Ryan Vasquez to Star in Ross Golan’s Musical “The Wrong Man”

Posted on July 26, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Ryan Vasquez is in the Wrong…

The Latino actor/singer has been cast in the world premiere in New York this September of multi-platinum songwriter Ross Golan’s musical The Wrong Man.

Vasquez will star opposite Tony-nominee Joshua Henry and Ciara Renéein the musical.

The Wrong Man is set in Reno, Nevada, and tells the story of Duran, a man just scraping by, who is accused of a murder he says he didn’t commit.

Golan’s first stage musical was initially conceived as an acoustic solo piece, but over a decade has grown to include a full-length concept album and an animated film.

Previews begin on Wednesday, September 18, with an opening night of October 7, at the Off Broadway MCC Theater.

Golan (book, music, lyrics) has written massive hits for a massive roster of artists including Maroon 5, Justin Bieber, Nicki Minaj, Lady Antebellum, Michael Bublé, Selena Gomez, Keith Urban, Ariana Grande, Flo Rida, One Direction, Idina Menzel, Nelly, Demi Lovato, Jason Derulo, Meghan Trainor, Cee Lo Green, 5 Seconds of Summer, Prince Royce, Snoop Dogg, Gavin DeGraw, Colbie Caillat, Andy Grammer, James Blunt, Big Sean and Travis Barker.

Vasquez has appeared on Broadwayin Hamilton, Waitress and Wicked, and on television in The Good Fight, Curb Your Enthusiasm and The Code.

Shakira Returning to NBC’s “The Voice” in Late February

Posted on December 18, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

It’s official… Shakira is heading back to NBC’s infamous red leather chair…

The 36-year-old Colombian superstar will reprise her role as a Season 4 coach on the network’s hit singing competition The Voice.

Shakira, along with R&B singer Usher, will reunite with show regulars Adam Levine and Blake Shelton for The Voice’s sixth season.

Shakira and the men will return in a special two-night premiere: 8:00-10:00 pm on Monday, February 24, and 8:00-9:00 pm on Tuesday, February 25.

Last spring, Shakira and Usher were cast to fill in for Christina Aguilera and Cee Lo Green, respectively, on The Voice — the latter two original judge/mentors returned for the fall season.

It’s an arrangement the show’s producers appear to have institutionalized. And in doing so, The Voice has become a bastion of judge stability.

The Voice has averaged a 4.9 rating in the demo and 14.7 million viewers overall with its Monday edition, and a 4.5 and 14 viewers overall on Tuesdays, making it the No. 1-rated Monday and Tuesday series on the broadcast networks so far this season in the demo.

Miguel to Serve as a Mentor on NBC’s “The Voice” This Season

Posted on September 10, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Miguel is headed to The Voice…

The 27-year-old half-Mexican singer-songwriter has signed on to serve as a mentor on the upcoming fifth season of NBC’s hit singing competition.

Miguel will join fellow mentors Cher, Ed Sheeran and Ryan Tedder on the show this season.

He’ll partner up with returning coach Cee-Lo Green to advise the member’s of Green’s team.

“Believe” songstress Cher will team up with coach Blake Shelton. British star Sheeran will lend a helping hand to Christina Aguilera‘s team. OneRepublic‘s frontman Tedder will mentor Adam Levine‘s team.

“This group of wildly successful musicians will add their distinctive talents to their respective teams,” says Paul Telegdy, President of Late Night and Alternative Programming on NBC Entertainment. “I know Christina, Adam, CeeLo and Blake are very much looking forward to having them come aboard.”

The new season of “The Voice” premieres on Monday, September 23 at 8/7c on NBC.

Xtina and Cee-Lo return to the show after taking a break last season and were replaced by Shakira and Usher, who will return for the sixth installment in 2014.

NBC Releases “The Voice” Season Five Poster, Featuring Aguilera and the Rest of the “Original” Coaches

Posted on August 29, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Christina Aguilera is back in the red… The red leather chair she occupies on NBC’s The Voice, that is.

The network has released the official marketing poster for the fifth season of the hit reality singing competition featuring the 32-year-old half-Ecuadorian singer, Adam Levine, Cee Lo Green and Blake Shelton, with the tagline “Reunited and it feels so good.”

