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Are You More Likely to See a Broadway Show If a Famous Musician Is Behind It?

BuzzSugar — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 07:00:00 -0700

Regina Spektor is headed to the Great White Way! It was announced yesterday that the famous songstress will be creating the score for a new Broadway musical inspired by Sleeping Beauty.

As a Spektor fan, this news makes perfect sense to me. Her unique brand of musical whimsy - with just a tinge of darker themes - is a great fit for the beloved fairytale. The show will reportedly be ready for the 2010-2011 Broadway season, but they're also talking about doing shows outside of Manhattan to spread the love.

I'm obviously for it, but I want to hear what you guys think about Spektor's new gig. With more and more artists helping pen musicals - i.e., Bono and The Edge doing the upcoming theatrical version of Spider-Man or Elton John doing Billy Elliot - does their involvement make you more likely to buy tickets?

Movie News: Jane Austen + Aliens (No, Seriously)

BuzzSugar — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 10:30:04 -0800

It's called Pride and Predator (no, seriously!)
I'm reminded of the line in He's Just Not That Into You - included in most of the previews on TV and in the trailer - when Jennifer Aniston's character is talking to Ben Affleck's character about marriage and Affleck says, "This. . . feels like a trick." That is precisely my reaction to this movie news: "Will Clark is set to direct Pride and Predator, which veers from the traditional period costume drama when an alien crash lands and begins to butcher the mannered protags, who suddenly have more than marriage and inheritance to worry about."

Brought to you by: Elton John
Elton John will supervise the music for the film and will serve as executive producer through his production company Rocket Pictures. His producing partner David Furnish is stoked about the project: "It felt like a fresh and funny way to blow apart the done-to-death Jane Austen genre by literally dropping this alien into the middle of a costume drama, where he stalks and slashes to horrific effect."

Dude flick?
Variety claims that this will be "the first Jane Austen adaptation to which men will drag their girlfriends." Huh. I will be curious to find out if that happens.

Thoughts?

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Buzz Brainteaser

BuzzSugar — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 04:30:57 -0700

Welcome to Buzz Brainteaser, the trivia feature on BuzzSugar! Every weekday I'll test your knowledge about TV shows, music, and movies. If you enter in the correct answer, you win points! Elton John (who was born Reginald Kenneth Dwight) officially changed his middle name to what?
Hint: It's also a well-known name in ancient mythology.
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McAvoy and Blunt Join Elton John for Gnomeo and Juliet

BuzzSugar — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 11:31:09 -0700

"Gnomeo!" It makes me giggle.

The big news in the animation world today has to do with Shakespeare, Elton John and a star-crossed garden gnome couple voiced by James McAvoy and Emily Blunt. It sounds so cute my teeth are starting to ache.

Apparently Gnomeo and Juliet has been in the works for several years, with various other talent involved (Kate Winslet, Tim Rice). Now, the CGI-animated movie will blend Elton John's well-known songs (and some new ones) with a story based on one of Shakespeare's most well-known works. The Hollywood Reporter has more details:

In the loose and edgy adaptation of Shakespeare's play, McAvoy (Atonement) and Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada) would play lovers from rival gardens. John, who is producing alongside his offscreen partner David Furnish, Baker Bloodworth and Steve Hamilton Shaw, is said to be pursuing big-name talent to voice supporting roles.

I'm not the biggest fan of Elton John, but this sounds like it could be just so adorable. I mean, the Romeo and Juliet story's been played. . .but not by garden gnomes!

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Beyonce, Carrie Underwood, Elton John to Perform at Movies Rock

BuzzSugar — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 12:29:12 -0700

Speaking of well-known music from movies, Conde Nast Media Group the Producers Guild and the Entertainment Industry Foundation will team up for Movies Rock, a salute to music in movies, which will air December 7 on CBS. Similar to their Fashion Rocks event, "Movies Rock will be supplemented by a magazine component, also called Movies Rock, which will be packaged with 14 December Conde Nast titles. Publication will highlight stars, directors and musicians, and Bill Murray is the cover."
The following performances will take place:

Beyonce will sing "Over the Rainbow"
Carrie Underwood will perform "The Sound of Music"
Fergie and Jennifer Hudson will pay tribute to Bond films with "Live and Let Die" and "Goldfinger"
Mary J. Blige and John Legend will sing "As Time Goes By"
Elton John "will honor music from animated movies"
John Williams will perform a medley from his original scores, which include Jurassic Park and Raiders of the Lost Ark

This sounds pretty cool, and I look forward to seeing this in December. However, there are other songs and scores I'd love to see performed as well, such as the theme music from The Godfather and Gone With the Wind, and perhaps "In Your Eyes" from Say Anything.

What about you? What iconic songs-from-movies would you include in a tribute concert?

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TV Tonight: Concert for Diana

BuzzSugar — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 14:15:13 -0700

Had Princess Diana not been killed a decade ago, today would have been her 46th birthday. To mark the date and the 10th anniversary of her death, London is hosting the massive Concert for Diana today, and NBC will broadcast it tonight at 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific.

The tribute concert's star-studded lineup includes the favorite artists of Diana and her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry: a wide range of performers from Elton John to Lily Allen to Joss Stone to the English National Ballet. Matt Lauer will host the U.S. broadcast.

I admit I'm not usually one for watching televised tributes of any sort, but the list of performers for this one has me intrigued - and I'm especially excited about Ricky Gervais and Mackenzie Crook performing, though I wonder if their number will make the cut for the U.S. broadcast. What about you? Will you be watching?

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