Entertainment category, Page 273
Brandy emerges from her cocoon, conquers her demons on ‘B7’Video
When Brandy began crafting her newest album nearly three years ago, her intent was both benevolent and selfish. She wanted to give R&B fans the timeless music she’s been synonymous with, while also gain liberation from emotional bondage. She achieved her goal with “B7” — but she wasn’t prepared for...
What to stream: Fraudster filmsVideo
On Sunday, the draw-dropping docuseries “Love Fraud” drops on Showtime, following the exploits of one dirty, dirty john, a notorious con artist and prolific bigamist named Richard Scott Smith, or Scott, or Mickey. Smith combined dating websites and a charm offensive to swindle women all around the Kansas City area,...
Roman Polanski’s request to restore film academy membership denied
A judge on Tuesday denied Roman Polanski’s request to restore his membership in the organization that bestows the Academy Awards two years after he was expelled from it for raping a minor. The fugitive film director sued in April 2019, asking the court to compel the Academy of Motion Picture...
Police: Justin Townes Earle’s death was probable overdose
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Nashville police said a preliminary investigation into the death of singer-songwriter Justin Townes Earle shows his death was a probable drug overdose. Police spokesman Don Aaron said officers did a welfare check at Earle’s home on Sunday where he was found dead. A friend called police after...
Inclusive theater troupe will hold holiday-play auditions in September
Auditions for a holiday play by inclusive theater group Acting Up will be at the First Presbyterian Church pavilion, 3202 North Hills Road in Murrysville. It is not an open casting call due to health and safety regulations. All potential participants must call or email to make an audition appointment....
Southwestern Pa. artists vie for ‘Art of the State’ exhibition awards
Finalists for awards in the 53rd annual “Art of the State” juried exhibition at The State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg include six artists from Westmoreland County and nine from Allegheny. Because the museum remains closed due to the covid-19 pandemic, winners will be announced on Facebook and Twitter at...
First lady opens student art exhibit on women’s suffrage
WASHINGTON — Melania Trump is marking the 100th anniversary of women gaining the right to vote with an art exhibit based on works by children from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The first lady called adoption of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution that granted women voting...
‘Hoax’ book reveals extent of internal unease at Fox News
Brian Stelter knows critics accuse Fox News of bending the truth in order to maintain its staunch support of and closeness to President Donald Trump. As CNN media reporter and host of “Reliable Sources,” he’s often one of them. He wasn’t prepared to hear the extent of concerns about the...
Early Pittsburgh punk band Little Wretches release album recorded in 2001Video
When Robert Wagner got into the music business, he didn’t know how to hook up a microphone. He hadn’t even been to a live concert. But he knew it was something he wanted to continue for the rest of his life. “I know some of these people are going get...
Mattress Factory installations explore race, sexuality, ecology
Two new exhibits at the Mattress Factory in Pittsburgh’s North Side explore timely issues of life on earth. “Feeling the Spirit in the Dark,” by Pittsburgh-based artist Shikeith, and “The Museum of All Things,” by Canadian-born artist Jennifer Angus, will run through March 31 in the installation art facility’s Monterey...
Megan Thee Stallion says person who shot her was Tory Lanez
LOS ANGELES — More than a month after she was shot in the feet after a party in the Hollywood Hills, Megan Thee Stallion said for the first time Thursday night that fellow hip-hop star Tory Lanez was the person who pulled the trigger. “Yes … Tory shot me. You...
After 6 decades, Laurel Ballet founder closes school doors
After more than six decades of training ballet students, Eleanor Tornblom, owner and artistic director of Laurel Ballet in Greensburg, is calling it a career and closing her studio doors. “I’m 83, and I’ve done this all my life,” Tornblom said from her Greensburg home. “It’s over, and that’s a...
Pittsburgh rocker Joe Grushecky to perform for Democratic conventionVideo
Pittsburgh rock icon Joe Grushecky will be a featured performer today at the Democratic National Convention. Grushecky will play “That’s What Makes Us Great” with his band, the Houserockers, along with a solo acoustic version of “Never Be Enough Time,” during a 14-state meeting this afternoon. Grushecky wrote “That’s What...
