Star Trek was on the ground this weekend at WonderCon! On Friday, Paramount+ and CBS Studios hosted a Sing-Along for the first time. This included a screening of the “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” musical episode, “Subspace Rhapsody,” followed by a moderated Q&a with songwriters Tom Polce and Kay Hanley, also of Letters to Cleo fame, where they discussed writing the songs for Star Trek’s first ever musical episode.
Then on Saturday, fans were treated to an advance screening of the premiere episode of the final season of “Star Trek: Discovery.” Immediately following, a moderated Q&a with Michelle Paradise (EP/Co-Showrunner) and Olatunde Osunsanmi (EP/Director) took place in front of the crowded room where they discussed working on the exciting final season and teasing what’s to come in the upcoming episodes. One of the newest cast members of “Star Trek: Discovery” season 5, Elias Toufexis (L...
Then on Saturday, fans were treated to an advance screening of the premiere episode of the final season of “Star Trek: Discovery.” Immediately following, a moderated Q&a with Michelle Paradise (EP/Co-Showrunner) and Olatunde Osunsanmi (EP/Director) took place in front of the crowded room where they discussed working on the exciting final season and teasing what’s to come in the upcoming episodes. One of the newest cast members of “Star Trek: Discovery” season 5, Elias Toufexis (L...
- 4/1/2024
- by Kristyn Clarke
- Age of the Nerd
This Star Trek article contains spoilers.
Everyone remembers the famous words to the theme from Star Trek, right? You know, those immortal lyrics: “Beyond the rim of the star-light, my love is wand’ring in star-flight!” Okay, to be clear, these are not lyrics sung in the history-making Strange New Worlds musical episode, “Subspace Rhapsody.” Rather, these are song lyrics that Gene Roddenberry wrote for the theme for Star Trek: The Original Series, which was composed by Alexander Courage. So, in a way, the very first seed of a Star Trek musical was planted almost 60 years ago.
In our universe, the songs in “Subspace Rhapsody” were written by veteran songwriters Tom Polce and Kay Hanley, both best known as members of the ‘90s rock band Letters to Cleo. But, within the canon of Star Trek, the songs in “Subspace Rhapsody,” are seemingly composed by a combination of strong emotions and...
Everyone remembers the famous words to the theme from Star Trek, right? You know, those immortal lyrics: “Beyond the rim of the star-light, my love is wand’ring in star-flight!” Okay, to be clear, these are not lyrics sung in the history-making Strange New Worlds musical episode, “Subspace Rhapsody.” Rather, these are song lyrics that Gene Roddenberry wrote for the theme for Star Trek: The Original Series, which was composed by Alexander Courage. So, in a way, the very first seed of a Star Trek musical was planted almost 60 years ago.
In our universe, the songs in “Subspace Rhapsody” were written by veteran songwriters Tom Polce and Kay Hanley, both best known as members of the ‘90s rock band Letters to Cleo. But, within the canon of Star Trek, the songs in “Subspace Rhapsody,” are seemingly composed by a combination of strong emotions and...
- 8/7/2023
- by John Saavedra
- Den of Geek
In “Subspace Rhapsody,” the penultimate episode of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” second season, a mishap involving a recording of Cole Porter’s “Anything Goes” and a “subspace fold” causes what the franchise’s technobabble labels an “improbability field:” a glitch in reality that forces the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise to behave like they’re in a musical, bursting into song at inopportune times. Immediately after the big stage-setting ensemble number, Captain Pike (Anson Mount) holds a meeting to figure out what happened, and security officer La’an (Christina Chong) rolls her eyes and asks “What’s next? More improbability, or will we suddenly just poof into bunnies?”
The joke, in the context of the episode, feels slightly random and out of step with the show’s typical sense of humor. But for anyone who has ever watched “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” the reference to bunnies instantly...
The joke, in the context of the episode, feels slightly random and out of step with the show’s typical sense of humor. But for anyone who has ever watched “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” the reference to bunnies instantly...
- 8/4/2023
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
There have certainly been musical moments in “Star Trek” before: Uhura sang while Spock played his lyre in “The Original Series”; Data and Picard duet to Gilbert and Sullivan in “Insurrection”; James Darren played a holographic nightclub singer on “Deep Space Nine.” But it took “Strange New Worlds,” the critically revered Paramount+ series nearing the end of its second season, to stage an entire musical episode.
In “Subspace Rhapsody,” Anson Mount’s Capt. Pike falls to his knees singing an emo song to his girlfriend (somewhat embarrassingly in front of everybody on the bridge of the Enterprise); Paul Wesley’s Kirk strikes a Donny Osmond-esque pose; Jess Bush’s Nurse Chapel is hoisted aloft on her back like Satine in “Moulin Rouge!”; Ethan Peck’s Spock croons about his heartbreak; Christina Chong’s La’an gets her own Howard Ashman-style “I want!” song; and actual Grammy-winning singer/Broadway...
