Jimmy Smits to Take Part in This Year’s Stand Up To Cancer SU2C Fundraising Special

Posted on August 7, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Jimmy Smits is taking a stand (up)…

The 68-year-old half-Puerto Rican actor will take part in this year’s Stand Up To Cancer SU2C fundraising special that’s set to air on Saturday, August 19 at 8:00 pm ET.

In addition to Smits, best known for his roles on L.A. Law, NYPD Blue and The West Wing, other celebrities making a special appearance during the show include Elizabeth Banks, Jessica Biel, Don Cheadle, Katie Couric, Danai Gurira, Tony Hale, Ken Jeong, Maria Menounos, Julianne Moore, Tig Notaro, Eric Stonestreet and Justin Timberlake.

A special montage of comedic skits from past shows will feature Jack Black, Ben Falcone, Zach Galifianakis, Brad Garrett, Bill Hader, Jon Hamm, Kevin Hart, Ed Helms, Melissa McCarthy, and Matthew McConaughey.

The televised special will also feature past musical performances from the likes of Brittany Howard, Simone Ledward Boseman, and The Who.

The one-hour televised celebration entitled “How It Started, How It’s Going” will recognize SU2C’s impact and progress over the last 15 years.

“We started this movement in 2008 to save lives and it is remarkable to see that in 15 years our scientists have accomplished this goal through breakthrough research that intercepts and treats cancer in ways we never thought possible,” said Katie Couric, SU2C co-founder. “There is more work to do to cure cancer and every dollar counts; we will not stop until we make every cancer patient a long-term survivor.”

The biennial special will air simultaneously on more than 50 participating media platforms across the United States and Canada, including all four major broadcast networks in the U.S. Broadcasters carrying the show are donating one hour of simultaneous commercial-free prime time. The telecast will also be available on-demand on several streaming platforms.

“Our telecast is a powerful tribute that demonstrates the importance of standing together to save lives,” said Russell Chew, president and CEO of SU2C. “Everyone plays a critical role in this goal, and we are so grateful for the support of the entertainment community, the broadcast networks, our generous donors, and the incredible researchers who work tirelessly to develop new cancer treatments.” Chew added, “100% of public donations to SU2C support innovative cancer research and vital awareness programs.”

Bruno Mars to Co-Headline Louisville’s Bourbon & Beyond Festival

Posted on March 11, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Bruno Mars is celebrating one of Kentucky’s finest exports…

The 37-year-old part-Puerto Rican singer/songwriter and multiple Grammy winner will be among the headlining acts for this year’s Bourbon & Beyond festival at the Highland Festival Grounds in Louisville, Kentucky.

Mars’ co-headliners include Brandi Carlile, The Killers and The Black Keys atop an eclectic lineup of rock, pop, folk, blues and country acts from September 14-17.

The four-day event’s roster announced on Wednesday (March 8) will also feature Billy Strings, Train, Midland, Buddy Guy, Mavis Staples, Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors and The Lone Bellow on the first night, which will be topped by Carlile.

Night two will find the Killers atop a list including Duran Duran, Hozier, Brittany Howard, Bastille, The Gaslight Anthem, Wayne Newton, Inahler, Joy Oladokun and more.

The Keys and Crowes will top Saturday’s rocking run-down, with support from The Avett Brothers, Spoon, First Aid Kit, Old Crow Medicine Show, City and Colour, Paolo Nutini, Luke Grimes and Danielle Ponder.

The final night pairs headliner Mars with Blondie, Jon Batiste, Ryan Bingham, Babyface, Aloe Blacc, ZZ Ward and Fantastic Negrito, among many others.

Each day will also feature a full lineup on the Bluegrass Situation Stage.

Tickets — including weekend GA, Weekend Mint VIP, Angels Envy Beyond VIP and single day GA and single day Mint VIP — are all available now here.

As always, in addition to a full day and night of music, the fest will host bourbon and food stages with appearances from master distillers, A-list chefs and, of course, dozens of bourbons to taste.

Sofia Vergara to Co-Host This Year’s “Stand Up to Cancer” Special

Posted on August 4, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Sofia Vergara is taking a stand…

The 49-year-old Colombian actress and former Modern Family star will serve as a co-host for this year’s the seventh biennial televised fundraising special Stand Up To Cancer.

Vergara will co-host the event alongside Anthony Anderson, Ken Jeong & Tran Ho.

Set to air Saturday, August 21 at 8:00 pm ET, this year’s Stand Up To Cancer event will be broadcast from Los Angeles and air simultaneously on more than 60 participating media platforms across the United States and Canada.

The telecast will also be available to stream live and on-demand on several streaming platforms.

The event, co-executive produced by Reese Witherspoon and Jim Toth, will see performances by Common, Brittany Howard and more artists that will be announced at a later date.

Stand Up To Cancer seeks to raise funds to support research and new treatments of cancer, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, which has affected nearly every aspect of cancer care and research.

The live-event is produced by Done + Dusted and Stand Up To Cancer’s production team.

Lin-Manuel Miranda Among Artists Offering Civic Lessons in Netflix’s Animated Series “We the People”

Posted on July 5, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Lin-Manuel Miranda is giving a civics lesson…

The 41-year-old Puerto Rican actor, singer, songwriter, rapper, producer and playwright, the mastermind behind the Tony Award-winning musical Hamilton, lends his voice to the new animated Netflix series We the People.

Created by Chris Nee and produced by Barack and Michelle Obama, the 10-part series provides a range of civics lessons through three-minute music videos on topics that include the Bill of Rights, immigration and the courts.

