Born Weird: The Story of Weird Al Yankovic
Weird Al Yankovic is not only a talented singer and song writer, but is also an actor, writer and one of the best parodists of our time! Weird Al has done over 1,000 live concerts, and they are often heralded as “can’t miss” shows. Lucky for fans, Weird Al is touring again in 2012 and making stops across the U.S.
The talented singer’s parody songs make fun of all we love in pop culture, from early 80’s song such as “Eat It” and “Like a Surgeon” to 90’s parodies “Achy Breaky Song” and “Amish Paradise”. Popular songs of the 2000 era have included “White & Nerdy” and “Don’t Download This Song”.
Weird Al’s 13th album, Alpocalypse was released in 2011 and wasn’t short on the hits! The title of the album was a spoof of all the doomsday predictions coming out at the time, as well as the 2012 end of the world prediction. The biggest hit of the album was a song poking a bit of fun at Lady Gaga and was entitled “Perform This Way” after the singer’s well known “Born This Way” tune. Other hits off the album include “Polka Face”, “Craigslist” and “Whatever You Like”. All and all in his career, Weird Al Yankovic has recorded more than 150 songs, which have earned him nine Grammy nominations and three wins.
Al has been keeping busy besides touring by writing his second children’s book. His first book was released in 2011 and was entitled “When I Grow Up”. It featured a protagonist named Billy who talks about all his future career possibilities. The new book is said to feature the same lovable character and is scheduled to be released in 2013. There is also some buzz that a new album is already in the works, with Yankovic himself confirming that he hopes to get into the studio sometimes this year to start recording.
For all his fans, those from his UHF days, to brand new fans who love his Lady Gaga parody, there is nothing like seeing the Weird Jedi himself live and in concert. Be sure to get your Weird Al Yankovic concert tickets before they are sold out!
Matthew Broderick’s Broadway Performance is “Nice Work”
Illogical. Nonsensical. Comedic and charming. These are all words that can easily be used to describe the show running on Broadway known as Nice Work if You Can Get It. But one word sums them, and its main star Matthew Broderick, better than any others: brilliant.
Nice Work is set in Long Island in the 1920s, at the height of Prohibition. About to be married for the fourth time, Jimmy Winter (Broderick) is entertaining his soon-to-be parents-in-law at his mansion at the same time that he falls in love with a bootlegger named Billie, played by Kathleen Marshall. Quickly joining Billie in her bootlegging adventures, Jimmy must conduct all activity in strict secretiveness, for his in-laws are Prohibitionists.
The silly plot is accentuated by even sillier songs including “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off,” “I’ve Got a Crush on You,” and “Someone to Watch Over Me,” along with 12 other numbers that will have audiences laughing, dancing, and making memories of a magical night at the theater.
Broderick’s charm shines through with every step he takes on the stage, and you can tell that it’s where he’s meant to be, as his voice projects the jaunty, witty lyrics of each song. Those who loved him in The Producers and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, a performance which won him a Tony Award, will love him equally so in Nice Work.
Kelli O’Hara is the perfect complement to Broderick, playing the role of Billie, and bringing her own Tony-nominated presence to the stage (for South Pacific.) Another Tony winner, Joe DiPietro, wrote the book; while Kathleen Marhsall, who’s won a Tony for Anything Goes, both directed and choreographed the show.
If you’d like to see Broadway’s latest piece of Nice Work, get your tickets now; the show is running until November 2012.
Tony Nominees are In!
It was refreshing to hear during Tuesday’s Tony Award nominations that the Nominations Committee had not only looked at the biggest acts on Broadway, but also some of the lesser-known. And from the nominations list this year, there are no clear frontrunners. Here’s the full list of this year’s Tony Awards nominees:
Best Play: Clybourne Park, Other Desert Cities, Peter and the Starcatcher, Venus if Fur
Best Musical: Leap of Faith, Newsies, Nice Work If You Can Get It, Once
Best Book of a Musical: Lysistrata Jones, Newsies, Nice Work If You Can Get It, Once
Best Original Score Written for the Theatre: Bonnie & Clyde, Newsies, One Man, Two Guvnors, Peter and the Starcatcher
Best Revival of a Play: Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, Gore Vidal’s The Best Man, Master Class, Wit
Best Revival of a Musical: Evita, Follies, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, Jesus Christ Superstar
Best Performance by an Actor in Leading Role in a Play: James Corden for One Man, Two Guvnors; Philip Seymour Hoffman for Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman; James Earl Joes for Gore Vidal’s The Best Man; Frank Langella for Man and Boy; John Lithgow for The Columnist
Best Performance by an Actress in Leading Role in a Play: Nina Arianda for Venus in Fur; Tracie Bennett for End of the Rainbow; Stockard Channing for Other Desert Cities; Linda Lavin for The Lyons; Cynthia Nixon for Wit
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical: Danny Burnstein for Follies; Jeremy Jordan for Newsies; Steve Kazee for Once; Norm Lewis for The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess; Ron Raines for Follies.
