Tori Kelly to Appear on CBS’ Christmas Special, “Josh Groban & Friends Go Home for the Holidays”

Posted on November 14, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Tori Kelly will be helping get Americans into the holiday spirit…

The 31-year-old part-Puerto Rican will join Josh Groban for the festive-season special for CBS, Josh Groban & Friends Go Home for the Holidays, which is scheduled to air on December 20.

Musical performances include holiday classics, new releases and duets with Groban and his guests, including Tori, James Bay, Jennifer Hudson and The War And Treaty.

Hosted and executive produced by Groban, the special is said to feature a new format combining compelling stories, music, comedy and a live adoption on stage, celebrating the creation of a new family.

“I am honored and excited to host a show with friends old and new to celebrate the unity and togetherness of the holidays,” Groban said in a statement. “It’s especially important because it will spread the importance of adoption and will feature the most incredible kids. I can’t wait for everyone to watch with their families, sing along and hopefully make room in their hearts and homes for a child who needs one.”

For the last 25 years, Home for the Holidays has shined a light on the thousands of American children in foster care, and has inspired tens of thousands of adoptions.

Josh Groban & Friends Go Home for the Holidays continues its legacy of showcasing the transformative power of adoption and the true meaning of family.

Josh Groban & Friends Go Home for the Holidays is produced by Triage Entertainment and Goldsmith Entertainment.

Michael Simon is director.

The special was filmed in the Bram Goldsmith Theater at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, Beverly Hills, Calif.

Groban’s previous specials include Josh Groban in Concert (2002) and Josh Groban’s Great Big Radio City Show (2022), both for PBS.

Josh Groban & Friends Go Home for the Holidays is set to air on December 20 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on CBS (live and on-demand for Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers, or on-demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the special airs).

Danny Pino to Appear on Soundtrack for Film Adaptation of Broadway Musical “Dear Evan Hansen”

Posted on August 31, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Danny Pino isn’t just starring in Dear Evan Hansen… He’s also appearing on the soundtrack.

Universal has announced the track list for the film adaptation of the award-winning Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen, with the 47-year-old Cuban American actor among the talents appearing on the album.

Pino appears on the film’s track “Requiem,” alongside Kaitlyn Dever and Amy Adams.

The soundtrack, which will be available on September 9 – the same day as the film’s theatrical release via Interscope Records, will also feature Sam Smith with Summer Walker, SZA, Carrie Underwood with Dan + Shay, Finneas, and Tori Kelly. They’ll be performing reimagined versions of the musical’s Tony Award-winning songs and as well as original recordings from the film’s score.

Songwriting duo Benj Pasek and Justin Paul also wrote original tracks for the movie adaptation of Dear Evan Hansen. The album also features 16 tracks that include recordings by the film’s cast.

“Pasek and Paul’s songs from the Dear Evan Hansen stage play are so amazing and timeless — newly recorded by our film’s cast for the soundtrack (and freshly produced by Benj Pasek, Justin Paul, Alex Lacamoire and Dan Romer, and supervised by Jordan Carroll) — and they’re now also complemented by two new original songs written for the film (with one of them co-written and performed in the film by Amandla Stenberg),” Mike Knobloch, president of global film music and publishing at Universal Pictures, tells Billboard.

Pino portrays Larry Mora in the film.

Maluma to Take Part in Bill Nye the Science Guy’s Climate Change-Themed “Earth Day! The Musical” Special on Facebook Watch

Posted on April 20, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Maluma is hoping to raise awareness about climate change…

The 27-year-old Colombian singer/songwriter is joining forces with Bill Nye the Science Guy and fellow superstar musicians for an Earth Day-centered Facebook Watch special dedicated to protecting the planet.

Earth Day! The Musical, formed in partnership with Facebook Watch and EARTHDAY.org, follows Nye, the iconic TV science educator, as he teams up with Maluma and more to share with their fans what part they can play in restoring our Earth.

