Entertainment category, Page 368
Finale for Renaissance City Choir artistic director Jeffry Blake Johnson
Jeffry Blake Johnson will soon take a final bow. His last performances as artistic director for the Renaissance City Choir are 4 p.m. June 1-2 at East Liberty Presbyterian Church’s Courtyard. He’s been with the group for seven seasons. A search for his replacement has begun. “It’s time,” he says....
‘Aladdin’ soars, but ‘Booksmart’ barely passes at box office
LOS ANGELES — Moviegoers voted with their dollars and chose the familiar over the new this Memorial Day weekend. The Walt Disney Co.’s live-action remake of “Aladdin” crushed the competition at the box office, which included two new original R-rated films that opened as counterprogramming to the family pic: The...
Woodland Hills, Elizabeth Forward, big winners with ‘Mamma Mia’ at Gene Kelly Awards
The musical “Mamma Mia!” and schools performing the popular musical turned out to be the biggest winners of the night at the Gene Kelly Awards for Excellence in High School Musical Theater Saturday. Three schools performing “Mamma Mia!” — Deer Lakes, Elizabeth Forward and Woodland Hills — won in the...
California show explores Andy Warhol’s social, tech foreshadowing
SAN FRANCISCO — Before Instagram and Facebook, before selfies and filters that perfect selfies, there was Andy Warhol, using his art to imbue friends, family, celebrities — even himself — with a certain mystique. A retrospective of Warhol’s work on display in San Francisco captures the artist’s ability to use...
‘When They See Us’ actors revisit the Central Park Five caseVideo
Actor Jharrel Jerome, perhaps best known for his role in “Moonlight,” recalls walking to school a few years ago in his native New York City, worried about an upcoming test, when he was stopped by two police officers. “Stop! Can I see your bag?” one asked him. He immediately froze...
Julianna Margulies fights Ebola in ‘The Hot Zone’Video
Julianna Margulies knew her role in the National Geographic limited series “The Hot Zone” would give her a multitude of layers to play. She could concentrate on the medical part of the character bringing to the screen the doctor who, in 1989, recognized the first appearance of the deadly Ebola...
Ashley Judd not interested in Weinstein settlement, says she plans to see him in court
NEW YORK — The tentative $44 million settlement involving Harvey Weinstein’s sexual misconduct allegations won’t drop the curtain on all lawsuits filed against the movie mogul, some of his accusers said Friday. Ashley Judd, the first A-list actress to speak publicly about Weinstein’s alleged pattern of predatory behavior, said in...
National Aviary to open ‘Living Dinosaurs’ exhibit
A new National Aviary exhibit will allow visitors to fly like a pterosaur, part of a wide array of interactive learning opportunities. The “Living Dinosaurs” exhibit, opening Saturday, is putting an emphasis on experiencing birds as living descendants of dinosaurs and highlighting the traits birds and dinosaurs share. Guests with...
Sled dogs, art for all at Ligonier Country Market
Ligonier Country Market’s special features on May 25 will include Spirits of the Mountain Sled Dogs. The dogs include four Alaskan huskies, three Alaskan malamutes and 10 Siberian huskies. They were in shelters or surrendered by their owners. The dogs train in the Laurel Mountain and surrounding areas and run...
Adam Levine leaving ‘The Voice’ after 16 seasons
Adam Levine is leaving NBC’s “The Voice” after 16 seasons. Carson Daly made the announcement Friday morning on the “Today” show. Daly said Gwen Stefani will return for season 17 in Levine’s chair. The Maroon 5 frontman wrote a length Instagram post Friday, saying the Emmy-winning show “went on to...
Lower Burrell’s Trinity United Christian Church pastor pens ‘The Call’
The printed word will be there for future generations. “I wanted a written record of this church, a first-hand account of the history here,” says the Rev. Cletus L. Hull III, pastor of Trinity United Christian Church in Lower Burrell since Jan. 1, 1996. Hull penned the 189-page “The Call,”...
Judge orders file in Jussie Smollett criminal case unsealed
CHICAGO — A judge in Chicago ordered the file in Jussie Smollett’s criminal case unsealed Thursday, saying the actor’s actions did not appear to be those of someone seeking to maintain his privacy. The order by Cook County Circuit Court Judge Steven Watkins follows requests by The Associated Press and...
