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Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige tapped Broadway legends for ‘Hawkeye’ play ‘Rogers: The Musical’

November 11, 2021 by WDNY Radio

As seen in the trailers to the upcoming Disney+ MCU series Hawkeye, the adventures of Captain America and his heroic friends made it to Broadway, in the form of a make-believe production called Rogers: The Musical.

However, the songs in the play-within-a-show are very real, and were brought to life by two real-life, award-winning Broadway legends.

Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman were tapped by Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige to craft music for the Rogers musical, according to Marvel.com. The pair were veterans of smashes like Hairspray and Mary Poppins Returns.

“[We] were at an Academy Award dinner, and I’m sitting there and someone taps me on the shoulder and says, ‘Excuse me, Kevin Feige would love to meet you,” Shaiman recalls to the website.

“Turns out Kevin is a film score nerd. He started talking about [the scores I’ve written] one by one, and I was like, ‘I cannot believe this is happening.'”

He continues, “I guess when this idea came up for Hawkeye, for there to be a musical on Broadway, he luckily thought of us, and we couldn’t be more ecstatic about it.”

While the pair admit they weren’t well-versed in the MCU, they caught up quickly, mostly thanks to Marc’s husband, Lou, who Shaiman calls, a “total Marvel nerd.”

The fruits of their labor was a show-stopper based on the Battle of New York as seen in the climax of The Avengers.

“I never knew that Scott and I would write a song with the word ‘Tesseract’ in it,” Shaiman jokes about the MCU’s time-bending MacGuffin.

Starring Jeremy Renner and Hailee Steinfeld, Hawkeye debuts on Disney+ on November 24.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

Lindsey Stirling’s ‘Home for the Holidays’ production coming to movie theaters this holiday season

November 11, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Last year, Lindsey Stirling couldn’t do her annual Christmas tour so instead, she did a special livestream performance called Lindsey Stirling: Home for the Holidays. This year, you will be able to see her live in concert — but you can also catch her in a movie theater near you throughout this holiday season.

Home for the Holidays, now featuring exclusive bonus content, will be shown as a theatrical presentation in cinemas nationwide starting Sunday, November 28, and running through December. You can visit LindseyStirlinginTheaters.com to find out where it’s playing near you, and buy tickets.

Home for the Holidays features Lindsey performing Christmas songs from her album Warmer in the Winter — like “Angels We Have Heard on High” and “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” — as well as her hits, in a variety of stylized settings, with costumes, dancers and choreography. At one point, Lindsey even plays while hanging by her hair.

In a statement, Lindsey says she’s “thrilled” that her extravaganza is heading to theaters, adding, “Honestly, I’d love to see the show become part of an annual tradition – experiencing an old favorite while making new memories – which is part of what the holidays are all about. Music is such an important part of the holidays and so is gathering with friends and family.”

If you want to see Lindsey in person, her 2021 holiday tour, The Lindsey Stirling Christmas Program, kicks off November 26 in Memphis, TN and wraps up December 23. Visit Lindseystirling.com/tour for tickets.

NJ state senator-elect Edward Durr meets with Islamic group after apologizing for anti-Muslim tweet

November 11, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — A political newcomer who beat New Jersey’s veteran state senate president in a surprise election upset met with a local Islamic group Wednesday after apologizing for a previous anti-Muslim tweet.

Edward Durr, a commercial truck driver, beat Stephen Sweeney in the state senate race for New Jersey’s 3rd Legislative District.

Soon after his victory, Durr came under fire for past social media posts, including a 2019 tweet where he called the prophet Mohammed a “pedophile” and Islam a “cult of hate.”

ABC News station WPVI-TV also uncovered statements from Durr comparing vaccine mandates to the Holocaust. Durr has since deleted some of his social media pages.

“I’m a passionate guy and I sometimes say things in the heat of the moment. If I said things in the past that hurt anybody’s feelings, I sincerely apologize,” Durr said last Friday, according to WPVI. “I support everybody’s right to worship in any manner they choose and to worship the God of their choice. I support all people and I support everybody’s rights.”

After his election victory, the New Jersey chapter of the Council on American–Islamic Relations (CAIR), a Muslim advocacy and civil rights organization, condemned his tweet but invited Durr to meet with the organization’s local chapter.

Durr accepted the group’s offer and met with CAIR-NJ members. WPVI-TV reported that Durr’s meeting with local Islamic leaders at Al-Minhaal Academy in Sewell lasted nearly two hours.

“I think we had a very productive conversation and I think it’s going to be one of hopefully many,” CAIR-NJ Executive Director Selaedin Maksut said in a joint appearance with Durr on Wednesday.

“I stand against Islamophobia and all forms of hate and I do commit to that,” Durr said at the media appearance.

