JoAnna Garcia Swisher Launches Production Banner THP Entertainment

JoAnna Garcia Swisher is hoping to bring more joy to the world…

The 44-year-old half-Cuban and part-Spanish American actress, producer, television host and entrepreneur is expanding her lifestyle platform The Happy Place with the launch of her production banner THP Entertainment, which she will co-run alongside longtime business partner and co-founder, Kate Gordon.

Joanna Garcia SwisherGarcia Swisher is known for her roles on Netflix’s Sweet Magnolias, ABC’s Once Upon a Time and Reba McEntire’s eponymous comedy series for the CW. Gordon is an entrepreneur with extensive experience in talent management, sports/media production, digital content creation and e-commerce product development.

Garcia Swisher and Gordon launched The Happy Place as a lifestyle digital and social media platform that celebrates the spaces, places and moments that bring joy and a sense of community to all visitors.

The site has reached close to a million subscribers and their social media accounts have reached over 4.8M in the last month alone, according to THP. The production banner is an expansion of the site’s book club THP Reads that will focus on bringing select stories to life through TV and film.

First up on the scripted slate is THP Reads March 2022 pick, Ladies of the House, produced with Black Label Media. The romantic drama will re-team Garcia Swisher with Sheryl J. Anderson, the creator/showrunner of Sweet Magnolias. Based on the novel by Lauren Edmonson, the series follows the wife and adult daughters of a Senator as they navigate the treacherous balance of personal and public lives after the Senator dies in compromising circumstances.

“The Happy Place is a destination where you come to be inspired and to feel connected through our mutual life experiences. We are constantly in awe of this inclusive community that embraces our desire to celebrate life’s moments, both big and small.” Garcia Swisher and Gordon said in a joint statement to Deadline. “THP Reads has become something that we enjoy together, month after month. It felt like a natural extension to bring this collective excitement surrounding books we read to life on screen in a way we can all be proud of and excited about.”

Swisher currently stars in Netflix’s Sweet Magnolias as ‘Maddie Townsend.’ The show is in production on its fourth season, and she will also return as the host of The Ultimatum: Queer Love. In film, she most recently starred in Vince Vaughn’s Christmas with the Campbells.

Pablo Castelblanco to Star in Reba McEntire’s Untitled NBC Comedy Pilot

Pablo Castelblanco is on the Reba-ound…

The Colombian actor has been cast in Reba McEntire’s untitled NBC comedy pilot.

Pablo CastelblancoCastelblanco is among a roster of new cast additions that Tokala Black Elk and Rex Linn.

The pilot follows Bobbie (McEntire) who inherits her father’s restaurant and is less than thrilled to discover that she has a new business partner in the half-sister she never knew she had.

Belissa Escobedo will star as Bobbie’s half-sister and Melissa Peterman will play a bartender at the tavern who wishes she was Bobbie’s sister.

Castelblanco will play Steve, the accountant for the tavern who does his work at the bar. He has OCD and doesn’t like change.

Castelblanco most recently starred as Gabriel Tovar, a series regular role, on ABC’s Hillary Swank-led drama Alaska Daily.

His additional credits include HBO’s Room 104, Netflix’s Dear White People and Scream Queens for Fox.

On the big screen, he was the lead of the independent feature Ganymede.

Belissa Escobedo to Star in Reba McEntire’s Still-Untitled NBC Comedy Pilot

Belissa Escobedo has lined up her next project…

The 25-year-old Latina actress and Blue Beetle star has been cast in Reba McEntire in her as-yet-untitled NBC multi-cam comedy pilot.

Belissa Escobedo,The project is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.

The pilot follows Bobbie (McEntire) who inherits her father’s restaurant and is less than thrilled to discover that she has a new business partner in the half-sister she never knew she had.

Escobedo stars as Bobbie’s sister Isabella, an enthusiastic 20-something, who has studied psychology and loves to analyze people. She is thrilled to start working at the tavern and is full of “great” ideas about how to bring it to life.

Escobedo’s star continues to rise following two major roles in DC Entertainment/Warner Bros’ Blue Beetle, where he portrayed the titular character’s (played by Xolo Maridueña) sister Milagro, and Disney’s Hocus Pocus 2 where she popped off the screen—no easy task when you’re starring opposite Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy, who returned as the Sanderson sisters.

Additional credits include the ABC dramedy The Baker And The Beauty alongside Carlos Gomez, Lisa Vidal and Victor Rasuk; Ryan Murphy’s FX anthology series American Horror Stories, the Catherine Hardwicke-directed Quibi limited series Don’t Look Deeper and the American High films Sex Appeal (Hulu) and Sid Is Dead.

Café Tcvba to Perform During This Year’s Hollywood Bowl Summer Season

Café Tcvba is bowled over…

The Mexican Latin Grammy-winning band will be taking the stage as part of the official 2023 Hollywood Bowl Summer Season.

Café TcvbaThe legendary band will reprise their electrifying collaboration with Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, showcasing the catalog that led The New York Times to call them “the greatest rock band in Mexico” and “possibly even the world.”

Café Tcvba will perform on Friday, July 21 and Saturday, July 22.