Patrick Stewart returns as Picard in new Star Trek series trailer
With some of Marvel’s greatest heroes heading into the sunset, it’s nice to see a hero return. Jean-Luc Picard is back in the CBS All Access show “Star Trek: Picard,” and the first look at it debuted Thursday. Patrick Stewart (OK, Sir Patrick to be formal), will reprise his iconic...
‘Game of Thrones’: Breaking down the series finaleVideo
***WARNING: SPOILERS THROUGH THE FINAL EPISODE OF ‘GAME OF THRONES’*** We made it! As the world’s online “Thrones” forums burn with the intensity of a thousand hot takes on the series finale, the final season and a wide variety of other Westerosi topics, we sit down to dive into “The...
Asian, Asian American heroes to power Marvel comics series
Asian superheroes — assemble. Marvel Comics is giving ink to an unprecedented team-up of its mightiest Asian and Asian American heroes, also known as the new Agents of Atlas. Established icons like martial arts master Shang-Chi and newbies like Wave, the newest Filipino superhero, will team up in a stand-alone,...
Host of celebrities speak out on criminal justice reform
Kim Kardashian West isn’t the only celebrity speaking out for prison reform. It’s a topic that was also very important to slain rapper Nipsey Hussle, and to Common, Kevin Hart and a host of others who consider the criminal justice system often unfair and dehumanizing. Hussle served time before he...
‘Real Housewives’ husband gets reprieve in deportation fight
A federal court has ruled that the husband of “Real Housewives of New Jersey” cast member Teresa Giudice can stay in the U.S. as he appeals deportation to his native Italy. The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia delayed Joe Giudice’s deportation in an order published Wednesday. The...
Pittsburgh native Becca Droz enjoys 1st-place finish on ‘Amazing Race’
Rebecca “Becca” Droz is not just surviving on CBS’ “Amazing Race,” she’s thriving. Droz, a Pittsburgh native, and her teammate, Floyd Pierce, were in first place at the end of Episode 5, which aired Wednesday night. She and Pierce earned $5,000 each for the winning leg. After being preempted last...
Archie Bunker, George Jefferson meet again, sparks don’t exactly fly
Movin’ on back, ABC and Jimmy Kimmel conducted a fun but only partly successful exercise in nostalgia and cultural context Wednesday with “Live In Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear’s ‘All in the Family’ and ‘The Jeffersons,’ ” a special restaging of two episodes of the classic, socially relevant...
Schwarzenegger, Hamilton reunite in ‘Terminator: Dark Fate’ trailerVideo
He said he’d be back, and he is. Arnold Schwarzenegger has returned in the just-released trailer for “Terminator: Dark Fate,” coming to theaters Nov. 1. Linda Hamilton also returns for the continuation of the story started in “Terminator 2: Judgment Day,” from 1991. James Cameron is back as producer. Audiences...
Review: Heartfelt ‘Booksmart’ personifies best of Generation ZVideo
Has a name ever invited instant stardom as surely as “Beanie Feldstein”? Feldstein’s breakout performance as the sweet-natured, supportive best friend in “Lady Bird” was a modest triumph. In the new movie “Booksmart,” she gracefully commands the lead in a role that calls on the same earnestness that “Lady Bird”...
Review: ‘Brightburn’ an interesting idea lost in the executionVideo
“Brightburn ” is a one-idea movie. What if a baby from another planet crash lands on earth and is adopted and raised by a nice childless couple living on a farm? This kid doesn’t get hurt, never bleeds and, right around puberty, starts to discover that he has superhuman strength...
Review: Live-action ‘Aladdin’ charming in a clumsy sort of wayVideo
Right off the bat, you can tell that Disney’s live-action “Aladdin” has avoided some of the missteps of the original animated film. The lyrics of the song “Arabian Nights,” which is sung in a prologue that frames the new film as a children’s fairy tale, have been changed from this...
Escape the heat, humidity with visits to area museums
What to do on a lazy summer day? There’s always a book to read or some yardwork waiting. So why not try something different, like a visit to an art museum or gallery? Chances are, there’s one near you, and here are a few things you stand to gain by...
Pittsburgh area sports strong summer concert lineupVideo
Mark you calendars and get your tickets (although quite a few shows are free) — the sounds of summer are heading this way. Sure as the days get longer and warmer, concert season is upon us. Whether you want to rock, stomp, sing along to the oldies or hum along...
