One of America’s sweethearts hands the torch to another when Tom Hanks presents Alan Alda with a lifetime achievement award at the upcoming Screen Actors Guild Award ceremony. The 82-year-old Alda, a Golden Globe- and Emmy-winner, will become the 55th recipient of the annual award given to an actor who …
your ad hereJordan Peele’s ‘Us’ to Premiere as Opening Film at SXSW
Jordan Peele’s “Us,” his anticipated follow-up to “Get Out,” will make its world premiere at the South by Southwest Film Festival …
your ad hereAfter a Tame Globes, Is a Less-Charged Awards Season Ahead?
The Golden Globe Awards looked like it had gone entirely back to frothy, bubbly business as usual, until Regina King did the impossible: She got the orchestra to stop playing her off. Not even Lady Gaga had that much power. King used her platform on stage accepting the supporting actress …
your ad hereSam Elliott Honored at Hollywood ‘Footprints’ Ceremony
Veteran actor Sam Elliott imprinted his hands and feet in cement on Hollywood Boulevard on Monday, as “A Star is Born” co-stars Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper shook off Golden Globes disappointment to join in honoring the 74-year-old’s long career. Known for his lanky physique, thick mustache and languid drawl, …
your ad hereFast Cars, Rickety Bridges as ‘The Grand Tour’ Returns
Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May return for a third season of their thrill-seeking motor show “The Grand Tour,” with plenty of fast cars and stunning scenery they hope will take viewers’ minds off the real world. The Amazon program follows the presenters as they test out all sorts …
your ad hereActor Spacey Does Not Enter Plea on Sex Assault Charge in Nantucket
Former “House of Cards” star Kevin Spacey appeared in a Massachusetts court on Monday to face a criminal charge that he sexually assaulted an 18-year-old man after plying him with alcohol at a bar in Nantucket more than two years ago. The Oscar-winning actor did not enter a plea in …
your ad here‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ Wins Top Nod At Golden Globes
Golden Globes co-host Sandra Oh said she was afraid to take the job of co-hosting this year’s show with Andy Samberg, but she took it anyway. “I said yes to the fear of being on this stage tonight because I wanted to be here to look out at his audience …
your ad hereMaster of Miniatures Builds a Dream Mansion in Los Angeles
For some, castlelike mansions in Los Angeles are just pretty to look at and an unattainable dream. But for designer Chris Toledo, they are an inspiration. He makes exact, yet miniature copies of these magnificent houses. They have it all — in bathrooms, electricity, fireplaces and chandeliers. One day, Toledo …
your ad hereSmithsonian Museum’s Latest Acquisitions Reflect a Diverse America
For the past 50 years, the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington has been telling America’s story with images of people who helped shape the history and culture of the United States. It recently added 28 pictures in an effort to tell a more diverse and more complete story of …
your ad hereThere’s More Than One Way to Recycle a Christmas Tree
There are a number of reasons why Americans like to have a live tree for their Christmas centerpiece It just smells like Christmas, they grew up with a real tree, they feel it’s better for the environment than an artificial one. And although trees can be chipped into mulch after …
your ad hereSenegal Opens Museum of Black Civilizations to Public
After an official inauguration last month, Senegal finally opened the Museum of Black Civilizations to the general public this week. Ricci Shryock has more from the capital, Dakar. …
your ad hereThe Other Jay-Z: South African Ex-President Jacob Zuma Releasing Album?
