Entertainment category, Page 343
Anthony Bourdain’s love of Detroit led to yet-unseen documentary
Anthony Bourdain spoke about Detroit as a place with an authenticity and attitude that impressed even a globe-trotting food star. “I’d love to be able to say that I came from Detroit,” he told the Free Press in 2016 while in town for a speaking tour. “That would be like...
Valerie Harper, TV’s Rhoda, has died at 80
LOS ANGELES — Valerie Harper, who scored guffaws, stole hearts and busted TV taboos as the brash, self-deprecating Rhoda Morgenstern on back-to-back hit sitcoms in the 1970s, has died. Longtime family friend Dan Watt confirmed Harper died Friday, adding the family wasn’t immediately releasing any further details. She had been...
Alfred Jackson, half-brother of late rock star Prince, dies
MINNEAPOLIS — A half-brother of the late rock superstar Prince has died, leaving five Prince siblings to share in the musician’s fortune. An attorney for Alfred Jackson, Asa Weston, said Friday that the 66-year-old Jackson died Wednesday night or Thursday morning in his home outside of Kansas City, Missouri. He...
5 things to do in Westmoreland this weekend: Aug. 30-Sept. 2Video
TGIF! It’s the kickoff to Labor Day weekend, the last official hurrah of summer. Though it’s usually a time to pack in a picnic, backyard barbecue, road trip or other outdoor fun, that’s not all there is to do around these parts. SHEL game Indie-folk band SHEL will wrap up...
Netflix prequel ‘The Dark Crystal’ pays homage to original film
Louis Leterrier knew he’d immediately face scrutiny from superfans of “The Dark Crystal” when he became director of its prequel. After all, he’s a superfan, too. The French director calls Jim Henson’s groundbreaking 1982 fantasy puppet feature “a jewel of creation” and says it’s the main reason he became a...
Alex Trebek, saying he’s on the mend, back at ‘Jeopardy!’
LOS ANGELES — “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek has returned to work, saying he’s “on the mend” following treatment for pancreatic cancer. The game show posted a video Thursday on Twitter showing the 79-year-old host back on set and promising “a good year” ahead. He actually started work on July 22,...
Art show inspired by women opens at Garden and Civic Center
Latrobe artist Mary Ellen Raneri says she has long considered an exhibition of artwork inspired by women. Partnering with Ligonier artist Raven Cintron, she is making that happen with the 35-piece show, “The Art of Woman,” opening Sept. 3 at the Greensburg Garden and Civic Center, 951 Old Salem Road....
Matthew McConaughey gets new job … as film professorVideo
Aright, alright, alright. Actor Matthew McConaughey is taking a new job — inspiring and educating students at the University of Texas as a film professor. McConaughey was named a professor at the Moody College of Communication starting in the fall 2019 term, the school announced Wednesday. In recognition of his...
‘Shark Tank’ star Kevin O’Leary involved in fatal boat crash
TORONTO — “Shark Tank” star Kevin O’Leary says he was on a boat that was involved in a fatal crash in Canada over the weekend. Ontario Provincial Police Staff Sgt. Carolle Dionne said Wednesday two boats crashed on Lake Joseph near Seguin, Ontario, killing a Florida man identified as 64-year-old...
Entertainment planner: Aug. 29-Sept. 11
Thursday Aug. 29 Ismo, Finnish comedian, Pittsburgh Improv, Homestead. Through Sept. 1. 412-462-5233 or improv.com/pittsburgh The Laurel, TGIS free concert, The Palace Theatre, Greensburg. 724-836-8000 or thepalacetheatre.org Friday Aug. 30 “empathy machine,” world premiere of new slowdanger dance work, Kelly Strayhorn Theater, Pittsburgh. Also Aug. 31. 412-363-3000 or kelly-strayhorn.org Pennsylvania...
‘Happiness’ has Jonas Brothers back in Pittsburgh tonightVideo
The Beatles, One Direction, the Jonas Brothers — all hot young bands whose members ended up going their separate ways. Unlike the other two, the Jonases have reunited, released a new album and produced a documentary that looks back at their careers, the challenge they’ve had in being taken seriously...
Family values at heart of new Apple Hill Playhouse production
An award-winning contemporary play set in rural Ireland that digs into family values and love caught the eye of veteran actor Dennis “Chip” Kerr of Greensburg. “Irish plays are almost always about families, unrequited love, words not spoken, words that should not have been spoken, and all delivered by characters...
