Author: News on Shuffle

Happy Birthday, John Barrowman

John Barrowman, star of Torchwood (the spin-off of Doctor Who), is celebrating a birthday today. The actor and singer turns 43 today.

Actually, Barrowman has a lot to celebrate at the moment. For one thing, he is currently in the States and on the set of Desperate Housewives, where he will guest on the show for several episodes. The first of these will be March 21st, according to TV.com. Barrowman will be playing the villain in connection with the new family on Wisteria Lane, but has said in several interviews that he will play a major part in all of the ladies’ lives on the show.

Another exciting thing in the life and times of John Barrowman is the new album he has just released. This self-titled work has been said to be his most personal yet, as he goes back to his Broadway roots and has chosen songs that have some significance in his life. (One example is the song his mother used to sing to him as a child, “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” from the musical Carousel).
There is also talk of Barrowman reprising his role of Captain Jack Harkness for the American version of Torchwood that is in the works, but he insists that he knows nothing about this at the present time. Is he just saying that because he’s not allowed to tell? Guess we will just have to wait and see. One thing is certain, it would be a crime to waste his experience with the show and his obvious enthusiasm at potentially getting to take the part back up again.

Evelyn Evelyn pre-order

You’ve heard of Evelyn Evelyn. They got all that buzz when people complained to Amanda Palmer about them. Well how bout some good news surrounding the conjoined twins?

Hear ye, hear ye. Amanda Palmer & Jason Webley are proud to present to the debut album of none other than Evelyn Evelyn. This is exciting stuff you will not want to be left out of. So go follow the title link down the rabbit hole and reserve your copy today.

Remember When: The Day Buffy Was Chosen

To each generation a slayer is born.

I’m sure you are not only familiar with this statement, but know how it continues. Thirteen years ago today we were introduced to Buffy Summers and the rest of the Scooby gang in what would become one of the defining shows of our lives (especially those of us who were adolescents at the time). The show was quirky, the characters oddballs, but together they made television magic. To think this show started as one of the biggest jokes in movie-dom is astounding, mostly because it became so much more. The characters gained depth and the story developed new levels with each season. By the end of its seven year run it had a huge following and left an impression on every life it touched. So grab your DVDs, make some popcorn, and take a moment to pay tribute to a great show.

Oscar Watch 2010

Last night’s Oscars really boiled down to who would win Best Picture: Avatar or the Hurt Locker. Both took a considerable number of awards throughout the night (6 total for Hurt Locker and 3 for Avatar) but at the end of the day the big prize went to The Hurt Locker. The reaction from everyone, especially the winners themselves, was extraordinary. The cheering was loud enough that you could probably have heard it in your house, even without the TV on. Congratulations to everyone involved in the movie for a great success. Other winners for the night included Up for Animated Feature Film and Music (Original Score), Star Trek for Make-Up, and Sandra Bullock for Best Actress in a Leading Role. A complete list of winners has been linked to above.

Muse On Tour: Boston Edition

Picture it: Fall, 2009. Muse headlines for arguably one of the greatest bands of all time: U2. “Who are these guys?” the crowd wonders. They’re really good.

Flash forward to now. Muse is on a tour of its own, and you can be sure everyone in the crowd knows who they are. They sit through a fun yet otherwise uneventful set from Silversun Pickups. Many are only familiar with one song, the hit “Panic Switch” It is played near the end of the set. Everyone dances and sings along. They know it means they will soon be getting what they came here to see.

Break. Set change. Waiting.

The lights go down. Everyone cheers. Our time is now.

The stage shines with intense light displays and video. Portions of the stage rise and fall to reveal the band. What follows is over an hour of one of the most impressive displays of musical ability I have seen in a band. It was truly inspirational.

The main set ended with a few songs missing, so I started my predictions of what the encore would be. It was a long shot, I knew, but I was hoping for Exogenesis Symphony. To me, it showcases their talent as musicians. I was pleasantly surprised to see I had gotten my wish. It was followed by Stockholm Syndrome and then concluded with Knights of Cydonia. A great finish, although I was disappointed they didn’t play Invincible. It is the best song on the live album, and I was hoping to experience it for myself.

Overall the show was fantastic. If you get a choice to see them live DO IT. They are one of the best live bands you will possibly ever see.

