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B.J. Thomas, the vocalist who mixed the stylish sophistication of a pop crooner and the down-home soul of a country singer on songs like the 1969 smash “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head,” died Saturday in his Arlington, Texas home at the age of 78. A rep for Thomas confirmed the singer’s death. The cause of death was lung cancer, which Thomas had publicly revealed he had in March.

Thomas’ multi-genre success included major hits on the adult contemporary and Christian music charts, the latter of which would earn him five...

This week, the East End Chapter/Jeanne Kaye League of New York City presented their Spirit of Life Award to raise critical funds and awareness for City of Hope, a world-renowned independent research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases.

Maria Baum, CD Greene and Gretta Monahan were honored with The Spirit of Life Award, which is presented to individuals who exemplify the ideals and values that have guided City of Hope for more than a century, including compassionate patient care and a commitment to leading-edge scientific research and clinical care.

Due to Covid-19 and the postponement of the 2020 event, the annual celebration took place virtually and was co-hosted by “Today Show” lifestyle contributor, QVC creative director of G.I.L.I. and NY Knicks broadcaster, Jill Martin. Guests were treated to special performances by Kelli O’Hara, who performed “Getting to Know You” and “Cockeyed Optimist,” and...

Kristin Chenoweth will return to the Broadway stage in a live concert celebrating the release of her new album For The Girls Concord Records, produced by Steve Tyrell, with Music Direction by Mary-Mitchell Campbell, Directed by Richard Jay-Alexander and Presented by James L. Nederlander. We're celebrating Cheno's return to the Broadway stage by taking a look back at some of her best duets...

Kristin Chenoweth will return to the Broadway stage in a live concert celebrating the release of her new album For The Girls Concord Records, produced by Steve Tyrell, with Music Direction by Mary-Mitchell Campbell, Directed by Richard Jay-Alexander and Presented by James L. Nederlander. The limited engagement begins November 8, 2019 at the Nederlander Theatre 208 West 41st Street and will run through November 17, 2019 8 performances only.

Kristin Chenoweth will return to the Broadway stage in a live concert celebrating the release of her new album For The Girls Concord Records, produced by Steve Tyrell, with Music Direction by Mary-Mitchell Campbell, Directed by Richard Jay-Alexander and Presented by James L. Nederlander. The limited engagement begins November 8, 2019 at the Nederlander Theatre 208 West 41st Street and will run through November 17, 2019 8 performances only.

Kristin Chenoweth will return to the Broadway stage in a live concert celebrating the release of her new album For The Girls Concord Records, produced by Steve Tyrell, with Music Direction by Mary-Mitchell Campbell, Directed by Richard Jay-Alexander and Presented by James L. Nederlander. The limited engagement begins November 8, 2019 at the Nederlander Theatre and will run through November 17, 2019 8 performances only.

Kristin Chenoweth will return to the Broadway stage in a live concert celebrating the release of her new album For The Girls Concord Records, produced by Steve Tyrell, with Music Direction by Mary-Mitchell Campbell, Directed by Richard Jay-Alexander and Presented by James L. Nederlander. The limited engagement begins November 8, 2019 at the Nederlander Theatre and will run through November 17, 2019 8 performances only. Kristin has made her voice heard on the Broadway stage, earning herself a Tony Award for her performance in you're A Good Man, Charlie Brown. However, it was her show-stopping performance in Wicked as Glinda that kickstarted her killer career on Broadway. Kristin has continued to engage her audiences with her astonishing vocals and irresistible charm, having been described, aoeshe's like a singing ray of sunshine,a by New York Times critic Charles Isherwood, following her most recent performance in My Love Letter To Broadway.

You may think you know Neal McCoy. And it's understandable. The singer has earned fans across the globe with a string of country hits - including "Wink" and "No Doubt About It" - that stretches back nearly 30 years. But on his latest album, You Don't Know Me, he's showing off a different side. The new disc is a collection of 13 jazzy gems from the Great American songbook, featuring titles made famous by Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, and Bobby Darin. "This has been a bucket list of mine since sixth or seventh grade," he tells People of the album, which...

