Maxwell Among the Headlining Acts for 2024’s Cincinnati Music Festival

Posted on December 13, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Maxwell is bringing sumthin’ sumthin’ to Ohio…

The Cincinnati Music Festival has announced the lineup for its 2024 edition, with the 50-year-old half-Puerto Rican artist among the headlining acts.

Maxwell, a three-time Grammy winner, is part of a list of headlining acts that includes New Edition, Ne-Yo and Kem.

The annual celebration of classic and contemporary R&B legends and hip-hop superstars will once again take over the home of the Cincinnati Bengals, Paycor Stadium, for two nights next summer.

The first night, July 26, will be headlined by “Sumthin’ Sumthin’” neo soul legend Maxwell, with support from Ne-Yo, Fantasia, October London and Lakeside.

Night two, July 27, will be toplined by New Jack Swing supergroup New Edition — Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, Bobby Brown, Ralph Tresvant, Ronnie DeVoe and Johnny Gill — as well as Kem, SWV, Stokley and another artist to be announced.

In keeping with recent tradition, the jam-packed weekend will kick off with a night (July 25) celebrating hip-hop at the adjacent Andrew J. Brady Music Center, with a lineup to be announced soon.

“We are thrilled with this year’s lineup for the Cincinnati Music Festival presented by P&G,” festival producer Joe Santangelo said in a press release. “This year’s lineup is the most jam-packed R&B lineup we’ve ever had, representing fan favorites across the decades from New Edition to Maxwell to Fantasia, and so many more.”

Tickets for this year’s event are on sale now through the festival office (call (513) 924-0900), and will be available through Ticketmaster beginning Saturday (December 16) at 10:00 am ET.

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CMF launched as the Ohio Valley Jazz Festival in 1962 as an all-jazz event and evolved over the year to embrace a wide variety of R&B, soul and pop acts, from Aretha Franklin, Miles Davis and Duke Ellington to Luther Vandross, New Edition, Whitney Houston, Earth Wind and Fire and many others.

Erik-Michael Estrada Taking Part in ABC’s “A Very Boy Band Holiday” Special

Posted on November 21, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Erik-Michael Estrada is banding together for the holidays…

The 42-year-old Puerto Rican recording artist, writer-producer, actor and lead vocalist of O-Town is set to take part in ABC’s A Very Boy Band Holiday special.

The show will feature appearances by some of the most beloved members of iconic boy bands, including Estrada (O-Town), Joey Fatone (*NSYNC), Chris Kirkpatrick (*NSYNC), Lance Bass (*NSYNC), Wanya Morris (Boyz II Men), Shawn Stockman (Boyz II Men), Bobby Brown (New Edition), Michael Bivins (New Edition), Joey McIntyre (NKOTB), Nick Lachey (98 Degrees), Drew Lachey (98 Degrees), Jeff Timmons (98 Degrees) and Justin Jeffre (98 Degrees).

On tap: classic tunes and their groups’ greatest holiday hits, along with some unnamed, but “special” surprise guests.

The show airs on Monday, December 6 at 8:00 pm ET/PT on ABC. The special can also be viewed the next day on demand and on Hulu.

The special will also debut a new song titled “A Very Boy Band Holiday,” performed by *NSYNC’s Fatone and Boyz II Men’s Morris, a special performance of “This One’s For The Children” by McIntyre and his son Griffin McIntyre, as well as some of the groups’ hits and a mix of classic holiday favorites including “Let It Snow,” “This Christmas,” “Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays” and more.

The special is produced by 45 Live.

Arlen Escarpeta to Star in the Second Season of OWN’s Drama Series “David Makes Man”

Posted on August 7, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Arlen Escarpeta is the Manof the hour…

The 39-year-old Belizean actor has been cast as a series regular for the second season of OWN’s acclaimed Peabody-winning drama series David Makes Man.

He’ll star alongside Kwame Patterson, who has been tapped to portray the title character, the adult version of David.

Escarpeta will play his brother JG, in the series which hails from Oscar winner Tarell Alvin McCraney and Warner Horizon Scripted Television.

They join returning series regulars Akili McDowell, Alana Arenas, Travis Coles and Cayden K. Williams for season two.

Created by McCraney and executive produced by Oprah Winfrey, the first season ofDavid Makes Mancentered on David Young (McDowell), a 14-year-old prodigy learning to survive the streets that raised him and the higher education that could offer him a way out. Season two finds David in his early 30s, a rising business man facing an opportunity that will change him and his community forever; the mounting pressure forces David to choose between the instincts that helped him survive or finding a new way to finally, truly live.