In “Subspace Rhapsody,” Anson Mount’s Capt. Pike falls to his knees singing an emo song to his girlfriend (somewhat embarrassingly in front of everybody on the bridge of the Enterprise); Paul Wesley’s Kirk strikes a Donny Osmond-esque pose; Jess Bush’s Nurse Chapel is hoisted aloft on her back like Satine in “Moulin Rouge!”; Ethan Peck’s Spock croons about his heartbreak; Christina Chong’s La’an gets her own Howard Ashman-style “I want!” song; and actual Grammy-winning singer/Broadway...
- 8/3/2023
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
Spoiler Alert: This story discusses plot — and musical! — developments in Season 2, Episode 9 of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” currently streaming on Paramount+.
Since premiering in 2022, “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” has already embraced body-swapping comedy, storybook fantasy and a crossover episode with the animated series “Star Trek: Lower Decks.” So perhaps it’s not surprising that for the penultimate episode for Season 2 of “Strange New Worlds,” executive producers Henry Alonso Myers and Akiva Goldsman would mount the first-ever full-on musical episode in “Trek” history.
Entitled “Subspace Rhapsody,” the episode opens with the crew of the Enterprise investigating one of those deliciously nerdy “Trek” inventions: a naturally occurring fold in subspace. When Ens. Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) suggests using scanning the phenomenon with music to test its properties, the signal instead causes a tear in space-time that plunges the crew into an alternate reality in which everyone starts singing out their...
Since premiering in 2022, “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” has already embraced body-swapping comedy, storybook fantasy and a crossover episode with the animated series “Star Trek: Lower Decks.” So perhaps it’s not surprising that for the penultimate episode for Season 2 of “Strange New Worlds,” executive producers Henry Alonso Myers and Akiva Goldsman would mount the first-ever full-on musical episode in “Trek” history.
Entitled “Subspace Rhapsody,” the episode opens with the crew of the Enterprise investigating one of those deliciously nerdy “Trek” inventions: a naturally occurring fold in subspace. When Ens. Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) suggests using scanning the phenomenon with music to test its properties, the signal instead causes a tear in space-time that plunges the crew into an alternate reality in which everyone starts singing out their...
- 8/3/2023
- by Adam B. Vary
- Variety Film + TV
Paramount+’s Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is set to go where no Star Trek has gone before. Details about the first-ever Star Trek musical episode were revealed during the “Star Trek Universe” panel at the 2023 San Diego Comic-Con.
The musical episode will feature 10 original songs, and Paramount+ confirmed episode nine of season two is titled “Subspace Rhapsody.” Episode nine is set to air on Thursday, August 3, 2023. The season two finale follows on August 10th.
Paramount+ offered this description of the musical episode: “The special musical episode ‘Subspace Rhapsody’ will feature 10 original songs, plus a ‘Subspace Rhapsody’ version of the series’ main title, with music and lyrics by Kay Hanley (Letters to Cleo) and Tom Polce.”
Season two’s cast is led by Anson Mount as Christopher Pike, Rebecca Romijn as Una Chin-Riley, Ethan Peck as Spock, Jess Bush as Christine Chapel, and Christina Chong as La’An Noonien-Singh. Celia Rose Gooding...
The musical episode will feature 10 original songs, and Paramount+ confirmed episode nine of season two is titled “Subspace Rhapsody.” Episode nine is set to air on Thursday, August 3, 2023. The season two finale follows on August 10th.
Paramount+ offered this description of the musical episode: “The special musical episode ‘Subspace Rhapsody’ will feature 10 original songs, plus a ‘Subspace Rhapsody’ version of the series’ main title, with music and lyrics by Kay Hanley (Letters to Cleo) and Tom Polce.”
Season two’s cast is led by Anson Mount as Christopher Pike, Rebecca Romijn as Una Chin-Riley, Ethan Peck as Spock, Jess Bush as Christine Chapel, and Christina Chong as La’An Noonien-Singh. Celia Rose Gooding...
- 7/23/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Captain Pike, Spock and Number One are dusting off their singing pipes on “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds”.
Season 2 of the Paramount+ series will feature the “Star Trek” franchise’s first musical episode, it was announced Saturday at San Diego Comic-Con. The episode, titled “Subspace Rhapsody,” will air as the ninth hour in the current season and be available to stream beginning Aug. 3 on Paramount+.
The episode will feature 10 original songs, as well as a special version of the series’ main titles, with music and lyrics by Kay Hanley (“Letters to Cleo”) and Tom Polce.
As part of the announcement, Paramount+ released the first teaser trailer for the upcoming musical instalment, which features the USS Enterprise crew singing and dancing in elaborate numbers — and also finding themselves entangled in very interesting relationship moments.
“People celebrate with song,” Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) says. “Do you know the odds of all...
Season 2 of the Paramount+ series will feature the “Star Trek” franchise’s first musical episode, it was announced Saturday at San Diego Comic-Con. The episode, titled “Subspace Rhapsody,” will air as the ninth hour in the current season and be available to stream beginning Aug. 3 on Paramount+.