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical: Jan Maxwell for Follies; Audra McDonald for The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess; Cristin Milioti for Once; Kelli O’Hara for Nice Work If You Can Get It; Laura Osnes for Bonnie & Clyde
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play: Christian Borle for Peter and the Starcatcher; Michael Cumpsty for End of the Rainbow; Tom Edden for One Man, Two Guvnors; Andrew Garfield for Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman; Jeremy Shamos for Clybourne Park
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play: Linda Emond for Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman; Spencer Kayden for Don’t Dress for Dinner; Celia Keenan-Bolger for Peter and the Starcatcher; Judith Light for Other Desert Cities; Condola Rashad for Stick Fly
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical: Phillip Boykin for The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess; Michael Cerveris for Evita; David Alan Grier for The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess; Michael McGrath for Nice Work If You Can Get It; Josh Young for Jesus Christ Superstar
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical: Elizabeth A. Davis for Once; Jayne Houdyshell for Follies; Judy Kaye for Nice Work If You Can Get It; Jessie Mueller for On a Clear Day You Can See Forever; Da’Vine Joy Randolph for Ghost the Musical
The 66th Annual Tony Awards will be held on Sunday June 10, 2012 and a live telecast will be presented both on the East and West coasts so make sure to watch to see who wins!
Junior Seau’s Death Raises More Questions about Players’ Safety
After former NFL linebacker, Junior Seau, 43, was found dead in his Southern California home yesterday due to an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest, it was hard to make sense of anything. But after the police ruled the death a suicide, no one wondered why the chest was chosen. It was the very same way that former Chicago Bears Dave Duerson took his own life last February and all of it points to head trauma suffered by former NFL players.
At the time of Duerson’s death it was found that he chose to keep his brain intact so that it could later be studied for signs of CTE, chronic traumatic encephalopathy. While it hasn’t yet been reported that Seau had the same intention, the similarities certainly are striking. And they also help bolster the case of former NFL players who currently have a lawsuit against the league in which they are asking for damages as well as reimbursement for health and medical costs. Sadly one of the plaintiffs in that case, Ray Easterling who played for the Atlanta Falcons during the 1970s, also shot himself just two weeks ago.
It’s becoming a case of there simply being too many victims to count. And although it’s still yet to be found whether or not Seau’s death was due to head trauma caused by repeated concussions, the problems of insanely rough play and sending players back out onto the field after sustaining an injury are becoming obvious.
Junior Seau was nothing short of a legend in the NFL. He played for the league over a course of 20 years and was with the Chargers for 12 of them. It was during his time with San Diego that he took them to the Super Bowl, had 12 back-to-back Pro Bowl appearances, and was also voted to All-Pro six times.
Be “Blown Away” by Carrie Underwood
Carrie Underwood’s fourth album, “Blown Away”, was released yesterday and the country singer appeared on Good Morning America yesterday to start the release party. Along with singing several songs, Carrie Underwood also announced that she’s taking the album on the road when the “Blown Away” starts this fall.
To give fans a taste of the record, Carrie performed two hit songs from the new album on the morning show; those included “Good Girl,” and “Cupid’s Got a Shotgun.” And just as a special treat for fans who have missed hearing Carrie sing live, she also performed “Cowboy Casanova” from her third album, “Play On.”