‘Love in the Time of Corona’ is ‘time capsule’ of the times
NEW YORK — From grappling with big life decisions to a marriage on the brink, a new four-part miniseries tackles relationship struggles during the COVID-19 pandemic. Leslie Odom Jr. and Nicolette Robinson, who are married in real life, co-star and executive produce “Love in the Time of Corona,” which airs...
WISH 99.7 morning host Cris Winter announces she’s left the station
On-air personality Cris Winter announced Tuesday on her “Cris Winter In The Morning” Facebook page that after working close to 40 years in Pittsburgh radio, her days on the air are over — for now. Winter said she was dismissed Friday after her show on WISH 99.7. “When you look...
Arts, cultural groups in Southwestern Pa. can apply for new pandemic relief grants
In response to the ongoing impacts of the covid-19 pandemic, a group of 15 foundations and a private Pittsburgh-area donor have announced the Arts|Equity|Reimagined Fundto help regional arts and cultural organizations weather the effects of the shutdown. The fund is open to all groups but “will prioritize small to medium-sized...
Actress Sharon Stone criticizes covid-19 testing in MontanaVideo
HELENA, Mont. — Actress Sharon Stone is criticizing the availability of covid-19 testing in Montana, where her sister and brother-in-law are hospitalized with the respiratory virus. The Meadville native posted a video Sunday on Instagram expressing frustration that there aren’t enough tests for front-line workers and people who have had...
2 men indicted in 2002 killing of Run-DMC’s Jam Master JayVideo
NEW YORK — Nearly two decades after the slaying of hip hop star Jam Master Jay, federal prosecutors said Monday they have solved one of New York City’s most enduring unsolved killings, charging two men while suggesting the artist, celebrated for his anti-drug stance, may have been ambushed over a...
Munhall native Gabby Barrett and husband Cade Foehner expecting 1st baby
Singer Gabby Barrett has announced that she and her husband, Cade Foehner, are expecting their first child. The Munhall native, 20, revealed to People that their baby girl is due early next year. “The Lord has blessed us with a little one, and we’re really excited to finally be able...
Trib launches ‘TV Talk’ with Rob Owen
It’s a good news day for TV lovers. Nationally known TV writer Rob Owen will join Trib Total Media this month, providing readers the latest in local TV news and hand-picked recommendations on shows to watch on broadcast/cable networks and streaming services. Owen, who spent 22 years at the Pittsburgh...
AMC to offer 15-cent tickets on first day of reopening
NEW YORK — AMC Theatres, the nation’s largest movie theater chain, will reopen in the U.S. on Aug. 20 with retro ticket prices of 15 cents per movie. AMC Entertainment, which owns the chain, said Thursday that it expects to open the doors to more than 100 cinemas — or...
KISS concert in Burgettstown finally rescheduled for 2021
There it was, still on the KISS website by mid-Wednesday afternoon. The iconic hard rock group’s Aug. 28 concert at S&T Bank Music Park in Burgettstown was still scheduled. Obviously, this show could not possibly happen because of the pandemic. Not with Gov. Wolf’s order restricting gatherings of more than...
Fayette County singer in running for country music awardsVideo
A country singer from Fayette County is hoping to up her industry profile through awards from two music industry organizations. Katrina Lynn Whetsel of White, who performs as Katrina Lynn, is nominated for honors from the Atlanta-based International Singer Songwriters Association and Fair Play Country Music, an online magazine and...
Review: Horror-thriller ‘Sputnik’ imagines what happens when an alien makes its way to EarthVideo
The DNA of “Alien” is all over Egor Abramenko’s directorial debut, the Russian Soviet-era horror/sci-fi film “Sputnik.” Fortunately, this offspring of Ridley Scott’s classic is very much its own slick, engaging psychological horror-thriller, anchored by a strong lead performance by Oksana Akinshina. Based on Abramenko’s short film “The Passenger,” the...
Westmoreland Symphony will livestream upcoming season concerts
The Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra will return to the stage of The Palace Theatre for its 2021 season, with one significant difference from past years. The seats in the historic Greensburg theater will be empty and, instead, patrons will be viewing concerts in their homes via livestream presented in partnership with...