Nye will also pass the mic to young climate activists discussing what work they’ve been doing to help the planet, including Alexia Akbay, CEO and co-founder of Symbrosia, a Hawaii-based startup using seaweed to reduce livestock methane; Jerome Foster II, the youngest member of the Joe Biden White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council at age 18; and Xiye Bastida, a Mexican-Chilean climate activist and one of the lead organizers of the Fridays for Future youth climate strike movement in New York.

Other A-list musical guests who will be featured in the special include Justin Bieber, Ben Platt, Charli and Dixie D’Amelio, CNCO, Cody Simpson, Idina Menzel, Jack Harlow, Steve Aoki, and Tori Kelly. Zac Efron, Desus Nice and The Kid Mero, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Karamo Brown, Nick Kroll and more are also slated to appear.

On Monday (April 19), Maluma surprised fans with his freshly minted Earth Day anthem “Rumba (Puro Oro Anthem)“ that he recorded in collaboration with Michelob Ultra Pure Gold to toast to its first-ever organic lager brewed with 100 percent renewable electricity from solar power.

During Earth Day! The Musical, Facebook will roll out its #RestoreOurEarthChallenge, which calls on international viewers to share pictures, videos and other social media posts about the steps they’re taking to combat climate change on Earth Day this year.

“Earth Day! The Musical” will air on Thursday at noon ET on Facebook Watch.

Bobby Cannavale Joins Voice Cast of Illumination/Universal Pictures’ Animated Film “Sing 2”

Posted on December 23, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Bobby Cannavale is getting musical…

The 50-year-old half-Cuban American Emmy-winning actor has joined the voice cast of Sing 2, the Illumination/Universal Pictures sequel to the 2016 animated hit.

Cannavale is among a roster of cast newcomers that includes U2 lead singer Bono, Pharrell Williams, Halsey, Letitia Wright, Eric Andre and Chelsea Peretti.

Reprising stars include Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johannsson, Taron Egerton, Tori Kelly and Nick Kroll.

The film will be ready for theatrical holiday release a year from now.

“Sing 2 transcends the animation genre, immersing audiences in a fully realized world populated by complex characters, each with bold aspirations and relatable challenges,” said Illumination founder/CEO Chris Meledandri. “We are thrilled that the Sing franchise attracts such exceptional talent, and we are delighted to announce this extraordinary cast. The film is a musical celebration of the unrelenting pursuit of one’s dreams, no matter how large the challenges that stand in your way. At its core this movie speaks to the power of optimism and belief.”

In Sing 2, Buster Moon (McConaughey) and his cast of underdogs push their talents beyond their local theater, hoping for a shot to perform at the most prestigious venue in the entertainment capital of the world: The Crystal Tower Theater. To do that, though, they’ll first have to impress the powerful and egotistical entertainment mogul—and likely gangster—wolf Jimmy Crystal (Cannavale) and prove that they are worthy of his stage. Crystal will let them perform, on condition Buster convince the world’s most reclusive rock legend, lion Clay Calloway (Bono) out of self-imposed seclusion after the death of his wife and persuade him to perform in the show.

Williams plays Alfonso, an elephant ice-cream-truck owner who becomes the first crush of shy elephant Meena (Kelly). Halsey voices Jimmy Crystal’s teenage daughter, Porsche; Wright plays a streetwise feline dancer who helps earnest gorilla Johnny (Egerton) regain his confidence while learning his choreography; Andre plays a self-important yak; and Peretti voices Jimmy Crystal’s haughty canine assistant and talent scout. Witherspoon returns as harried mother pig, Rosita; Johansson reprises as rocker porcupine Ash and Kroll returns as the pig artiste, Gunter.

The film is written and directed by Garth Jennings.

Ally Brooke to Perform During This Year’s “Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade”

Posted on November 12, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

It’ll be an extra special Thanksgiving for Ally Brooke…

27-year-old Mexican American singer and former Fifth Harmony member will be performing as part of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which may look different this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Unlike other years, the decorated floats and helium-filled balloons will not be marching down the usual two-and-a-half-mile route starting at West 77th Street. The parade has shorted its route and will only be held (without an audience) in front of Macy’s famed flagship store on 34th Street for the national television special.

