Entertainment category, Page 152
Sharpton says ‘Loudmouth’ film debuts at ‘critical point’ in U.S. politicsVideo
NEW YORK — The Rev. Al Sharpton has been called a lot of names in his public life: a hustler, a racist, an opportunist, a fraud, a rat, a jester. He embraces at least one of the intended insults, a name often hurled by his critics on the right and...
Microsoft strikes 10-year deal with Nintendo on ‘Call of Duty’
LONDON — Microsoft agreed Wednesday to make the hit video game “Call of Duty” available on Nintendo for 10 years should its $69 billion purchase of game maker Activision Blizzard go through — an apparent attempt to fend off objections from rival Sony. The blockbuster merger is facing close scrutiny...
‘Disney’s Frozen Jr.’ brings heart-warming winter tale to Scottdale stage
Since the movie “Frozen” was released in 2013, it’s become a favorite tale for people of all ages — and one that’s been on the “must-do” list for the Geyer Performing Arts Center in Scottdale. Circumstances have finally converged, and the winter wonderland of “Disney’s Frozen Jr.” will take over...
LAPD took an unusual action after its handling of sex scandal was questioned
LOS ANGELES — Days after an internal investigation was launched into whether a former Los Angeles police captain led a cover-up of sexual assault allegations against former CBS chief Leslie Moonves, the detective who handled the case years ago took an unusual step. Last month, LAPD Robbery-Homicide Division Det. Oscar...
Kirstie Alley, Emmy-winning ‘Cheers’ star, dies at 71
TAMPA, Fla. — Kirstie Alley, who won an Emmy for her role on “Cheers” and starred in films including “Look Who’s Talking,” died Monday. She was 71. Alley died of cancer that was only recently discovered, her children True and Lillie Parker said in a post on Twitter. Alley’s manager...
Bret Michaels to bring Parti Gras Tour to Star Lake in 2023
Bret Michaels makes no secret of his love for the Pittsburgh area and can’t seem to get enough when it comes to performing here. Fresh off this year’s extensive stadium tour with his band Poison — including an August performance at PNC Park – Michaels has announced he will perform...
Lost Stephen Sondheim musical reveals insight into a giantVideo
NEW YORK — A copy of what’s being called Stephen Sondheim’s first original cast recording has been found on a misplaced CD, capturing the legendary composer’s budding skills in a student-led musical while at Williams College in 1948. Sondheim was an 18-year-old sophomore when he wrote the music for “Phinney’s...
Knight, Clooney, Grant feted at Kennedy Center Honors
WASHINGTON — A heartfelt Patti LaBelle praised her lifelong friend Gladys Knight. Sean Penn called U2 “four scrappy Dublin punks.” Ballet dancers performed for conductor and composer Tania León. Matt Damon playfully teased his friend George Clooney — a lot — while Sheryl Crow delivered a heartfelt rendition of “Baby...
The time a ‘fake Fleetwood Mac’ was booked by Pittsburgh promoter Rich Engler
The recent death of longtime Fleetwood Mac member Christine McVie brought memories flooding back for music industry insiders recalling the band’s storied and tumultuous history. Pittsburgh concert promoter Rich Engler is among them . Although Engler has several stories about bringing the rock group to Western Pennsylvania, one of his...
Bob McGrath, ‘Sesame Street’ legend, dies at 90
Bob McGrath, an actor, musician and children’s author widely known for his portrayal of one of the first regular characters on the children’s show “Sesame Street” has died at the age of 90. McGrath’s passing was confirmed by his family who posted on his Facebook page on Sunday: “The McGrath...
‘Wakanda Forever’ is No. 1 for 4th straight weekend
NEW YORK — “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” kept the box-office crown for the fourth straight weekend, and the comic holiday thriller “Violent Night” debuted with $13.3 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. But the biggest talking point on the weekend was a movie conspicuously absent from theaters. Had Netflix kept...
Robert Downey Jr. talks of one last film with his dad, ‘Sr.’Video
NEW YORK — Robert Downey Jr. set out to make an objective portrait, a tribute to his father, the underground filmmaking maverick Robert Downey Sr. His dad had other plans. “The key point in this is when he goes, ‘OK, I think we should split into two camps: The (expletive)...
Latrobe photographer Clare Kaczmarek earns 3-peat in regional photo contest
For the third consecutive year, Latrobe resident Clare Kaczmarek captured first place in the Places category of the 2022 Go Laurel Highlands Photo Contest, with a sunrise photo taken in May at Baughman Rock Overlook, above the Youghiogheny River Gorge south of Ohiopyle. Kaczmarek said she had to get up...
