“Cowgirls n’ Angels” star Bailee Madison to appear on “Tonight Show with Jay Leno” tonight
Actress Bailee Madison, 12, the young actress who stars in the Oklahoma-made film “Cowgirls n’ Angels” will appear as a guest tonight on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.”
The film, which was filmed in Stillwater, Guthrie and Pawnee, opens Friday in theaters, including here in Oklahoma City. Over the next week or so, I’ll be bringing you multiple features of the state and national talents who worked on the film as well as my review of the touching family drama set in the rodeo world.
The movie co-stars James Cromwell, Alicia Witt (whom I interviewed today) and Jackson Rathbone, and features music from Oklahoma singers Maggie McClure, Amber Hayes and Devin Derrick.
The first guest on Leno’s couch tonight will be actor/musician Kevin Costner, who stars in the History Channel’s anticipated miniseries “Hatfields & McCoys,” premiering at 8 p.m. Memorial Day. Costner and his band Modern West also will playing a show July 19 at Lucky Star Casino in Concho.
Look for my fine colleague Melissa Hayer’s interview with Costner in Sunday’s The Oklahoman.
Lisa Marie Presley will be the musical guest on Leno’s show tonight.
“The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” airs at 10:35 p.m. weekdays on NBC (KFOR-4 in Oklahoma City).
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Miranda Lambert talks about body image, Blake Shelton, beer and barbecue in June’s Self magazine cover story
Country music superstar Miranda Lambert, who lives in Tishomingo, shows off her sexy curves on the cover of the June issue of Self magazine.
In the cover story, she talks about her body image, her marriage to fellow country music star Blake Shelton and her alternative to bodyguards. In addition, she shares the formula for her increasingly famous light cocktail, the “Randa-rita,” which is Bacardi, Crystal Light and a splash of Sprite Zero.
Here are some highlights of her Self interview:
“I don’t care about being stick-thin. I don’t want stuff to jiggle. Really skinny actresses make me hungry—I see them and think, Honey, you need to eat! I’m lucky I don’t have to live like that. I feel my best when I’m a toned, not flabby, size 8. Women come up to me and say, ‘You’re beautiful and confident, and that makes me feel I can be, too.’”
“I asked Blake, ‘Dude, why didn’t you tell me I got fat?’ He said, ‘That would go over like a lead balloon. It’s not my job to tell you you’re fat. It’s my job to tell you you’re beautiful.’”
“I won’t give up what I enjoy to look perfect. I want to find a happy medium between feeling good about my body and still having a beer and some barbecue.”
“I always scarf down food after a show. But now, instead of eating a burger, I’ll have a grilled-chicken salad waiting for me. And except for almonds and bananas, I don’t keep snacks on the bus. I don’t want Cheetos anywhere around me.”
“It’s OK to be fat and lazy sometimes. But eventually you’re, like, Oh crap—I shouldn’t have done that! I gained about 10 pounds over the holidays, and when I got onstage in January, I realized I wasn’t feeling great. I didn’t have the energy or lung capacity I needed. It was a good idea to get strong again.”
“I carry a weapon. I got a death threat a few years ago and was really scared. But I don’t want bodyguards. I am my own security.”
“Blake and I barely see each other. We got married [last May], and we each had so much travel, it was, like, See you next year! There have been challenges the first year, but we faced them. We’re individuals, but together we’re a force to be reckoned with.”
“I live on hairspray. The bigger the hair, the closer to God.”
Click here to read more.
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Carrie Underwood to be featured on “Dateline” 20th anniversary special Tuesday
In this photo provided by the Las Vegas News Bureau, Carrie Underwood walks the red carpet in a powder blue ball gown at the 2012 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand on the Las Vegas Strip on Sunday, May 20, 2012. (AP Photo)
Oklahoma country music superstar Carrie Underwood will be featured in an upcoming one-hour “Dateline” 20th Anniversary Special airing at 9 p.m. Tuesday on NBC.
The Checotah native and “Dateline” correspondent Hoda Kotb first met in 2005 after Underwood won the fourth season of “American Idol,” according to a news release. Nearly seven years to the day later, Underwood and Hoda meet again to talk about her meteoric rise as a five-time Grammy-award winner, a multiplatinum-selling artist, a concert touring record-breaker and her latest album “Blown Away.”
The “Dateline” 20th Anniversary Special also will highlight some of the most extraordinary stories in the past 20 years. Jane Pauley talks with Michael J. Fox; Tom Brokaw profiles Aron Ralston; Matt Lauer reports on two extraordinary families brought together by fate; Ann Curry checks in with the McCaughey septuplets and more, according to the release.
