Broadway Arts Factory Hosts Very Phantom Christmas Benefit Concert
Christmas carols set against operatic baritones and sopranos, all sung by some of Broadway’s most beloved performers from the iconic Phantom of the Opera. That’s what theater-goers were treated to this past Sunday, December 16, if they were lucky enough to attend the one-night only event, Very Phantom Christmas.
Hosted by Erin Magurie and directed by Ben Hartley, Very Phantom Christmas takes the characters from Phantom of the Opera and places them in a holiday theme – carols and all. The setting for the show still brings that eerie feel, although much less pronounced than in the original Phantom; and once you see it for yourself, it’s clear that these two themes were meant for each other.
All proceeds from the show were donated to the Broadway Arts Factory, an educational institution that trains and guides young people from ages 11-18 that have an interest in theater. Being able to work so closely with such Broadway greats is just one way that the Factory helps bring their youth closer to their Broadway dreams throughout the holidays, and the entire year.
The performers that helped make Very Phantom Christmas a huge success were Andrew Drost, Rebecca Pitcher, Satmi Hofmann, Lynne Abeles, Kfir, Kenneth Kantor, and Samantha Hill. The show was produced by Ben Hartley and Amanda Edge; Greg Landes was the musician; and Steven Malone was musical director.
Audience members were given a chance to mingle with the cast and crew before the show, during a mix n’ mingle cocktail hour.
Nuggets Usurp Kings in Own Throne Room 122-97
The fans who were watching held their breath on Sunday night for the entire game between their Denver Nuggets and the Sacramento Kings. By the fourth quarter, the Nuggets were already up 97-67, and were clearly outplaying the home team. But this hasn’t been an easy season for Denver. As soon as they’re up, there’s another team to knock them down it seems. And the wins they have enjoyed have been sloppy, clumsy, and poorly executed. Was there reason to think this one would be any different?
There was. The Nuggets were on point all night and dominated the Kings‘ court. It started in the first quarter when they broke a tie by scoring 16 consecutive points, and they never stopped.
Andre Iquodala scored 11 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists; while reserve Jordan Hamilton put in 15 points, and Kosta Koufos had 12 of his own. Ty Lawson also had 11 points and 7 assists in the win. But it may not have been the players on the court, or even the score, that was the main story. It’s the fact that the Nuggets have had an incredibly long streak of away games to start their season; a total of 18 of their first 25.
“It’s the worst stretch of travel I’ve been associated with,” said Nuggets coach George Karl. “All we do is travel, play a game, and get in at three in the morning. Then we do it all over again.”
But if the Nuggets can continue playing like this, they may not want to complain too loudly about the road stretch. It seems to be working for them.
Redskins Beat Browns 38-21
At the start of the game on Sunday, it looked as though the Washington Redskins were going to feel the painful loss of RG3. About halfway through though, they proved that this Redskins team has the mettle it takes to dig deep and pull out a fantastic win. Even if the odds weren’t necessarily in their favor.
Robert Griffin III was on the team’s inactive list before Sunday’s game, as he’s still suffering from a sprained lateral collateral ligament in his right knee. Kirk Cousins, who’s stepped in twice before for RG3, took his spot; and while he may have had a slow start, ultimately he got the job done.
At the start of the game Cousins looked as though he may have a poor showing after throwing an interception that was returned by the Browns for a touchdown. But it was his first start, and he quickly came back, throwing two touchdown passes to wide receiver Leonard Hankerson. He finished the day completing 26 of 37 passes for 329 yards.
But it wasn’t just Cousins out there on the field. Tailback Alfred Morris was instrumental in the win, scoring his own pair of touchdowns and 21 consecutive points. It was this that really gave the Redskins the boost they needed, putting them up 31-14 in the game after a 14-10 deficit.
On the other side of the ball, rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden threw for 244 yards and a touchdown; but didn’t have near the performance seen by Cousins. The loss ends the small three-game winning streak the Browns had been enjoying.
Jackie Hoffman’s A Chanukah Carol Now Off-Broadway
You love watching Jackie Hoffman on television in The New Normal, and now you can watch her at New World Stages putting on her annual A Chanukah Carol.
As the name suggests, A Chanukah Carol is a take on Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol but it’s done in a whole new way. Being raised in a Jewish family, Hoffman puts on a one-woman show that is partly autobiographical, partly nostalgic, and all hilarious. Throughout the performance Hoffman is visited by the Ghosts of Chanukah Past, Present, and Future; as well as an appearance by Molly Picon.