Along with the show, Carrie also announced that she’d be going on tour in the fall — something she hasn’t done since the “Play On Tour” ended over a year ago. Speaking later on with USA Today, Underwood said about the tour dates, “Normally, I think I’d try to head out in the summer, but my husband doesn’t play; he’s off in the summer. So I try to make sure I’m available, just to spend some quality time. So we’ll start again in the fall, go for a few months, then probably pick it up again in the spring.”
Currently there are over 50 dates scheduled that will take Carrie around the United States and Canada; you can find a full listing here. The singer’s got a few stops to make though before going out on the road in September. On May 26 she’ll be performing in Baton Rouge, Louisiana at the Bayou Country Superfest and on August 12 she’ll be at the Boots & Hearts Music Festival in Toronto, Ontario. Perhaps her biggest pre-tour stop though is her show at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England on June 21, 2012. That show sold out in just 90 minutes after tickets went on sale!
Second Autism – Friendly Broadway Show a Roaring Success
Sunday’s matinee of Mary Poppins usually sees an audience filled with children, but this past Sunday was one of the most special audiences of them all. Autistic children, filling all ranges of the extremely wide spectrum that the disorder encompasses, filled the New Amsterdam Theatre to watch the afternoon performance, make all the noise they wanted, and even wander off to special areas set aside for them. The tweaks made for the audience, some say, made the show even better and the performances put on by the cast and crew were never more heartfelt as they put everything they had into this very special showing.
The show was the second to be put on by The Theatre Development Fund, an organization that’s dedicated to ensuring arts, drama, and music are available to all children, even those who may not be physically unable to sit quietly through an entire production. During the show children are free to chirp, moan, shout out, and in short, just be themselves while they enjoy one of the most beloved children’s stories of all time.
Aside from the play, there are all sorts of things for kids to do including coloring books, small toys that need something to keep their hands busy, assorted games, and different puzzles. For those who are feeling a bit more rambunctious, activity areas were set up where kids could let off some steam; and for those who had had enough for a little while, there were calming corners. Theatre staff members stood on each corner of the stage and held up green glow sticks when a particularly loud portion of the play was coming up, although some sounds and lights during the performance were dimmed to accommodate the patrons. All of it was to ensure that everyone created memories to last a lifetime of their afternoon on Broadway, and no one left disappointed.
Each autistic-friendly show that The Theatre Development Fund puts on brings another opportunity for them to see ways they can improve it and make it even better for this unique audience. The first time they tried the concept was for a showing of The Lion King in October, and that also saw wild success. The next autism-friendly showing will also be of The Lion King, planned for this coming September.
Things are going to get Heavy in Toronto this Summer
One of the summer’s biggest Canadian festivals this year couldn’t be more aptly named – Heavy T.O. is a festival that will be held over the weekend of August 11 and 12 in Toronto’s Downsview Park. And it’s going to be heavy. Very, very heavy. With over 20 bands, and each one heavier and screaming louder than the last, it’s going to be something for metal fans to remember for a long, long time.
Slipknot, Marilyn Manson, System of a Down, Deftones, Five Finger Death Punch, and Cancer Bats are just a few of the huge names that are set to take the different stages over the two day event and festival-goers have a number of options when it comes to how much they want to pay, and what they’d like to pay for.
There are weekend passes that will get you into the entire event. If you’re looking for a little more than just a keepsake out of your pass you can purchase a platinum pass that will give you access to a private bar and restrooms, raised seating, and other niceties provided only to the most serious metal-heads.
Staind – Leaving a Mark on Rock in the 21st Century
And it’s been awhile, since I first saw you…live and in concert! If you listened to the radio at all in the early 2000s, then you are sure to know the hard rock band Staind‘s biggest hit “It’s Been Awhile”. It has been more than 10 years since the band released that single, but they are still going strong. Here is the latest news on what has been going on with Staind since you saw them in concert last.
The year 2001 saw their album Break the Cycle released and had hit after hit including “It’s Been Awhile”, “Fade”, “Outside”, “For You”, and “Epiphany”. The album was one of the best selling albums of the year and the band’s biggest selling album so far. In 2003, they released the album 14 Shades of Grey with hits “Price to Play”, and “So Far Away”. “So Far Away” was a big success and was featured on the TV show Smallville, as well as an episode of WWE Raw. In 2005, the band released Chapter V with hits “Right Here” which was featured on WWE Raw, as well as “Falling”, “King of All Excuses”, and the Beetlejuice song titled “This is Beetle” which they played on the Howard Stern Show. In 2008, Staind released the album entitled The Illusion of Progress with hits “Believe” and “This Is It”, which was featured on the album Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. The band has certainly kept busy in the new century!