Janet Jackson will open the official summer season with a performance of her Together Again Tour on June 10.

In addition to Café Tcvba and Jackson, the season will include dates from Jill Scott, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, The Beach Boys, Kool & The Gang, Sparks, Café Tcvba, Portugal. The Man, Maggie Rogers, Louis Tomlinson and more.

Prior to the summer season, the Bowl will also see shows fromReba McEntirePhishAndrea Bocelli, Shania Twain and a special celebration for Willie Nelson’s 90th birthday.

The LA Phil has announced concerts and events running through September 24 with additional artists including Jacob CollierBuddy GuyAir SupplyCulture ClubHerbie HancockMy Morning Jacket and Gladys Knight.

“As we look to the next hundred years at the Hollywood Bowl, I am honored and excited to share a season which, to me, speaks of a beautiful future ahead,” says LA Phil music and artistic director Gustavo Dudamel in a release. “From timeless music by Mendelssohn, de Falla and Verdi, to modern-day classics by John Williams and Duke Ellington, to the soul-filling sounds of our Pan-American Music Initiative, to the singular energy of Café Tacvba, each of these programs takes us on the kind of magic journey that can only begin at the Bowl.”

The Bowl will also feature several films in concert including Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2Star Wars: Return of the Jedi and 2001: A Space Odyssey. There will also be a sing-a-long for Sound of Music and Walt Disney Animation Studios: The Concert that will showcase the music and animation of Disney over the past century including highlights from Snow White to Encanto.

The famed Hollywood Bowl Jazz Festival will take place June 17-18 with Kamasi Washington, Leon Bridges, St. Paul and the Broken Bones, Digable Planets, The Soul Rebels with Big Freedia, Samara Joy, West Coast Get Down and more.

Dudamel will also conduct the LA Phil in Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and, alongside famed Hollywood movie composer John Williams, will share the podium for three special evenings of Maestro of the Movies: John Williams with the LA Phil including a selection of films clips on the big screens.

The LA Phil is also partnering with KCRW to present genre-spanning concerts: Reggae Nights XXI featuring Beres Hammond and Steel Pulse, Portugal. The Man with Chicano Batman and Say She She, Maggie Rogers with Alvvays, Los Auténticos Decadentes and more.

“There is no place like the Hollywood Bowl on a summer night, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back for another unforgettable season of music led by the extraordinary vision of Gustavo Dudamel,” said LA Phil chief content and engagement officer Renae Williams Niles.

Check out the full schedule here.

McCreery to be a Presenter at the American Country Countdown Awards

Scotty McCreery is ready for his countdown close-up…

The 21-year-old part-Puerto Rican country crooner and American Idol champion is among the presenters announced for the first ever American Country Countdown Awards, joining hosts Florida Georgia Line at the December 15 event.

Scotty McCreery

McCreery joins a roster that includes Sara Evans, Hunter Hayes, Maddie & Tae and Kip Moore.

Musicians Thomas Rhett, Chase Rice, Cole Swindell and Chris Young, as well as NASCAR’s Jimmie Johnson, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher and 2014 National League MVP Clayton Kershaw, actors Terry Crews of Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Emily Kinney of The Walking Dead, and Miss America 2015 Kira Kazantsev will also present.

The show will air live on FOX at 8:00 pm EST and PST with a tape-delay.

The American Country Countdown Awards is based on country music’s longest-running radio countdown show of 41 years, “American Country Countdown with Kix Brooks,” and will honor country artists based on album sales and radio airplay.

Kenny Chesney will be on hand to accept The Groundbreaker Award and Reba McEntire will accept the NASH Icon Award. Performers will include Kelly Clarkson, Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Brett Eldredge, Florida Georgia Line, Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood.

Tickets to the American Country Countdown Awards, are available for purchase here.

The American Country Countdown Awards is produced by dick clark productions.

Shakira Reaches Global Partnership Agreement with Activia

Shakira has an activia new endorsement deal…

The 37-year-old Colombian superstar and The Voice coach has signed a global partnership with Activia to support its new “Dare to Feel Good” campaign.

Shakira

The campaign, which launches March 16, uses Shakira and her track “Dare (La la la)” to promote the yogurt company’s “Feeling good starts from the inside” tagline.

It features the singer-songwriter dancing in an enchanted forest.

This will be Activia’s first-ever integrated global communication campaign, encompassing over 50 countries. For Shakira, it will be the latest in a series of global partnerships, including her current deal with Oral-B and Crest 3D.

The Activia ad was filmed in Barcelona, where Shakira currently lives, and begins airing globally March 16.

The campaign was developed by Vinizius Young & Rubicam Barcelona, and directed by Jaume de Laiguana, who has previously worked with Shakira.

Beyond the spot, the campaign includes the launch of a new global website that will house exclusive campaign content.

Another Activia U.S. campaign, “Activia Tummies. Happy People,” features Reba McEntire, Laila Ali and health expert Travis Stork. The brand is no longer working with its longtime spokesperson, Jamie Lee Curtis.