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Special edition of Ronnie Dunn’s solo album released today through Cracker Barrel
Ronnie Dunn (AP file)
A special edition of country music superstar and former Tulsan Ronnie Dunn’s newest solo album debuts today through the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store exclusive music program.
The CD, “Ronnie Dunn – Special Edition,” is a collection of 12 songs that Dunn first released in 2011, plus two previously unreleased bonus tracks. Because Dunn and Cracker Barrel support America’s military personnel, a portion of the proceeds from sales of this CD will be donated to Wounded Warrior Project, according to a news release.
The CD is available for $11.99 exclusively at all Cracker Barrel locations and online at www.crackerbarrel.com.
Twice named the BMI Country Songwriter of the year, Dunn’s songs are known for vividly depicting real life as well as profound love. His post-Brooks & Dunn solo effort includes some of both with “Cost of Livin’,” “Bleed Red,” and “Keep on Lovin’ You.” The new opening track “I Love My Country,” one of the previously unreleased songs, reflects Dunn’s patriotism.
“More than ever before, I feel as though this album gave me a chance to tell my own story through songs that mean a lot to me,” says Dunn in the news release. “And it’s particularly gratifying because, by working with Cracker Barrel, a portion of the CD retail sales will be donated to Wounded Warrior Project. To me, that truly makes this CD a special edition.”
“We’re pleased to work with Ronnie Dunn on a collection of songs we not only think will resonate with our guests, but also will support our nation’s Wounded Warriors,” says Julie Craig, Cracker Barrel Marketing Manager, in the release. “Ronnie shares his heart and his life-learned lessons through music and the result is a very special mix of memorable songs.”
“Ronnie Dunn – Special Edition” is the latest in Cracker Barrel’s exclusive music program. So far in 2012, Cracker Barrel has released Dolly Parton’s “An Evening With…Dolly,” which debuted in April at No. 2 on Billboard’s Top DVD Music Videos chart and earned a Recording Industry Association of America gold award. Cracker Barrel released the “Gospel Side of Dailey & Vincent” CD in January. Over the last few years, Cracker Barrel has released exclusive CDs with Craig Morgan, Wynonna, Alan Jackson, Zac Brown Band, George Jones, Montgomery Gentry, Bill Gaither, Ricky Skaggs, Aaron Tippin, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Josh Turner, Amy Grant, Sara Evans, Charlie Daniels and more.
In other Ronnie Dunn news, “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” has opened the “Band Bench” to give fans a chance to get close to the country superstar when he performs on the show Thursday in New York City. Fans sitting on the Band Benches will be given the exclusive chance to come down to the studio floor and surround the musical guest during their performance on the show. To enter the “Band Bench” Sweepstakes, click here and enter Dunn’s code, DUN. “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” airs at 11:35 p.m. weekdays on NBC.
See the tracklisting for “Ronnie Dunn – Special Edition” after the break.
Toby Keith and Kristen Bell to co-host the CMT Music Awards
Toby Keith
Kristen Bell (AP file)
The 2012 CMT Music Awards will have not one but two new hosts this year, as Oklahoma country music superstar Toby Keith and actress Kristen Bell have been tapped to preside over this year’s show.
Now in their 11th year, the CMT Music Awards will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena at 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 6 on CMT and CMT.com.
“Toby Keith and Kristen Bell are a terrific one-two knockout punch for the 2012 CMT Music Awards,” said John Hamlin, SVP, Music Events and Talent, CMT, in today’s announcement. “Toby has been involved with our show every year since its inception and Kristen is as entertaining and witty as any young actor working today. We’re thrilled to have them both as hosts for this year’s show.”
The fan-voted awards show will include performances from Checotah native and leading nominee Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Brad Paisley and Zac Brown Band. Additional performers and presenters will be announced soon, according to the news release.
From his first No. 1 smash “Should’ve Been A Cowboy” to his latest Top Country Album chart-topper “Clancy’s Tavern,” Keith has been one of the most consistent self-directed hit-makers of his era. The Norman resident’s albums have sold more than 36 million copies, ranking him among the top-selling all-genre artists on Billboard’s Top 200 Artists of the Decade. Keith also was named Billboard’s No. 1 Artist of the Decade and No. 1 Country Songwriter of the Decade. The Clinton native is now in his 19th consecutive year having had a No. 1 single every year since his first release. The Moore-bred superstar’s latest album’s lead single, “Made In America,” topped the charts as one of the fastest-rising songs in a long line of chart burners from Keith’s pen. The second hit, “Red Solo Cup,” has become one of the most commercially successful and downloaded country singles in recent memory with a viral video that has received more than 15 million views. The third single From Clancy’s Tavern, “Beers Ago,” is on its way to becoming another huge hit.