“Our New Jersey chapter had a productive meeting with State Senator #EdDurr. He expressed commitment to opposing #Islamophobia. We welcome this outcome and hope to have more productive dialogues in the future,” the national CAIR tweeted later.

Jacci Vigilante, Gloucester County GOP chair, defended Durr last Friday, saying, “Ed is a passionate guy. He was a little bit of a keyboard warrior at the time. Certainly he’s made an apology. He didn’t intend to offend anyone’s religion and certainly believes that everyone has the right to practice their religion of their choice.”

Sweeney, Durr’s opponent, was the longest-serving state senate president in New Jersey history. He did not concede the race until Wednesday.

“I of course accept the results. I want to congratulate Mr. Durr and wish him the best of luck,” Sweeney said during a speech at the statehouse complex, according to local news reports. “It was a red wave,” he added.

ABC News’ Rick Klein contributed to this report.

New Kids on the Block will take on New Edition at the 2021 American Music Awards

November 11, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Two OGs of the boy-band genre, New Kids on the Block and New Edition, will face off against each other on the American Music Awards later this month.

The AMAs is introducing a series of segments called “My Hometown,” which will feature the places and people that helped shaped music’s biggest names. For both New Kids and New Edition, that place is Boston, so the two will share the stage for the first time in what the show has dubbed the “Battle of Boston.” The last time New Kids performed on the show was 2010; New Edition was last featured in 1997.

Another performance will feature Kane Brown, the country/pop star who’s recorded hits like “Be Like That,” “Memory” and “One Thing Right.” He’ll perform at Tennessee State University, and talk about his roots in that state and in Georgia.

Hosted by Cardi B, the 2021 American Music Awards will air on November 21 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC. Previously announced performers include Olivia Rodrigo, BTS with Megan Thee Stallion, and Bad Bunny.

Listen to Rise Against’s cover of CCR’s “Fortunate Son”

November 11, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Rise Against has released a cover of the Creedence Clearwater Revival classic “Fortunate Son.”

“We actually used to cover ‘Fortunate Son’ in our early basement days,” the Chicago punks say. “To me, the song represents one of the best examples of mixing music and politics together so seamlessly that nobody questions it.”

“Fortunate Son” has a long history of being misunderstood as a patriotic, flag-waving anthem. It was originally written amid the Vietnam War as protest song about wealthy people avoiding the draft at the expense of the poor. Perhaps not coincidentally, the cover arrives on Veterans Day.

Rise Against’s “Fortunate Son” will appear on their upcoming EP, Nowhere Sessions, which drops Friday. The collection also includes live-in-studio recordings of tracks off the band’s new album, Nowhere Generation.

2021 edition of Joe Walsh’s VetsAid benefit show to be virtual event taking place in December

November 11, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Joe Walsh has unveiled plans for his fifth annual VetsAid charity concert, which, like last year’s event, will be held virtually.

This year’s fundraiser, which has been dubbed VetsAid 2021: The Basement Show, will be streamed online on December 18 at 8 p.m. ET via the Veeps.com platform. Tickets for the event, as well as special VIP merch bundles, are available now at VetsAid.Veeps.com, with prices spanning from $15 to $500. All proceeds will benefit veterans services charities.

The show will feature Walsh performing live with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers keyboardist Benmont Tench and three legendary session musicians — guitarist Waddy Wachtel, bassist Lee Sklar and drummer Russ Kunkel — plus some surprise guests.

In addition, unaired footage from the four previous star-studded VetsAid events will be shown as part of this year’s presentation. Those who purchase tickets will be able to watch the streamed event on demand through December 25.

“With variable COVID rates throughout the summer and fall, I wasn’t comfortable putting together the kind of live festival that our fans and performers have come to expect and deserve,” says Walsh about deciding to do a virtual show again. “I was so pleased with last year’s streaming festival that I thought we could try something even cooler this time around.”

He adds, “Join me and my buddies for an old-fashioned basement jam live from my house to yours where I will debut some brand-new songs, play some favorites, share some never-before-seen footage and performances from past VetsAid shows and…who knows who will show up and what might happen?!”

So far, VetsAid has distributed almost $1.8 million to charities supporting veterans and their families. This year’s event will focus on organizations helping homeless veterans and the resettlement of Afghan allies.

Terrence J survives gunfire during attempted robbery at his Los Angeles home

November 11, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Actor and television host Terrence Jenkins was the target of gunfire during an attempted robbery Wednesday morning at his home in Los Angeles.

The Think Like a Man star was followed as he drove to his house in the Sherman Oaks neighborhood. Police tell ABC Los Angeles affiliate KABC-TV that four suspects were in a car behind him, and attempted to rob him in his driveway at approximately 3 a.m. Shots were fired at his vehicle as sped off to get away from the assailants. No injuries were reported.