You may think you know Neal McCoy. And it's understandable. The singer has earned fans across the globe with a string of country hits - including "Wink" and "No Doubt About It" - that stretches back nearly 30 years. But on his latest album, You Don't Know Me, he's showing off a different side. The new disc is a collection of 13 jazzy gems from the Great American songbook, featuring titles made famous by Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, and Bobby Darin. "This has been a bucket list of mine since sixth or seventh grade," he tells People of the album, which...

Lisa Niemi is a Mrs. again. The actress and dancer, 57, wed jeweler Albert DePrisco in Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday, People has learned exclusively. Two days before their wedding, Niemi told People she couldn't wait to get married. "What I most look forward to on my wedding day is walking up, standing at our altar, and looking into his most incredible, twinkling eyes," she said. "I cannot think of a bigger treat than that." The couple, who got engaged last December, were married in an intimate ceremony at The Mar-a-Lago Club in front of more than 50 guests. Niemi wore a...

Last night, 92Y celebrated songwriting legend Mike Stoller on the occasion of his 80th year with An 80th Birthday Celebration, a one-night-only Lyrics amp Lyricists Special Event hosted by Paul Shaffer and directed and written by Randy Johnson directorwriter of A Night withJanis Joplin. Performers included legendary vocal group The Coasters, along with artists Karen Akers,Mary Bridget Davies, Corky Hale, Maria Elena Infantino,Sally Kellerman, Bettye Lavette, Melissa Manchester, Billy Stritch, Tommy Tune and Steve Tyrell. Backed by Tyrell's band, the artists performed some of the greatest songs written by Stoller with his longtime lyricist partner Jerry Leiber and others. Check out photos from the special event below...

The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel has announced the line-up of performers for the upcoming season at the legendary Cafe Carlyle. Following Debby Boone's engagement from March 19-30th, the Cafe Carlyle will host the John Pizzarelli Quartet with special guest Bucky Pizzarelli, Paul Williams, Steve Tyrell, Lea Salonga, Rossano Sportiello, and John Lloyd Young for back to back engagements into June. Woody Allen amp the Eddy Davis New Orleans Jazz Band will continue with their Monday night spot until June 17th.

Feinstein's at Loews Regency which opened in 1999, has presented the top talents of pop and jazz, including Rosemary Clooney, Steve Tyrell, Barbara Cook, Glen Campbell, Diahann Carroll, Jane Krakowski, Lea Michele, Cyndi Lauper, Jason Mraz and Alan Cumming amongst hundreds of other performers. The venue's namesake Michael Feinstein appears there for a sold-out holiday engagement every year and had previously said that Feinstein's at Loews Regency is the perfect place to hear the greatest and most exciting interpreters of American popular song. I'm proud to call it my home.

A Pre-Grammy Conversation with Bob Clearmountain

Mike Ragogna: Bob, here at the Grammys watching over the sonics of the Bruce Springsteen segment. What are some of the things you look out for when it comes to the right mix on Bruce?

Bob Clearmountain: The thing with Bruce, and any artist like Bruce, is that the most important thing is the song, getting across the meaning and the character of the song. Bruce is almost like an actor in that he creates a character for each of his songs. He wants to make sure that the narrative of the song comes across. It's no different here than it is with making records. There has to be no disconnect between that character you create and the narrative. Basically, that's what I look for. The rest of it is all making it sound good and as exciting as possible. The song he's...

In time for Valentine's Day, smoky, resonant romantic singer Steve Tyrell has created the perfect soundtrack to a memorable night of love. Legendary jazz balladeer Steve Tyrell, described by his peers as the world.s true .romance crooner,. has released his new collection, I.ll Take Romance on February 7th, 2012. This luxurious recording features 12 tracks with Tyrell, backed by his band along with a String Orchestra. The release of I.ll Take Romance will be accompanied by tour dates across the country, including his annual seven week run at New York City.s legendary Café Carlyle, where he replaced Manhattan icon Bobby Short seven years ago. Inspired by Chelsea Clinton.s choice of his version...

