Entertainment category, Page 99
Celebrity heartbreak 2023: The 15 most shocking, messy splits of the year
Ava Gardner knew a thing or two about the agony of a celebrity divorce. With one of her divorces — maybe from Frank Sinatra? — the thrice-married actress rented a house in Palm Springs and “sat there and suffered for a couple of weeks.” She said: “When you have to...
‘Barbie’ leads Golden Globe nominations with 9, followed closely by ‘Oppenheimer’
Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” dominated the Golden Globe Awards nominations with nine nods for the blockbuster film, including best picture musical or comedy as well as acting nominations for Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling and three of its original songs. It was closely followed by its release date and meme companion...
Rare Raymond Chandler poem is a tribute to his late wife, with a surprising twist
NEW YORK — Near the end of 1954, the wife of Raymond Chandler died after a long battle with lung disease. The famed crime novelist fell into near-suicidal depression from which he never recovered. He drank heavily and died just five years later, at age 70. Chandler completed no major...
Lawmakers consider declaring 2023 ‘Taylor Swift Era’ in Pennsylvania
Taylor Swift’s widespread popularity could soon be commemorated by the Pennsylvania state legislature. Three Democratic state representatives from suburban Philadelphia — Danielle Friel Otten of Chester County, Jennifer O’Mara of Delaware County and Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz of Berks County, where Swift grew up — introduced a resolution Friday to declare 2023...
TV Talk: Carnegie Mellon grad Matt Bomer talks ‘Fellow Travelers’
Matt Bomer (“White Collar”), a 2001 Carnegie Mellon University graduate, is winning accolades for his role in the often risqué, queer love story “Fellow Travelers” (9 p.m. Sunday, Showtime; streams on Paramount+ with Showtime). The series is written by Southwestern Pennsylvania native Ron Nyswaner, who grew up in Clarksville, Greene...
Rapper Travis Scott creates ‘UTOPIA’ in Pittsburgh concert
Rapper Travis Scott didn’t let some bad tacos get in the way of his sold-out Pittsburgh show Friday night. Saying he received two IVs after battling the stomach woes for about a day, Scott had no intentions of following the medical advice he received. “The doctor told me if I...
Ryan O’Neal, star of ‘Love Story,’ ‘Paper Moon,’ ‘Peyton Place’ and ‘Barry Lyndon,’ dies at 82
LOS ANGELES — Ryan O’Neal, the heartthrob actor who went from a TV soap opera to an Oscar-nominated role in “Love Story” and delivered a wry performance opposite his charismatic 9-year-old daughter Tatum in “Paper Moon,” died Friday, his son said. “My dad passed away peacefully today, with his loving...
CMU grad and Hollywood icon Ming-Na Wen to be at Steel City ConVideo
Hollywood icon and Carnegie Mellon University grad Ming-Na Wen returned to the Pittsburgh area this week to cheer on her beloved Steelers and meet with fans in Monroeville. She will be among the celebrities at Steel City Con at the Monroeville Convention Center Friday and Saturday, the first two days...
Def Leppard, Journey, Steve Miller Band coming to PNC Park
It seems like a rock music lover’s dream: Def Leppard and Journey on the same bill, with the Steve Miller Band thrown in for good measure. Well, that dream is headed to Pittsburgh’s PNC Park in July. The concert, part of Def Leppard and Journey’s 23-city Summer Stadium Tour in...
Boyz II Men set to return to Pittsburgh at Rivers Casino
Boyz II Men, the powerhouse R&B act that ruled the charts in the 1990s, will return to Pittsburgh for a performance at Rivers Casino in February. The trio, known for their hits “End of the Road,” “I’ll Make Love to You,” “One Sweet Day” (with Mariah Carey) and “Motownphilly,” is...
Norman Lear, revolutionary TV producer of ‘All in the Family,’ has died at 101
Norman Lear, the writer, director and producer who revolutionized prime time television with “All in the Family” and “Maude,” propelling political and social turmoil into the once-insulated world of sitcoms, has died. He was 101. Lear died Tuesday night in his sleep, surrounded by family at his home in Los...
Taylor Swift is named Time’s person of the year
NEW YORK — Is the year of Taylor Swift over now? Not yet. Time magazine named Swift its person of the year on Wednesday, a week after Spotify announced she was the most-played artist on the streaming platform. Swift was picked from a group of nine finalists that included Barbie,...