Aguilera and Green sat out Season 4 of The Voice earlier this year to focus on their music careers. The pair were replaced by Shakira and Usher, who earned rave reviews for their coaching skills.

Shakira will return for the show’s sixth season next spring.

In the meantime, Aguilera and the rest of the original coaches will be selecting the voice of America this fall.

The Voice will premiere September 23, 2013 on NBC.

Aguilera Returning to “The Voice” for Season Five

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

There’s a red leather chair in Christina Aguilera’s future…

The 32-year-old half-Ecuadorian American singer will be returning to NBC’s The Voice for the reality singing competition this fall, while Shakira will be exiting after one season.

Aguilera, a judge for the first three seasons of The Voice, left last year to promote her album Lotus, which was released in November.

Cee Lo Green, another of the four original judges on the Mark Burnett-produced competition show, also took a sabbatical to work on his music career.

Shakira and fellow newbie Usher joined Adam Levine and Blake Shelton this year for Season 4, which wraps up June 18.

Burnett has said change on the judges panel is a part of The Voice.

“Everybody can’t coach for life because when you have people with current recordings in the game, this is not their job,” he said. “Their job is their fans and making music and being live, and so we knew from the beginning that this would happen, and we’ve had six coaches. They all have another life and their schedules.”

Lopez Added to List of Performers at the Billboard Music Awards…

Posted on May 2, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Jennifer Lopez is preparing to dance again at this year’s Billboard Music Awards…

The 43-year-old Puerto Rican singer/actress has been added to the list of performers at the awards show, along with Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, Chris Brown, Ed Sheeran, Ne-Yo, David Guetta and “I Love It” breakthrough act Icona Pop.

The Las Vegas awards show will air on ABC on May 19 at 8:00 pm ET, live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena. 30 Rock alum Tracy Morgan will host.

Lopez and the new additions will join the previously announced performers, including Bruno Mars, Miguel, Justin Bieber, Pitbull, Christina Aguilera, Selena Gomez and the Band Perry.

Mars, Bieber and Taylor Swift are also vying for the Milestone Award, a fan-driven honor that one voter will get to present at the show alongside Cee Lo Green.

Aguilera to Perform at the Billboard Music Awards

Posted on April 26, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Christina Aguilera may be taking a break from The Voice this season… But she’s still making music.

The 32-year-old half-Ecuadorian American singer will be performing at this year’s Billboard Music Awards next month.

Aguilera will join her “Feel This Moment” co-collaborator Pitbull, “Come and Get It” singer Selena Gomez and rap duo of Macklemore & Ryan Lewis as performers at the awards show, which will take place on May 19 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Other artists joining the star-studded lineup include The Band Perry and Kacey Musgraves.

Pitbull and The Band Perry are both competing against previously announced performers Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Bruno Mars and Miguel for this year’s Milestone Award, which will be given to the fan favorite who gets the most votes online. A lucky fan will get the chance to present the award personally to the winning artist along with co-presenter Cee-Lo Green.

Shakira Gives Birth to Her First Child…

Posted on January 22, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

The stork has arrived at Shakira’s place…

The 35-year-old Colombian singer and new The Voice coach gave birth to a bouncing baby boy,Milan Piqué Mebarak, at 9:36 p.m. January 22 in Barcelona, Spain, according to an announcement on Shakira’s website.

It’s the first child for Shakira and her boyfriend Spanish soccer star Gerard Piqué, who recently announced plans to host a virtual baby shower for charity.

“The name Milan means dear, loving and gracious in Slavic; in Ancient Roman, eager and laborious; and in Sanskrit, unification,” the announcement says. “Just like his father, baby Milan became a member of FC Barcelona at birth.”

Shakira and her boyfriend, a central defender for Futbol Club Barcelona, announced in September that she was pregnant and revealed the sex of the baby in October.

Shakira will be one of two new coaches on NBC’s The Voice when the show returns for its fourth season in March. She and Usher are replacing Christina Aguilera and Cee Lo Green. While pregnant, Shakira filmed some parts of the show, including the blind auditions.