The TV host-and-model tied the knot with Nick Lachey in an intimate Caribbean ceremony on Necker Island in front of only 35 guests earlier this month and since the romantic ceremony she has become obsessed with her marriage band.

She said: "I'm absolutely in love with the ring. I still stare at my hand and look down at it and just feel really lucky."

One thing Vanessa really likes about the ring is that it compliments her engagement band - which has diamonds fashioned in the intricate Asscher-cut pattern.

Speaking to Britain's Ok! magazine, she explained: "Nick gave me a beautiful Asscher-cut engagement ring, when you're looking into it, it looks like you're looking into forever. When I got to my wedding band, in keeping with that theme, I just did smaller Asscher cuts all around."

While Vanessa's found picking a ring relatively easy, she agonised over what wedding dress to wear,...

A fitfully funny ensemble comedy set during lunch hour in a not-so-secluded Los Angeles park, Kurt Voelker's Park ultimately gets stuck in neutral.

While it has its bright spots and a cast including William Baldwin, Ricki Lake and Saturday Night Live alumna Cheri Oteri, the broadly played picture ends up feeling like a lost -- if racier -- episode of Love, American Style.

Having covered the film festival circuit for the past couple of years, where it has played well with adult audiences, the independently distributed Park strolls into select theaters this weekend, but given the crowded marketplace, its horizons aren't looking particularly green.

Voelker, who makes his feature directorial debut here after logging screenwriting credits including 2001's Sweet November remake, ensures there's no shortage of situations in his comedy.

Among those converging on the Sunny Park ground nestled high in the Hollywood Hills are the suicidal April (Dagney Kerry), who is finding it increasingly challenging to off herself, as well as the nerdy Ian (David Fenner), a mobile pet groomer who has a crush on his comely Polish co-worker, Krysta (Izabella Miko), who has subsequently been engaged in a hot and heavy affair with Dennis (William Baldwin), an obnoxious attorney with a fetish for his SUV.

Spying on Krysta and Dennis getting it on in said vehicle are his wife, Peggy (Ricki Lake), and her best friend, Claire (Cheri Oteri). They're about to seek revenge for his infidelities but also are beginning to wonder if they might have a latent connection to the L-word.

Meanwhile, over in another vehicle, co-workers Meredith (Anne Dudek) and Sheryl (Melanie Lynskey) are about to find out exactly what their colleagues Nathan (Trent Ford) and Babar (Maulik Pancholy) enjoy doing with each other during their lunch hours at the park.

It's all harmlessly naughty at the outset, but when it comes to juggling all those characters and their intersecting scenarios, Voelker lacks the dexterity of, say, Robert Altman.

While things soon turn a tad repetitive, a few of the performances generate a pleasant comic spark, especially those by the hapless Kerry and the defensive Dudek.

On the opposite side of Christophe Lanzenberg's busy camera, composers John Pratt and Michael Alemania furnish the quirky/perky themes that blend neatly with an inspired song selection featuring Pink Martini, Steve Tyrell, Nina Simone and the Indigo Girls.

PARK

Mello Picture

Credits:

Director-screenwriter: Kurt Voelker

Producer: Dana M. Jackson

Director of photography: Christophe Lanzenberg

Music: John Pratt, Michael Alemania

Editors: Anita Brandt Burgoyne, Paul Warschilka

Cast:

Dennis: William Baldwin

Peggy: Ricki Lake

Claire: Cheri Oteri

Sheryl: Melanie Lynskey

Krysta: Izabella Miko

Meredith: Anne Dudek

Nathan: Trent Ford

Babar: Maulik Pancholy

Ian: David Fenner, April: Dagney Kerry

Darnell: Treach

Javier: Francesco Quinn

Running time -- 86 minutes

No MPAA rating...

Release dates: Oct. 3; Feb. 28; June 6; Oct. 10

You may as well just go out and buy each new rerelease of Walt Disney's classic cartoon animated features, since each iteration has entirely different colors than the one that came before, and it has probably long been forgotten what the real colors for the films are.

