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(12/04/14 11:00pm)
There are actors, singers and dancers. Then, there are those who can do it all. The blending of multitalented individuals in live performances is exhilarating to witness. The core of Phoenix’s artistic culture is theater, and 2014 brought many theatrical treats to the desert. Here are our top 10 shows of the year.
(12/02/14 1:00am)
NETworks’ production of “Beauty and the Beast” enchanted the Orpheum Theatre. For three hours, theatergoers were transported to the world of Disney through song and dance — and it was absolute perfection.
(11/27/14 1:00am)
It’s been 15 years since Eminem capitalized on the success of his debut album, “The Slim Shady LP,” by founding Shady Records. Celebrating the record label’s quinceañera, the rap God released a double disc compilation album. In its 28 tracks, “Shady XV” pays tribute to the label’s past and is sprinkled with new Eminem releases.
(11/20/14 9:00pm)
(09/17/14 11:00pm)
It was a full house at ASU Gammage with the opening night of “Kinky Boots” officially kicking off the 2014-15 Broadway season.
(08/26/14 1:00am)
The VMAs celebrated its 30th anniversary this year, but you wouldn’t know it from the trite and dull show that was aired.
(06/26/14 10:30pm)
Spinoffs are often sloppy and short-lived. The bigger the show, the bigger disaster it seems to be (looking at you, “Joey”). Which is why when the Disney Channel announced its plans to revive the cult classic “Boy Meets World,” ‘90s kids cringed.
Nostalgia for the '90s has been in full force with Justin Timberlake performing with his *NSYNC bandmates at last year’s VMAs and Beyoncé with Destiny's Child at the Super Bowl. Still, bringing back a show the caliber of BMW is daunting. If the pilot episode of “Girl Meets World” is any indication of future episodes, then Disney has a polished show worthy of both new audiences and fans that grew up with the original.The coming-of-age tale follows the same format of BMW, but this time the focus is on a new Matthews child — Riley (Rowan Blanchard), the daughter of Cory (Ben Savage) and Topanga Matthews (Danielle Fishel). The new generation includes 5-year-old Auggie (August Maturo).The series finale of BMW left us with the couple moving to New York for Topanga to attend law school at New York University. GMW picks up with the family living in the Big Apple where Cory works as a history teacher and Topanga is a lawyer.
Riley possesses the same benevolent and innocent nature as Cory did in BMW. Much like Cory’s best friend Shawn Hunter (Rider Strong), Riley has a troubled and intrepid sidekick, Maya Hart (Sabrina Carpenter). Cory spent the greater part of his childhood saving while simultaneously trying to be like Shawn, something that Riley is now doing with Maya.
Cory’s mentor, George Feeny (William Daniels), is a large influence on him. Following in his footsteps not only with his career path, the omnipresence of the beloved teacher is clear with Cory now sharing Feeny-isms with Riley and Maya. The pilot includes a cameo from Mr. Feeny, which is reason enough to tune in.
Later in the season, the show will feature appearances by Cory’s parents, Alan (William Russ) and Amy (Betsy Randle). Strong will also be reprising his role as Shawn in future episodes.
While GMW is geared toward current Disney Channel watchers, it has enough elements of the classic to attract 20-somethings into watching it. With its subtle throwbacks to BMW (spoiler: Stuart Minkus (Lee Norris) is the father of Cory’s quirky student, Farkle (Corey Fogelmanis)), it will be a revisitation of childhood for older viewers. With BMW creator and producer Michael Jacobs in charge of GMW, it might just beat the spinoff curse.“Girl Meets World” premieres Friday on the Disney Channel.Reach the reporter at jurgiles@asu.edu or follow her on Twitter @MrsMathers94
(05/22/14 3:00pm)
Summer, above all else, is the quintessential season for concerts. This year is unsurpassed with its mashups of hip-hop royalty and pop prowess. Not all shows will be stopping in Arizona, but California is only a short drive away. Here are the top four, can’t-miss tours of summer 2014.
(01/28/14 12:13am)
Opening the show with “Drunk In Love” from her self-titled surprise album released last month, Beyoncé stunned the annual Grammy's with her typical flair. The performance, which started off with seductively dancing on a chair, received much-needed resuscitation once Jay-Z joined her on stage. The notoriously private mega-couple caused an eruption in the Staples Center with their collaboration.
