Sunday Dec 13, 2009

Barbara Eden  Joins Gregg Hunter This Week!
"America's favorite Jeannie" in Ballroom with a Twist

Who better to offer audiences a magical evening of entertainment than Barbara Eden, who will host the highly anticipated production of Ballroom with a Twist. A brilliant new dance production that rings in the New Year at the DuPont Theatre January 19-24, 2010. Scott Stander & Associates and The DuPont Theatre proudly announce the signing of 2009 Dancing With the Stars first runner-up Dmitry Chaplin, the blonde & beautiful Chelsie Hightower, and the strikingly magnetic husband and wife team of Jonathan Roberts and Anna Trebunskaya to headline this extraordinary lineup of talent. Louis van Amstel, a four-time Dancing With the Stars pro, brings ballroom to the stage as he directs and choreographs the pros plus an ensemble of 14 fabulous young dancers from Dancing With the Stars, So You Think You Can Dance, and High School Musical. American Idol alumni David Hernandez and Trenyce provide stylish and exciting vocal accompaniment and interludes. This groundbreaking show pushes the boundaries of ballroom dance, infusing it with the energy and intensity of the latest "hip-hop" styles. It is slated to be the only national tour in the 2009 post-DWTS season in which to see these wildly popular dancers triumphantly taking the stage to showcase their sultry moves. Ballroom with a Twist is an extravagant evening of entertainment for the entire family, highlighted by stunning costumes, magnificent music and breathtaking performances. Come out and dance with the stars at the DuPont Theatre!

Barbara Eden, is one of America’s most endearing and enduring stars. She has starred in a score of feature films, five television series, 15 top-rated movies and as a singer, has headlined at many of America’s top hotel resorts and casinos in Tahoe, Atlantic City and Vegas, as well as on concert stages and in theaters across America. Her long-running series “I Dream of Jeannie“ has been on television screens globally for 44 uninterrupted years since beginning its first year network run on NBC in 1965. Today, it continues to be one of the world’s most popular family shows, and is seen every day on cable and in international syndication on TV screens around the globe. The busy star’s recent activities include her starring role as “Florence Unger“ in the national company female version of Neil Simon’s “The Odd Couple“ and her recurring starring role as the matriarchal Aunt Irma in “Sabrina: The Teenage Witch.”

Louis van Amstel, born in 1972 in Holland, is a professional dancer, choreographer, and a dancesport coach. He is a world championship ballroom dancer, and also known in American pop culture for partnering with celebrities Lisa Rinna, Priscilla Presley, and Monique Coleman in Dancing with the Stars. Louis has also coached 2009 first runner-up Dmitry Chaplin. After retiring from professional ballroom competition, he moved on to choreography and production. He founded the company VanDance, LLC, and directed, produced, choreographed and performed in the Broadway show Latin Fusion. Louis has appeared on The Suite Life of Zack and Cody and had a cameo role as himself on ABC's All My Children, where he taught two characters to ballroom dance.

Dmitry Chaplin - This young pro transitioned from So You Think You Can Dance to DWTS last season, when he was paired up with Holly Madison. Dmitry's ballroom dancing career began at the age of 12 in his hometown of Rostov–on-Don in Russia. His perfect combination of technique and performance soon got him noticed by judges and teachers in his home country. After moving to the United States, his commitment to dance brought him to work with some of the best coaches in the ballroom world, including Louis Van Amstel and Shirley Ballas. Dmitry studied in both America and the United Kingdom, and began representing the U.S. at famous ballroom competitions around the world as one of the best dancers in the Under 21 division. In 2006, Dmitry's dance career took a different course when he joined the cast of the hit TV show So You Think You Can Dance. He became one of the Top 10 dancers, representing the ballroom world and establishing himself as an audience favorite.

Chelsie Hightower - Only 19 years old, she has been a finalist on So You Think You Can Dance, and in professional competitions has ranked as one of the top three couples in the country. Chelsie has been helping others learn to dance in America and abroad since she was 15.

The glamorous husband and wife team of Jonathan Roberts and Anna Trebunskaya have been a part of DWTS since its debut in 2005. They are both professional ballroom dancers that teach celebrities how to dance. Although only having danced together for a relatively short time, Jonathan and Anna achieved many high placements in competitions around the world. Jonathan and Anna currently rank 6th in the US and 24th in the world. Together with Anna’s mother, they own the You Can Dance Studio in LA. Jonathan started dancing at the age of 20. Coming from a big sports background in high school (namely basketball), it was as much of a shock to Jonathan as it was to his family and friends when he discovered a passion for ballroom dancing. Jonathan went to see the Al Pacino movie Scent of a Woman and there was something about the famous tango scene that struck a chord. He took advantage of the free ballroom lessons offered on his movie ticket stub, and the rest is history. Anna began dancing at the age of seven in her native Russia. Her parents owned a dance studio, so it was only natural that Anna took to dancing from an early age. At the age of seven she entered her first competition, which she won, and she has been winning titles (first amateur and now professional) ever since. Trebunskaya moved to the United States with her parents when she was 17 years old. Both her mother and father were professional ballroom dancers, and her mother still makes her costumes today.