The episode will feature 10 original songs, as well as a special version of the series’ main titles, with music and lyrics by Kay Hanley (“Letters to Cleo”) and Tom Polce.
As part of the announcement, Paramount+ released the first teaser trailer for the upcoming musical instalment, which features the USS Enterprise crew singing and dancing in elaborate numbers — and also finding themselves entangled in very interesting relationship moments.
“People celebrate with song,” Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) says. “Do you know the odds of all...
- 7/23/2023
- by Brent Furdyk
- ET Canada
The “Star Trek” Universe unveiled several first looks of its Paramount+ TV series at San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday, including an extended clip from the fifth and final season of “Star Trek: Discovery,” a trailer and premiere date for the fourth season of “Star Trek: Lower Decks,” and a trailer for the upcoming musical episode of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” currently streaming its second season.
The panel ended with a screening of the “Strange New Worlds” episode featuring the stars of the animated “Lower Decks” — which will be available on Paramount+ early, starting at 4 p.m. Pt / 7 p.m. Et on Saturday.
All the preview videos are below.
In the “Discovery” clip, Capt. Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) encounters three new characters introduced for Season 5. First, she comes upon two mercenary scavengers, Moll (Eve Harlow) and L’ak (Elias Toufexis), who possess an artifact that Burnham is also seeking. When they escape,...
The panel ended with a screening of the “Strange New Worlds” episode featuring the stars of the animated “Lower Decks” — which will be available on Paramount+ early, starting at 4 p.m. Pt / 7 p.m. Et on Saturday.
All the preview videos are below.
In the “Discovery” clip, Capt. Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) encounters three new characters introduced for Season 5. First, she comes upon two mercenary scavengers, Moll (Eve Harlow) and L’ak (Elias Toufexis), who possess an artifact that Burnham is also seeking. When they escape,...
- 7/22/2023
- by Adam B. Vary
- Variety Film + TV
Are you ready for singing and dancing Captain Christopher Pike?
Paramount+ confirmed rumors of a musical Star Trek episode with the release of a surprise trailer (below) for an upcoming episode of Strange New Worlds season two. The episode is titled “Subspace Rhapsody,” and it’s billed as the first-ever musical-themed episode in the franchise’s 57-year history (there have previously been musical scenes). “Subspace Rhapsody” will feature 10 original songs, plus a musical version of the series’ main title, with music and lyrics by Kay Hanley (Letters to Cleo) and Tom Polce (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend).
The announcement was made at San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday, where Paramount+ had a Star Trek franchise session in Hall H.
Based on what’s shown in the trailer, the U.S.S. Enterprise gets zapped by a space anomaly, which makes the crew break into song.
In addition, Paramount+ is releasing the Strange New Worlds and Lower Decks live-action vs.
Paramount+ confirmed rumors of a musical Star Trek episode with the release of a surprise trailer (below) for an upcoming episode of Strange New Worlds season two. The episode is titled “Subspace Rhapsody,” and it’s billed as the first-ever musical-themed episode in the franchise’s 57-year history (there have previously been musical scenes). “Subspace Rhapsody” will feature 10 original songs, plus a musical version of the series’ main title, with music and lyrics by Kay Hanley (Letters to Cleo) and Tom Polce (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend).
The announcement was made at San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday, where Paramount+ had a Star Trek franchise session in Hall H.
Based on what’s shown in the trailer, the U.S.S. Enterprise gets zapped by a space anomaly, which makes the crew break into song.
In addition, Paramount+ is releasing the Strange New Worlds and Lower Decks live-action vs.
- 7/22/2023
- by James Hibberd
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Trekkies were given a lot to be excited for during Paramount’s Star Trek Universe presentation Saturday with three new teaser trailers for “Star Trek: Discovery,” “Star Trek: Lower Decks” and “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.”
The announcements, which came out of San Diego Comic-Con’s Hall H, previewed the upcoming fifth and final season of “Star Trek: Discovery,” one of Paramount+’s longest running original dramas that will premiere in early 2024; Season 4 of “Star Trek: Lower Decks,” which will premiere with its first two episodes Sept. 7; and “Subspace Rhapsody,” the musical-themed ninth episode of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.”
Check out the respective trailers below.
“Star Trek: Discovery” Final Season Sneak Peak
The final season of “Star Trek: Discovery,” will find Captain Burnham and the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery uncovering a mystery that will send them on an epic adventure across the galaxy to find an ancient power,...
The announcements, which came out of San Diego Comic-Con’s Hall H, previewed the upcoming fifth and final season of “Star Trek: Discovery,” one of Paramount+’s longest running original dramas that will premiere in early 2024; Season 4 of “Star Trek: Lower Decks,” which will premiere with its first two episodes Sept. 7; and “Subspace Rhapsody,” the musical-themed ninth episode of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.”
Check out the respective trailers below.
