Entertainment

Chita Rivera, Tony Award-Winning Actress And Singer, Dead At 91

Published

10 months ago

2024-02-01

Chita Rivera, a renowned stage and screen performer whose credits included “Chicago,” “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” and “Sweet Charity,” died. She was 91.

Merle Frimark, Rivera’s longtime publicist, confirmed the news to CNN on Tuesday, saying Rivera died “peacefully” “in New York after a brief illness.”

Rivera’s unparalleled Broadway career spanned decades, from playing Anita in “West Side Story” and opposite Dick Van Dyke in “Bye Bye Birdie” to signature Bob Fosse musicals like “Chicago” and “All That Jazz.” She received a record 10 Tony Award nominations and won two, for “The Rink” and “Kiss of the Spider Woman.”

Despite her hectic stage schedule, Rivera starred in several films and television shows, including adaptations of “Sweet Charity,” “Chicago,” and “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.”

Chita Rivera, Tony Award-Winning Actress And Singer, Dead At 91

Her most recent screen credit was in Netflix’s 2021 film “Tick, Tick… Boom!” when she appeared in a segment alongside other stage musical superstars.

Rivera, born in Washington, DC 1933, began training as a ballerina at nine before being awarded a scholarship to the School of American Ballet by famed choreographer George Balanchine, according to an obituary in Frimark.

Rivera, whose father was Puerto Rican, quickly rose to prominence on Broadway as a triple threat (actor, singer, and dancer), paving the way for future Latinx artists. In 1957, she played the iconic character Anita in the original Broadway production of “West Side Story”.

Her stage career highlights include starring parts in “Bye Bye Birdie,” “The Rink,” and “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” as well as the original Broadway productions of “Guys and Dolls” and “Mr Wonderful.”

Rivera was honoured by the Kennedy Centre in 2002 and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama in 2009. She also received the 2018 Special Tony Award for lifetime accomplishment in theatre.

Rivera also wrote a book, “Chita: A Memoir,” released last year.

Lin-Manuel Miranda, director of “Tick, Tick… Boom!”, described Rivera as “the trailblazer for Puerto Rico on Broadway.” He described how Rivera wasn’t initially available for the scene where he hoped she’d appear, but he left a chair open for her, determined to make it happen. His desire came true during the film’s reshoots when Rivera finally got to sit in the chair Miranda had designated for her. He claimed she “held court all day” on that particular day.

Chita Rivera, Tony Award-Winning Actress And Singer, Dead At 91

“It remains one of the greatest delights of my life. “She was magnificent,” he said. “She IS magnificent, not ready for the past tense just yet.”

Rita Moreno, who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Anita in the 1961 film production of “West Side Story,” said in a statement to CNN that Rivera was “eternal” and “the essence of Broadway.”

“When I found out that this amazing creature was one of my people, I was overjoyed,” Moreno, who is of Puerto Rican origin, said. “Being mistaken for each other over the years was a badge of honour for me. I’m raising a glass to this amazing woman and friend as I write this. “Chita, amiga, salud!”

Catherine Zeta-Jones, who won an Oscar for playing a character originating by Rivera on Broadway – in this case, as Velma Kelly in the film adaptation of “Chicago” – acknowledged Rivera’s “incredible impact” on her life and paid respect to her “queen.”

“From dreaming of being you as a little girl, then meeting you and then being deeply connected to you by playing the one and only Velma Kelly in Chicago,” Zeta-Jones said in a post on Instagram. “There will never, ever be anyone like you, Chita, ever.”

Ariana DeBose also won an Academy Award for her role as Anita in Steven Spielberg’s 2021 adaptation of “West Side Story,” called Rivera “a force” in an Instagram tribute on Tuesday.

Chita Rivera, Tony Award-Winning Actress And Singer, Dead At 91

“Honestly, she made me nervous. “To be in her presence was to witness greatness,” DeBose continued. “I always thought that she had big expectations, but none greater than the ones she set for herself…I am heartbroken yet inspired because she showed many of us what was possible.

