Today: September 20, 2024
Today: September 20, 2024

Arts

Arts

Las Vegas police videos show moments before home is raided in Tupac Shakur cold case

Dozens of Las Vegas police body camera videos showed the moment a man and his wife exited a home raided in July in connection with the cold case killing of rapper Tupac Shakur. The heavily redacted footage obtained Thursday by The Associated Press did not provide a view into the home or identify the couple, whose faces were blurred from view. But a copy of the warrant said police were searching on the night of July 17 for items “concerning the murder” of Shakur from Duane “Keffe D” Davis, one of the last surviving witnesses to

August 10, 2023
Las Vegas police videos show moments before home is raided in Tupac Shakur cold case
Arts

The Premier League continues to add fans in the US. NBC hopes to capitalize on that momentum

NBC goes into its 11th season of Premier League coverage on Friday with plenty of momentum. Audiences continue to increase and American soccer fans’ knowledge and interest has increased to where all 20 clubs in England’s top soccer league have their own U.S. followings. The Premier League opened an international office in New York last month. NBC’s goal is to cater to that educated fan base while attracting new followers. Pierre Moossa, the coordinating producer of the network’s Premier League coverage, said that approach hasn’t changed since NBC’s first telecast in August of 2013, while adding that the network is

August 11, 2023
The Premier League continues to add fans in the US. NBC hopes to capitalize on that momentum
Arts

Hip-hop at 50: 7 essential listens to celebrate rap's widespread influence

Hip-hop culture spread quickly – to places like London, seen here in 1984. Kerstin Rodgers/Redferns On the evening of Aug. 11, 1973, DJ Kool Herc attended a block party in the South Bronx. Armed with two record players and a mixer, he created an extended percussive break while others rhymed over the beats. Hip-hop was born. Well, that’s the origin story, although pinpointing the birth of a genre is never going to be an exact science. What is undeniable, though, is that in the 50 years since that event, hip-hop has evolved, grown and influenced nearly every aspect of modern

August 11, 2023
Hip-hop at 50: 7 essential listens to celebrate rap's widespread influence
Arts

Celebrity hair, makeup and nail stylists: How the Hollywood strikes have affected glam squads

Film, television, fashion: You name it and Kim Kimble has done it in her 30-plus years as a hair stylist in Hollywood — but even through the good times, she never gave up her backup plan. Until the pandemic. “I had a salon where I could work if I had to, and I closed it,” she said. “So now I don’t even have that.” Kimble and a world of Hollywood hair stylists, makeup artists and manicurists have been idled by the actors and screenwriters strikes, in an era of declining rates as they were still rebuilding

August 11, 2023
Celebrity hair, makeup and nail stylists: How the Hollywood strikes have affected glam squads
Arts

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos buys home in Miami's 'billionaire bunker.' Tom Brady will be his neighbor

Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, is buying an estate on an exclusive man-made barrier island in Miami known as “Billionaire Bunker,” where he will be neighbors with a growing list of celebrities including Tom Brady, Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner. Bezos, 59, is paying $68 million for the three-bedroom, waterfront home, which sits on 2.8 acres (1.1 hectares), Fortune magazine and Bloomberg reported. The Amazon founder stepped down as CEO in 2021 to devote more time to philanthropy and other projects. MTM Star International is listed on Miami-Dade property records as the previous owner

August 11, 2023
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos buys home in Miami's 'billionaire bunker.' Tom Brady will be his neighbor
Arts

Italy gets back 266 antiquities from New York seizures and Houston museum

Italy celebrated the return Friday of 266 antiquities from the United States, including Etruscan vases and ancient Roman coins and mosaics worth tens of millions of euros (dollars) that were looted and sold to U.S. museums and private collectors. The returned items include artifacts recently seized in New York from a storage unit belonging to British antiquities dealer Robin Symes, officials said. In addition, the haul that arrived in Rome included 65 objects from Houston’s Menil Collection. The art unit of Italy’s Carabinieri paramilitary police said the owner of the Houston museum collection “spontaneously” gave back the

August 11, 2023
Italy gets back 266 antiquities from New York seizures and Houston museum
Arts