Escarpeta’s television credits include series regular roles on Crackle’s The Oath and NBC’s American Dreams, and a recurring role in Syfy’s The Magicians,among others. He also starred as Bobby Brown in the Lifetime original film Whitney.

His feature film credits include Into the Storm, Final Destination 5, Brotherhood, Friday the 13th (2009), and We Are Marshall, among others.

Escarpeta Lands Recurring Role in Syfy’s Drama Series “The Magicians”

Posted on August 11, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a magical time for Arlen Escarpeta…

The 35-year-old Belizean actor has landed a recurring role on Syfy’s drama series The Magicians, from Universal Cable Productions.

Based on the bestselling novels from Lev Grossman, The Magicians centers on Quentin (Jason Ralph), a brilliant graduate student chosen to attend Brakebills College for Magical Pedagogy, a secret upstate New York university specializing in magic.

Escarpeta, who portrayed Bobby Brown in Lifetime’s Whitney Houston biopic, will play Prince Ess, a handsome, rugged, pelt-clad man, with a sort of frat bro air of entitlement and the ruler of Loria.

Escarpeta, a series regular on NBC’s American Dreams for three seasons, also appeared in the feature films Into The Storm and Final Destination 5.

Anthony to Star in BET’s Three-Part Miniseries “New Edition: The Movie”

Posted on May 8, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

La La Anthony has a new addition to her resume…

The 36-year-old Puerto Rican television personality and actress has been added to the cast of BET’s three-part miniseries New Edition: The Movie.

Anthony, who starred in Think Like a Man and Think Like a Man Too, joins new additions to the cast that include Yvette Nicole Brown, Monica Calhoun, Lisa Nicole Carson and Sandi McCree. They’ve have signed on to play the mothers of the iconic 1980s R&B/pop group.

Anthony will play Flo DeVoe, mother of the young Ronnie DeVoe, Brown will play Michael Bivins’ mother Shirley Bivins, Calhoun is Ralph Tresvant’s mother Patricia Tresvant, Carson will play Ricky Bell’s mother Mae Bell and McCree is Bobby Brown’s mother Carole Brown.

They join previously cast Bryshere Y. Gray, Elijah Kelley, Luke James, Keith Powers, and newcomers Algee Smith and Woody McClain.

Written by Abdul Williams, the miniseries follows the group from their humble beginnings as kids in Boston to global megastardom – weathering the highs and lows of controversy, personnel changes, and the ultimate cost of fame.

Lifetime Releases First Trailer for DaCosta’s “Whitney” Biopic

Posted on December 7, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Prepare to watch Yaya DaCosta as the Queen of the Night…

Lifetime has released the first official trailer for its Whitney Houston biopic Whitney, starring the 32-year-old part-Brazilian American actress as the late songstress.

Houston, one of the world’s best selling performers, sold more than 200 million albums sold worldwide and had a slew of diamond, multi-platinum certifications.

DaCosta, a runner-up on the CW’s America’s Top Model landed the role of Houston in June, with Belizean actor Arlen Escarpeta playing Houston’s ex-husband, Bobby Brown.

Meanwhile, Mark Rolston portrays Houston’s music biz mentor, Clive Davis, in a scene-stealing role.

Whitney marks the directorial debut of Angela Bassett.

Escarpeta & DaCosta Recreate Classic Whitney Houston-Bobby Brown Photo for Their Lifetime Biopic

Posted on July 16, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Arlen Escarpeta isn’t having any trouble being Bobby Brown….

Lifetime has released the first official photo for its upcoming Whitney Houston biopic featuring the 33-year-old Belizean actor as the R&B singer-songwriter and part-Brazilian actress Yaya DaCosta as the late Grammy-winning songstress.

In the picture, the two recreate a classic photo of Houston and Brown in their early days as a couple. Escarpeta, donning a black top and blue jeans, hugs Dacosta from behind. The actress sports a white tank top and flashes a big smile for the camera.

The biopic, titled I Will Always Love You: The Whitney Houston Story, is currently shooting in Los Angeles with Oscar nominee Angela Bassett serving as the director.

It’s scheduled to premiere early next year, three years after Houston accidentally drowned in the bathtub of a Los Angeles hotel room at the age of 48.

