Batiste to sing at Biden state dinner
Musician Jon Batiste is on tap to perform at President Joe Biden’s first White House state dinner on Thursday that will highlight long-standing ties between the U.S. and France and honor President Emmanuel Macron.
“An artist who transcends generations, Jon Batiste’s music inspires and brings people together,” said Vanessa Valdivia, a spokesperson for first lady Jill Biden, whose office is overseeing dinner preparations.
Batiste, 36, will be adding White House entertainer to an already long list of roles, including recording artist, bandleader, musical director, film composer and museum creative director. He won five Grammy Awards this year, including for album of the year for “We Are.”
Lopez announces new album:
Jennifer Lopez announced a new album inspired by husband Ben Affleck on Friday — exactly 20 years after releasing her first album dedicated to the actor.
The singer, 53, will release “This is Me… Now” next year, she announced in an Instagram video that shows the cover of her 2002 album “This Is Me… Then” transforming into the cover of the new one.
Lopez’s announcement promises a musical journey through her reconciliation with Affleck, whom she married in July in Las Vegas after getting back together last year.
Comedian Roman dies:
Comedian Freddie Roman, the former dean of the Friars Club and a staple of the Catskills comedy scene, has died at age 85.
Roman died Saturday at a Florida hospital, his booking agent and friend Alison Chaplin said
Sunday. His daughter told Deadline that he suffered a heart attack that morning.
Roman made his name performing at hotels and resorts in the Catskill Mountains, and later performed at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and Bally’s Grand in Atlantic City, and he roasted the likes of Rob Reiner, Chevy Chase, Jerry Stiller and Hugh Hefner. He also appeared in various television shows and films over the years, including “Red Oaks” on Amazon Prime Video.
‘Strange World’ falls short at box office:
Thanksgiving often serves up a feast for new family movies at the box office, but the Walt Disney Co.’s animated offering “Strange World” fizzled with audiences out of the gates.
The production, which carried a reported $180 million budget, grossed just $18.6 million in ticket
sales in its first five days in North American theaters, according to studio estimates Sunday, landing in second place.
The top spot for the holiday corridor, which runs from Wednesday through Sunday, instead went to another Disney movie, Marvel’s “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” which raked in $64 million over five days. The superhero sequel has reigned over the charts for three weekends now and has grossed $675.6 million worldwide.
Nov. 29 birthdays: Musician John Mayall is 89. Actor Diane Ladd is 87. Comedian Howie Mandel is 67. Actor Cathy Moriarty is 62. Actor Kim Delaney is 61. Actor Andrew McCarthy is 60. Actor Don Cheadle is 58. Singer Jonathan Knight is 54. Actor Brian Baumgartner is 50. Actor Anna Faris is 46. Actor Diego Boneta is 32. Actor Lovie Simone is 24.