Stephanie Pope, a Broadway actor and Rivera’s acquaintance told CNN on Tuesday that the late star “is and always will be a legend.” She set a level of perfection that we all strived for but will never match.”

“I cherish the time I spent with her both on stage and off,” he said. “The theatre community and world has lost a true star.”

Frimark published a statement from Rivera’s daughter, Lisa Mordente, who stated that the star’s funeral will be private and that she is survived by her daughter and siblings Julio, Armando, and Lola del Rivero, “along with her many nieces, nephews, and friends.”

SOURCE – CNN

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Entertainment

Gladiator II Rakes in $87 Million in Weekend Debut

Published

5 days ago

2024-11-18

Geoff Brown

Despite not playing in theaters in the United States, Canada, and China until this coming Friday, Gladiator II earned $87 million over the weekend, which is the best foreign opening for a Ridley Scott film to date.

Last week, the picture premiered in 63 countries, including the UK, and grossed $11.4 million from 722 theatres. Particularly impressive was its performance in France, where it raised $10.3 million from 729 outlets.

But this one is a little weaker compared to February’s smash hit sequel, Dune: Part Two, which grossed $97 million worldwide in its opening weekend. At the same time, Deadpool & Wolverine made $233 million for Disney, while Inside Out 2 for Pixar grossed $140 million.

The Fall Guy, an action comedy starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, earned $36.7 million in its opening weekend worldwide, while Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga earned $30 million.

Last Monday, King Charles III attended a screening of Gladiator II in London, capping off a weeks-long worldwide press tour for the film’s cast and production. A Mexican biscuit brand, Rome’s public transportation system, and a German bank VR are just a few multinational brands it has teamed up with to boost its visibility.

In Australia, dessert merchant Oliver Brown offered a special edition of pistachio-heavy puds and drinks dubbed the Emperor’s Collection. The Gladiator II salted caramel latte is available at French Coffee Shop, a business in Paris.

After poor statistics for Venom: The Last Dance and The Rock’s comedy Red One, which premiered worldwide last week, fans hope that Scott’s delayed sequel can lift the global box office for the last month and a half of the year.

Some are predicting a Barbenheimer-style struggle for the top spot in the US box office when Gladiator II and the highly anticipated musical Wicked premiere on the same day, even though double-bill events are unlikely to be very popular.

Gladiator Star Russell Crowe Honored in Rome

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Entertainment

Blizzard’s Remastered Versions Of Warcraft 1 And 2 Are Now Available On PCs.

Published

2 weeks ago

2024-11-13

Salman Ahmad

Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment

(VOR News) – It has been said by Blizzard that it does not intend to remake Warcraft 1 and 2 since the company believes that these games are “just not that fun any longer.”

When the corporation first made this declaration, it has been almost exactly eight years since it was delivered.

However, the firm has only recently made the news that it will be doing precisely that, and as part of the celebrations for Warcraft’s 30th anniversary, both of the remastered versions are now available to play. The celebrations did not start until today.

The public first played Warcraft in 1994.

This game played a significant role in Blizzard’s rise to the top of the competition. In the year that followed, Warcraft 2 was hastily created in order to suit the requirements of the burgeoning fanbase that the first Warcraft had established.

Additionally, the company has just disclosed that they will be remastering the games, and these remasters will contain a variety of additions to the traditional real-time strategic action that is included in the games.

The initial stage of these enhancements to the development process consists of a new collection of hand-drawn pictures that may be toggled on and off in real time. The artistic style of the originals has been said to be completely captured by these photos, according to the assertions made.

Specifically, Blizzard has implemented “modern controls” for Warcraft 1, which include the option to move with a right click, the ability to pick bounding boxes, and a faster progression rate.

These features are all present in the Warcraft game.

The alterations that have been made include these, however they are not the only ones. It is important to note that these changes have been introduced in addition to the user interface and user experience enhancements that have been implemented throughout both games.