How about within the last few years? September 2011 saw the newest album simply titled Stained released to success and the band went on tour with Godsmack and Halestorm on the Mass Chaos Tour. The band never seems to rest, as in between shows, Johnny April managed to donate $150,000 for new ambulances in Massachusetts, and Aaron Lewis recently reopened his daughters school by getting the funds through a benefit concert. The biggest band news currently is that they had to find themselves a new drummer. Long time drummer Jon Wysocki parted ways with Staind but fans shouldn’t worry too much, as Wysocki can now be heard playing for the band Soil, and the talented Sal Giancarelli is now playing for Staind, who is sounding as good as ever.
If it has been a while since we saw you moshing at a concert, so why not catch the Mass Chaos Tour when it comes to your neck of the woods and hear Staind play live once more?
Jennifer Lopez and Enrique Iglesias Team Up for First World Tour
Fans got a taste of what’s to be expected when Jennifer Lopez and Enrique Iglesias team up together, when the two released their sexy single, “Mouth to Mouth” in September of last year. Now, audiences can sit (or stand and scream and cheer) for a full concert featuring these two, as J. Lo has just announced that she’s asked Iglesias to join her on her world tour launching this summer.
The tour is a first for Lopez, who’s toured extensively but admitted to Ellen DeGeneres that she’s “never really done the world tour thing.” And she’ll do it with a bang, bringing with her a full cast of dancers, and what’s promised by one source to be “lavish sets, [and a] full band.” The tour currently has a total of 60 dates, although all dates are not confirmed at this point, but a grand world tour it will be. Beginning in South America in June 2012, Lopez and Iglesias will work their way through major stops such as Chile, Venezuela, Brazil, and Argentina, before heading back to the United States for shows beginning in mid-July. Once that leg wraps up, the pair will then travel to Asia and Europe.
Another source close to Lopez has said that she’s “very excited about him joining the tour” and, although Iglesias has not commented, he’s undoubtedly very excited as well. Last year after Britney Spears‘ management company announced that Iglesias would be the opening act for her Femme Fatale tour, he dropped out. He said later that it was due to the fact that it all felt very “rushed” to him; but many sources still speculate that it was due to the fact that he was under the impression he’d be co-headlining with the pop singer, not opening for her.
Snoop Dogg Reunites with Tupac – Say What?
For all you doubters out there who wonder if rapper extraordinaire Snoop Dogg can top himself at a live show, then consider what happened at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in April 2012. Iconic West Coast rapper Tupac Shakur appeared before the live audience via hologram form. As Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg started to end the show, Tupac got some technologically advanced love and rose onto the main stage for a brief appearance.
Yes, it was an incredible moment and felt more than a little creepy, since Tupac was murdered over 15 years ago. However, fans got to see a hologram of Tupac walking and talking. Not only did he gesture and get into the feel of the event, but he also greeted the crowd with what fans remember as the late Tupac’s distinctive voice. People are still talking about it one day removed from the event and the Twitter world is all-abuzz. Some people had criticism, some people laughed and some people reminisced.
Snoop Dogg definitely brought the house down and even got to rap with Tupac as they performed 2 of “Americaz Most Wanted”. Tupac also rapped “Hail Mary” and soaked in the adulation of the crowd. How did they do that? The hologram was created by Musion Eyeliner, which uses a stage illusion trick and high definition video to make moving images appear with a live stage setting. The technology also earned fame by recreating Frank Sinatra, as well as creating animated characters for the Gorillaz and the Genki Rockets.
With this audacious and yet brilliant move of showmanship, Snoop Dogg has presented himself not just as a great rapper but also as a great entertainer. We’re kind of surprised Dogg and Dre thought of this before Madonna or Lady Gaga. No word yet on whether Tupac will appear on the next Star Trek movie, but hey, hologram entertainers are definitely on the “IT” list in 2012. Why not come experience the music and the magic of today’s rap icon Snoop Dogg? Rest assured, he shows an equal amount of respect and disrespect at his live shows, always keeping us guessing.
