Lin-Manuel Miranda to Take Part in “Broadway for Biden” Fundraising Event

Posted on September 3, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Lin-Manuel Miranda will be performing on Broadway with a special purpose…

The 43-year-old Puerto Rican Tony-winning songwriter, actor, filmmaker and playwright will be taking part in a Broadway fundraising concert next month for President Joe Biden.

In addition to Miranda, who created the Tony-winning musicals Hamilton and In The Heights, will feature some of theater’s other biggest stars, including Josh Groban, Ben Platt, Sara Bareilles, Cynthia Erivo, Leslie Odom Jr. and Laura Benanti, among others, with the president himself scheduled to attend.

There’s at least one detail being kept under wraps for the moment – the Broadway venue in Times Square has not been identified – the date has been set for Monday, September 18, with ticket prices ranging from $250 for rear mezzanine seats to $7,500 for orchestra center front.

The seating chart at the ticket website indicates that the concert will take place at an indoor theater rather than outdoors in Times Square.

Other stars to be featured at the concert are Annaleigh Ashford, Josh Gad, Alex Edelman, Christopher Jackson, LaChanze, Ruthie Ann Miles, Andrew Rannells and Aaron Tveit.

The one-night-only concert fundraiser is being hosted by Broadway producers and supporters Jeffrey Seller, Thomas Kail, Luz & Luis Miranda, Bruce Cohen & Gabe Catone, Tom Healy & Fred P. Hochberg, Barbara Marcin & Orin Kramer, Stacey & Eric Mindich, Karen & Gary Rose, Janet & Marvin Rosen, Alexandra & Eric Schoenberg, Ted Snowdon & Duffy Violante, Henry Tisch & Sean Walsh.

The Broadway for Biden event is being described by organizers as both a celebration of Biden’s political career and “a call to action, emphasizing the importance of his reelection in 2024.”

Edgar Ramirez to Appear on the Second Season of Peacock’s “Wolf Like Me”

Posted on August 24, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Edgar Ramirez is howlin’ at the moon…

The 46-year-old Venezuelan actor has joined the cast of Peacock’s romantic-dramedy series Wolf Like Me for season two.

The sophomore season of the series will will debut on October19. It will consist of seven half-hour episodes.

This will mark the second Peacock series in which Ramirez will appear. H

He will also lead the second season of the anthology drama Dr. Death, though that show doesn’t have a premiere date at this time.

The official description of the new season of “Wolf Like Me” states:

“In the second season of Wolf Like Me, Mary (Isla Fisher) and Gary (Josh Gad) leap into the next phase of their relationship and face their biggest challenge yet: pregnancy. As much as they try to have a ‘normal’ pregnancy, it seems impossible with so many questions looming over them. Will their child be a baby or a wolf pup? Just how long can they keep things secret from the rest of their family? And will what happened in the outback come back to haunt them? But when Mary’s former professor, Anton (Ramirez), suddenly reappears in her life, new secrets from Mary’s past are revealed, leaving Mary and Gary to question whether they’re even meant to be together.”

The cast for Season 2 also includes Ariel Donoghue, Emma Lung, Anthony Taufa, and Honour Latukefu.

Abe Forsythe created the series and serves as writer, director, and executive producer via Little Monsters. Made Up Stories produces in partnership with Fifth Season and Stan.

Forsythe wrote a message to fans about the new season prior to the launch of the writers’ strike, which can also be seen below.

Note from Abe Forsythe:

When season one of “Wolf Like Me” concluded, there were countless directions the story and characters could take. I recognized that if we were going to continue, it needed to be just as daring for me as it was for my characters. Mary and Gary’s universe is expanding and is rife with a wealth of new characters, interactions and threats…

In this new world, Isla’s portrayal of Mary continued to surprise me with her heartbreaking vulnerability. She’s operating at another level this season and it continues to be a privilege to push her further and further into what she does best. And Josh always impresses me with how he can register ridiculousness in a way that lets the audience into how crazy everything is, without breaking the tension and letting it fall apart. This season, humor plays an even larger role as we explore the inherent absurdity that ensues when their secrets spill into the open.

Season one was a testament to the mysterious forces of the universe bringing Mary, Gary and Emma together. As we delve into season two, we ask a new question: Is the universe now conspiring to pull them apart?

It’s safe to say that with this new season of “Wolf Like Me,” you can truly expect the unexpected.

Fat Joe to Appear on the Upcoming “MDA Kevin Hart Kids Telethon”

Posted on October 20, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Fat Joe’s got hart… And, he’s ready to share it with the world.

The 50-year-old Puerto Rican and Cuban American rapper, whose real name Joseph Antonio Cartagena, will take part in the MDA Kevin Hart Kids Telethon, the upcoming two-hour special hosted by Hart that reimagines the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s annual variety show fundraiser.

Fat Joe joins a lineup of talent additions that includes Don Cheadle, Common, Cindy Crawford, Whitney Cummings, Stephen Curry, Zachary Levi and Kelly Rowland.