Q-Pop: Peru’s social media phenomenon Lenin Tamayo fuses Quechua and K-pop

What happens when you take Quechua, the most widely spoken Indigenous language in the Americas, and fuse it with K-pop, the global musical sensation with roots in South Korea? Ask Lenin Tamayo, who has become a social media phenomenon with “Q-pop” and released his first digital album this week. Tamayo grew up listening to his mother, a Peruvian folk artist who sings in Spanish and Quechua, a language shared by 10 million speakers in countries including Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina and Chile. As a teenager, K-pop became his passion and helped him find a

August 11, 2023
Q-Pop: Peru’s social media phenomenon Lenin Tamayo fuses Quechua and K-pop
Arts

Salzburg Festival nearly sold out while others in classical music struggle to regain audience

People fill the cobblestone streets of the city where Mozart was born, rushing to 213 performances over six weeks. While many classical music institutions struggle to regain audience, the Salzburg Festival is on track to draw people from over 75 nations to opera, concerts and drama. “We played through the pandemic,” said Kristina Hammer, who took over as the festival’s president in 2022. “That made us not only a spotlight in Europe for culture, but we didn’t lose our customers.” There are 179 performances over 43 days through Aug. 31 at 15 venues plus 34 youth

August 11, 2023
Salzburg Festival nearly sold out while others in classical music struggle to regain audience
Arts

Lawyer says suspect, charged with hate crime, may argue self-defense in dancer's death

A 17-year-old pleaded not guilty Friday to hate-motivated murder in a stabbing that followed a clash over men dancing, and his lawyer said the youth “regrets what happened” and may argue he was defending himself. Charged as an adult, Dmitriy Popov was being held without bail after his arraignment in the killing of O’Shae Sibley, a professional dancer. Prosecutors say the killing was fueled by bigotry that was trained on Sibley and his friends as they cut loose to a Beyoncé song while pumping gas at a Brooklyn filling station. Sibley, 28, was stabbed after he

August 11, 2023
Lawyer says suspect, charged with hate crime, may argue self-defense in dancer's death
Arts

Tom Jones, creator of the longest-running musical ‘The Fantasticks,' dies at 95

Tom Jones, the lyricist, director and writer of “The Fantasticks,” the longest-running musical in history, has died. He was 95. Jones died Friday at his home in Sharon, Connecticut, according to Dan Shaheen, a co-producer of “The Fantasticks,” who worked with Jones since the 1980s. The cause was cancer. Jones, who teamed up with composer Harvey Schmidt on “The Fantasticks” and the Broadway shows “110 in the Shade” and “I Do! I Do!,” was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 1998. “The Fantasticks,” based on an obscure play by Edmond Rostand, doesn’t necessarily

August 12, 2023
Tom Jones, creator of the longest-running musical ‘The Fantasticks,' dies at 95
Arts

Fiction writers fear the rise of AI, but also see it as a story to tell

For a vast number of book writers, artificial intelligence is a threat to their livelihood and the very idea of creativity. More than 10,000 of them endorsed an open letter from the Authors Guild this summer, urging AI companies not to use copyrighted work without permission or compensation. At the same time, AI is a story to tell, and no longer just in science fiction. As present in the imagination as politics, the pandemic or climate change, AI has become part of the narrative for a growing number of novelists and short story writers who only

August 13, 2023
Fiction writers fear the rise of AI, but also see it as a story to tell
Arts

"Barbie" has legs: Greta Gerwig's film tops the box office again and surpasses $500 million

“Barbie” has legs. Director Greta Gerwig ‘s film phenomenon remained a runaway No. 1 at the box office in its fourth week, bringing in $33.7 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. The Margot Robbie-led and produced film from Warner Bros., still in 4,137 theaters, refused to drop off as most box-office toppers have this year, surpassing $500 million in North America overall a week after it crossed the $1 billion mark globally, a record for a female director. The second half of the “Barbenheimer” duo, “Oppenheimer,” returned to the No. 2 spot in its own fourth

August 13, 2023
"Barbie" has legs: Greta Gerwig's film tops the box office again and surpasses $500 million
Arts

Men alleging abuse at Japanese talent agency are interviewed by company investigators

Two men who say they were sexually abused as teenagers by a Japanese entertainment mogul were interviewed Monday by a special team set up by the talent agency to look into the allegations. Junya Hiramoto and Shimon Ishimaru, both former members of a boys’ dance-and-song group called Johnny’s Junior, said they still want an apology and compensation from Johnny & Associates. “They haven’t admitted anything, and they haven’t apologized,” Hiramoto told reporters after the interviews. “We desire a peaceful resolution. There is no point in taking the bloody, contentious route of fighting it out with hatred.” The

