headlining sold-out Pittsburgh showVideo
When The Linda Lindas played in Pittsburgh in September as part of Green Day’s show at PNC Park, drummer Mila de la Garza sported a T-shirt covered with Campbell’s Soup cans. It didn’t come from the nearby Andy Warhol Museum though. “The venue was right next to the museum, too,”...
TV Talk: ‘Last of Us’ remains best of TVVideo
“The Last of Us” returns for its second season (9 p.m. April 13, HBO, Max) and throws a lot of story and character development at viewers over its seven episodes. That’s mostly positive for people who appreciate the show’s grounded emphasis on the pseudo-father-daughter relationship between Joel (Pedro Pascal) and...
‘Wicked’ leads PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh 2025-26 season
Lovers of musicals can start 2026 with “Wicked.” The popular show takes center stage from Jan. 14 to Feb. 15 at the Benedum Center, as part of the 2025-26 PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh season announced Monday by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. Presented in partnership with Broadway Across America, the series...
Pittsburgh local music spotlight: BBGuns
The indie hip-hop duo BBGuns will be launching a residency at Bottlerocket Social Hall in Pittsburgh’s Allentown later this month. “It’s going to be a genre-bending variety show full of big beats, stories, jokes, friends new and old, as well as be a laboratory for new material,” said vocalist JP...
TV Talk: ‘The Pitt’ wraps 1st season, producers look ahead to season 2
Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen offers a viewing tip for the coming week. “The Pitt” executive producers R. Scott Gemmill and John Wells, a 1979 Carnegie Mellon University grad, have already started work on Season 2 even as the show advances to its first-season finale at 9 p.m....
Jay North, TV’s mischievous Dennis the Menace, dies at 73
LAKE BUTLER, Fla. — Jay North, who starred as the towheaded mischief maker on TV’s “Dennis the Menace” for four seasons starting in 1959, has died. He was 73. North died Sunday at his home in Lake Butler, Florida, after battling colon cancer, said Laurie Jacobson, a longtime friend, and...
Hollywood lands a much-needed box office hit with ‘A Minecraft Movie’
Hollywood needed “A Minecraft Movie” to be a hit, and it delivered in its opening weekend, significantly narrowing this year’s box office deficit. No one guessed just how big it would be. In its first few days in theaters, the movie earned a staggering $157 million in ticket sales from...
Disturbed was on fire at celebratory PPG Paints Arena show
For a few strange years in the late 1990s and early 2000s, a novel phenomenon hung around the Billboard charts. It was called “nu metal,” a dark infusion of alt-rock, hip-hop and heavy metal that made stars of acts like Limp Bizkit and Korn, at least for a while. Many...
Latrobe filled with poets, poetry events throughout April
Sometimes, Sri Lanka native Indran Amirthanayagam is overwhelmed by an emotion. It could be sadness, or it could be great joy. “I want to get it out,” said Amirthanayagam, 64, of Washington, D.C., who has been writing poetry since the age of 14. “I love words. They communicate and translate...
Blues guitarist Chris Cain recalls memorable night in Pittsburgh with April 13 show on the horizonVideo
Blues guitarist Chris Cain can vividly recall a memorable night back in the early 1990s at The Decade, an old club in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood. Actually what happened after the show proved to be unforgettable on his end. “At The Decade, they had a good bar,” Cain recalled in a...
Pittsburgh Musical Theater’s ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ rocks with a passion
First and foremost, a quick history lesson: on July 13, 1971, 13,000 people filled Pittsburgh’s Civic Arena. Those excited concertgoers were the first ones to see an authorized performance of what was then only a concept album, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. That concept...
New book ‘Pittsburgh in 50 Maps’ gets up close and personal with the city
From the Pittsburgh left to the Immaculate Reception, Stentor Danielson wants every one of his maps to tell a story about the city. His new book, “Pittsburgh in 50 Maps,” is the fourth in a series of map-based compilations by Belt Publishing. Before the Steel City, the Rust Belt-focused publishing...
British police charge comedian Russell Brand with rape and sexual assault
LONDON — British police on Friday charged Russell Brand with rape and sexual assault following an 18-month investigation sparked when four women alleged they had been assaulted by the controversial comedian. London’s Metropolitan Police force said Brand, 50, faces one count of rape, one of indecent assault, one of oral...
Here are 5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: April 4-6
With rain in the forecast, it may be tempting to stay inside and scroll on your phone all weekend. But why do that when there are heaps of (indoor) events to enjoy instead? Here’s a few ideas. Steel City Con If you’re a big pop culture fan, there’s nowhere better...
Bruce Springsteen to release 7 albums of unreleased songs, ‘Tracks ll: The Lost Albums’
NEW YORK — Bruce Springsteen knows what Bruce Springsteen fans want. And that’s more Bruce Springsteen. The Boss will release seven new studio albums, titled “Tracks II: The Lost Albums,” on June 27. It will contain material written and re-recorded between 1983 and 2018. The news arrived Thursday morning via...
Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo tease new ‘Wicked: For Good’ footage during CinemaCon victory lap
LAS VEGAS — When Ariana Grande,Cynthia Erivo and director Jon M. Chu took the stage in Las Vegas last April to tease “Wicked” months before its theatrical release, there was cautious optimism that the long-anticipated film would be a hit. But when the pair hit the same stage at the...
Podcast: What’s really driving up concert tickets?
Spring is here, bringing the start of concert season to Pittsburgh. With ticket prices soaring, affordability has become a key topic among concertgoers. Ticket prices are influenced by various factors, such as free-market resale and the dynamic pricing strategies used by major ticket vendors like Ticketmaster. TribLive reporter and reviewer...
Samantha Crain eschews ‘lone wolf’ mindset with ‘Gumshoe’ album, preps for Pittsburgh show
For almost two decades, Samantha Crain has toured more or less as a solo singer-songwriter, and her upcoming album “Gumshoe” explores steps in a different direction. “It’s led me to be a pretty independent person and also somebody that embodies that lone wolf mentality. The thing that I have started...
TV Talk: ‘Pulse’ is no ‘Pitt;’ WPXI reporter exits
Acclaimed Pittsburgh-set ER drama “The Pitt” would be a hard act for any medical show to follow, but Netflix’s “Pulse” fares extremely poorly by comparison. “Pulse” is pretty much “Grey’s Anatomy” set in the post-#MeToo era if Meredith complained to HR about McDreamy instead of dating him for years. As...
‘Peter Pan’ at the Benedum Center has a magical cast
Many are familiar with the story of perpetual youngster Peter Pan, the boy adventurer created by J.M. Barrie in the early 20th century. He’s been the subject of numerous plays, musical adaptations, novelizations, movies and reimaginings (despite its shockingly low Rotten Tomatoes score, I’m still partial to Steven Spielberg’s 1991...