When Two Loves Collide

If you are a regular follower of this blog then you should notice at this point certain musical artists and television shows get more coverage than others. You probably have also figured out my love/obsession with the new series “Glee”. You have not been exposed to my obsession with Doctor Who and all things related (mostly that means David Tennant and John Barrowman).
Now usually I try to keep it as professional as possible around here. That means it’s ok to talk about something I love, but try to be objective and not, well, squee like a little girl just because I am excited about something. I also try to not use the word “I” all the time (which was doing good up till now, I think). See, there I go again. And again. It’s all downhill from here. But that’s what love does to you. It makes you forget yourself sometimes. So pardon me as I share my story: when two loves collide.
As I said before, I love “Glee” with a passion only other musical geeks could possibly understand. So when I found out one of my new favorite actors, John Barrowman, was in talks to possibly be on the show, of course there was joy. In fact, I screamed. One of those silent screams that makes people wonder if you’re having an episode of some kind. I already had heard about his upcoming appearance on Desperate Housewives (another of my favorite shows). And I knew there was a small chance he could be appearing in the American version of Torchwood. (He claims that he doesn’t know but my theory is that it just isn’t official yet). But, I digress.
So Glee. And John Barrowman. Who has a new CD and has already shown he has talent both acting and singing. Yeah, sounds good to me.

Glee hits the road for spring tour

Things we already know about the hit show “Glee”:

1) Well, it’s a hit. Ratings are good and people are talking.
2) It’s a show about a glee club. That means lots of singing and dancing.
Knowing these two things it should come as no surprise that the cast of Glee will be going on tour this spring. The list of dates is short, but they’re hitting most of the big cities (including two dates in New York City).
May 18 Phoenix, AZ Dodge Theatre
May 20 Los Angeles, CA Gibson Amphitheatre
May 21 Los Angeles, CA Gibson Amphitheatre
May 25 Chicago, IL Rosemont Theatre
May 26 Chicago, IL Rosemont Theatre
May 28 New York City, NY Radio City Music Hall
May 29 New York City, NY Radio City Music Hall

So, who else is Glee-ful over this latest announcement?

Olympic Update – Men’s Hockey Final

This afternoon we saw possibly one of the greatest hockey games of our time. I have never seen a level of play this caliber before. Both teams gave it their all and left their hearts on the ice.

It all started with a goal in the first period by Canada. They may have gotten the first goal, but now the question was “how would Team USA respond?”
The answer seemed to be “not very well” when Canada scored again in the second. It appeared that Team USA would be defeated. They had something to say on the matter though. They scored once in the second to bring the score to 2-1. And that wouldn’t be the last we heard from them.
Third period. Less than a minute to go. Empty net left by Miller for the extra man. That was when Zack Parise would get his chance to score, tying the game up at 2-2 in the final seconds. It would seem this game wasn’t over yet.
The game ended there and went to OT. Crosby would score about five minutes in, winning the game for Canada. Miller (USA’s goalie) looked incredibly dejected after the loss, but he should be proud of himself and how well he played throughout the entire tournament. He was named MVP, which I believe he greatly deserves. He made some spectacular saves and really proved to be an extraordinary player.
If we had to lose to someone I’m glad it was Canada and the level of play was as good as we saw. In my mind, neither team really lost, as they showed us what extraordinary players they all are.
At the end of the day the gold medal went to Canada, silver to Team USA, and bronze to Finland (who beat Slovakia by a score of 5-3 yesterday). The overall medal count for Team USA was 9 gold, 15 silver, 13 bronze, for a total of 37 medals. Germany was in second with 30 and Canada was in third with 26 (14 of which were gold). The medals aren’t what’s really important though. What matters most are the stories that we got to share, and the memories that will stay with us. Whether it’s Apolo Ohno’s record-breaking performance or the Canadian who skated in memory of her mother who recently passed away or Hannah Kearney’s gold medal in Skiing (which admittedly still makes me cry every time I see the replay), these memories will hold more weight than all the medals in the world. These are the moments that make these games truly special.

Memphis Sings the Music of My Soul

I already wrote a review of Memphis when it was in previews, so instead consider this a spotlight on one of it’s cast members: Bryan Fenkart.

Bryan is part of the ensemble and understudy to the lead (usually played by Chad Kimball). Last night, Bryan played the lead part for both performances. I was in attendance at the evening show. Everyone in the cast did a fantastic job, no question about it. Montego Glover has a stunning wardrobe and an evening more stunning voice to match. Chad Kimball plays the part of Huey with an energy that grabs you from minute one. And Bryan? He’s usually in the ensemble, most likely only noticed by those who are looking for him. That is, until he gets the chance to be a star. Then everyone notices.

It’s always different when you know the performer. You want to be objective, but recognize that is almost impossible. So when everyone else in the theater is talking, it tells you that you were right about this one. He really is something special. Bryan did a splendid job taking on the lead last night, pushing the bar higher than ever before. His performance was fantastical. Afterwards, people waited by the stage door for pictures and autographs as if he was a star. Which he was, at least for that night. And I predict his star will keep rising a bit higher yet.