August 14, 2023
Men alleging abuse at Japanese talent agency are interviewed by company investigators
Arts

3 ways AI is transforming music

Musicians and producers can already utilize AI to realistically reproduce the sound of any instrument or voice imaginable. Paul Campbell/iStock via Getty Images Each fall, I begin my course on the intersection of music and artificial intelligence by asking my students if they’re concerned about AI’s role in composing or producing music. So far, the question has always elicited a resounding “yes.” Their fears can be summed up in a sentence: AI will create a world where music is plentiful, but musicians get cast aside. In the upcoming semester, I’m anticipating a discussion about Paul McCartney, who in June 2023

August 14, 2023
3 ways AI is transforming music
Arts

Broadway-bound revival of 'The Wiz' finds its next Dorothy, thanks in part to TikTok

A 24-year-old triple threat who toured in “Hairspray,” competed on “American Idol” and came to the attention of casting agents with her TikTok videos has landed the plum role of Dorothy in the Broadway-bound production of “The Wiz.” Nichelle Lewis will star in the national touring show this fall and then make her Broadway debut next year as the show’s heel-clicking heroine, following in the footsteps of such icons as Stephanie Mills and Diana Ross. “It’s been a pretty crazy journey,” she told The Associated Press before her official unveiling Monday. “I’m honored to be making

August 14, 2023
Broadway-bound revival of 'The Wiz' finds its next Dorothy, thanks in part to TikTok
Arts

Clarence Avant, ‘Godfather of Black Music' and benefactor of athletes and politicians, dies at 92

Clarence Avant, the judicious manager, entrepreneur, facilitator and adviser who helped launch or guide the careers of Quincy Jones, Bill Withers and many others and came to be known as “The Godfather of Black Music,” has died. He was 92. Avant, inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2021, died Sunday at his home in Los Angeles, according to a family statement released Monday morning. Avant’s achievements were both public and behind the scenes, as a name in the credits, or a name behind the names. Born in a segregated hospital in North

August 14, 2023
Clarence Avant, ‘Godfather of Black Music' and benefactor of athletes and politicians, dies at 92
Arts

CNN revamps schedule, with new roles for Phillip, Coates, Wallace and Amanpour

CNN is making dramatic changes to its lineup, announcing Monday that it was giving Abby Phillip and Laura Coates new weeknight shows and launching new weekend programs with Christiane Amanpour and Chris Wallace. Virtually no daypart goes unchanged in the revamp, as the network struggles with ratings challenges worsened by the quickening pulse of people cutting the cord on cable television. The changes were a swift move from CNN’s new leadership team of Amy Entelis, David Leavy, Virginia Moseley and Eric Sherling. They replaced former CNN chief executive Chris Licht, who was fired this spring. Phillip,

August 14, 2023
CNN revamps schedule, with new roles for Phillip, Coates, Wallace and Amanpour
Arts

Author-illustrator Loren Long, who has worked with Barack Obama among others, has 6-figure book deal

The illustrator of bestselling children’s books by former President Barack Obama, Madonna and poet Amanda Gorman has a six-figure deal with a Macmillan imprint for two of his own projects. Loren Long’s first book under his new contract is “The Yellow Bus,” scheduled for June 2024. “Noticing a rusted and abandoned school bus sitting in a field with goats climbing in and out of it got me thinking about purpose and the passage of time. I thought ‘Surely that yellow bus started it’s life in a grand fashion, bright and shiny, carrying children from one important

August 14, 2023
Author-illustrator Loren Long, who has worked with Barack Obama among others, has 6-figure book deal
Arts

Chance the Rapper will discuss his career and the impact of hip-hop at an Apple store in Chicago

Chance the Rapper will take Apple store customers in Chicago on his hip-hop journey as part of an audio series celebrating the genre’s 50th anniversary. Chance the Rapper will discuss becoming a rap star, the technology company announced Monday, at the Apple Michigan Avenue location in his hometown. He’ll make the appearance at the retail store Wednesday during an event hosted by Today at Apple, which offers free in-store educational sessions for devices and programs. The Grammy winner expects to discuss the impact hip-hop had on his life, including his venture as an independent artist and