During a press event for The Voice in late 2012, the Colombian singer told reporters that her maternal instincts had already starting kicking into high gear when it came to nurturing her contestants.

“I don’t know if because I’m pregnant or what, but I’ve got maternal instincts, and I feel like, you know, they are somehow my kids,” she told reporters. “I have to look after them and protect them.”

Shakira Fostering a Competitive Spirit to NBC’s “The Voice”

Posted on January 2, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

It looks like the addition of Shakira to The Voice’s coaching lineup is bringing out an added competitiveness to NBC’s hit reality singing competition…

During a press conference, the 35-year-old Colombian singing sensation joined fellow newbie Usher and returning coaches Adam Levine and Blake Shelton to discuss the show’s upcoming fourth season.

Shelton noted that with the departure of Christina Aguilera and Cee Lo Green, the dynamic on the show has “definitely changed” and that throwing Shakira and Usher into the mix has fostered an added competitiveness.

“Cee Lo was always so laid back,” said Shelton. “He’s kind of been the quiet killer in this thing. We replace Cee Lo with somebody that’s just that more aggressive and now you’ve got four that are killers up here.”

Added Levine, “Now you have a pregnant, hormonal Colombian. She’s ready to bust some heads. She ain’t messing around!”

Shakira says recruiting for her Voice team has definitely fueled her competitive fire.

“Once we are in the process of trying to get a contestant recruited for our team, there’s a lot of adrenaline and there’s a lot of tension.” She also mentioned her tendency to micro manage her career, which she says carries over to her mentoring. “When I’m giving directions to my contestants, I’m particularly focused on details.”

Usher described Shakira as a mix of “comic relief, super f—ing serious, and gangster,” explaining that “she’s so nice now but she really pulls out that switchblade in the battle.”

He also revealed that his own coaching style is fairly serious. “My style is more military than anything because I’m all about the preparation. My style is to make them understand the seriousness of the craft and that they have the very best opportunity to be the greatest — or the worst — depending on how you take it.”

Levine explained that Season 4’s new coaches have already figured out how to leverage their strengths. Shakira plays the female card a lot — “That’s one thing we can’t compete with really so she’s smart” – and Usher likes to remind his fellow coaches of his success with Justin Bieber.

“As much as I hate to say this about another coach in the beginning, Usher has done what this show has yet to do – launch a superstar and that’s our goal. That’s something we want to do as an institution.”

As the conference wrapped, Shelton agreed with Levine, and Shakira looked to Usher and playfully said, “We all want to be like you when we grow up.”

Season 4 of The Voice premieres on NBC on March 25.

Lovato Dedicates “Angels Among Us” to Newtown Shooting Victims

Posted on December 26, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

Demi Lovato is using her powerful voice to raise awareness for the Newtown, Connecticut shooting victims and their grieving families…

The 20-year-old part-Mexican American singer/actress and The X Factor judge has dedicated a moving rendition of Alabama’s hit single “Angels Among Us” to the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting on December 14.

Lovato – who was just named to DoSomething.org’s “Celebs Gone Good” list for her anti-bullying efforts and her charitable work and involvement in social and environmental causes – is using the song to raise awareness for wearenewtown.org, an organization formed to raise funds for the victims of the Newtown, Connecticut shooting and their families.

Lovato’s music video opens with a loving dedication to the 20 school children and 6 educators who were killed in the shooting.

“We can never imagine what the families in Newtown, Connecticut are experiencing right now. And while there is nothing we can do to replace their loss, we can stand together and support them during this difficult time,” says Lovato. “This song is in honor of those angels we lost on Dec. 14.”

Accompanied only by a pianist and an acoustic guitar in a set filled with lit candles, Lovato delivers a heart-warming performance. Her usual rock vocals and belt-it-out-of the-park style almost breaks at points throughout the song, as the singer is overcome with emotion.

Lovato is one of many artists who;ve paid tribute to the victims of the tragedy. In the recently concluded season of The X Factor, the contestants performed Michael Jackson‘s “You Are Not Alone,” while one the finale of The Voice, judges Christina Aguilera, Blake Shelton, Adam Levine and Cee Lo Green sang “Hallelujah“ while holding up placards with the victims’ names.

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