Just like Ebenezer, she’s searching for herself, preferably by way of a rich famous Hollywood star, only to find that there’s really no joy at all in her life. What stands in its place is a sad, ruthless woman that will do anything to get what she wants; and that makes Scrooge look like one of Santa’s elves.
Hoffman has a number of Broadway and off-Broadway credits already under her belt, with her most successful role being the one she donned in Hairspray; the role that won her the Theatre World Award.
A Chanukah Carol has been written by Jackie Hoffman and Michael Schiralli; and Schiralli also sits in the director’s chair on this one, too. Performances started December 8, Chanukah Eve, and they’re running through until December 29th at the theater on 340 West 50th Street. Theater-goers look forward to this all year long and tickets won’t last long, so get yours today!
Cautious Optimism Leads to Complete Breakdown of NHL Talks
After standing shoulder to shoulder earlier last week, the NHL and the NHLPA both made it seem as though a deal was pretty much done; it was just a matter of tweaking at this point. Then two days later, after the NHLPA rejected the latest proposal from the NHL, all hockey heck broke lose. When Gary Bettman then used a press conference as an opportunity to completely tear the players’ association, (and the morals of everyone within it) apart, things just got ugly.
So where are the two sides now? Where they have been since the beginning. Worlds apart.
After Wednesday’s proposal, the NHLPA came back with a proposal of their own — with some minor changes. Don Fehr was saying that they were “close” after their last proposal had been presented.
But it wasn’t nearly close enough for the National Hockey League. They rejected it and then took to the microphone at a press conference to address why they rejected the offer. And seemingly, to speak of why they hated everyone in the players’ association.
During that press conference Bettman told reporters that there was to be no negotiation with the offer presented by the NHL. That it was to stand “as is,” and that all present members of the association were made aware of that. He couldn’t understand why there was a counteroffer. He repeatedly said he couldn’t understand much of what the union was doing, or why they were doing it. Talking about “hills they will die on” and the union being “terribly unfair to our fans, it was clearly emotional for both Bettman and Bill Daly. Bettman in particular, was angrier than anyone in the hockey world had ever seen him.
It’s been debated whether it was real anger or drama but, real or not, the NHL owners have taken all previous offers off the table — which means we’re back to square one. But don’t be fooled into thinking that means the two are even speaking at this point. These are the last words from both sides:
Donald Fehr: “It’s up to them. They’re the ones who called a halt to the process.”
Bill Daly: “I have no reason, nor intention, of reaching out to the union right now. I have no new ideas. Maybe they do. We are happy to listen.”
The thing is though, Bill, you weren’t.
Magic Sneak Past Suns 98-90
It was the last one of a five-game road trip, and the Orlando Magic sat at 2-2 during the trip. This win was important as they prepared to make their way back home to face Atlanta, and Orlando knew it. Going in, you could tell that each member of the Magic wanted to win. But maybe even more importantly, throughout the entire game, you could tell something else. This is truly a team that is one unified unit. And if they can continue to play that way, they may just overcome the troubles they faced early in the season.
Each Orlando player put in a great effort on Sunday when they faced the Phoenix Suns, and all that effort paid off. Rookie Andrew Nicholson was one of the biggest heroes of the night, scoring a career-high of 19 points in the fourth quarter alone; two of which came when he suck a 14-footer after just coming off the bench. That put the Magic close to their winning number, putting them up in the game 97-88. Nicholson also took 9 rebounds during the game and made 9 out of 11 of his shots.
But it wasn’t as though the Magic took the entire game to find their stride. J.J. Redick scored 14 points the first time he stepped out onto the court; and he scored three during the second half.
The Suns put in a good showing, especially considering that they were dealing with a fair share of injuries. P.J Tucker was out for his second game in a row due to an injured right knee, forcing the Suns to go with their fourth starting lineup of the season.
But while the Suns may have lost by only eight points, this one’s going to hurt more than that. Sunday’s game marks the team’s seventh straight loss, their longest losing streak since 2004.
Rick Ross’ Maybach Music Group Tour Cancelled
There wasn’t good news for Rick Ross fans this past weekend, as all 23 days of the imminent tour were cancelled. Last week Ross had given an indication that all was not right with the tour, when he cancelled two upcoming shows in North Carolina. Who was to think though that every date would be given the chop? So now the question is: why?
At first rumor was that Ross and his Maybach Music Group were receiving threats from the Gangster Disciples, a rival group that Ross had spoken about previously in his lyrics. Statements from Rick Ross and his reps though, indicate that the cancellation was due to far more pedestrian matters than that. Chalk this one up to poor communication and complete disorganization. Reps of Ross had said at the time that these were mainly on the part of the tour promoter, which was Live Nation, one of the biggest promoters in the industry.
