Juan Pablo Di Pace is ready to take your call… all for a great cause.
Project Angel Food will be holding a special telethon this Saturday, June 27, with the 40-year-old Argentinian actor/singer and Fuller House scene-stealer set to man the phones.
The Lead With Love: Project Angel FoodEmergency Telethon will air from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm PT on KTLA 5in Los Angeles and stream live on the channel’s website and on the Project Angel Food page.
The goal is to raise $500,000 to support Project Angel Food’s COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund, set up for increased needs due to the coronavirus. In the past two months, the organization has gone from serving 1,600 people a day, to serving 2,000 people a day.
Along with a mix of in-studio and virtual appearances, the telethon will include a live phone bank where callers can talk to celebrity guests, including Di Pace, Jonathan Adams, Joely Fisher, Rachel Lindsay, Peter Porte, Charlie Carver, Lawrence Zarian, Sasha Roiz and Lauren Tom.
Scheduled performers include Annie Lennox, Kristin Chenoweth and Kelly Clarkson, with Eric McCormack, Sheryl Lee Ralph and Jessica Holmes hosting.
Other performers include Cee Lo Green, Deborah Cox and Billy Idol, and the event will include appearances by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Elton John, Jamie Lee Curtis, Sharon Stone, Marie Osmond, Zachary Levi, Pauley Perrette, Marianne Williamson, John Goodman, Valerie Bertinelli, Marlee Matlin, Olivia Newton-John, Kelly Osbourne, Margaret Cho, Charo, Danny Trejo, Matt Bomer,Cheryl Tiegs, Tyler Henry, Carson Kressley,Eileen Davidson, Chrissy Metz, Sandra Lee, Lisa Rinna, Harry Hamlin, Jimmy Smits, Victoria Principal, Yvette Nicole Brown, Loni Love, Chaz Dean, Sasha Alexander, Ron Cey and Josh Flagg.
The event is being presented by City National Bank, and executive producer is Brad Bessey. Lisa Foxx will serve as announcer and auctioneer Gabriel Butu will be the money man.
Founded in 1989 during the AIDS crisis, Project Angel Food medically tailored meals to people with life-threatening illnesses, including those who are at high risk for COVID-19.
“This event will blend the best nostalgic elements from the Jerry Lewis Telethon with the modern virtual fundraisers of today,” Project Angel Food executive director Richard Ayoub said in a statement.
Click here for more information on the event and learn how to donate.
The 49-year-old Cuban American stage and television actor is among this year’s Outer Critics Circle Awards recipients, a collection of Broadway and Off Broadway ecipients that make up the organization’s first-ever slate of multiple honorees.
With the Tony Awards remaining a mere possibility this year, the 70th Annual Outer Critics Circle Awards took a different approach to an unusual, pandemic-shortened theater season: Instead of selecting traditional nominees with one winner from each category, the OCCnamed five honorees in each of its technical categories and up to six honorees in the acting categories.
Esparza was named one of the honorees in the Outstanding Actor in a Playcategory for his acclaimed performance in Seared.
Esparza’s Searedco-star Krysta Rodriguezwas one of the honorees in the Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play category.
Matthew Lopez’s The Inheritance picked up an honoree designation for Outstanding New Broadway Play.
The Puerto Rican playwright penned the two-part play, which is set in New York three decades after the height of the AIDS epidemic.
John Ortiz was one of the honorees in the Outstanding Director of a Play for helming Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven, while one of the play’s stars, Liza Colón-Zayas, was named an Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play honoree.
Karen Olivo picked up an honoree designation for Outstanding Actress in a Musical for her starring role in Moulin Rouge!
Recalibrated to celebrate “widespread excellence in New York theater this season,” the OCC Awards – chosen by the official organization of writers on New York theatre for out-of-town newspapers and national publications – were announced by past honorees Kristin Chenoweth, Bryan Cranston, Patti LuPone, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Patrick Stewart.
The OCC is making a donation to The Actors’ Fundin support of its emergency relief efforts.