The special, which will benefit the MDA and Help From the Hart Charity, streams live on Saturday from 8:00 – 10:00 p.m. ET on Hart’s LOL Network and its digital platforms YouTube and Pluto TV, as well as on TikTok, Triller and Twitch.

SiriusXM will air an encore of the show on its Laugh Out Loud Radio channel on October 26 at 4:00 pm ET and again the next day at 10:00 am ET.

The telethon will feature entertainment, comedy, musical performances and MDA’s Let’s Play For a Cure gaming elements, a gaming stream hosted by Zedd running simultaneously. A Telethon Showcase to celebrate the members of the neuromuscular community and hosted by Nancy O’Dell and Jann Carl will follow the two-hour main show. It will stream on the MDA’s Facebook page.

As a warmup, an MDA-hosted online auction on CharityBuzz featuring items from Serena Williams, Curry and others launches Friday at mda.org/telethon.

The latest talent additions to the lineup join previously announced guests including Garcelle Beauvais, Aloe Blacc, Jack Black, Usain Bolt, Bryan Cranston, Adam Devine, Josh Gad, Liz Gillies, Aldis Hodge, Edwin Hodge, Michael B. Jordan, DJ Khaled, Daniel Levy, Loni Love, Leslie Mann, Jillian Mercado, Robin Thicke, Gabrielle Union Wade and John David Washington.

Jonathan Krisel is directing.

Quibi to Stream All-Star Remake of “The Princess Bride” Featuring Jenna Ortega

Posted on June 27, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a royal moment for Jenna Ortega…

Starting Monday, Quibi will stream an all-star remake of The Princess Bride filmed by actors at home while in quarantine, including the 17-year-old Puerto Rican and Mexican American actress.

In addition to Ortega, the re-creation will feature an A-list cast that includes couples Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner,Common and Tiffany Haddish, Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka and Chris Pine and Annabelle Wallis, along with Hugh Jackman, Jennifer Garner, Elijah Wood, Jon Hamm, Beanie Feldstein, Lucas Hedges, Jack Black, David Oyelowo, Keegan-Michael Key, Patton Oswalt, Josh Gad, Andy Serkis, Diego Luna, Taika Waititi and Zazie Beetz and more.

Directed by Jason Reitman, the project will see Common playing the heroic Westley (originated by Cary Elwes), Haddish as Princess Buttercup (first played by Robin Wright), and Jackman as the villainous Humperdinck, to name a few.

The Princess Bride’s director, Rob Reiner, will also appear in the remake, along with Fred Savage, who reprises his role as the grandson in the film.

Beginning June 29, Quibi will release chapters of the made-at-home movie daily for two weeks.

The remake also is aiding a good cause. As part of the project, Quibi has donated $1 million to chef José Andrés’ charity World Central Kitchen, which provides meals to those who have been most affected by the coronaviruspandemic.

The remake of The Princess Bridewas first reported by Vanity Fair.

Victoria Justice to Host Nickelodeon’s Rescheduled Kids’ Choice Awards

Posted on April 24, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Victoria Justiceis Nickelodeon’s choice…

The network is moving forward with its Kids’ Choice Awards with a new date, and with the 27-year-old half-Puerto Rican actress/singer and former Nickelodeon star as host.

Initially scheduled for March 22, the awards ceremony was postponed indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic. The newly titled virtually-produced Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards 2020: Celebrate Together will air on Saturday, May 2 at 8:00 pm ET/PT.

Celebrities scheduled to appear via video include Dwayne Johnson, Ariana Grande, Kristen Bell, Josh Gad, Camila Cabello, Millie Bobby Brown, Ellen DeGeneres, BTS, Shawn Mendes, Lil Nas X, Dove Cameron, David Dobrik, Tom Kenny, Bill Fagerbakkeand SSSniperWolf.

Also scheduled are appearances by cast members of The Avengers: Endgame, and a sneak peek of Nickelodeon’s new live-action series The Astronauts,from Imagine Entertainment.

Leading nominees for the awards show, which honors kids’ favorite celebs, movies, TV shows, games and more, include Avengers: Endgamewith 11, followed by Taylor Swift with five noms and Frozen 2, Henry Danger and Lil Nas Xwith four apiece.

NBA championLeBron Jameswill receive the 2020 Generation Change Award, honoring his commitment to creating real and lasting change through education.

Nickelodeon also will support the mission of No Kid Hungry, a national campaign to end childhood hunger in America, and present within the show a $1 million donation in support of those affected by the COVID-19pandemic.

Justice rose to acclaim as the star of the Nickelodeon series Victorious.

Trailer Released for Eugenio Derbez’s “The Angry Birds Movie 2”

Posted on March 30, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Eugenio Derbezwill be flying high this August…

The trailer for The Angry Birds Movie 2, with the 57-year-old Mexican actor as part of the voice cast, has been released.

Here’s what’s on the bill: When a new threat emerges that puts both Bird and Pig Island in danger, Red (Jason Sudeikis), Chuck (Josh Gad), Bomb (Danny McBride) and Mighty Eagle (Peter Dinklage) recruit Chuck’s sister Silver (Rachel Bloom) and team up with pigs Leonard (Bill Hader), his assistant Courtney (Awkwafina) and techpig Garry (Sterling K. Brown) to forge an unsteady truce and form an unlikely superteam to save their homes.