The man South Africans know as J-Z is dropping an album. But instead of fans, he’s hearing haters who are questioning why public dollars are being used to fund the project. That’s because the talent in question is not the Jay-Z – the multi-millionaire platinum-selling producer and rapper (and, no …
your ad hereMichael B. Jordan, Ben Stiller among Golden Globe Presenters
Michael B. Jordan, Ben Stiller and Idris Elba are among the first presenters announced for next month’s Golden Globe Awards. Other presenters announced Thursday by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association include Catherine Zeta-Jones, Dick Van Dyke, Jamie Lee Curtis, Chrissy Metz, Felicity Huffman and Mike Myers. Sandra Oh and Andy …
your ad hereBroadway Hits Iran with Unique Take on ‘Les Miserables’
Iranian theatre director Hossein Parsaee calls Victor Hugo’s classic a “masterpiece without borders” but his groundbreaking production of “Les Miserables” that has hit the stage in Tehran has a few unique twists. For a start, none of the actresses are allowed to reveal their own hair, and in case their …
your ad hereCenturies-Old Art of Handmade Blue-Dyed Cloth Given UNESCO Recognition
Blue was a rare, expensive color in ancient times, whether it was derived from lapis lazuli mined in Afghanistan some 6,000 years ago, made by blending copper with other elements throughout the Middle East and in ancient China, or mixing an extract of the indigo plant with clay and resin …
your ad hereMexico Finds Temple of the Flayed Lord
Mexican experts have found the first temple of the Flayed Lord, a pre-Hispanic fertility god depicted as a skinned human corpse, authorities said Wednesday. Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History said the find was made during recent excavations of Popoloca Indian ruins in the central state of Puebla. The …
your ad hereDisney Chalks Up 2nd Best Year at Box Office: $7.325 Billion
Disney posted its second best year at the box office ever, raking in $7.325 billion worldwide for everything from “Black Panther” and “Avengers: Infinity War” to hit animated sequel “Incredibles 2” and the latest “Star Wars” film. Disney remains the only studio to ever post more than $7 billion in …
your ad hereOne Million Lights Shine Brightly at Chinese Festival Near Washington
Imagine a magical place where lights are designed in the shape of the Statue of Liberty, the Eiffel Tower and dragons. It’s a place where children can enjoy a maze made of Chinese lanterns or see death-defying acts by gymnasts. VOA’s Carolyn Presutti takes us to Light-Up…a Christmas festival near …
your ad hereConcert Asks Composers to Create Works About War, Intolerance
The works of 32 composers from countries affected by war and other conflicts will be featured in a concert Jan. 24 at the Music Center at Strathmore in North Bethesda, Maryland — a suburb of Washington, D.C. Award-winning Israeli-American pianist Yael Weiss curated the concert, “32 Bright Clouds,” which she …
your ad here130th Rose Parade Boasts Floral Floats, Singer Chaka Khan
Floral floats and marching bands took to the streets under a sunny California sky as the 130th Rose Parade drew hundreds of thousands of spectators on New Year’s Day and millions more watched on TV. Among the fanciful floats was an award-winning entry from the UPS Store that featured a …
your ad hereAfter Blockbusters in 2018, Are Black Films Entering Hollywood Mainstream?
The year 2018 was one of box office successes and awards of artistic recognition for black films, from Marvel Comic’s action flick Black Panther to the fact-based drama Blackkklansman. Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther, about a fictional African king with superhero powers and his technologically advanced country, Wakanda, has received dozens …
your ad hereAfter Some Blockbusters, Have Black Films Entered Hollywood Mainstream?
2018 was a year of box office successes and awards of artistic recognition for black films. Marvel’s action flick “Black Panther” introduced the first black superhero lead actor and grossed over a billion dollars domestically and internationally. Other films with black leading characters also did well with audiences and critics. …
your ad hereVolunteers Prepare Flower-Decked Floats for Rose Parade
The Rose Parade has been a New Year’s Day tradition since 1890. Every inch of every float is covered with flowers or other natural materials, such as leaves, seeds or bark. The most delicate flowers, including roses, are placed in individual vials of water, which are set into the float …
your ad hereA Big Build-Up to a Big Drop: The Times Square New Year’s Ball
An estimated 1 million people will pack New York City’s Times Square to watch the huge, brilliantly lighted, crystal ball drop to signal the start of the new year. It is an American New Year’s tradition that goes back more than a century. As VOA’s Kevin Enochs reports, lot of …
your ad hereYoung Libyan Women Play for Equal Rights on the Soccer Field
Young women looking to play the world’s most-popular sport have a place all their own in Libya. An all-girls soccer academy in the capital looks to break societal norms in the Muslim majority country that frown upon women wearing shorts or competing on the same fields as men. But it …
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