Okay, we're exaggerating, but every time a cartoon comes out, the shades of hues are different, the color temperatures are different, and here and there, yes, a color is completely altered. Is it for the better? Perhaps, but there was nothing wrong with the previous releases, color-wise, so it really is just dabbling here and there to justify the claim that it has been "restored."

The latest masterpiece to get tapped by Tinker Bell's color wand is "The Little Mermaid", issued as a Platinum Edition 2-Disc Special Edition by Walt Disney Home Entertainment (retail $29.99). It is presented in letterboxed format only, with an aspect ratio of about 1.78:1 and an accommodation for enhanced 16:9 playback. Disney's previous release (January 2000) was letterboxed with an aspect ratio of about 1.66:1, which loses nothing on the sides and adds picture information to the top and bottom of the image, but it had no 16:9 encoding.

At times the colors on the new version are brighter and at times the colors on the older version are brighter. You could flip a coin to say which presentation is preferable. Take the flamingos during the Kiss the Girl number. Should they be pink, as flamingos are, or should they have a slightly purple tone, because it is nighttime? On the old version, they're pink, and on the new one, they're purple-ish. Either one looks great, and either one has meaning, so you end up accepting them both.

Unlike the picture, the sound is improved for the better. Disney calls it "Enhanced Home Theater Surround Sound," a 5.1-channel Dolby Digital track that is distinctively fresher and stronger than the older Dolby mix. The 83-minute program has alternate French and Spanish audio tracks in 5.1 Dolby, optional English subtitles, a sing-along option, and an Ashley Tisdale music video.

There is also an excellent commentary track featuring directors Ron Clements and John Musker, and composer Alan Menken. They talk in detail about developing the project, and about the challenges they encountered, both in terms of animating specific sequences and in carrying the Disney baton to a new generation. They speak wistfully about the contributions of Howard Ashman, who did more than just write the lyrics and dialog, as the vision of blending the animation with a musical-comedy sensibility was what drove him to drive everyone else.

Additionally, they share some great trivia (Mickey, Goofy & Donald can be seen early on) and deliver intelligent insights about movies and life. "People think just because something is "retro," going back to the '30s and '40s, that a reference will mean nothing because our audience are kids, and they don't realize how much in the subconscious of our culture can be accessed by artists. It's not just whatever is contemporary. There's a lot that's timeless in this."

The second platter presents 26 minutes of deleted and alternate scenes. All were wisely trimmed to move the story along and in the right direction, but several feature songs with entertaining lyrics. There are 76 minutes of retrospective featurettes, and Jeffery Katzenberg was even roped in to share his experiences in guiding the film's creation.

There is a lengthy segment on the history of the story itself (including conceptual artwork from a planned Disney version in the '40s), an elaborate profile of Ashman, a detailing of the film's various inspirations (one, for the witch, was the actor, Divine) and more discussions about the breakthrough that the film represented for Disney. For those who need the background information, it is best to watch the documentaries before listening to the commentary, but both are intelligent and rewarding.

Along with a 2-minute promo reel and the somewhat apprehensive first theatrical trailer, there is an 8-minute documentary featurette about the real sea life celebrated in the film, and an extensive still frame section that contains production photos, developmental artwork and even the artwork for the Forties version.

At one point, Disney planned a theme park ride based upon the film, and although it was jettisoned (it appears to have been too simplistic), there is a 15-minute segment that tells the story of its development and, among other things, depicts what its experience would have been like, using realistic computer animation.

Finally, a new cartoon short has been included, based upon another Hans Christian Anderson story, "The Little Match Girl". Running 7 minutes and set, without dialog, to music by Alexander Borodin, it is a classy piece of animated filmmaking.

Disney's Platinum Edition 50th Anniversary Edition of "Lady and the Tramp" (retail $29.99) not only alters the colors of the earlier release (January 2000), but the textures as well. The image is clearly spiffed up, with brighter and more solid hues -- and again, it can be a coin flip at times as to whether the older colors or the newer colors are better; Lady's ear hair was more consistently brown on the older version but now changes almost schizophrenically as she passes from light to shadow, and sometimes looks a touch too orange -- but in solidifying the colors, it also seems that what grain there is on the older presentation is eliminated, taking detail away from backgrounds or incidental objects.