In addition to Derbez, who voices the character of Glenn, Bloom, Brown and Awkwafina, the newbie birds for Round 2 are Leslie Jones, Zach Woods, Lil Rel Howery, Pete Davidson, Beck Bennett, Nicki Minaj, Brooklynn Princeand Dove Cameron.

First-time feature director Thurop Van Ormanfeathers the nest from a script by Ice Age franchise veteran Peter Ackerman.

Sony Picturesopens the toon in 2- and 3D on August 16.

2016’s The Angry Birds Movie earned $352.3 million worldwide.

Lin-Manuel Miranda to Perform at This Year’s Tony Awards

Posted on June 8, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Lin-Manuel Miranda is making his triumphant return to the Tony Awards…

The 37-year-old Puerto Rican composer, playwright, actor and singer will perform on Sunday’s Tonycast, almost one year after his hit Broadway musical Hamilton swept the awards.

The casts of Bandstand, Come From Away, Dear Evan Hansen, Falsettos, Groundhog Day The Musical, Hello, Dolly!, Miss Saigon, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 and War Paint will perform during 71st Annual Tony Awards, which CBS will broadcast live from Radio City Music Hall from 8:00 to 11:00 PM.

There’s still no word on what Miranda will perform.

There will be additional performances by The Radio City Rockettes and Tony Award winners Cynthia Erivo (The Color Purple) and Leslie Odom Jr. (Hamilton).

There will be additional appearances by Scott Bakula, Sara Bareilles, Orlando Bloom, Rachel Bloom, Glenn Close, Stephen Colbert, Brian d’Arcy James, Cynthia Erivo, Tina Fey, Sutton Foster, Josh Gad, Whoopi Goldberg, Jonathan Groff, Mark Hamill, Taraji P. Henson, Christopher Jackson, Allison Janney, Scarlett Johansson, Anna Kendrick, Keegan-Michael Key, Nick Kroll, John Legend, John Lithgow, Patina Miller, John Mulaney, David Oyelowo, Chazz Palminteri, Sarah Paulson, Lea Salonga, Tom Sturridge, Tommy Tune, Olivia Wilde, and 2017 Tony nominees Sally Field, Josh Groban, Bette Midler and Ben Platt.

Although Midler will appear as a presenter in one of the acting categories, she is not scheduled to participate in the Hello, Dolly! segment, which will be led by co-star Hyde Pierce. The blockbuster production’s offer to present the title song, or another of Dolly’s show-stoppers, live via remote from the Shubert Theatre was declined by the Tony producers.

The ceremony will be hosted by Tony and Academy Award-winning actor Kevin Spacey.

The Tony Awards are presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing.

Garcia-Rulfo to Star in “Murder On The Orient Express” Remake

Posted on January 26, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Manuel Garcia-Rulfo is about to Express himself…

The 35-year-old Mexican actor has been cast in Fox’s Murder On The Orient Express, the remake based on Agatha Christie classic novel to be directed by Kenneth Branagh.

Garcia-Rulfo, who will portray Marquez, joins an all-star cast that includes Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Daisy Ridley, Judi Dench, Penelope Cruz, Michael Peña, Josh Gad and Leslie Odom Jr. as well as Branagh.

Garcia-Rulfo, who made his first major American film with Bless Me, Ultima, last starred in Antoine Fuqua’s The Magnificent Seven. He also recently completed shooting on Soldado.

His other credits include appearance in the film Cake and in the television series From Dusk till Dawn: The Series.

Cruz to Star in “Murder on the Orient Express” Remake

Posted on November 12, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Penelope Cruz has to Orient herself with a new project…

The 42-year-old Spanish actress is set to star in the Murder on the Orient Express remake.

Cruz joins a powerful ensemble cast that includes Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Daisy Ridley, Michael Pena, Judi Dench and Josh Gad along with Kenneth Branagh, who is starring as detective Hercule Poirot and also directing the film.

Based on the beloved 1934 Agatha Christie novel, the mystery begins after an American businessman is murdered aboard the train and the investigator tries to solve the murder, finding out eventually that 13 people all had something to do with the murder victim.

Cruz is currently shooting Escobar with husband Javier Bardem in the movie that examines the love affair between the drug lord Pablo Escobar and Colombian journalist Virginia Vallejo.

Peña Starring in “Murder On The Orient Express” Remake

Posted on October 21, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Michael Peña is taking the rails…

The 40-year-old Mexican American actor has signed on to star in Murder On The Orient Express, the 20th Century Fox remake of the Agatha Christie classic that’s being directed by Kenneth Branagh.

Peña joins a cast that includes Josh Gad, Johnny Depp, Daisy Ridley, Michelle Pfeiffer, Judi Dench and Branagh as famed detective Hercule Poirot.

The film is expected to begin production in November.

Blade Runner 2 scribe Michael Green adapted from Christie’s novel.

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