“Star Trek: Discovery” Final Season Sneak Peak
The final season of “Star Trek: Discovery,” will find Captain Burnham and the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery uncovering a mystery that will send them on an epic adventure across the galaxy to find an ancient power,...
- 7/22/2023
- by Lucas Manfredi
- The Wrap
Surprise, Star Trek fans!
The Strange New Worlds and Lower Decks crossover is coming sooner than you can imagine. In fact, following the advanced screening during San Diego Comic-Con, the episode is going to be available Saturday at 7 p.m. Et/4 p.m. Pt on Paramount+.
Since Episode 7 is debuting early, there is now an updated release schedule for the rest of Strange New Worlds Season 2. See that below:
Saturday, July 22 – Episode 207, “Those Old Scientists” Thursday, July 27 – Episode 208, “Under the Cloak of War” Thursday, August 3 – Episode 209, “Subspace Rhapsody” Thursday, August 10 – Episode 210 (Season Finale), “Hegemony”
During the panel, fans also learned that Episode 9, “Subspace Rhapsody,” is a musical episode. That marks a first for the Star Trek franchise. With the announcement came a teaser for that episode, which can be seen above.
“Subspace Rhapsody” will feature 10 original songs, plus a special version of the series’ main title, with music and lyrics...
The Strange New Worlds and Lower Decks crossover is coming sooner than you can imagine. In fact, following the advanced screening during San Diego Comic-Con, the episode is going to be available Saturday at 7 p.m. Et/4 p.m. Pt on Paramount+.
Since Episode 7 is debuting early, there is now an updated release schedule for the rest of Strange New Worlds Season 2. See that below:
Saturday, July 22 – Episode 207, “Those Old Scientists” Thursday, July 27 – Episode 208, “Under the Cloak of War” Thursday, August 3 – Episode 209, “Subspace Rhapsody” Thursday, August 10 – Episode 210 (Season Finale), “Hegemony”
During the panel, fans also learned that Episode 9, “Subspace Rhapsody,” is a musical episode. That marks a first for the Star Trek franchise. With the announcement came a teaser for that episode, which can be seen above.
“Subspace Rhapsody” will feature 10 original songs, plus a special version of the series’ main title, with music and lyrics...
- 7/22/2023
- by Katie Campione
- Deadline Film + TV
John Stamos has been cast as the voice of Iron Man in Disney Junior’s “Marvel’s Spidey and his Amazing Friends,” while the preschool network has also added Lou Diamond Phillips and Yvette Nicole Brown to the vocal cast of “Firebuds” and Justina Machado, Bobby Moynihan, Eric Bauza and Kari Wahlgren have joined “Pupstruction.”
The announcements were made Friday by Disney Branded Television president Ayo Davis, who revealed a slate of content for Disney Junior over the next two years, including new and original series, shorts, returning franchises and casting news. The announcement was made during the Disney Junior Fun Fest event Friday at Disney California Adventure.
“Disney Junior is already home to some of the most beloved preschool programming, and today, we have unveiled the next slate of content that is sure to entertain preschool kids for years to come,” Davis said. “As with Disney Junior’s current slate,...
The announcements were made Friday by Disney Branded Television president Ayo Davis, who revealed a slate of content for Disney Junior over the next two years, including new and original series, shorts, returning franchises and casting news. The announcement was made during the Disney Junior Fun Fest event Friday at Disney California Adventure.
“Disney Junior is already home to some of the most beloved preschool programming, and today, we have unveiled the next slate of content that is sure to entertain preschool kids for years to come,” Davis said. “As with Disney Junior’s current slate,...
- 4/29/2022
- by Sasha Urban
- Variety Film + TV
Disney Junior has unveiled its original programming lineup for kids 2-7 through 2024, adding four new original series, two new short-form series, the renewal of Alice’s Wonderland Bakery, along with some high-profile castings. Disney Branded President Ayo Davis announced the projects Friday during the Disney Junior Fun Fest event at Disney California Adventure.
John Stamos has been tapped to voice Tony Stark/Iron Man in Season 2 of Marvel’s Spidey and His Amazing Friends, set for premiere in August. Additional new Marvel heroes and villains that will be featured in season two are Ant-Man (voiced by Sean Giambrone), Wasp (voiced by Maya Tuttle), Reptil (voiced by Hoku Ramirez), Black Cat (voiced by Jaiden Klein), Sandman (voiced by Tom Wilson) and Electro (voiced by Stephanie Lemelin).
Additionally, Lou Diamond Phillips and Yvette Nicole Brown have joined the cast of Firebuds, and Justina Machado, Bobby Moynihan, Eric Bauza and Kari Wahlgren have been cast in Pupstruction.
John Stamos has been tapped to voice Tony Stark/Iron Man in Season 2 of Marvel’s Spidey and His Amazing Friends, set for premiere in August. Additional new Marvel heroes and villains that will be featured in season two are Ant-Man (voiced by Sean Giambrone), Wasp (voiced by Maya Tuttle), Reptil (voiced by Hoku Ramirez), Black Cat (voiced by Jaiden Klein), Sandman (voiced by Tom Wilson) and Electro (voiced by Stephanie Lemelin).
