BuzzSugar

Broadway Musical News: The Couger Meets Cujo

BuzzSugar — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 14:29:36 PST

Who knew Stephen King and John Mellencamp had anything in common, much less a desire to write a Broadway musical together? Not I, but apparently it's true, and the two men are collaborating on a musical theater project, scheduled to debut in April 2009, titled Ghost Brothers of Darkland County.

The story follows the legend that grows out of the tragic death of two brothers and a girl in the fictional town of Lake Belle Reve, Miss. The basic musical idea was originally Mellencamp's. He knew he needed a writer to help bring it to the stage and quickly thought of King.

While audiences have seen ghosts and gore on stage before (think Sweeney Todd) spokespeople for the production say this is a touching tale - more Shawshank Redemption and Stand By Me, less Carrie.

What do you guys think? Discuss.

Source

Madonna to Join Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Beastie Boys Denied

BuzzSugar — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 12:28:51 PST

It's not really surprising that Madonna will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this March. Back in September, the eligible nominees for the 2008 induction included Madonna, the Beastie Boys, John Mellencamp, Leonard Cohen, Afrika Bambaataa, Chic, the Ventures, Donna Summer and the Dave Clark Five. As of today, five of these nine have been selected for the actual induction. And the new members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame are...

Madonna
John Mellencamp
Leonard Cohen
The Ventures
The Dave Clark Five

So... no Beastie Boys? Shocking! That decision puzzles me, though this is just the first year that the Boys are eligible to be inducted, so there's always 2009! What do you think of this year's inductees? Were the Beastie Boys shafted? What about Donna Summer, for that matter? Discuss.

Source

See How Stars Spent Valentine's Day!

Lauren Turner — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 18:11:30 PST

Love was in the air yesterday as stars celebrated Valentine's Day with sweet date nights, flowers, and festive attire. Camila Alves had her little ones wearing red, while Paris Hilton showed her spirit in a heart-emblazoned top. January Jones played the part of cupid, and Meg Ryan planted a sweet kiss on John Mellencamp. There's plenty of hot PDA to be seen in Hollywood, but the holiday brought out all kinds of love - click through to see all the cute pics!

Bauer-Griffin Online, Flynet, Courtesy of NBC

Can You Bike No-Handed?

Susi May — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 02:28:59 PDT

Back in junior high, riding your bike no-handed was an essential skill. It was beyond cool to clap when singing John Cougar Mellencamp's "Jack and Diane" while biking with a posse of like-minded girls. As I've aged, I've lost my chops and maybe gained some fear; I like to bike keeping at least one hand connected to my bike. But I have been inspired by the pros in the Tour de France - the double arm-pumping after winning a stage, but also two-handed tasks like handling a bag of food or removing a layer of clothes - to regain ~~my lost youth~~ this lost skill.

I am working on riding sans hands on my quiet, slightly sloped street and hopefully I will get the hang of it soon. What about you?

The Americana Holiday: Lonely Planet’s Best Places to Celebrate Independence

Guest Writer — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 05:00:06 PDT

Editor’s note: Summer travel season has officially begun! The following guest post was written by Robert Reid, the US travel editor for Lonely Planet. He will be guest blogging on Savvy for the next two months, helping you find some great ideas of how to get your vacation on this Summer.

For most of us, July 4 - unlike family-oriented holidays like Christmas or Thanksgiving - is a true Americana community day. It’s when the modern world takes a backseat to simple pleasures like hot dogs and Little Leaguers marching in small-town parades. Basically we all become a bit more like a character in a John Cougar Mellencamp video.

For Lonely Planet’s 15 Summer Weekends website, we’re highlighting a drive that cuts through the heart of Americana - Route 66. But that’s only one of a few classics to consider if your July 4 plans aren’t set in stone. Probably the best place to be – everyone should try it once – is where it all started, Philadelphia, where independence was signed and the first Fourth of July celebrations were staged a year later in 1777. The parade, centered around Independence Hall downtown, is a colorful mix of international dancers, Civil War reenactors, drummers, and the like. At night, homegrown band the Roots takes over the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, capped with a fireworks show. Stick around to July 8 for the reenactment of the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence. I volunteered as a Loyalist last year.

Read on for more places to celebrate Independence.