Entertainment category, Page 328
Cat cafe ushers in new year with head scratches, belly rubs
If you find the idea of welcoming in the new year by cuddling cats appealing, Greensburg’s Cattfeinated Cat Cafe has a party for you. With a speakeasy theme, the new cafe, which opened in November at 159 E. Otterman St., will celebrate New Year’s Eve from 10:30 p.m. Dec. 31...
Nancy O’Dell promises she’ll be back after taking break from ‘ET’
Question: What happened to Nancy O’Dell on “Entertainment Tonight”? She hasn’t been on for several weeks. Answer: More like several months. In August, O’Dell announced she was leaving “ET” after nine years with the show. In a statement quoted by EW.com at the time, O’Dell said in part, “Not long...
‘Mame,’ ‘Hello, Dolly!’ composer Jerry Herman dies at 88Video
Tony Award-winning composer Jerry Herman, who wrote the cheerful, good-natured music and lyrics for such classic shows as “Mame,” “Hello, Dolly!” and “La Cage aux Folles,” died Thursday. He was 88. His goddaughter Jane Dorian confirmed his death to The Associated Press early Friday. He died of pulmonary complications in...
‘Letterkenny’ Season 8 released, pitter patter U.S. fansVideo
The day has come: the new “Letterkenny” season is out. While Canadians got the gift of Season 8 on Christmas, those in the U.S. can now watch the show via Hulu. “Letterkenny” Season 8 runs seven episodes with some big name Canadian cameos (no spoilers) early on. Show creator Jared...
Sister of singer George Michael dies exactly 3 years after he did
LONDON — One of pop superstar George Michael’s sisters has died exactly three years after her brother’s Christmas Day death in 2016. A statement from family lawyer John Reid confirmed the unexpected death of Melanie Panayiotou, 55, on Wednesday and appealed for privacy. “We can confirm that very tragically Melanie...
Greece gives actor Tom Hanks honorary Greek citizenship
Tom Hanks may officially consider himself Greek. Greece’s President Prokopis Pavlopoulos has signed an honorary naturalization order allowing the 63-year-old actor to claim Greek citizenship, his office told the Associated Press on Friday. Hanks frequently spends his summer vacation on the Greek island of Antiparos and his wife, actress and...
5 things to do in and around Westmoreland County: Dec. 27-29Video
This whole week may have seemed like a weekend to some of us. Those lucky enough to wrap up school and work commitments early are probably ready for a little rest and relaxation after all of that partying and celebrating, right? Nah, its Friday. Maybe you’ve got house guests to...
Disney+ redefines the high school musical trope with ‘Encore!’
“The Mandalorian.” Baby Yoda. A bunch of impending Marvel series. That’s what most folks know about Disney+, the too-big-to-fail streaming platform that launched in November with an arsenal of Star Wars, superhero and princess titles. Here’s what viewers don’t know: Buried beneath that mammoth pile of branded content is an...
Review: ‘Little Women’ casts familiar story in a new, modern lightVideo
After all the romps romped, all the dances danced and the little women of Greta Gerwig’s “Little Women” married off, this is the story of a girl and her book, the copyright negotiated, the pages cut, the gold leaf stamped. In Gerwig’s adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s blockbuster 1869 novel,...
Comedic duo return to ‘yinzer’ roots with Palace show
A lifelong friendship has morphed into a stage show for 1989 Greater Latrobe Senior High School graduates Eric Slivoskey and Erik Piisila. The two, both 49, now live in North Dakota and Maryland, respectively. They will appear at The Palace Theatre on Jan. 4 with “Plain Fun #2 With Eric...
An eclectic mix of Top 10 albums of the 2019
Not many things in life are certain except for birth, death, taxes … and my top 10 album list for 2019 will be different from any other best album list you see this year. This makes sense in a year when there was no consensus best album and some excellent...
Entertainment planner: Dec. 26-Jan. 8
Friday Dec. 27 Aubrey Burchell, Bella Terra Vineyards, Hunker. 724-635-3658 or bellaterravineyards.com “The Beatles vs. The Grateful Dead,” with Eleanor Walrus and Fungus, Thunderbird Cafe and Music Hall, Lawrenceville. 412-682-0177 or thunderbirdmusichall.com The Music of R.E.M., with The Reckoning, Club Cafe, Pittsburgh South Side. 866-468-3401 or ticketweb.com/clubcafe Steve Byrne, Pittsburgh...
‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ brings familiar story with a rock edge to BenedumVideo
The Broadway musical “Jesus Christ Superstar” is returning to its roots. The 1970 rock opera with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice actually began as a rock opera concept album before it debuted on Broadway in 1971. For its 50th anniversary touring production coming to Benedum...
Dinosaur Adventure makes stop in Monroeville Convention CenterVideo
A new traveling dinosaur exhibit will hit Monroeville Convention Center just in time to provide some post-Christmas indoor fun and educational activities for kids of all ages during the holiday break. Dinosaur Adventure, produced by Pinnacle Productions Group based in Shoreview, Minn., features 80 realistic dinosaurs — some towering as high...
‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ comes alive on Byham stage
A favorite holiday tradition is watching Charlie Brown and his pals as they once again discover the real meaning of Christmas in “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” the 1965 animated television special based on the Peanuts comic strip by beloved cartoonist the late Charles M. Schulz. The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust will...
Classical music, dance offerings abound in Pittsburgh in 2020
Music and dance shift back into high gear after the mid-winter break, with many alluring and important performances coming up. The Pittsburgh Symphony, for example, will present 15 weekends of classical music from January to June. Among the many highlights are two full-evening masterpieces by Ludwig van Beethoven – “Fidelio”...
Songwriter Allee Willis, who did ‘Friends’ theme, dies
LOS ANGELES — Allee Willis, a songwriter whose work included the Broadway musical “The Color Purple” as well as the theme song from the TV show “Friends” and Earth, Wind & Fire’s “September,” has died. She was 72. The cause of death Tuesday was a cardiac event, her publicist, Ellyn...
Lil Wayne may face charges after gold-plated gun, drugs found on his plane
MIAMI — Lil Wayne is free to celebrate Christmas in Miami after federal agents searched his private jet, but the rapper still faces potential charges after agents found at least one handgun and drugs, according to law enforcement sources. The gun also qualified as bling — a gold-plated .45 caliber...
Study: No evidence museum’s stovepipe hat was Lincoln’s
A new study has found no evidence to corroborate that a beaver-skin stovepipe hat — for years a centerpiece of Illinois’ Abraham Lincoln museum — ever actually belonged to the 16th U.S. president, according to a published report. Among the findings spelled out in a 54-page report was that the...
Pop culture in 2010s marked gains in diversity, inclusion
NEW YORK — When the family-friendly Hallmark Channel recently pulled, under pressure from a conservative group, a set of ads featuring a kiss between two happy brides at the altar, backlash was swift — to say the least. Within hours, stars like Ellen DeGeneres and William Shatner were tweeting in...
Justin Bieber to play Pittsburgh in 2020Video
Christmas came early for Justin Bieber fans. In a YouTube video posted about noon Tuesday, the pop star announced a tour, new album, new single and new docu-series for 2020. Bieber is set for a show in Pittsburgh on Aug. 4 at PPG Paints Arena. The Ontario, Canada native last...
Rapper DaBaby detained hours after toy giveaway, concert
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Grammy-nominated rapper DaBaby was detained in North Carolina hours after he gave away toys to children and shortly after his concert. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police issued citations to the rapper, whose real name is Jonathan Kirk, for misdemeanor possession of marijuana and resisting an officer Monday night, news outlets...
Dewayne Perkins on writing for ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine,’ new solo stand-up show
We often talk about sketch and improv as an entry point for comedic performers. But it’s a type of acting that also tends to hone a person’s writing skills. Which means a decent chunk of people writing for late-night talk shows or TV comedies came up through the Chicago improv...
Ed Sheeran taking a break from music — again
Another album and tour over, another Ed Sheeran break from music. The 28-year-old singer-songwriter announced to his fans on Instagram that he’s cutting out for a bit. View this post on Instagram Brb x A post shared by Ed Sheeran (@teddysphotos) on Dec 24, 2019 at 4:00am PST “Hello all....
Holiday TV picks for moms and dads who can hardly wait for school to start again
With Christmas landing and the new year traveling faster than a speeding bullet, television can be a soothing influence on parents who have too much to do and kids who have too little. The networks have not forgotten, and FXX offers its Plus+Size Holiday Marathon featuring 661 episodes of “The...