Additionally, Lou Diamond Phillips and Yvette Nicole Brown have joined the cast of Firebuds, and Justina Machado, Bobby Moynihan, Eric Bauza and Kari Wahlgren have been cast in Pupstruction.
- 4/29/2022
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Spoiler Alert: Do not read if you have not yet watched “We the People,” streaming now on Netflix.
“We the People,” doesn’t just teach civics, it also mixes music and animation as storytelling devices to get its message across to adults and kids alike.
Each of the 10 episodes of the series created by Chris Nee and also executive produced by Barack and Michelle Obama clock in at under five minutes but still manage to cover everything from the electoral system to taxes to Federal vs. State Power. Each also features an original song featuring new music from H.E.R., Janelle Monáe, Brandi Carlile, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Adam Lambert, Cordae, Bebe Rexha, Kyle and Andra Day. One even includes poet Amanda Gorman.
The songs are a call to action, allowing audiences to connect through the power of music, but also the message. Each episode has its own unique sound and music working...
“We the People,” doesn’t just teach civics, it also mixes music and animation as storytelling devices to get its message across to adults and kids alike.
Each of the 10 episodes of the series created by Chris Nee and also executive produced by Barack and Michelle Obama clock in at under five minutes but still manage to cover everything from the electoral system to taxes to Federal vs. State Power. Each also features an original song featuring new music from H.E.R., Janelle Monáe, Brandi Carlile, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Adam Lambert, Cordae, Bebe Rexha, Kyle and Andra Day. One even includes poet Amanda Gorman.
The songs are a call to action, allowing audiences to connect through the power of music, but also the message. Each episode has its own unique sound and music working...
- 7/4/2021
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
A tribute album to Adam Schlesinger being released today on Bandcamp includes cover songs by two actors who collaborated with the late songwriter on projects, Rachel Bloom and Sarah Silverman, as well as contemporaries of Schlesinger’s from the rock world like Kay Hanley, Nada Surf and Tanya Donnelly.
“Saving for a Custom Van,” which takes its name from the title track of the essential Fountains of Wayne album “Utopia Parkway,” is a 31-track collection that covers the breadth of Schlesinger’s performing and songwriting career. Besides familiar FoW songs from the late ’90s and 2000s, the collection also includes songs from his six-season run as the core house writer for TV’s “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” the films “Music and Lyrics” and “That Thing You Do!,” and Schlesinger’s other long-standing band, Ivy. Even two of the songs he wrote for “Josie and the Pussycats” figure into the expansive track list.
“Saving for a Custom Van,” which takes its name from the title track of the essential Fountains of Wayne album “Utopia Parkway,” is a 31-track collection that covers the breadth of Schlesinger’s performing and songwriting career. Besides familiar FoW songs from the late ’90s and 2000s, the collection also includes songs from his six-season run as the core house writer for TV’s “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” the films “Music and Lyrics” and “That Thing You Do!,” and Schlesinger’s other long-standing band, Ivy. Even two of the songs he wrote for “Josie and the Pussycats” figure into the expansive track list.
- 6/16/2020
- by Chris Willman
- Variety Film + TV
Rachel Bloom, Sarah Silverman and Charly Bliss have all contributed songs to a new tribute album to late songwriter Adam Schlesinger, Saving for a Custom Van, out Tuesday, June 16th, on Bandcamp via Father/Daughter Records and Wax Nine.
The extensive 31-song compilation boasts an array of artists covering songs Schlesinger wrote with his bands Fountains of Wayne and Ivy, as well as material he penned for TV shows and films like Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, That Thing You Do and Music and Lyrics. The compilation’s lead single is Letters to...
The extensive 31-song compilation boasts an array of artists covering songs Schlesinger wrote with his bands Fountains of Wayne and Ivy, as well as material he penned for TV shows and films like Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, That Thing You Do and Music and Lyrics. The compilation’s lead single is Letters to...
- 6/16/2020
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
It’s finally time for the 62nd annual Grammy Awards, but what a time it’s been over the past few weeks, with the drama ramping up even more just before the show.
Music’s biggest night has turned into an embarrassment for the organization running it. This week saw more accusations from suspended CEO Deborah Dugan and an appearance on Good Morning America to air them; the barring of longtime Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer from performing on the show; the arrest of performer Yg, the rapper scheduled to appear in a tribute to Nipsey Hussle; and the quiet dropout of Taylor Swift, who was scheduled to be a surprise performer but now reportedly shunning the show because of its sexism.
Here’s the thing – the worst is yet to come as the Dugan legal battle plays out. It raises the question: who would be crazy enough to take the...