Ally Brooke joins a roster of performers that includes Lauren Alaina, Jimmie Allen and Noah Cyrus, Sofia Carson, CNCO, Jimmy Fallon and The Roots, Karol G, Tori Kelly, Patti LaBelle, Ella Mai, Leslie Odom Jr., Keke Palmer, Dolly Parton, Pentatonix, Bebe Rexha, Jordin Sparks, Sebastián Yatra, Brett Young and more.

The casts of Hamilton, Mean Girls, Jagged Little Pill, and Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations, all of which have not taken the live stage since March, are set to perform at the parade.

While the Broadway performances will be filmed ahead of time, they will air during the broadcast at 9:00 a.m. ET on NBC.

Kirstin Maldonado & Her Pentatonix Mates Release Inspirational “Amazing Grace” Cover

Posted on November 7, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Kirstin Maldonado is bringin’ a little grace to the holiday season…

The 28-year-old Mexican & Spanish American singer and her Pentatonix group mates have surprised the world with the release of the music video for their new cover of “Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone).”

In the Jimmy Bates-directed clip, Maldonado and her Pentatonix mates infuse the enduring gospel classic with their trademark a capella harmonies while wandering through a stunning outdoor church in the misty woods.

“My chains are gone/ I’ve been set free/ My God, my savior has ransomed me/ And like a flood/ His mercy reigns/ Unending love/ Amazing grace,” Mitch Grassi belts, while his bandmates provide crashing percussion and background vocals. Maldonado then takes over lead vocals on the next pitch-perfect stanza.

The track will serve as the lead single for the band’s upcoming sixth holiday album, We Need a Little Christmas, which is slated to drop November 13 via RCA Records.

While Pentatonix has yet to reveal the studio set’s complete track list, it will follow The Best of Pentatonix Christmas, their 2019 holiday compilation which featured collaborations with Tori Kelly (“Winter Wonderland/Don’t Worry, Be Happy“), Kelly Clarkson (“Grown Up Christmas List“), Maren Morris (“When You Believe”) and Jennifer Hudson (“How Great Thou Art“), as well as a posthumous duet with the late Whitney Houston on “Do You Hear What I Hear?”

Previously, the Christmas-loving a capella group has also released 2012’s PTXmas, 2014’s That’s Christmas to Me, 2016’s A Pentatonix Christmas and 2018’s Christmas Is Here!

Their next non-holiday full-length, titled The Lucky Ones, is currently expected to hit shelves, digital retailers and streaming services on February 12, 2021.

Demi Lovato Teases New Single on Social Media

Posted on August 13, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Demi Lovato is a tease…

The 27-year-old half-Mexican American singer/actress has shared a snippet of a new song from her upcoming yet-untitled album on social media.

In an Instagram Story, Lovato wears a multi-colored ’90s-inspired Gucci jacket and slim sunglasses while driving around L.A. listening to the seemingly autobiographical track.

“I know I made it hard for you / And I owe my part, I’ll tell the truth / You said that it’d be over/ If I didn’t get sober / Sober,” her voice croons from the car’s speakers.

Lovato also used a GIF of a steaming teapot in the Story, which she captioned “#D7.”

While the “Sorry Not Sorry” singer has yet to announce an official release date for her seventh studio set, the LP is expected to include the self-love anthem “I Love Me.”

The album will also serve as her first full-length release since recovering from an accidental overdose and hospitalization back in July 2018.

Demi Lovato showed a preview of a new song #D7
pic.twitter.com/y6E5FbOK1c
— Demi Lovato Charts (@chartdlovato) August 11, 2020

One month prior to her relapse, Lovato dropped one-off single “Sober,” a heart-wrenching, apologetic ballad detailing her lapse in sobriety.

She’s since signed with Scooter Braun as her new manager, joining the music mogul’s powerhouse roster of clients including Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Tori Kelly and more.