Bell is currently starring in the Showtime series, “House of Lies” opposite Don Cheadle. She will star alongside Dax Shepard in the feature film, “Hit & Run,” hitting theaters on Aug. 24, and she and Shepard also produced the film together. She lends her voice as the infamous narrator on the TV series “Gossip Girl,” can be heard in the new animated FX TV show “Unsupervised” and will be added to the roaster of Disney princesses in the studios upcoming animated feature “Frozen”. She recently completed work on “Some Girls,” written and based on the play of the same title by Neil LaBute. Bell’s film credits include “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” “You Again,” “When in Rome,” and “Couples Retreat.” Her television credits include “Veronica Mars,” “Deadwood,” “Heroes” and “Party Down,” while her Broadway credits include “Tom Sawyer” and “The Crucible.”
Underwood will compete for a leading five prizes and Tishomingo resident Miranda Lambert will vie for four trophies when the 11th annual CMT Music Awards are handed out June 6. Keith, Blake Shelton, Rascal Flatts, Thompson Square and Vince Gill also are among the nominees with state ties.
Fans can vote online at CMT.com, and on their mobile device at CMT Mobile or the CMT Insider app available on iPhone, iPad and Android now through June 4 to determine the winners. The five finalists for the top award, video of the year, will be announced at the beginning of the live show and fans can then vote at CMT.com, CMT mobile, on the CMT Insider app and via text message throughout the live telecast in the Eastern and Central time zones to determine the night’s big winner.
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Box office report for May 21, 2012: “The Avengers” dominates box office for third straight week
“The Avengers” sunk “Battleship” and defeated all other challengers over the weekend to top the domestic box office for the third straight week.
According to the Associated Press, Marvel/Disney’s super-blockbuster made another $55.1 million domestically, more than the three big newcomers combined. Overseas, “The Avengers” added an additional $56 million.
The film is approaching the $1.2 billion mark worldwide, totaling $457.1 million domestically and $723.3 million internationally.
At $1.18 billion worldwide, “The Avengers” climbed to the No. 4 spot on the all-time charts, trailing only “Avatar” ($2.8 billion), “Titanic” ($2.2 billion) and “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2″ ($1.3 billion), according to the AP.
Domestically, “The Avengers” at $457.1 million is No. 6 all-time but the force is so strong with this one that it will soon pass “Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace” ($474.5 million) and the original “Star Wars” ($460.9 million) to take the No. 4 spot.
“Avatar” is No. 1 domestically at $760.5 million, followed by “Titanic” at $658.5 million and “The Dark Knight” at $533.3 million.
With today’s higher admission prices, notes the AP, many older movies sold more tickets than “The Avengers,” which also has a price advantage because of the extra cost to see it in 3-D and IMAX. But the superhero ensemble – teaming Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America (Chris Evans) and The Incredible Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) – has proved an irresistible draw, pulling in all audience segments, packing in many fans who are opting for second, third and perhaps even more viewings and proving the ongoing appeal of the Marvel characters and the well-cast actors chosen to play them.
“‘The Avengers’ is dominating the marketplace so profoundly that the newcomers are having a tough time breaking in now,” Paul Dergarabedian, analyst for box-office tracker Hollywood.com, told the AP.
Universal’s “Battleship” opened a distant No. 2 with $25.4 million domestically, well below industry expectations. Based on the venerable board game, the alien-invasion naval actioner stars Liam Neeson, Taylor Kitsch, Alexander Skarsgård, Brooklyn Decker and pop star Rihanna.
The “Battleship” movie hasn’t been completely sunk: It already has grossed $226.8 million overseas since launching in April, for a worldwide total of $252.1 million, according to the AP.
Sacha Baron Cohen’s comedy “The Dictator,” in which the comedic-actor behind “Borat” and “Bruno” plays a tyrannical third-world leader who comes to America, debuted at No. 3 with $17.4 million for the weekend. Since opening Wednesday, the Paramount release has taken in $24.5 million.
“The Dictator” opened with $30.3 million in 29 overseas markets, for a global haul of $54.8 million, according to the AP.
Johnny Depp and Tim Burton’s eighth cinematic pairing, a big-screen adaptation of the 1960s-70s supernatural soap opera “Dark Shadows,” slipped to No. 4 with $12.8 million, a week after opening a distant second to “The Avengers.” The Warner Bros. release, also starring Michelle Pfeiffer, Eva Green and Chloe Grace Moretz, lifted its domestic total to $50.9 million. The movie version of the cult favorite TV show has turned in a lackluster box-office performance, particularly compared to Depp-Burton blockbusters “Alice in Wonderland” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” which held strong appeal to family audiences.