Music’s biggest night has turned into an embarrassment for the organization running it. This week saw more accusations from suspended CEO Deborah Dugan and an appearance on Good Morning America to air them; the barring of longtime Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer from performing on the show; the arrest of performer Yg, the rapper scheduled to appear in a tribute to Nipsey Hussle; and the quiet dropout of Taylor Swift, who was scheduled to be a surprise performer but now reportedly shunning the show because of its sexism.
Here’s the thing – the worst is yet to come as the Dugan legal battle plays out. It raises the question: who would be crazy enough to take the...
- 1/25/2020
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Chasing the ever-lucrative, ever-changing market for children’s entertainment has always been a struggle, and nowhere are the challenges more acute than in music.
Variety’s Music for Screens summit will bring together execs from Disney Channel, DreamWorks Animation and eOne, along with songwriters Antonina Armato and Kay Hanley, for a panel moderated by Bmi’s VP of Creative Relations Doreen Ringer Ross to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing music in family entertainment.
One of the year’s most unexpected success stories in the kids’ music space came via the popular “Peppa Pig” (pictured). The first album from the long-running British preschool show got a surprise boost in publicity when rapper Iggy Azalea turned her competing release date into a pretend chart feud with Peppa on Twitter, which gave birth to all manner of memes.
“That definitely wasn’t in the marketing plan when we were getting ready to put that album out,...
Variety’s Music for Screens summit will bring together execs from Disney Channel, DreamWorks Animation and eOne, along with songwriters Antonina Armato and Kay Hanley, for a panel moderated by Bmi’s VP of Creative Relations Doreen Ringer Ross to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing music in family entertainment.
One of the year’s most unexpected success stories in the kids’ music space came via the popular “Peppa Pig” (pictured). The first album from the long-running British preschool show got a surprise boost in publicity when rapper Iggy Azalea turned her competing release date into a pretend chart feud with Peppa on Twitter, which gave birth to all manner of memes.
“That definitely wasn’t in the marketing plan when we were getting ready to put that album out,...
- 10/29/2019
- by Andrew Barker
- Variety Film + TV
Michelle Lewis and Kay Hanley, two songwriters who double as the executive directors of advocacy group Songwriters of North America, describe their roles as “first responders to a fire,” their organizational missive as “building an army for when the big fights erupt,” and their career trajectory as de facto union leaders as “falling ass-backwards into a vacuum.”
In their previous lives, Hanley led the alt-rock band Letters to Cleo and Lewis released solo albums while working with artists like Cher and Kelly Osbourne. But the two singer-songwriters banded together a...
In their previous lives, Hanley led the alt-rock band Letters to Cleo and Lewis released solo albums while working with artists like Cher and Kelly Osbourne. But the two singer-songwriters banded together a...
- 9/30/2019
- by Amy X. Wang
- Rollingstone.com
The night before President Trump signed the Music Modernization Act, a long-awaited bill that allows artists and publishers to earn royalties on recordings made before 1972 and helps songwriters and producers get paid more efficiently in the streaming era, 100 songwriters and lobbyists gathered at City Winery in Washington, D.C., to dance and celebrate. The main topic of discussion: Who would attend the signing ceremony the following day at the White House?
“We knew they were doing security clearances,” says Michelle Lewis, co-executive director of Songwriters of North America, which helped...
“We knew they were doing security clearances,” says Michelle Lewis, co-executive director of Songwriters of North America, which helped...
- 10/13/2018
- by Steve Knopper
- Rollingstone.com
Following tension over the Music Modernization Act, performance rights organization Sesac and songwriter groups have reached a compromise that will allow for the legislation’s passage.
On August 2, the performing rights organization in a joint press release with Nashville Songwriters Association International, the National Music Publishers Association, and Songwriters Of North America, stated: “At the encouragement of Senators closely involved in this legislation, all parties came together to agree on outstanding items related to the Mma including the reform of the Section 115 compulsory license and other important related matters. We share a collective responsibility to help ensure that the Mma benefits all stakeholders in the industry and look forward to the Senate’s consideration of the bill.”
Before Sesac’s July 17 proposal, it had been smooth sailing for the Mma, which in June was approved unanimously by the Senate Judiciary Committee following its passage, also by unanimous vote, in the House of Representatives in May.
On August 2, the performing rights organization in a joint press release with Nashville Songwriters Association International, the National Music Publishers Association, and Songwriters Of North America, stated: “At the encouragement of Senators closely involved in this legislation, all parties came together to agree on outstanding items related to the Mma including the reform of the Section 115 compulsory license and other important related matters. We share a collective responsibility to help ensure that the Mma benefits all stakeholders in the industry and look forward to the Senate’s consideration of the bill.”
Before Sesac’s July 17 proposal, it had been smooth sailing for the Mma, which in June was approved unanimously by the Senate Judiciary Committee following its passage, also by unanimous vote, in the House of Representatives in May.
- 8/2/2018
- by Shirley Halperin
- Variety Film + TV
If there was any doubt that streaming has transformed the music-publishing business, it was laid to rest on the opening day of the Ascap “I Create Music” Expo at the Loews Hotel in Hollywood.