Mariah Carey rocks Pittsburgh with soulful performance of holiday hits
Santa hats and sparkly outfits adorned the crowd Tuesday night at PPG Paints Arena in Uptown Pittsburgh, and with so much holiday bling, there’s only one show it could have been for — singer Mariah Carey’s “Merry Christmas One And All!” tour. Opening the concert with an overture to “Sugar...
Denny Laine, founding member of the Moody Blues and Paul McCartney’s Wings, dead at 79
NEW YORK — Denny Laine, a British singer, songwriter and guitarist who performed in an early, pop-oriented version of the Moody Blues and was later Paul McCartney’s longtime sideman in the ex-Beatle’s solo band Wings, has died at age 79. Laine, inducted five years ago into the Rock and Roll...
In ‘Wonka,’ Timothée Chalamet finds a world of pure imagination
Hugh Grant learned some years ago that if a filmmaker doesn’t make something from the heart, it shows. The films that work best, and are most loved, he’s found, are the ones that the directors really meant. It applied to his romantic comedies with Richard Curtis as well as “Paddington...
Desert island albums: Here’s what Grace Potter, Nicotine Dolls, Barns Courtney and others would bring with them
It’s a simple enough question: If you were stranded on a desert island, what three albums would you want with you? Plenty of bands who either played or were scheduled to perform in Pittsburgh this fall offered their choices, with albums ranging from big band to gospel to alternative rock,...
Rockstar releases trailer for ‘Grand Theft Auto VI’ early amid leak
Looks like Christmas came early for fans awaiting a sneak peek at Rockstar Games’ long-awaited “Grand Theft Auto VI.” The gaming company posted Friday on X (formerly Twitter) that the trailer would arrive Tuesday. However, a now-suspended X account leaked the trailer early and prompted the company to officially release...
AP’s top albums of 2023: Music from Olivia Rodrigo, Peso Pluma, the Rolling Stones and more
LOS ANGELES — Ten of the top albums of the year, as chosen by Associated Press Music Writer Maria Sherman. It was a blockbuster year across genres, but only a few could make AP’s list. (SZA’s “SOS” released in December 2022, Ice Spice’s “Like…?” isn’t a full-length release, and the...
Former Pirates player Cole Tucker reportedly marries actress Vanessa Hudgens
Former Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Cole Tucker has a new position to play: husband. The Pirates’ first-round draft pick in 2014 married “High School Musical” actress Vanessa Hudgens over the weekend, according to several media reports. People Magazine broke the story, reporting the couple married on Saturday in Tulum, Mexico. TMZ...
Red Hot Chili Peppers to bring Unlimited Love tour to PittsburghVideo
The Red Hot Chili Peppers are extending their Unlimited Love tour into 2024, with a show scheduled for the Pittsburgh region. The veteran funk rockers, who released two albums in 2022, will play July 2 at the Pavilion at Star Lake in Burgettstown. Kid Cudi and IRONTOM will open the...
Kennedy Center Honors fetes new inductees, including Queen Latifah, Billy Crystal and Dionne WarwickVideo
WASHINGTON (AP) — The newest group of Kennedy Center honorees, including comedian Billy Crystal and actor Queen Latifah, were feted Sunday night at a star-studded event commemorating their lifetime achievement in arts and entertainment. Opera singer Renée Fleming, music star Barry Gibb and prolific hitmaker Dionne Warwick were also honored...
The year in review: Influential people who died in 2023
Here is a roll call of some influential figures who died in 2023 (cause of death cited for younger people, if available): JANUARY Fred White, 67. A drummer who backed up his brothers Maurice and Verdine White in the Grammy-winning ensemble Earth, Wind & Fire. Jan. 1. Ken Block, 55....
Spotify axes 17% of workforce in 3rd round of layoffs this year
LONDON — Spotify says it’s axing 17% of its global workforce, the music streaming service’s third round of layoffs this year as it moves to slash costs while focusing on becoming profitable. In a message to employees posted on the company’s blog Monday, CEO Daniel Ek said the jobs were...
Beyoncé’s ‘Renaissance’ is No. 1 at the box office with $21 million debut
Beyoncé ruled the box office this weekend. Her concert picture, ” Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé,” opened in first place with $21 million in North American ticket sales, according to estimates from AMC Theatres Sunday. The post-Thanksgiving, early December box office is notoriously slow, but “Renaissance” defied the odds. Not...
Kiss say farewell to live touring, become first U.S. band to go virtual and become digital avatarsVideo
On Saturday night, Kiss closed out the final performance of their “The End of the Road” farewell tour at New York City’s famed Madison Square Garden. But as dedicated fans surely know — they were never going to call it quits. Not really. During their encore, the band’s current lineup...