Here’s a look at the 2019-2020 Outer Critics Circle Award honorees:
OUTSTANDING NEW BROADWAY PLAY
Grand Horizons Written by Bess Wohl
The Height of the Storm Written by Florian Zeller Translated by Christopher Hampton
The Inheritance Written by Matthew Lopez
Linda Vista Written by Tracy Letts
The Sound Inside Written by Adam Rapp
OUTSTANDING NEW BROADWAY MUSICAL
Jagged Little Pill Music by Alanis Morissette and Glen Ballard Lyrics by Alanis Morissette Book by Diablo Cody
Moulin Rouge! Book by John Logan Based on the 2001 Twentieth Century Fox Motion Picture written by Baz Luhrmann and Craig Pearce
Tina: The Tina Turner Musical Book by Katori Hall With Frank Ketelaar and Kees Prins
OUTSTANDING NEW OFF-BROADWAY PLAY
Cambodian Rock Band Written by Lauren Yee
Greater Clements Written by Samuel D. Hunter
Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven Written by Stephen Adly Guirgis
Make Believe Written by Bess Wohl
Seared Written by Theresa Rebeck
OUTSTANDING NEW OFF-BROADWAY MUSICAL
Darling Grenadine Book, Music, and Lyrics by Daniel Zaitchik
Octet Book, Music, and Lyrics by Dave Malloy
The Secret Life of Bees Book by Lynn Nottage Music by Duncan Sheik Lyrics by Susan Birkenhead Based on the novel by Sue Monk Kidd
Soft Power Book and Lyrics by David Henry Hwang Music and Additional Lyrics by Jeanine Tesori
A Strange Loop Book, Music, and Lyrics by Michael R. Jackson
OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A PLAY (Broadway or Off-Broadway)
Betrayal Written by Harold Pinter
Fires in the Mirror Written by Anna Deavere Smith
For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf Written by Ntozake Shange
Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune Written by Terrence McNally
A Soldier’s Play Written by Charles Fuller
OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL (Broadway or Off-Broadway)
Little Shop of Horrors Book and Lyrics by Howard Ashman Music by Alan Menken
The Unsinkable Molly Brown Music and Lyrics by Meredith Willson Book and New Lyrics by Dick Scanlan Based on the Original Book by Richard Morris Music Adapted by Michael Rafter
West Side Story Music by Leonard Bernstein Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim Book by Arthur Laurents Based on a Conception by Jerome Robbins
JOHN GASSNER AWARD (Presented for an American play, preferably by a new playwright)
Georgia Mertching Is Dead by Catya McMullen Heroes of the Fourth Turning by Will Arbery Our Dear Dead Drug Lord by Alexis Scheer Pari sby Eboni Booth
OUTSTANDING BOOK OF A MUSICAL (Broadway or Off-Broadway) Diablo Cody, Jagged Little Pill David Henry Hwang, Soft Power Michael R. Jackson, A Strange Loop Lynn Nottage, The Secret Life of Bees Mark Saltzman, Romeo and Bernadette
OUTSTANDING NEW SCORE (Broadway or Off-Broadway) Susan Birkenhead and Duncan Sheik, The Secret Life of Bees Ross Golan, The Wrong Man Michael R. Jackson, A Strange Loop Dave Malloy, Octet Jeanine Tesori and David Henry Hwang, Soft Power
OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR OF A PLAY David Cromer, The Sound Inside Stephen Daldry, The Inheritance Kenny Leon, A Soldier’s Play Jamie Lloyd, Betrayal John Ortiz, Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven
OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL Stephen Brackett, A Strange Loop Michael Mayer, Little Shop of Horrors Diane Paulus, Jagged Little Pill Alex Timbers,Moulin Rouge! Ivo van Hove, West Side Story
OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHER Sidi Larbi Cherakoui, Jagged Little Pill Raja Feather Kelly, A Strange Loop Sonya Tayeh,Moulin Rouge! Anthony Van Laast, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical Travis Wall, The Wrong Man
OUTSTANDING ORCHESTRATIONS Tom Kitt, Jagged Little Pill Alex Lacamoire, The Wrong Man Justin Levine, with Matt Stine, Katie Kresek, and Charlie Rosen,Moulin Rouge! Christopher Nightingale, A Christmas Carol Duncan Sheik and John Clancy, The Secret Life of Bees
OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A PLAY Ian Barford, Linda Vista Edmund Donovan, Greater Clements Raúl Esparza, Seared Tom Hiddleston, Betrayal Will Hochman, The Sound Inside Jonathan Pryce, The Height of the Storm
OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A PLAY Eileen Atkins, The Height of the Storm Judith Ivey, Greater Clements Joaquina Kalukango, Slave Play April Matthis,Toni Stone Mary-Louise Parker, The Sound Inside Portia, Stew
OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY David Alan Grier, A Soldier’s Play John Benjamin Hickey, The Inheritance Paul Hilton,The Inheritance Samuel H. Levine, The Inheritance John-Andrew Morrison, Blues for an Alabama Sky Chris Perfetti, Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow
OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY Liza Colón-Zayas, Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven Montego Glover, All the Natalie Portmans Marsha Mason,Little Gem Krysta Rodriguez, Seared Lois Smith, The Inheritance Jennifer Van Dyck, The Confession of Lily Dare
OUTSTANDING SOLO PERFORMANCE David Cale, We’re Only Alive For a Short Amount of Time Laura Linney, My Name Is Lucy Barton Aedin Moloney, Yes! Reflections of Molly Bloom Deirdre O’Connell, Dana H. Michael Benjamin Washington, Fires in the Mirror
OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL Jonathan Groff,Little Shop of Horrors Joshua Henry, The Wrong Man Adam Kantor, Darling Grenadine Larry Owens, A Strange Loop Isaac Powell, West Side Story Aaron Tveit, Moulin Rouge!
OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL Beth Malone, The Unsinkable Molly Brown Janelle McDermoth, We’re Gonna Die Karen Olivo, Moulin Rouge! Shereen Pimentel, West Side Story Elizabeth Stanley, Jagged Little Pill Adrienne Warren, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL Christian Borle,Little Shop of Horrors Danny Burstein, Moulin Rouge! Gus Halper, Sing Street Jay Armstrong Johnson, Scotland, PA Francis Jue, Soft Power Daniel J. Watts, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL Eisa Davis, The Secret Life of Bees Kathryn Gallagher, Jagged Little Pill LaChanze, The Secret Life of Bees Judy McLane, Romeo & Bernadette Lauren Patten, Jagged Little Pill Saycon Sengbloh, The Secret Life of Bees
OUTSTANDING SCENIC DESIGN (Play or Musical) Rob Howell, A Christmas Carol Tim Mackabee, Seared Derek McLane, Moulin Rouge! Clint Ramos, Grand Horizons Anthony Ward,The Height of the Storm
OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN (Play or Musical) Vanessa Leuck, Emojiland Jeff Mahshie, Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice Mark Thompson, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical Rachel Townsend & Jessica Jahn, The Confession of Lily Dare Catherine Zuber, Moulin Rouge!
OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN (Play or Musical) Isabella Byrd, Heroes of the Fourth Turning Heather Gilbert, The Sound Inside Justin Townsend, Moulin Rouge! Hugh Vanstone, A Christmas Carol Hugh Vanstone, The Height of the Storm
OUTSTANDING PROJECTION DESIGN (Play or Musical) Luke Halls, West Side Story Brad Peterson, Broadway Bounty Hunter Lisa Renkel and Possible Productions, Emojiland Aaron Rhyne, The Sound Inside Hannah Wasileski, Fires in the Mirror
OUTSTANDING SOUND DESIGN (Play or Musical) Simon Baker, A Christmas Carol Mikhail Fiksel, Dana H. Peter Hylenski, Moulin Rouge! Lee Kinney and Sanae Yamada, Is This A Room Daniel Kluger, The Sound Inside
Lin-Manuel Miranda is celebrating a living musical theater legend.
The 40-year-old Puerto Rican composer, lyricist, singer, actor, producer and playwright, widely known for creating and starring in the Tony Award-winning Broadway musicals In the Heights and Hamilton, has signed on to appear on Sunday’s Stephen Sondheim virtual birthday concert.
Miranda, who starred in Mary Poppins Returns, joins a roster of new additions that includes Jake Gyllenhaal, Linda Lavin, Laura Benanti, Neil Patrick Harrisand Ben Plattfor the all-star benefit for Artists Striving To End Poverty.
Previously announced stars participating in the concert include Annaleigh Ashford, Melissa Errico, Beanie Feldstein, Josh Groban, Judy Kuhn, Randy Rainbow and Lea Solanga.
Special appearances will be made by Victor Garber, Joanna Gleason, Nathan Lane and Steven Spielberg.
They’ll all join the previously announced Meryl Streep, Bernadette Peters, Patti LuPone and Audra McDonald, among many others, in the special virtual concert to celebrate Sondheim’s 90th birthday.
Take Me To The World: A Sondheim 90th Birthday Celebration, hosted by Raúl Esparza, is set for this Sunday, April 26, the 50th anniversary of the opening night of Sondheim’s groundbreaking musical Company.
The concert kicks off at 8:00 pm ET, and will be available for free at Broadway.comand the Broadway.com YouTubechannel.