More than 3,000 participants – from songwriters, music publishers, label executives, artist managers and more – gathered to network for a series of panels by day and showcase performances at night. Among the big names on hand Monday were St. Vincent and Jermaine Dupri, who took to the Dolby Ballroom stage for a session dubbed “Under the Hood,” where he weighed in on the making of Usher’s landmark “Confessions” album.
In welcoming participants to the 13th annual event, Ascap President Paul Williams paid tribute to “the only conference of its kind — totally dedicated to the craft and business of creating music.”
Pointing out that Wednesday’s keynote speaker Meghan Trainor first attended the Expo in 2010 as an aspiring...
More than 3,000 participants – from songwriters, music publishers, label executives, artist managers and more – gathered to network for a series of panels by day and showcase performances at night. Among the big names on hand Monday were St. Vincent and Jermaine Dupri, who took to the Dolby Ballroom stage for a session dubbed “Under the Hood,” where he weighed in on the making of Usher’s landmark “Confessions” album.
In welcoming participants to the 13th annual event, Ascap President Paul Williams paid tribute to “the only conference of its kind — totally dedicated to the craft and business of creating music.”
Pointing out that Wednesday’s keynote speaker Meghan Trainor first attended the Expo in 2010 as an aspiring...
- 5/8/2018
- by Roy Trakin
- Variety Film + TV
Tony Award-winner Renee Elise Goldsberry Broadway's 'Hamilton' will perform the theme song for Disney Junior's highly-anticipated animated series 'Muppet Babies,' premiering this March on Disney Channel. The iconic theme song has been reimagined for a whole new generation of young viewers by the acclaimed songwriting team of Kay Hanley, Michelle Lewis and Dan Petty 'Doc McStuffins'. It will be released by Walt Disney Records on Friday, February 23.
- 2/14/2018
- by TV News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
Who doesn't love an epic reunion? Well, that's exactly what went down on Tuesday when the cast of Josie and the Pussycats reunited for the movie's 16th anniversary. According to Oh No They Didn't, Gabriel Mann, Missi Pyles, Rachel Leigh Cook, Tara Reid and Rosario Dawson did a panel along with the film's co-writers and directors Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont. The panel was moderated by BuzzFeed's Jarett Wieselman. Oh No They Didn't also reported that Kay Hanley (who did original vocals in the film) performed. Sadly, the members of the boy band Dujour were not at the reunion. For those who haven't seen the 2001 film, the movie is about a...
- 9/27/2017
- E! Online
Ensuring that the next time you’re cuddling with that special someone, you can hop over to the turntable and spin them a little “Backdoor Lover,” Pitchfork reports that the Josie And The Pussycats soundtrack is making its way to vinyl. Produced by Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, and featuring work from a number of influential songwriters of the early 2000s (plus Letters To Cleo’s Kay Hanley on lead vocals), the Pussycats soundtrack was significantly more successful than its attendant movie (despite the latter’s hard-won status as a satirical cult-classic).
The album is being reissued by Mondo, which is putting together a big event in L.A. to commemorate the release. The film’s directors, Harry Elfont and Deborah Kaplan, will be in attendance, while Hanley will be on hand to play a Josie And The Pussycats set.
The album is being reissued by Mondo, which is putting together a big event in L.A. to commemorate the release. The film’s directors, Harry Elfont and Deborah Kaplan, will be in attendance, while Hanley will be on hand to play a Josie And The Pussycats set.
- 8/19/2017
- by William Hughes
- avclub.com
Alamo Drafthouse is heading to the woods to summon an ancient evil and a whole lot of fun this September with their outdoor screening of Evil Dead 2. Part of the theater's Alamo20 anniversary events, the outdoor screening will be attended by the groovy Bruce Campbell, who will be autographing his new book, Hail to the Chin:
Press Release: Austin, TX --- August 18, 2017 --- A truly rockin' cast reunion of one of this century's most fun cult films. An on-location birthday party for Steven Spielberg's monumental science-fiction classic. And perhaps the funniest horror film ever made, screened in the woods... with Bruce Campbell. The third wave of Alamo Drafthouse's year-long cycle of 'Alamo20' anniversary events is here, providing die-hard fans across the country with three can't-miss cinematic spectacles.
On September 26th in Los Angeles, Alamo Drafthouse and Birth.Movies.Death. are celebrating Mondo's new vinyl reissue of...
Press Release: Austin, TX --- August 18, 2017 --- A truly rockin' cast reunion of one of this century's most fun cult films. An on-location birthday party for Steven Spielberg's monumental science-fiction classic. And perhaps the funniest horror film ever made, screened in the woods... with Bruce Campbell. The third wave of Alamo Drafthouse's year-long cycle of 'Alamo20' anniversary events is here, providing die-hard fans across the country with three can't-miss cinematic spectacles.