August 14, 2023
Chance the Rapper will discuss his career and the impact of hip-hop at an Apple store in Chicago
Arts

Beloved 2000s Irish boy band Westlife set to embark on first-ever North American tour

Irish boy band Westlife are set to perform in North America for the first time in their 20-plus year history. Westlife has sold more than 55 million records, released 36 No. 1 albums, and earned over one billion streams on YouTube. And now, they’re headed to a few major cities in the U.S. and Canada around St. Patrick’s Day next year. The stint is short, but it is a long time coming. Westlife will kick off their four-date North American tour on Thursday, March 13, at Toronto’s Meridian Hall, followed by Boston’s MGM Music Hall at

August 14, 2023
Beloved 2000s Irish boy band Westlife set to embark on first-ever North American tour
Arts

Prague government opposes local performance by Russian soprano Anna Netrebko

The local government in Prague said Monday that it “unequivocally” opposes a scheduled performance by Russian opera singer Anna Netrebko in the Czech capital while Russia wages war on Ukraine. Deputy Mayor Jiri Pospisil, who oversees culture in the city, said that all the members of Prague’s governing coalition shared the same view. “All the parties perceive that at a time when the war (in Ukraine) has been ongoing and we read every day about the victims of the Russian attacks in the media, it is insensitive for such a singer to perform here in Prague,” Pospisil

August 14, 2023
Prague government opposes local performance by Russian soprano Anna Netrebko
Arts

Wendy McMahon and Ingrid Ciprian-Matthews take lead news executive roles at CBS

CBS on Monday appointed executive Wendy McMahon to an expanded role that puts her in charge of the network’s news division, its locally owned stations and its syndication business. For slightly more than two years, McMahan has worked in tandem with Neeraj Khemlani, leading the network’s storied news division and the news operations at the 14 network affiliates it owns, in cities like New York and Los Angeles. Khemlani said on Sunday that he was stepping down as co-president of CBS News and Stations. The impending retirement of Steve LoCascio, president of CBS Media Ventures, will

August 14, 2023
Wendy McMahon and Ingrid Ciprian-Matthews take lead news executive roles at CBS
Arts

Algeria bans 'Barbie' almost a month after movie's local release

The “Barbie” movie was pulled from theaters in Algeria this week almost one month after its release in the North African country. Online news outlet 24H Algerie said Algeria’s Ministry of Culture and Arts notified cinemas in Algiers, Oran and Constantine to “immediately” pull the movie. Neither the ministry nor the Algerian Audiovisual Regulatory Authority commented on the reported directive or provided a rationale for it. “Barbie” opened in some some Algerian cinemas last month. The film’s distributors removed the Hollywood blockbuster from their screening schedules starting this week.. The move comes after authorities in Kuwait

August 15, 2023
Algeria bans 'Barbie' almost a month after movie's local release
Arts

US-focused Opera News, to cease publication in November after 87 years

Opera News, an 87-year-old publication focused on the Metropolitan Opera and spotlighting the art form in the U.S., will print its final issue in November and be incorporated into Britain-based Opera magazine. The Met announced Tuesday that the Metropolitan Opera Guild, a separate company formed in 1935 by Eleanor Belmont to aid the opera house, will scale back operations and become a supporting organization of the Met. The opera company will take over the education program that allows about 12,000 school children each year to attend dress rehearsals. Opera News has a 43,000 circulation, including 32,000

August 15, 2023
US-focused Opera News, to cease publication in November after 87 years
Arts

Sage Steele leaves ESPN after settling her lawsuit over COVID-19 vaccine comments

ESPN and host Sage Steele have settled a lawsuit she filed after being disciplined for comments she made about the company’s policy requiring employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Steele posted on social media Tuesday that she is leaving the Bristol, Connecticut-based company, where she has worked since 2007. “Having successfully settled my case with ESPN/Disney, I have decided to leave so I can exercise my first amendment rights more freely,” she wrote. “I am grateful for so many wonderful experiences over the past 16 years and am excited for my next chapter!” Steele was taken off the air for

August 15, 2023
Sage Steele leaves ESPN after settling her lawsuit over COVID-19 vaccine comments

Follow