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis walked away with the first award of the night for Best New Artist. It was a monumental night for them as they also won Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song for “Thrift Shop” and Best Rap Album for “The Heist,” which won over Kanye West’s “Yeezus” and Drake’s “Nothing Was the Same.”
The duo’s shining moment came near the end of the night when they performed “Same Love” and shared the spotlight with 33 LGBTQA and straight couples that were married, with Queen Latifah officiating their wedding, during the live telecast. To honor the newlyweds, which consisted of both straight and LGBTQA couples, Madonna made a surprise appearance and sang her '80s hit, “Open Your Heart.”
(12/03/13 11:29pm)
Currently on a world tour, Justin Timberlake made his stop in Phoenix last night to a sold out crowd at the US Airways Center. Now in his second month of touring, Timberlake lost track of the city he was in.
(11/25/13 11:25pm)
Most of Hollywood’s elite was in attendance at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles last night for the American Music Awards.
It was a rocky start for the awards show with its host, Pitbull, failing to be the least bit entertaining and Katy Perry’s underwhelming opening performance of her new single, “Unconditionally.”
Wearing a kimono and transforming the stage to a garden for the Japanese-themed scene, Perry gave a mediocre performance that just wasn't worthy of opening the show.
The first award of the night went to Justin Timberlake for Favorite Pop/Rock Male. Timberlake also won Favorite Soul/R&B; Male and Favorite Soul/R&B; Album for “The 20/20 Experience,” which is the best-selling album of 2013.
Newcomer Ariana Grande wowed the audience with her flawless vocals on “Tattooed Heart” that even brought the hard-to-impress Lady Gaga to her feet in a standing ovation. The 20-year-old went on to win the New Artist of the Year award, solidifying her place in music.
Imagine Dragons gave an energizing performance of “Demons” and “Radioactive” with an instrumental interlude in one of the shining musical moments of the night. The band also walked away with the Favorite Alternative/Rock Artist award, beating out The Lumineers and Mumford & Sons.
“The Heist” won the Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Album category and, in his acceptance speech via satellite from his on-tour location, Macklemore used the opportunity to promote a social cause. In a moving speech he said, “Due to the fact that we are in Florida tonight accepting this award, I want to acknowledge Trayvon Martin and the hundreds and hundreds of kids each year that are dying due to racial profiling and the violence that follows it.” Always one to use his fame to advocate for important issues, the moment wasn’t surprising coming from Macklemore.
Then came the only thing worse than Pitbull’s atrocious hosting, which was his performance with Ke$ha. The incoherentness of their collaboration had no place in a night celebrating music.
Justin Timberlake saved the show with his outstanding performance of “Drink You Away” accompanied by his orchestra. “We’re JT and the Tennessee Kids. This is a song about alcohol,” he said. Playing the acoustic guitar, Timberlake gave the best performance of the night that received a standing ovation by his peers.
The first-ever Icon Award by the AMAs went to Rihanna. The best-selling digital artist of all time was celebrated with a personal video message from her mentor Jay-Z and was presented the award by her mother. Rihanna also won the Favorite Soul/R&B; Female award.
Channeling Marilyn Monroe, Lady Gaga performed “Do What U Want” with R. Kelly playing his version of JFK. With the recent 50th anniversary of the iconic president’s death, the provocative homage came off as distasteful.
Miley Cyrus performed “Wrecking Ball” sans the wrecking ball, but with a bizarre intergalactic background featuring a winking cat that mouthed the lyrics along with Cyrus. The polarizing singer, who just turned 21 the day before the awards show, choked up during the emotional ballad but still gave a powerful yet peculiar performance.
The highest honor of the night, the Artist of the Year award, went to Taylor Swift, breaking the record for the most wins in that category. Swift went home with four awards, making for a total of 14 AMAs for the singer.
See the full list of last night’s winners here.