It will center on Houston’s life in the early-to-mid ’90s, when she skyrocketed to fame not only for her powerful singing voice but also for her appearance in 1992’s The Bodyguard, where she co-starred opposite Kevin Costner.

She contributed to the movie’s soundtrack, which later won a Grammy and is the biggest-selling soundtrack album in movie history.

It will also focus on the singer’s relationship with Brown, whom she met in 1989. The couple got married in 1992 and they welcomed their daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown the following year.

Escarpeta to Star as Bobby Brown in Lifetime’s Whitney Houston Biopic

Posted on July 6, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

There’s a new edition to Arlen Escarpeta’s acting resume.

The 33-year-old Belizean American actor has been cast in the highly anticipated role of Bobby Brown in Lifetime’s Whitney Houston biopic.

Escarpeta, whose credits include Into the Storm, Final Destinaton 5 and We Are Marshall, will star opposite Yaya DaCosta as Whitney in the film, now officially titled, I Will Always Love You: The Whitney Houston Story.

Helmed by Angela Bassett in her directorial debut, the biopic chronicles the tumultuous relationship between Houston and singer-songwriter Bobby Brown — from the time they first met at the very height of their celebrity through their courtship and rocky marriage, all during Whitney’s meteoric rise as a singer, actress and model.

As previously reported, actress Yolonda Ross (Go For Sisters) was cast as Whitney’s lifelong friend and rumored lover Robyn Crawford.

The television film is slated for a 2015 premiere.

DaCosta to Star in Lifetime’s “Whitney Houston” Biopic

Posted on June 8, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

It’s one moment in time Yaya DaCosta will most likely never forget…

The 31-year-old part-Brazilian American actress has landed the lead role in Lifetime‘s Whitney Houston biopic, according to TVLine.

The made-for-television film, currently titled Whitney Houston, will focus on the late singer’s relationship with her ex-husband Bobby Brown from the time they met through the dissolution of their tumultuous marriage.

DaCosta, the runner-up in Cycle 3 of America’s Next Top Model, has appeared on television in Ugly Betty, All My Childrenand House, as well as on film inThe Kids Are All Right, Tron: Legacyand Lee Daniels’ The Butler.

Whitney Houson is set to premiere in 2015, three years after the Grammy-winning singer was found dead in her hotel bathtub at age 48 due to an accidental drowning.

Angela Bassett, who starred opposite Houston in 1995’s Waiting to Exhale, will direct the film.

Mars Performs First-Ever Show at The Cosmopolitan’s The Chelsea

Posted on December 31, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Bruno Mars has christened a new venue in Las Vegas in what could be a warm-up for his upcoming Super Bowl halftime show…

The 28-year-old part-Puerto Rican singer performed for an intimate crowd of 3,000 people at resort casino and hotel The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas’s new theater The Chelsea on December 30 — Mars’ first of eight shows at the space throughout 2014.

An energetic Mars riffed on an electric guitar, dressed casually in a black blazer and graphic tee and accompanied by his band members The Hooligans outfitted in suits and suspenders.

Once the youngest Elvis Presley impersonator when he was 4 years old, Mars delivered more than his hits. He earned a few laughs as well.

“I have so much hairspray in this shit right now, you have no idea!” he joked.

Later, he said to widespread protest, “When I was a kid, I wanted to be a man so bad, I just wanted to rip my shirt off onstage. But I’m too short and I’m too fat!”

Along with performing his hit tracks like “Just the Way You Are,” “Locked Out of Heaven” and “Treasure,” Mars performed covers of songs like Barrett Strong‘s “Money (That’s What I Want)” and Travis McCoy’s “Billionaire,” as well as Aloe Blacc‘s “I Need a Dollar,” Bobby Brown‘s “Every Little Step” and Janet Jackson‘s “That’s the Way Love Goes,” among others.

Mars returns to the newly christened stage for New Year’s Eve, Feb. 15-16, May 23-24 and Aug. 22-23.

Set List:
Money Make Her Smile Treasure Money (That’s What I Want)
Billionaire
I Need a Dollar  / Show Me  / Our First Time
Pony
Ignition  / Marry You  / If I Knew
It Will Rain  / Runaway Baby  / Your Love
Poison
This Is How We Do It
Every Little Step
Let’s Talk About Sex
Candy Rain
That’s the Way Love Goes /  Waterfalls  /When I Was Your Man  / Billie Jean
Dirty Diana /  Just the Way You Are

Encore:
Locked Out of Heaven

Hispanically Yours

Celebrating the Latino Influence

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