Ross issued a statement himself saying, “I want to apologize to all of my fans who I missed performing for due to the cancellations and want to let them know that I will get back to their cities. I’m ready to get back in the studio to make good music.”
Until then unfortunately, it looks as though fans are just going to have to wait.
Bon Jovi Gives Fans One More Reason to “Have a Nice Day” with a Tour!
Bon Jovi hasn’t been on tour since 2010, and by the time they roll into some of North America’s biggest cities, it will be almost three years since they’ve been on the road. But now they’re bringing the “Because We Can” tour to the United States and Canada and tickets are now officially on sale!
Bon Jovi’s past tour in both 2008 and 2010 topped Billboard’s charts as the highest-grossing concert tours, so you know this one’s going to be a good one. “Because We Can” is going to promote the band’s umpteenth studio album, What About Now (it’s actually their twelfth.) Shows will be packed with songs from the new album, fans can also expect to hear some of the great Bon Jovi classics, too.
The tour will travel through 33 different cities in total for the time-being, and they are some of the biggest venues on the continent – Washington, DC; Atlanta, GA; Tampa, Florida; Dallas, Texas; and Toronto, Ontario are just a few that have been announced. The first stop is in Uncasville, CT on February 9. You can find a full listing of dates and venues on our Bon Jovi tickets page.
Don’t live in North America? Don’t worry. Rumor has it that these are just the first few dates being announced, and that the band is currently working on global dates that would turn this into a world tour.
Tickets are already on sale and they’re not going to be around for long, so make sure you get yours today!
Vanderbilt to Challenge NC State in 2012 Music City Bowl
The Music City Bowl is going to be held, where else, in Nashville, Tennessee on December 31 and this year it sees an unlikely going up against a team that is looking to win its fourth straight bowl. Add in some coach drama, and the Music City Bowl is one great way to ring in the New Year!
While it’s North Carolina State’s first time to Nashville, they did go to Charlotte last year and in 2010 showed up to play in Orlando, Florida for another bowl game. After N.C. State’s head coach Tom O’Brien was fired, offensive coordinator Dana Bible will step in as interim head coach for the big bowl game.
On the other side of the ball, Vanderbilt has been to Nashville to play in the Music City Bowl game, back in 2008; and they have made it to bowl games within Tennessee lines the past three consecutive years. But they’ve only made six bowl appearances in history; and it’s the first time they’ve ever played bowls in back to back years. And while N.C. State may be looking to fix their coaching problems, Vanberbilt’s James Franklin just had his contract extended thanks to the two most recent bowl berths.
N.C. State is definitely going to be a challenge for Vanderbilt. But the Wolfpack also has some serious fire in its belly and the Commodores might just be Vanderbilt needs for people to finally start taking them as seriously as they should.
Grammy Nominations Concert Live in Nashville
It’s a great time for country music, but that’s not why the Grammy Nominations Concert Live is being held in Music City. It’s because the organizers, and the city of Nashville, wants to show artists, the industry, and the world that this is a place where all music is celebrated — not just the kind that includes fiddles and banjos.
The 55th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony will be held on February 10, 2013 and The Grammy Nominations Concert live! Countdown to Music’s Biggest Night is just that. It’s something that every city wanted to host, including Los Angeles, but Nashville was chosen because the Grammys represent a broad spectrum of music, and not just one specific type. And that’s just what Nashville is becoming, says city officials.
Karl Dean, Nashville’s mayor, said he’s excited about the event, not just for the prosperity it will bring to the city, but also because it will shine a spotlight on how Nashville encapsulates every kind of music.
“There are obvious benefits of the concert from attracting attention to the city from people who want to do business here to attracting people who want to relocate business here,” said Dean. “It’s important for folks to understand how diverse the music scene is in Nashville.”
And that diversity shows in just a few of the acts that have been announced as participating in the Grammy Nominations Concert Live show. Ne-Yo and Maroon 5 were some of the first bands to be announced, with Maroon 5 giving a special one-hour concert afterwards for those in attendance. Of course, one can’t help but think of country music thoughts turn to Nashville and so Luke Bryan, Dierks Bentley, and The Band Perry will also be performing; and The Who will also be delivering a special tribute to Johnny Cash.
Hip hop legend-turned-actor LL Cool J will be co-hosting with country’s own sweetheart, Taylor Swift. There’s a little something for everyone in this one, and will take place live and on television on Wednesday, December 5 so mark the date and set your PVR!