Other artists performing songs from the Sondheim catalog will include Mandy Patinkin, ChristineBaranski, Donna Murphy, Kristin Chenoweth, Sutton Foster, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Kelli O’Hara, Aaron Tveit, Maria Friedman, Iain Armitage, Katrina Lenk, Michael Cerveris, Brandon Uranowitz, Stephen Schwartz, Elizabeth Stanley, Chip Zien, Alexander Gemignani and, from the cast of Pacific Overtures at Classic Stage Company, Ann Harada, Austin Ku, Kelvin Moon Loh and Thom Sesma.
Esparza starred as Bobby in the 2006 Tony Award-winning revival of Companyand in the Kennedy Center Sondheim Celebration productions of Sunday in the Park with George and Merrily We Roll Along in 2002, as well as the City Center Encores! production of Anyone Can Whistle and in last year’s Road Show.
“The world is in a hard place,” Esparza said in a statement, “and we are all searching for something great. Well, Stephen Sondheim is greatness personified.”
Mary-Mitchell Campbell will be the music director, with Paul Wontorek serving as director.
The online event will act as a fundraiser for ASTEP (Artists Striving to End Poverty), the organization conceived by Campbell and Juilliard students to transform the lives of youth through art.
Luis Fonsiis raising awareness about music education…
The 40-year-old Puerto Rican singer/songwriter has been named to the Grammy Music Education Coalition’s (GMEC) national campaign on behalf of its new All-Star Ambassador program.
Additional members of the All-Star Ambassador program include singer Bebe Rexha, pop/R&B artist Rita Ora, Broadway veteran Kristin Chenoweth, Grammy winner Stephen Marley, country newcomer Caroline Jones, classical pianist Lang Lang, Guns N’ Roses’ Matt Sorum, saxophonist Mindi Abair, songwriter Regina Spektorand Philadelphia rock band War on Drugs.
Selected for their personal connections to music education, the diverse group of creatives will be working to spread awareness and raise funds for music education.
In a release announcing the Ambassador program, GMEC executive director Lee Whitmore said, “The Grammy Music Education Coalition is thrilled to be celebrating universal music education participation by American elementary, middle and high school students. Today, we join with our GMEC member and partner, the Grammy Museum Foundation, to inspire a future vision for careers and the arts for young people from around the Los Angeles area.”
Whitmore also announced that the GMEC has launched intensive music programs in Philadelphia and Nashville. Focusing on funding and services for both cities’ public school systems, the goal for this inaugural school year is to invest $1 million in each district while overseeing and coordinating the programs established by the Coalition’s partners. For instance, the Philadelphia slate includes a commercial music curriculum developed with DASH, Live Nationand Recording Academymembers along with a program coordinator. The Nashville investment will feature an elementary music coach, a program coordinator and professional development through spring/summer music and audio technology events for all teachers.
“Our commitments in these first two school systems for the next three years are focused and will have a lasting impact,” added Whitmore. “The Coalition and community investment goals for the school systems are $5 million each.” Rounding out its series of announcements, the GMEC revealed members of its Founders Circle, board and executive advisory council (grammymusiced.org).
Gina Rodriguez’s star is rising this holiday season…
The first trailer has been released for the 32-year-old Puerto Rican actress and Jane the Virgin star’s The Star, an animated holiday film in which the animals run the village.
Steven Yuen stars as Bo, a donkey who yearns for a life beyond his daily grind. When finally he summons the courage to break free, his adventure leads him to make friends with a flockless sheep (Aidy Bryant) and ambitious dove (Keegan-Michael Key). Little do they know, but they and a group of eccentric camels and stable animals are about to become unlikely heroes in the Greatest Story Ever Told.
Directed by Timothy Reckart from Carlos Kotkin’s script, the toon features a diverse, big-name voice cast that also includes Zachary Levi as Joseph and, Rodriguez as Mary.
Christopher Plummer plays the villainous King Herod. The animal characters include Kelly Clarkson, Patricia Heaton, Kristin Chenoweth, Anthony Anderson, Ving Rhames, Gabriel Iglesias.
Meanwhile Tyler Perry, Tracy Morgan and Oprah Winfrey voice the trio of wise-cracking camels.
The film from Sony Pictures Animation and Affirm Films in association with Walden Media features a new title song by Mariah Carey, and the trailer sports a contemporary take on Stevie Wonder’s yuletide classic “That’s What Christmas Means to Me.”
Columbia Pictures will release The Star on November 10.