Reach the reporter at jurgiles@asu.edu or follow her on Twitter @MrsMathers94
(11/24/13 10:38pm)
4/5 Pitchforks
For more than a decade, Lance Armstrong vehemently disputed accusations that he took performance-enhancing drugs. The professional cyclist became an American hero after surviving cancer and once in remission, consecutively won seven Tour de France titles. Armstrong’s supernatural dominance of the sport raised eyebrows and doping speculations ran rampant, but still Armstrong denied any wrongdoing. “The Armstrong Lie” was meant to document Armstrong’s comeback to Tour de France in 2009, but the story took a new spin once Armstrong’s lifework was stripped upon discovering he doped his way to each victory.
Alex Gibney (“Freakonomics”) produced the documentary and was blindsided by Armstrong’s confession to the systematic doping that took place throughout his career. The producer decided to release the film as a collection of the athlete’s shameless pursuit of power when his comeback turned out to be a sham. The film begins with footage taken just hours after Armstrong’s highly publicized interview with Oprah in which he tearfully confesses to his lies.
“I certainly was very confident that I would never be caught,” Armstrong said of the ordeal. Throughout the film his feelings of invincibility are obvious, as he has no qualms about deceiving the world. As a master manipulator, he lies with such conviction that as countless scenes show his documented denial of using drugs, it becomes apparent he believed his own lies. The fabrication, or “story” as he calls it, is long, convoluted and though the 162-minute documentary does its best to uncover the truth, it still only touches the surface of the debacle.
While Armstrong certainly isn’t a paragon of virtue, neither are most of the people featured in the film. His former teammates didn’t come clean about their own use of drugs because of some moral awakening, and only after they were caught did they resent Armstrong for getting away with it and publicly accuse him. However, what set Armstrong apart was his celebrity status that motivated others to keep his secret. From a doctor with sources at anti-doping labs to circumvent drug testing, to people willingly lying under oath for him, to the wrath he unleashed on opponents that crossed him, in the end, it was this same celebrity status that caused his fall from grace as the World Anti-Doping Agency set out to make an example out of him. While Armstrong was banned from the sport for life, others that doped only received a six-month suspension.
The film portrays a darker side of Armstrong as well — one that is gratified by humiliating journalists and even his own teammates. One of the most disheartening scenes is when Armstrong uses his work with the Livestrong Foundation, formerly known as the Lance Armstrong Foundation until the doping was discovered, in his denial of the accusations. Armstrong himself says that was taking it too far (and it was), but the lie wasn’t one he harbored by himself. It was a well-orchestrated story that, at its core, was meant for monetary gain.
While “The Armstrong Lie” is riveting, it doesn’t exactly accomplish what Gibney sets out to do. Armstrong doesn’t come off as power hungry, but more enamored with the fairytale he constructed. He genuinely seems to want to be the person the world believes him to be. It also appears that he wanted to get caught. For now, the evocative athlete almost seems relieved to have been exposed: “It’s hard to conceal the truth forever. This has been my downfall.”
Reach the reporter at jurgiles@asu.edu or follow her on Twitter @MrsMathers94
(11/20/13 3:00pm)
The month of November is also known to some as “Movember,” a movement that strives to bring awareness to men’s health issues and encourages its male participants to grow mustaches for the duration of the month.
(11/13/13 5:00pm)
Throughout history, the role women have played in the evolution of music has been one that is often overlooked. The Musical Instrument Museum and ASU are working to change that by focusing on the impact of female artists on popular music.
(10/29/13 4:00pm)
In fall of 2012, Hudson Lanier approached ASU administrators with what he believed to be a versatile class for music enthusiasts, regardless of their major. The administrators accepted the pitch, and thus created the Funk Ensemble class at ASU.
(10/25/13 9:34pm)
The musical adaptation of “The Lion King” arrived at ASU Gammage this week and the grandiose spectacle is breathtaking from beginning to end. As Broadway captures the Disney magic of “The Lion King,” it is most certainly a must-see show.
The opening scene is visually stunning with its animal portrayals. While making its way to the stage during "Circle of Life," an unbelievably beautiful, life-sized elephant with its baby emerges through the aisles, getting up-close with the awestruck audience. The electrifying performance brings an explosion of colors that bring Pride Rock to life.
The overall cast is phenomenal, especially Young Simba's inspiring performance, which personifies the mischievous nature of the cub. Scar radiates evil unapologetically and marvelously, and Mufasa's incredibly sensational dynamic with Young Simba proves the play's adaptation is as endearing as the animated character.One of the most touching scenes is when Simba discovers Mufasa has died, giving his best performance of the night with harrowing screams upon trying to wake up his father. Timon and Pumbaa, however, provide much comedic relief soon after and even dance the Charleston.