Tool tips, health bars, mission decision screens, and increased unit selection are some of the enhancements that have been introduced in this version of the game. As an additional feature, the multiplayer mode that was included in the first version of Warcraft 2 is still included in the remastered version of the game.

As an additional point of interest, each and every one of the legacy custom maps is entirely compatible with the new edition and may be played in the same capacity.

Despite the fact that there is currently no information regarding whether or not Warcraft 1 Remastered and Warcraft 2 Remastered will eventually be made available on other markets, both of these remastered versions of the game are currently available for purchase on Battle.net for personal computers at prices of $9.99 and $14.99, respectively.

Both of these versions of the game are remastered versions of the original game. A Battle Chest bundle is also available for purchase, and it can be purchased for the price of $39.99. All of the titles that have been remastered are included in this bundle, in addition to Blizzard’s Warcraft 3: Reforged, which has been met with a considerable deal of criticism.

Blizzard has been making continual efforts to improve the game ever since it was first made available to the public in the year 2020.

This is despite the fact that the game was met with poor reviews practically immediately after it was released. An entirely new upgrade, version 2.0, is currently being made available to all gamers without delay.

One of the numerous enhancements to the quality of life that are included in this is “much, much more,” in addition to a wide range of options for personalizing the hockey experience within the game and a new ladder.

In addition to the high-definition versions of all of the older Warcraft assets, these upgrades also include new environments and lighting, a redesigned user interface, and a variety of other enhancements.

SOURCE: EG

Entertainment

Yellowstone Season 5 Part 2 Returns Without Kevin Costner

Published

2 weeks ago

2024-11-11

Geoff Brown

Yellowstone is finally returning for the second half of its fifth season without Kevin Costner

Yellowstone will finally return for the second half of its fifth season. We have a lot to speak about, such as recalling what is going on in this program, Kevin Costner’s departure, and whether or not season 5, part 2, will truly end Yellowstone.

Season 5 Part 1 ended on a cliffhanger—we could be in for a full-fledged Dutton family civil war—and we’ve been waiting for nearly two years.

A quick recap: nothing changes from how this program usually goes, except it’s a little more intense. Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) despised Jamie Dutton. Jamie Dutton (Wes Bentley) despised Beth Dutton.

That has always been the case since childhood trauma, but now things have escalated. Their father, John Dutton (Kevin Costner), is now Montana’s Governor, and Jamie, who should be his top legal thinker, is played by a group of local businessmen known as Market Equities.

Anyway, Jamie and Beth are attempting to kill each other, and John appears to be leaning toward Beth’s side.

Given Kevin Costner’s public exit from the program, part 2 of season 5 will be especially noteworthy. Long story short, he departed to make his Horizon films and never returned.

So, how will Yellowstone pick up the tale without John? That much is unknown, which adds to the season’s appeal!

Of course, our other characters continue to do what they do. Rip (Cole Hauser) is doing his Rip thing. Kayce (Luke Grimes) oversees the ranch. His wife, Monica (Kelsey Asbille), is still grieving the loss of their unborn son.

But we do have some high stakes to pick up—and they will begin on Sunday, November 10th, whether Kevin Costner appears on screen or not.

Another twist: While we believed season 5 would conclude the Yellowstone story, part 2 is in the works.

There have also been suggestions that Yellowstone could return for a sixth season, starring Cole Hauser and Kelly Reilly as Rip and Beth. Hmm, certainly!

Yellowstone’s fifth season, part 2, will air each episode of the truncated half-season on Sunday nights at 8:00 PM EST.

The episodes will then be shown on linear TV, Hulu with Live TV, or the Paramount Network website and app for those with a cable subscription. The premiere will also re-air on CBS at 10:00 p.m. EST.

Yellowstone season 5, part 2, will consist of six episodes, the first of which is currently accessible to watch and stream. That implies the series might end with five more episodes of Western family drama.