Rodriguez to Appear on Kelly Clarkson’s NBC Christmas Special

Jai Rodriguez will have a cautionary Christmas

The 34-year-old Puerto Rican/Italian American actor and musician is among the stars joining Kelly Clarkson for her upcoming holiday special Kelly Clarkson’s Cautionary Christmas Music Tale, according to NBC.

Jai Rodriguez

Rodriguez, best known as the culture vulture on Bravo’s Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, joins Robin Williams, Whoopi Goldberg, William Shatner and Blake Shelton as guests for the night.

Clarkson’s special will celebrate the season with a comedic musical take on the traditional Christmas morality tale, and will feature songs from her just-released Christmas album, Wrapped in Red.

The special, slated to air Wednesday, December 11 at 10:00 pm, will also include Reba McEntire, Trisha Yearwood, Jay Leno, Matt Lauer, Danica Patrick, Heidi Klum and Ken Jeong.

Rodriguez most recently starred opposite McEntire on her ABC comedy series Malibu Country.

Garcia Expecting Her First Child

It looks like JoAnna Garcia will be on diaper duty in the near future…

“So happy to finally be able to share our news!” tweeted the 33-year-old half Cuban American actress on November 12 about starting a family with husband Nick Swisher. “Nick and I are expecting our first baby in 2013! Feeling so blessed and beyond excited!”

Joanna Garcia & Nick Swisher

Garcia and Swisher went into more detail about their news via Swisher’s Facebook page.

“Words can’t describe how blessed we feel to be expanding our family and are anxiously awaiting the arrival of our new addition,” wrote the happy couple. “Your support and kindness has meant so much to us throughout the years and we wanted to personally share the news with you all.”

Garcia, who most recently appeared on NBC’s short-lived series Animal Practice, and Swisher, 31, got hitched in December 2010 after a seven-month engagement. The star-studded wedding party included Reba McEntire, Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Lance Bass.

Garcia’s television credits include Reba, Privileged, Gossip Girl, Better With You and Freaks and Geeks.

Until recently, Swisher was the right fielder and first baseman for the New York Yankees; he is currently a free agent after declining a $13.3 million one-year qualifying offer from the team.

McCreery Claims His First ACM Award…

He may have less than a year of professional experience under his belt (buckle), but Scotty McCreery continues to pick up some serious hardware.

The 18-year-old part-Puerto Rican country crooner, who catapulted to stardom after winning American Idol last season, claimed the New Artist of the Year prize at the 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards. The fan-voted honor marks McCreery’s first ACM trophy.

Scotty McCreery at the ACM Awards
Asked backstage about his dedicated followers, McCreery replied, “They never cease to amaze me. They’re wild on Twitter, and they’re insane, man. They’ve been by my side since American Idol, and they keep on coming out. I appreciate them.”

McCreery—who won his first award last December at the American Country Awards—sang a portion of his new single, “Water Tower Town,” during the awards telecast.

He told reporters, “To me, that’s the most Scotty McCreery song on the album. That talks about where I came from. That talks about my values and my beliefs. So I’m proud to sing that onstage every night. It comes from the heart.”

Held at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, the ACM telecast was hosted by Reba McEntire and Blake Shelton and featured performances by Carrie Underwood, Chris Young and Sara Evans.

Iglesias’ Texas Thanksgiving Plans Revealed…

Enrique Iglesias will be spending the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday in the Lone Star State…

The 36-year-old Spanish heart-throb will perform at this year’s Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Day game to kick off the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle campaign.

Enrique Iglesias

The “I Like It” singer announced his upcoming performance during a recent tour stop at New York City’s Madison Square Garden.

“This is a great opportunity – to spend Thanksgiving in Dallas where music, football and helping others truly comes together,” says Iglesias. “The Dallas Cowboys and The Salvation Army have a great partnership—throw in some great music and I know we can get viewers dancing and encourage donors to give generously.”

The campaign has raised $1.4 billion—including a record $142 million last year—since the partnership with the Cowboys began 15 years ago. This will be the 120th anniversary of the organization’s iconic Red Kettle Campaign.

The halftime extravaganza has become almost as big of a tradition as the holiday game itself. Previous performers include Keith Urban,  Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Destiny’s Child, Jessica Simpson and Reba McEntire.

“We are more than excited to have superstar artist Enrique Iglesias kickoff the Red Kettle Campaign,” says Charlotte Jones Anderson, Dallas Cowboys’ executive vice president of brand management and Chairperson of The Salvation Army’s National Advisory Board. “We know he will put on a halftime performance that will commemorate the 15th anniversary of the Cowboys partnership with The Salvation Army in style.”

To commemorate his participation in this year’s halftime show, America’s Team leaders presented Iglesias with a Cowboys #67 jersey in honor of the 67 No. 1 spots he’s held on the Billboard charts.

As part of the kickoff, fans of Iglesias and the Cowboys can be entered to win a trip for two to the Thanksgiving Day game by signing up to host an Online Red Kettle. In addition, supporters can make a $10 donation to the Red Kettle Campaign by texting the word “GIVE” to 80888.

The Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Day game against the Miami Dolphins will take place on November 24 at 4:15 pm ET at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington. The game will be broadcast live on CBS.