Lovato is a two-time Grammy nominee, for her album Confident and song “Fall in Line” with Christina Aguilera.

While fans anxiously await the follow-up to 2017’s Tell Me You Love Me, Lovato is next set to join forces with JoJo on a remix of the latter’s single “Lonely Hearts.” The duet between the two big-voiced singers will be included on the deluxe edition of JoJo’s latest album, Good to Know, which is slated for release on August 28 via Clover Music/Warner Records.

Demi Lovato Releasing “I Love Me” Remix, Featuring Travis Barker

Posted on May 6, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Demi Lovato is mixin’ things up…

The 27-year-old half-Mexican American singer/actress has announced plans to release a remix of her latest track “I Love Me,“ featuring Travis Barker.

“#ILoveMe but make it… emo? Out tomorrow night with @travisbarker!!!” Lovato captioned a photo of the remix’s official cover art on Instagram, along with a string of emojis including a black heart, a drum, a “rock on” hand and an excited face.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Demi Lovato (@ddlovato)

Lovato also joined an Instagram Live with Tori Kelly on Tuesday, where the two powerhouse singers performed an a capella rendition of her 2016 Confident-era single “Stone Cold” and revealed they’d love to collaborate together in the studio.

“You are one of the best vocalists in this generation and it would be just an honor to do something with you, so we got it…Scooter, hello!” Lovato said, referencing the pair’s shared manager Scooter Braun, while Kelly replied, “Yes, I feel the same, I feel the same. I’m so down.”

Maldonado & Her Pentatonix Groupmates to Salute the Bee Gees at Grammy Tribute

Posted on March 23, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Kirsitie Maldonado will be experiencing disco fever…

The 24-year-old half-Mexican and part-Spanish American singer and her fellow Pentatonix members will be helping commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack next month.

Maldonado’s a capella group will perform at Stayin’ Alive: A Grammy Salute to the Music of the Bee Gees, which will premiere April 16 on CBS.

The event, led by the Recording Academy, AEG Ehrlich Ventures and CBS, will focus on improving music life and culture through the Bee Gees‘ legacy, celebrating the members of the five-time Grammy-winning group and Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award recipients.

Barry Gibb, the Bee Gees’ co-founder and last surviving member, will make an appearance and perform classic hits from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack.

In addition to Pentatonix, special tributes from musicians will include performances by Stevie Wonder, Keith Urban, John Legend, Nick Jonas, Tori Kelly, Celine Dion, Little Big Town, Thomas Rhett, Jason Derulo, Kelsea Ballerini, Andra Day, Ed Sheeran, DNCE and many more.

Other guest appearances to add to the lineup are John Travolta, Cynthia Erivo and Wilmer Valderrama.

Pentatonix, who earned a Grammy for their collaboration with country legend Dolly Parton on “Jolene,” recently released their cover of John Lennon’s “Imagine,” part of the group’s upcoming album.

Maldonado and the gang previously covered Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” performed a Star Wars-themed medley at the American Music Awards, and performed the Oak Ridge Boys’ “Elvira” at the CMA Awards.

Lovato to Help Celebrate the Music of the Bee Gees at This Year’s Grammy Awards

Posted on February 8, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Demi Lovato is about to experience a little Night Fever…

The 24-year-old part-Mexican American singer/actress is set to make a special appearance at this year’s Grammy Awards.

Lovato, a first-time Grammy nominee this year (for her album Confident In the Best Pop Vocal Album category), will join Andra Day, Tori Kelly and Little Big Town for a collaborative performance celebrating the music of the Bee Gees and the 40th anniversary of Saturday Night Fever.

They join a growing list of performers that includes Beyonce, Katy Perry, The Weeknd, Daft Punk, Adele, Metallica with Lady Gaga, Carrie Underwood, Bruno Mars, Keith Urban, Anderson .Paak, A Tribe Called Quest and many others.

The Grammy Awards will take place February 12 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles with host James Corden. It will be broadcast live at 8:00 pm EST on CBS.

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