“The Lion King," known for its award winning songs, does not disappoint with its musicality as it mesmerizes with classics from the 1994 film including: “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King,” “Hakuna Matata” and “Can You Feel the Love Tonight.” The show combines original songs and new scenes to further build on the endless entertainment of the musical.
Costume designer Julie Taymor, along with her co-designer Michael Curry, do a magnificent job with the costuming of "The Lion King" characters. With incredibly detailed masks and life-like puppets, Taymor and Curry´s work truly brings the show to life. The African frocks are vibrant, Pumbaa's costume is almost too remarkable for a warthog and the lionesses, while in mourning of Mufasa´s death, are adorned with teardrops that drape to floor of the stage, providing intricate costume detail that is as essential to the musical as the music is.Hair and makeup designer, Michael Ward brilliantly symbolized the African elements of the story with elaborate makeup, particularly shown with Mufas´s dear friend, the baboon, Rafiki.
“The Lion King” is a magical experience that will leave your speechless, and will be playing at ASU Gammage until Nov. 17. Make sure to purchase your tickets, which can be found here.
Reach the reporter at jurgiles@asu.edu or follow her on Twitter @MrsMathers94
(10/01/13 11:59pm)
5/5 Pitchforks
With the release of “The 20/20 Experience 2 of 2,” Justin Timberlake reminded the world what it has known for years — his talent is unmatched in today’s music industry. Timberlake is by no means a novice to creating revolutionary music, but "The 20/20 Experience 2 of 2” is his best work to date, including its predecessor that was released in March. Both albums were recorded during the same 20-day timespan, but conceptually, the sequel is a vast improvement of the first installment of the experience, in which he focused on danceable tracks. With 74 minutes of at-times garrulous songs, part two is pure pop perfection.
“Gimme What I Don’t Know (I Want)” gets the party started in the typical Timberlake fashion of vivacity. “True Blood” jumps from rave-like to being reminiscent of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” with its eerie background noises best suited for Halloween.
Timberlake also teamed up with two of the biggest names in hip-hop. In “Cabaret,” Drake joins the track and elevates it to another level rarely seen with pop and hip-hop collaborations. Timberlake toured with Jay-Z all summer and released two singles with him this year, “Suit & Tie” and “Holy Grail.” Their newest partnership on “Murder” isn’t as impressive as the previous two songs. With lyrics such as, “She got that Yoko Ono / You know that sh-t that made John Lennon go solo,” Jay-Z doesn’t add much substance to the song, and it comes off as a forced creation solely made to preserve the momentum of their earlier hits.
In “Drink You Away,” Timberlake sings of the woes of unsuccessfully drowning sorrow with bottles of Jack and gin. “Now tell me, baby / Don’t they make a medicine for heartbreak?” he asks hauntingly. “Only When I Walk Away” has the potential to be one of Timberlake’s biggest hits. The song intertwines grueling vocals with guitar riffs that make the breakup anthem a standout in the album.
“Not a Bad Thing” concludes the 20/20 experience and is the bow on the meticulously crafted package gifted by Timberlake. “It’s not such a bad thing to fall in love with me,” he croons.
Timberlake is familiar with accolades. At this year’s MTV Video Music Awards, he received the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, which he shared with his former *NSYNC bandmates, who helped launch his career. The Grammy winner waited until the eleventh hour to release his album as the deadline for Grammy eligibility coincides with the date of the album release. Timberlake will indubitably walk away with new gramophone trophies come February when the award show airs. Grammy nominations for 2014 will be announced on Dec. 6. Until then, Timberlake is launching his tour Oct. 31 to personally share the now complete 20/20 experience with eager fans around the world.
Reach the reporter at jurgiles@asu.edu or follow her on Twitter @MrsMathers94
(09/26/13 9:50pm)
Bill Burr is a triple threat – comedian, actor and podcaster. The "Breaking Bad" actor will be in Phoenix on Oct. 5 for a standup show at the Celebrity Theatre. In a phone interview with The State Press, Burr discusses future acting dreams, creative freedom and his close relationship with the art of standup comedy.