On September 26th in Los Angeles, Alamo Drafthouse and Birth.Movies.Death. are celebrating Mondo's new vinyl reissue of...
- 8/18/2017
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
"Parks and Recreation" just wrapped up its sixth season. I did my annual interview with Mike Schur about what happened, and I have a review of the finale coming up just as soon as I click through a slideshow of "American Music Awards" sideboob fails... The natural inclination with an episode like "Moving Up" is to talk early, often, and perhaps only, about the very last minute, where the show jumped forward three years in time, showing us a well-established National Parks office in Pawnee, Leslie and Ben's triplets as adorable little kids, Garry Gergich now being referred to as Terry, and surprise guest star Jon Hamm as an incompetent National Parks employee being fired after three years of misadventures that we will likely never see. And we'll get to that, sure. But there was so much else to "Moving Up," which essentially played as Schur and company bringing the...
- 4/25/2014
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Hitfix
"Parks and Recreation" just concluded its sixth season in memorable fashion (here's my review), with the Pawnee/Eagleton unity concert, a trip to San Francisco, big cameos and then a very crazy idea at the very end of the finale which could give us a very different show in season 7. As usual when "Parks" wraps up a season, I emailed co-creator Mike Schur some questions about what went down, and why. It goes without saying that big big spoilers are coming, immediately. When, how and why did you come up with the idea for this three-year time jump? Mike Schur: We were breaking the final batch of episodes and had begun discussing the finale story. Some of it was sort of pre-destined, because we had the Unity Concert, which was going to put the merger storyline to rest, by showing that the town en masse would speak louder than the naysayers.
- 4/25/2014
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Hitfix
A decade ago, one of the finest bands from Boston's eclectic '90s rock community decided to call it quits. On this day in 2000, Letters to Cleo took the stage for what ended up being their final show (they officially announced their break-up about a month later). Though they had sold hundreds of thousands of records, had videos in heavy rotation on MTV and had achieved international success, Letters to Cleo went out the way they began, playing a small Boston club as part of a multi-act bill that helped to raise money for longtime friend and scene fixture Mikey D.
It was a poetic end for the group, who first got together in 1990 when singer Kay Hanley and guitarist Greg McKenna changed the name of their group ("Cleo" was an actual pen pal that Hanley had when she was younger). They became a fixture in the local rock scene...
It was a poetic end for the group, who first got together in 1990 when singer Kay Hanley and guitarist Greg McKenna changed the name of their group ("Cleo" was an actual pen pal that Hanley had when she was younger). They became a fixture in the local rock scene...
- 5/4/2010
- by Kyle Anderson
- MTV Newsroom
Trouble just keeps following Jay Leno. Now that his primetime experiment is over with and he is returning to late night as the host of "The Tonight Show" once the Winter Olympics wrap up, he was probably hoping for a smooth transition back behind his old desk. Unfortunately, that may not be the case. There are reports out there that longtime "Tonight Show" bandleader Kevin Eubanks will not be returning to the show. (Keep in mind that the same report cites sources who say that Eubanks will indeed be back, so do with that information what you will.)
While Eubanks has never been the sort of dynamic force that Max Weinberg or Paul Shaffer has been for Conan O'Brien and David Letterman, he still has an easy chemistry with Leno, and any interruption in that chemistry could derail Leno's delicate re-introduction to the late night fold. The new bandleader would...
While Eubanks has never been the sort of dynamic force that Max Weinberg or Paul Shaffer has been for Conan O'Brien and David Letterman, he still has an easy chemistry with Leno, and any interruption in that chemistry could derail Leno's delicate re-introduction to the late night fold. The new bandleader would...
- 2/17/2010
- by Kyle Anderson
- MTV Newsroom
As has been acknowledged in the past, Katy Perry has one of the greatest Twitter feeds on the Internet. It's an incredible combination of high-concept inside jokes, reactions to food and truly amazing just-snapped photos. Late last night, Perry's feed became the center of a hilarious flame-up that began as a prank played by her producer and ended up with weigh-ins from the likes of Perez Hilton and Gabe Saporta.
It began when Perry tweeted, "Is it normal to have the reacurent [sic] rash with blisters on my vagina?" It was an unusual dispatch, but perhaps no more unusual than anything else that she unleashes (after all, she addressed rumors about her pregnancy by tweeting "That's right I'm bleeding" a few weeks ago). But then she followed that up with the message "Um you mean Recurrent? Idiot. This is war!"
That message was tweeted at producer Dr. Luke, who apparently had...
It began when Perry tweeted, "Is it normal to have the reacurent [sic] rash with blisters on my vagina?" It was an unusual dispatch, but perhaps no more unusual than anything else that she unleashes (after all, she addressed rumors about her pregnancy by tweeting "That's right I'm bleeding" a few weeks ago). But then she followed that up with the message "Um you mean Recurrent? Idiot. This is war!"
That message was tweeted at producer Dr. Luke, who apparently had...
- 1/28/2010
- by Kyle Anderson
- MTV Newsroom
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