Terrence J, who previously hosted BET’s 106 & Park and E! News, was able to flag down a California Highway Patrol officer and report the incident.

The attempted robbery follows a safety bulletin recently issued by the LAPD warning about the “ongoing trend of follow home robberies.”

“Suspects have been locating victims in Los Angeles, following them, and then committing the robberies as the victim arrives home or at their business,” the bulletin said.

Residents living near Jenkins told KABC-TV that they were shocked by the incident and consider their area one of the safest neighborhoods in Los Angeles.

Adam Levine’s wife says there are “no limits” to how many kids they’ll have

November 11, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Adam Levine and his wife, Behati Prinsloo, already have two daughters — but if it was up to Behati, she’d have three more…at minimum.

The Maroon 5 frontman and the model already share Dusty Rose, 5, and Gio, 3, but Behati tells Entertainment Tonight, “I do also want five kids…we want a big family, who knows, we’re leaving it up to fate and just what happens. What will happen, will happen. So there’s no limits to it.”

Behati says that during lockdown, she started thinking that perhaps she and Adam should start expanding their family. “With COVID too, I was just seeing them together, I’m like, ‘Maybe we should have a third just to have more kids,’ because it was so sweet to see [them together],” she explains. “But then, I don’t know. Never say never.”

Back in 2018, Adam told Ellen DeGeneres, “[Behati] was an only child, so she wants, like, 100 babies. I don’t know if I can do that. That’s a lot of babies.” However, last year in an interview, Adam joked that his wife would “punch me in the f***ing face” if he asked her for another child, “because she’s not ready.”

In addition to parenting their kids, Behati and Adam are also working together on their new tequila brand, Calirosa Tequila. “It’s honestly been really fun for us,” she says. “I think at the core of it, we’re truly best friends…we have so much fun together that we always want to be together. So we make that happen…we’re just a good team.” Aww.

TJ Osborne was a little nervous to bring his boyfriend to the CMAs, but says “I want to be open in every way”

November 11, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Brothers Osborne’s Vocal Duo of the Year win at Wednesday night’s CMA Awards was extra sweet for band mate TJ Osborne in one big way. The singer, who came out as gay early in 2021, got to bring his boyfriend, Abi Ventura, to the show.

The couple even shared a celebratory kiss before TJ and his brother and band mate, John Osborne, took the stage for their acceptance speech.

Speaking to Entertainment Tonight after the show, TJ admitted that he had some doubts about whether or not he should bring Abi to the CMAs this year. “I was like, ‘I hope this doesn’t make anyone uncomfortable, but this is how I feel,’” he recounts.

Abi was nervous about their public appearance as a couple, too, TJ adds: “He was probably more nervous than anybody and he probably felt incredibly uncomfortable.”

Still, the singer was excited to attend country music’s biggest night on the arm of someone he loves, and he was excited to share this part of his life with his fans.

“I love this person, and I want to be open in every way,” TJ continues. “Hopefully [it can] show people that they also don’t need to hide or alter themselves in any way.”

Brothers Osborne also performed their song, “Younger Me,” at the show. Onstage, TJ spoke about watching the CMA Awards as a younger person, and how he thought he could never be a part of the show because he was gay.

Janet Hubert brought to tears by standing ovation at Will Smith book tour event in New York City

November 11, 2021 by WDNY Radio

The emotional highlight of Will Smith‘s appearance Tuesday night in New York City to promote his self-titled memoir was the thunderous ovation received by one of the original stars of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Janet Hubert.

The actress left the series in 1993, after three seasons in the role of Aunt Viv, and was replaced by Daphne Maxwell Reid. Since then, Hubert had a bitter public feud with Smith for over 25 years, but finally made peace last year on the show’s 30th anniversary reunion on HBO Max. During Will Smith: An Evening of Stories with Friends at Brooklyn’s Kings Theatre, hosted by Spike Lee, the rapper/actor introduced Hubert, who was sitting in the audience.

“The original Aunt Viv! Get your flowers! Take it in! Take that in!,” Smith said as the 65-year-old actress cried while acknowledging a standing ovation.

“Janet and I a few months ago at the 30th anniversary of The Fresh Prince, for the first time [we] talked out the issues we had and it was one of the most healing experiences of my life,” Smith continued. “It was a big part of the place that working on this memoir got me into.”

“I just want to thank you, Janet, for being open,” the King Richard star added, blowing her multiple kisses of thanks. “That’s a big part of the exploration I wanted to do in this book.”

“I will remember this moment for the rest of my life,” Hubert commented on Instagram. In words addressed to Will, she wrote, “You have grown into such a gracious, and humble man. So proud of you baby boy…yeah I know you are a grown a** man now. But you always felt like a son. Still do. Thank you sweetheart, luv you!”

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