On the whole, the new version does look better than the older one -- and it has been given 16:9 enhancement, which is also a great improvement -- but the older one never really looks bad, just not quite as polished.

The letterboxing has an aspect ratio of about 2.55:1, adding even more picture information to the sides of the image than the older letterboxed version had. The first platter of the two-platter set also contains a cropped presentation of the film, and once in a while the framing differs from the older cropped presentations, not that it matters much.

The 5.1-channel Dolby Digital sound is again punched up a bit, though the older mix wasn't bad and the differences are not as pronounced as they were on Little Mermaid. The 76-minute program has alternate French and Spanish tracks in 5.1 Dolby and optional English subtitles.

The second platter contains a good 52-minute retrospective documentary about creating the 1955 feature. Two deleted scenes, running a total of 13 minutes with introductions, are included, one being a very bizarre fantasy sequence that looks like something out of Tex Avery.

It took more than a decade to develop the film, and in 1943 storyboards were generated for an earlier version of the tale -- more Lady, less Tramp -- which is explained and then presented in its entirety with narration in a good 24-minute segment. Along with three trailers, an interesting 4-minute segment on "The Siamese Cat Song", a Steve Tyrell music video, a personality game, a trivia game, a kids documentary about dog breeds hosted by Fred Willard and running 9 minutes, and an extensive still frame collection of developmental artwork and other materials, there are some wonderful excerpts from two of Disney's TV episodes promoting the film, restored to color for the first time and running a total of 46 minutes.

The old 60th Anniversary Edition of "Dumbo" (November 2001) has brighter colors than the new Big Top Edition (retail $29.99), and so in sequences such as the train passing by the sunset, the older version is greatly preferable, even though the image is slightly grainier and less detailed. The elephants are greyer on the new version sometimes, and on the old version sometimes, though generally, the colors of the other animals are consistently better -- more accurate browns and greys -- on the new version. So again, you basically have to hold on to both of them.

The 5.1-channel Dolby Digital sound appears to be identical to the earlier release -- a pleasing mix with a viable dimensionality. John Canemaker's excellent commentary has been retained from the earlier release, as has the less valuable 15-minute retrospective documentary, the two classic Disney cartoons, a minute-long introduction to the film from a TV broadcast, the 8-minute "Elmer Elephant" animated short from 1936, the 9-minute "The Flying Mouse" animated short from 1934, an artwork still frame gallery, and a "read along" storybook segment. New to this release is an interactive piece for kids about circus animals and a Jim Brickman music video (the older version had a Michael Crawford video). The 1941 feature runs just 64 minutes.

Contrary to its promotions, Disney's new 25th Anniversary release of "The Fox and the Hound" (retail $30) actually has an identical picture transfer to Disney's previous release (Jul 2000). At least we could not see any difference between the two.

The full screen presentation is stable and solid, with bright hues and crisp lines. The 5.1-channel Dolby Digital sound is a fair improvement over the old DVD's standard stereo track, however, and there are a few more extras, including a 6-minute retrospective documentary about the creation of the 1981 feature (you kind of wish it were longer, as it explores the "changing of the guard" between Disney's older and younger animators during the creation of the film); a modest but rewarding still frame section featuring conceptual art, production photos and ad art; a simple choice game; a "read along" segment; a sing-along segment for one of the film's few songs; and two classic Disney cartoon shorts, the 1951 "Lambert the Sheepish Lion" and the 1941 Mickey Mouse cartoon featuring Pluto, "Lend a Paw", both running 8 minutes and both, like the 83-minute feature film, about animals who are supposed to be natural enemies making friends with one another.

The complete database of Doug Pratt's DVD-video reviews is available at dvdlaser.com . A sample copy of the DVD-Laser Disc Newsletter can be obtained by calling (516) 594-9304.