Behind the Art: ‘Dark Planet’ graces SAMA-Ligonier Valley sculpture garden
Soon after the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art at Ligonier Valley launched its sculpture garden, a local philanthropist offered to add to the collection. “Donald Green, a gentleman who was very philanthropic to the Ligonier Valley, reached out to SAMA to see if we would be interested in having another...
‘George & Tammy’ pulls back the curtain on country iconsVideo
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — In preparation for their upcoming series “George & Tammy,” Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain spent months learning the songs that George Jones and Tammy Wynette made famous, working with a vocal coach and making the pilgrimage to Nashville to record. “The studio we recorded at butted up...
From Christmas to country, Pittsburgh-area natives have new music coming outVideo
From original Christmas tunes just in time for the holidays to a self-empowerment anthem, native Pittsburghers have released new music in a variety of genres. Kels, ‘By This Christmas Tree’ EP Pine-Richland High School graduate Kelsey Hillock, who performs under the stage name Kels, released her first batch of original...
Man arrested in fatal shooting of Migos rapper Takeoff
HOUSTON — Police have arrested a 33-year-old man in the fatal shooting of rapper Takeoff, who was killed last month outside a bowling alley in Houston. Houston police announced Friday that Patrick Xavier Clark has been charged with murder in connection with Takeoff’s death. Police Chief Troy Finner said Clark...
Review: Julia Bullock walks her own path in solo album debutVideo
“Walking in the Dark,” Julia Bullock (Nonesuch) No one who has followed Julia Bullock’s career will be surprised that her first solo album is made up of unconventional and deeply personal choices. The Black American soprano, one of the most talented singers of her generation, proudly defies easy categorization. At...
Review: Will Smith-led ‘Emancipation’ is an action thrillerVideo
It comes as some relief that Antoine Fuqua’s “Emancipation,” starring Will Smith as a runaway slave in Civil War-era Louisiana, is not, at least traditionally speaking, an Oscar movie. Despite the film’s important historical backdrop, its awards-season timing and its inevitable connection to last March’s Academy Awards ceremony, the site...
Kanye West says ‘I like Hitler’ in shocking antisemitic rant on Alex Jones showVideo
Kanye West repeatedly praised Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler for doing “good things” in a shocking new antisemitic rant Thursday with far-right media host Alex Jones. Inexplicably wearing a face mask over his entire head, the superstar rapper who last month met with former President Donald Trump and white supremacist Nick...
Max Beckmann self-portrait sold at German auction for $20.7M
BERLIN — A self-portrait painted during World War II by German expressionist artist Max Beckmann sold Thursday in Berlin for 20 million euros ($20.7 million), a price that appears to be a record for an art auction in Germany. The buyer of Beckmann’s “Self-Portrait Yellow-Pink” at the Grisebach auction house...
Morgan Wallen adds PNC Park date this summer, releasing new music Friday
Morgan Wallen has unveiled concert dates for his 2023 world tour and announced that he will release not one, but three new songs on Friday. The country musician broke the news Thursday morning on social media where he revealed the titles of the soon-to-be-released tracks: “One Thing at a Time,”...
Stevie Nicks, Mick Fleetwood, musicians pay tribute to Christine McVie
Bandmates, musicians and fans took to social media to express sorrow over the death of Christine McVie, vocalist, songwriter and keyboard player of Fleetwood Mac. McVie’s soulful contralto helped define such classics as “You Make Loving Fun,” “Everywhere” and “Don’t Stop.” She died Wednesday at age 79. A statement by...
Hollywood can make you ‘miserable.’ ‘White Lotus’ star Aubrey Plaza just laughs it offVideo
In the second season of HBO’s “The White Lotus,” Aubrey Plaza plays Harper Spiller, a lawyer with a penchant for sarcasm who is vacationing in Italy with her husband and his friends. She’d rather read Valeria Luiselli’s “Lost Children Archive” than talk about “Ted Lasso.” And she’d rather not associate...
New frothy TV drama series ‘Riches’ mixes money and bloodVideo
NEW YORK — There’s a new TV drama about the exploits of a stylish, privileged and super-successful fictional family whose scheming members are at each other’s throats. They make the folks at “Succession” look almost functional. “Riches,” which premieres Dec. 2 on Amazon Prime Video is set in the corporate...