Lionsgate’s pregnancy comedy “What to Expect When You’re Expecting,” featuring a star-studded ensemble including Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer Banks and, again, Brooklyn Decker playing out five interconnected stories inspired by the best-selling pregnancy guidebook of the same name, premiered at No. 5 with $10.5 million over the weekend.
“The Avengers” and the also-rans in its wake weren’t enough to keep Hollywood’s summer season, which has been predicted to be a record breaker, on its white-hot streak. Overall domestic revenues totaled $144 million, down 14 percent from the same weekend last year, when “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” opened with $90.2 million, according to the AP.
Here are the 10 top movies from the past weekend, according to the AP:
1. “The Avengers,” $55.1 million ($56 million international).
2. “Battleship,” $25.4 million ($6.5 million international).
3. “The Dictator,” $17.4 million ($30.3 million international).
4. “Dark Shadows,” $12.8 million ($30.4 million international).
5. “What to Expect When You’re Expecting,” $10.5 million.
6. “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” $3.3 million ($1.8 million international).
7. “The Hunger Games,” $3 million ($1.5 million international).
8. “Think Like a Man,” $2.7 million.
9. “The Lucky One,” $1.8 million ($2.7 million international).
10. “The Pirates! Band of Misfits,” $1.5 million.
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Monday Catchy Quote No. 215
A catchy quote (and in this case, a particularly appropriate quote if you happen to a fan of comic books or the L.A. Lakers) from a movie, TV show or other source to brighten the beginning of your week:
Steve Rogers: What’s the matter, scared of a little lightning?
Loki: I’m not overly fond of what follows.
- Click here to learn the source.
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What to do in Oklahoma on May 21, 2012: Hear Street Dogs at The Conservatory
Street Dogs
Today’s featured event:
Hear punk-rockers Street Dogs with The Dirty Mugs and Violent Affair, at 8 tonight at The Conservatory, 8911 N Western.
For more information, go to www.conservatoryokc.com.
For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
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Video: Carrie Underwood and husband Mike Fisher’s first TV interview together airing tonight on “Oprah’s Next Chapter”
Oklahoma country music superstar Carrie Underwood and her husband, professional hockey player Mike Fisher, recently sat down with Oprah Winfrey to give their first television interview together. Their interview will be featured on “Oprah’s Next Chapter,” airing from 8 to 9 tonight on Oprah Winfrey Network.
To go with these preview videos, here is the episode description:
Oprah Winfrey travels to Nashville, Tenn., where she speaks with country music superstar Carrie Underwood, who is joined by her NHL husband Mike Fisher, marking the first time cameras have ever been invited inside their cabin retreat for an intimate, in-depth interview. Underwood reflects on her rise to stardom as she looks back on her journey. For their first television interview together, Underwood and Fisher talk about how they balance their successful and fast-paced careers with their two-year marriage. The couple also takes Winfrey to their new plot of land where they plan to build their dream home.
Fans of Underwood should get their DVRs ready since there will be a double dose of the Checotah native on television tonight.
Underwood, fellow “American Idol” winner Kelly Clarkson, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Usher, Chris Brown, LMFAO, Cee Lo Green, Linkin Park, the Wanted, Nelly Furtado and more will perform during tonight’s Billboard Music Awards, which will air live from 7 to 10 p.m. on ABC.
For more information on tonight’s Billboard Music Awards, click here.
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Carrie Underwood, Justin Bieber, Kelly Clarkson and more to perform on tonight’s Billboard Music Awards
Carrie Underwood
Oklahoma country music star Carrie Underwood, fellow “American Idol” winner Kelly Clarkson, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Usher, Chris Brown, LMFAO, Cee Lo Green, Linkin Park, the Wanted, Nelly Furtado and more will perform during tonight’s Billboard Music Awards, which will air live from 7 to 10 p.m. on ABC.
The event also will include tributes to recording artists who have died this year, including Whitney Houston, the Beastie Boys’ Adam “MCA” Yauch, and Donna Summer.
The show will close with the presentation of Billboard’s Icon Award to Stevie Wonder, who will then perform with Alicia Keys.
For more on the Billboard Music Awards, go to www.billboard.com/bbma.
Fans of Underwood should get their DVRs ready since there will be a double dose of the Checotah native on television tonight: Underwood and her husband, professional hockey player Mike Fisher, recently sat down with Oprah Winfrey to give their first television interview together. The interview will be featured on “Oprah’s Next Chapter,” airing from 8 to 9 tonight on Oprah Winfrey Network.
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