In addition to Miranda, the series also features award-winning artists H.E.R., Brandi Carlisle, Bebe Rexha and others.

Miranda took on the topic of “The Three Branches of Government” episode, writing and performing the song “Checks and Balances,” alongside Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Daveed Diggs, Brittany Howard and Robert Lopez.

With its light hip-hop bear, the catchy number explains the checks and balances of the United States government.

Meanwhile, Jorge R. Gutierrez directs the immigration-themed episode, which features the track “American Citizen,” performed by Bebe Rexha.

The 46-year-old Mexican animator, painter, writer, voice actor, and production designer helms Rexha’s pop message that lets everyone know from the second they are born, they are an “American Citizen.”

The episode is full of visual treats showing how the country is one built from a nation of immigrants, as animated versions of Sofia Vergara, Steven Chen, Anousheh Ansari and Padma Lakshmi are all featured to illustrate the point.

We the People premiered on Sunday, July 4 on Netflix.

Bad Bunny to Make Grammy Performance Debut on Sunday’s Awards Show

Posted on March 8, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Bad Bunny is ready for his Grammy close-up…

The 26-year-old Puerto Rican reggaeton and Latin trap star is set to make his Grammy performance debut at Sunday’s 63rd annual Grammy Awards.

Bad Bunny joins a roster of performers that includes Megan Thee Stallion, Billie Eilish and Taylor Swift.

The music ceremony, hosted by Trevor Noah, will feature a handful of performances by music’s top artists including BTS, Haim, Harry Styles, Roddy Ricch, Cardi B, Dua Lipa and Post Malone.

Cardi B first performed at the Grammys in 2018, singing “Finesse” alongside Bruno Mars, and then returned in 2019 to perform her track “Money” the following year.

Additional performers include this year’s 3-time nominee Adrian Quesada and his Black Pumas, performing on the Grammy stage for the first time, Brandi Carlile, DaBaby, Doja Cat, Mickey Guyton, Brittany Howard, Miranda Lambert, Lil Baby, Chris Martin, John Mayer and Maren Morris.

Additionally, the annual awards show will pay tribute to independent venues that have been greatly impacted by the pandemic. From bartenders to box office managers, the people who work day-to-day at Los Angeles’ Troubadour and Hotel Café, in New York City’s the Apollo Theater and Nashville’s The Station Inn will present awards for various categories throughout the night.

The 63rd annual Grammy Awards will air on CBS live Sunday, March 14 starting at 8:00 pm ET.

Fulwell 73 Productions produces the show for the Recording Academy.

Christina Aguilera to Perform at This Sunday’s Ultimate Super Bowl LV After Party

Posted on February 1, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Christina Aguilera is ready to bowl you over…

The 40-year-old half-Ecuadorian American Grammy-winning singer will take part in the ultimate Super Bowl LV after party.

Aguilera joins a roster of performers that includes Alicia Keys, Brandi Carlile, Brittany Howard, Luke Bryan and more.

The Verizon Big Concert for Small Business will start a multi-year commitment to provide 1 million small businesses with resources they need to succeed by 2030. Verizon will also donate $10 million to the non-profit organization Local Initiatives Support Corp (LISC), which has been financially supporting businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fans can make a one-time donation of $10 to LISC by texting SMALLBIZ to 20222 as part of Verizon’s text-to-give campaign.

Additional performers include H.E.R. and Jazmine Sullivan, who will respectively sing “America the Beautiful” and the National Anthem (alongside Eric Church) during the CBS Kick-Off Show at 6:00 pm ET, as well as Miley Cyrus, who’s set to kick off the TikTok Tailgate pre-show at 2:30 p.m. ET on TikTok and CBS.

The Weeknd is the headline performer of the 2021 Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show. He recently unveiled an 18-song collection of his greatest hits called The Highlights before his highly anticipated performance, which fans can purchase here this Friday (February 5).

The Verizon Big Concert for Small Business will stream immediately after Super Bowl LV on Sunday, February 7 at 11:00 pm ET on Yahoo and Fios as well as Verizon’s Twitter, Twitch, YouTube and TikTok accounts.

FKA Twigs to Perform at Denmark’s Roskilde Festival Next Summer

Posted on December 31, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

FKA Twigs is ready to Rosk(ilde).

The 32-year-old part-Spanish singer-songwriter has been added to the lineup of Denmark’s Roskilde Festival in 2021.

Much like every major concert in 2020, the festival’s organizers had to take a break this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But this week, the promoters excitedly announced that they “think there is a need and reason to be hopeful.”

Kendrick Lamar will headline the festival in 2021; he’d previously been slated to headline the 2020 event.

In addition to FKA Twigs and Lamar, the festival, which is expected to run from June 26-July 3 next year, the roster includes The Strokes, Tyler, The Creator, Faith No More, Haim, Thom Yorke‘s Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes, Girl in Red, Anderson.Paak, Big Thief, DaBaby, Deftones, Doja Cat, Fontaines D.C. and Megan Thee Stallion.

Missing from the original roster of acts who were announced for the 2020 fest are Taylor Swift, Kacey Musgraves, The Roots, Brittany Howard and Waxachatchee, among others.

The announcement is good news for live music fans who’ve gone almost a year without being able to attend live shows. But with the first doses of the coronavirus vaccine just now rolling out to first responders, medical professionals and nursing home residents in the U.S. and Europe, it remains to be seen if it will be safe to gather in large groups again by the summer.

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