The 32-year-old Puerto Rican actress has joined the A-list voice cast of Sony Pictures Animation’s The Star.
The story follows a small but brave donkey named Bo (Steven Yeun) who yearns for a life beyond his daily grind at the village mill. As the logline states: “One day he finds the courage to break free, and finally goes on the adventure of his dreams. On his journey, he teams up with Ruth, a lovable sheep who has lost her flock and Dave, a dove with lofty aspirations. Along with three wisecracking camels and some eccentric stable animals, Bo and his new friends follow the Star and become accidental heroes in the greatest story ever told – the first Christmas.”
In addition to Yeun and Rodriguez, the Golden Globe-winning star of the CW’s Jane the Virgin who will voice Mary in the film, the star-studded voice cast includes Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry, Tracy Moran, Kris Kristofferson, Kristin Chenoweth, Kelly Clarkson, Gabriel Iglesias, Ving Rhames and Christopher Plummer who will voice King Herod.
Directed by Oscar-nominated writer-director Timothy Reckart, the family-friendly film will be released wide on November 10.
The screenplay was written by Carlos Kotkin from a story by Kotkin and Simon Moore.
The 32-year-old Honduran American actress appears in a special Elizabeth Banks-produced a cappella music video in support of the Democratic Party’s nominee for President of the United States.
In a nod to the Pitch Perfect films she produces, Banks, along with Bruce Cohen and Mike Thompkins, recruited a long list of Hollywood actors and singers, including the former Ugly Betty star, for an a cappella version of Rachel Platten’s “Fight Song.”
In addition to Ferrera, other Hollywood elit appearing in the video include Eva Longoria, Kristin Chenoweth, Rob Reiner, Mandy Moore, Alan Cumming, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Idina Menzel, Renee Fleming, Aisha Tyler, Jane Fonda, Sheryl Crow and, at the very end, Sia with a loud and proud, “Go Hillary.”
It’s a Peanuts-sized Christmas for Kirstie Maldonado…
The 23-year-old half-Mexican, part Spanish-American singer and her fellow Pentatonix members helped spread a little holiday cheer alongside the Peanuts Gang.
In honor of the beloved animated characters and the perennial favorite A Charlie Brown Christmas, ABC aired It’s Your 50th Christmas, Charlie Brown with a special Pentatonix performance.
The a capella group performed “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” with the All-American Boys Chorus on the show, which was pre-recorded.
Other performers included performers Sarah McLachlan, Boyz II Men, Kristin Chenoweth, and pianist David Benoit, who worked on many of the annual yuletide Charlie Brownspecials.
Special guests included Barack and Michelle Obama.
The anniversary program trended worldwide on Twitter due in part to its musical moments.
A one night stand turns dangerous for Jennifer Lopez…
Blumhouse Productions has released the first official trailer for The Boy Next Door, starring the 45-year-old Puerto Rican actress/singer and American Idol judge.
Lopez portrays a divorced high school teacher, whose night of weakness with the young neighbor (portrayed by Ryan Guzman) who befriends her impressionable son goes all kinds of wrong in this suspense thriller when he becomes obsessed with her.
John Corbett, Ian Nelson and Kristin Chenoweth co-star in the film from director Rob Cohen and writer Barbara Curry. Universal Pictures will release the film on January 23.
The 44-year-old Puerto Rican singer-actress and American Idol judgewill be feted at the GLAAD Media Awards next month, the LGBT advocacy organization announced Monday.
The Vanguard Award is presented to artists and media professionals who, through their work, have increased the visibility and understanding of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.
Along with her strong support of LGBT issues in the media, Lopez is being recognized for her work on The Fosters, a GLAAD Media Award-nominated drama series about a lesbian couple raising a family of biological, adopted and foster children. Lopez’s inspiration for producing The Fosters came from her late aunt, who faced prejudice because of her sexual orientation and was unable to have her own family.
“Through her work to bring The Fosters to life and by consistently speaking out as a powerful ally, Jennifer Lopez has not only sent a message of acceptance to LGBT adults and young people, but inspired new support for our community among her many fans around the globe,” said GLAAD CEO and president Sarah Kate Ellis. “Family is about love, and that’s a message Jennifer has shared with millions through her groundbreaking work on The Fosters.”
Previous Vanguard honorees include Antonio Banderas, Drew Barrymore, Kristin Chenoweth, Whoopi Goldberg, Josh Hutcherson, Janet Jackson, Eric McCormack, Liza Minnelli, Sharon Stone and Elizabeth Taylor.