‘Ghostbusters’ returning to theaters for 35th anniversaryVideo
They’re still the ones ya gonna call. The original 1984 “Ghostbusters” will be returning to movie theaters for its 35th anniversary in October. Tickets for the Fathom Events presentations on Sunday, Oct. 6, and Thursday, Oct. 10 are on sale. In addition to having the classic movie back on the...
Marvel celebrates 80th anniversary with massive comic
LOS ANGELES — Marvel Comics is celebrating its 80th anniversary with a massive issue that pays tribute to its history and introduces a new object with implications for the superhero universe going forward. The Marvel Comics 1000 issue, available Wednesday, pays homage to many of Marvel’s most recognizable characters, including...
‘American Idol’ announces Pittsburgh auditionsVideo
Pittsburghers, get your pipes pitch perfect. “American Idol” is coming to town. Would-be superstars can register at the show’s network website. On-site registration begins at 9 a.m. on Sept. 7 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, 1000 Fort Duquesne Blvd., according to publicist Samantha Belluccia. “Registration will be open...
Squeeze celebrates 45 years with ‘Songbook’ tour stop in Pittsburgh area
The year was 1973 and Chris Difford stole 50 pounds from his mother’s purse to put an ad in a local shop window for a guitarist to join his band. It mattered little that Difford didn’t actually have a band and that only one person responded. That’s because the person...
‘Florida women’ keep it real in 2 Sunshine State comedies
Florida! America’s joke state! Home to fire ants, sand spurs, palmetto bugs, manatees, alligators, hurricanes, floods, the “Florida man” meme (plus actual Florida men) and the “stand your ground” law (see: Florida men). A land of promise and false promises, built on swamps and speculation, purported site of the Fountain...
Unmatched spectacle of ‘The Lion King’ returns to Benedum stageVideo
“Disney’s The Lion King” has proven itself to be the most moving Broadway musical — both literally and figuratively — that many theatergoers have ever experienced. From the emotions of a touching story about “The Circle of Life” expressed in music by Tony Award-winning artists Elton John and Tim Rice,...
Wendy Bell gets own KDKA radio show; Marty Griffin back to mornings
After eight months sharing KDKA-AM News Radio 1020’s on-air afternoon commute slot together, Wendy Bell and Marty Griffin are now each taking the driver’s seat for their own shows. Starting Sept. 3, Griffin will return to the 9 a.m. to noon slot, with Lynne Hayes-Freeland moving from 10 a.m. to...
Carrie Underwood previews revamped ‘Sunday Night Football’ theme song
Carrie Underwood teased fans and football junkies with a short clip of the revamped “Waiting All Day for Sunday Night” theme song for NBC’s “Sunday Night Football.” Underwood posted the 16 seconds clip to Instagram on Monday. View this post on Instagram Tune in September 8th! @JoanJett @SNFonNBC A post...
Inclusive theater troupe will hold ‘Grinch’ auditions in Murrysville
Acting Up, an inclusive theater troupe for actors of all abilities, will host auditions for a production of “The Grinch,” from 2 to 4:30 p.m., Sept. 14 at First Presbyterian Church in Murrysville. Appoints will be in 30-minute blocks with nine actors per block. Actors should prepare the following: •...
‘GMA’ host Lara Spencer apologizes for Prince George ballet comment
NEW YORK — “Good Morning America” host Lara Spencer has apologized for her “insensitive” comments about Prince George taking ballet lessons. Spencer discussed the backlash against her comments Monday, saying she has learned the “bravery it takes for a young boy to pursue a career in dance.” She was heavily...
Football and ‘Family Feud’ just another day for Steelers’ JuJu Smith-SchusterVideo
Sunday night was a doubleheader of sorts for Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster — just as his team kicked off against the Tennessee Titans on NBC, Team JuJu went into battle against Team Ninja on ABC’s “Celebrity Family Feud.” It was Juju, his mother Sammy Toa, two aunts and an...
Dave Chappelle hosts concert to honor Ohio shooting victimsVideo
DAYTON, Ohio — Thousands turned out to a benefit hosted by comedian Dave Chappelle that honored victims of a mass shooting in Ohio. The star-studded “Gem City Shine” took place Sunday in Dayton’s Oregon District, the historic neighborhood that was marred by a 32-second rampage that killed nine people and...
‘Power’ heads toward its finale, with spin-offs in the works
With his characteristic bravado, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson believed in “Power” so much that he predicted to cast members that the series would become a massive hit even before the first episode aired five years ago. Since then, Jackson has joyfully watched as his words have come to fruition. The...