Performances of BALLROOM WITH A TWIST at the DuPont Theatre are Tuesday through Sunday, January 19-24, 2010. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evening performances start at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday evening performances start at 8 p.m., and Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. Ticket prices begin at $45. To purchase tickets or for more information about group rates, call the DuPont Theatre Box Office at 302-656-4401 or 800-338-0881  http://www.duponttheatre.com/

Sun Nov 22, 2009

ON TODAY'S SHOW WWW.CRNTALK.COM

MEMBERS OF THE ORIGINAL "KING FAMILY" JOIN GREGG
The King Family Show was a musical variety show which featured the The King Sisters and their extended musical family on U.S. television from 1965-66 and again in 1969. After an appearance on The Hollywood Palace in August 1964 drew a reported 53,000 letters, ABC decided to give the Kings their own weekly series, debuting on Saturday, January 23, 1965. The show starred the four King Sisters, Donna, Yvonne, Louise and Alyce. It also featured Alyce's husband, actor Robert Clarke, and her sons, Ric de Azevedo, Lex de Azevedo and Cam Clarke. (In all, some thirty-seven members of the King family, ranging in age from seven months to 79 years, were seen on the show.) Tina Cole, later featured on My Three Sons, also regularly appeared. The ratings were mediocre, up against Jackie Gleason on CBS and I Dream Of Jeannie on NBC, but the show did inspire an intensely loyal following. One letter to ABC enthused, "the King Family was beautiful, talented, and completely entertaining. We are buying (sponsor's products) Wisk and Clairol tomorrow." Still, the show was cancelled in January 1966. In March 1969, after the disastrous Turn-On was cancelled after a single airing, ABC brought back a somewhat pared-down version of the King Family Show, focusing on a more contemporary sub-group, the King Cousins. The program occupied the Wednesday 8:30-9:00 timeslot until September of that year.

Sunday Oct 18, 2009

ON TONIGHT'S SHOW WWW.CRNTALK.COM

Marla Lynne Sokoloff - "Flower Girl" Hallmark Channel Nov 14
Hallmark Channel is marrying off Marla Sokoloff in the network’s original movie “Flower Girl.” The romantic comedy will see the actress wed on TV six days after her real-life walk down the aisle. Sokoloff, who is set to marry film and TV composer fiancé Alec Puro early next month, will play a florist who is always attracted to the wrong men, but finally finds true love in the end. She will play Laurel Haverford, who is starting to lose hope that her prince is ever going to show up after going through an assortment of toads. TV icon Marion Ross will play her grandmother, who keeps fixing her up. Marla Lynne Sokoloff (born December 19, 1980) is an American musician and actress, known for playing the part of Lucy Hatcher on the show The Practice and Gia Mahan on the ABC sitcom Full House. Sokoloff was born in San Francisco, California, the daughter of Cindi (née Sussman), a former caterer, and Howard Sokoloff, a podiatrist. She was raised Jewish. Sokoloff is an alumna of the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. Sokoloff has dated actors James Franco and Shane West who both starred with her in the teen flick Whatever It Takes. As of 2004, she has been dating composer and Deadsy drummer Alec Puro. In 1993, Sokoloff began acting at the age of twelve, when she was cast as Gia Mahan in the sitcom Full House. She played Stephanie Tanner's arch enemy, and later becomes her best friend. In 1998, her breakthrough role came when she was cast in the drama The Practice as Lucy Hatcher. The 5 ft. 3 in. Sokoloff also had a three-episode stint as a nanny in Desperate Housewives. Along with other popular appearances, she is well remembered as Joey's pregnant sister Dina in season 8 of Friends. She also played Imogene O'Neill in the mini series "Meteor". In November 2006, she starred in the ABC television series Big Day. The last episode aired on January 30, 2007. Aside from television, Sokoloff has also starred in many movies, including Whatever It Takes; The Climb; The Tollbooth; Dude, Where's My Car?; Sugar & Spice; and Love On The Side. In 2009, Sokoloff starred alongside Paul Campbell, Andy Griffith, Doris Roberts, and Liz Sheridan in the romantic comedy Play the Game. She also voices the Glatorian Kiina in Bionicle: The Legend Reborn.


Tanna Frederick "Just 45 Minutes from Broadway"
In Los Angeles, Tanna Frederick has starred in three plays: A Safe Place, directed by Kim Furst at the Skylight Theatre; Echoes, directed by Neno Pervan at The Coronet Theatre; and Always...But Not Forever, directed by Gary Imhoff at The Edgemar Center for the Arts. She returns to the Edgmar this fall in the World Premiere of Henry Jaglom's Just 45 Minutes From Broadway. In film she starred in Jaglom's Hollywood Dreams, Irene in Time and the upcoming Queen of the Lot, which Jaglom describes as a "sequel of sorts," to Hollywood Dreams, in which her character, Margie Chizek, now renamed Maggie Chase, becomes involved in love, D.U.I arrests and family intrigues among the rich, powerful and famous. Noah Wyle co-stars. Ms. Frederick recently hosted the third annual Iowa Film Festival—an event she founded three years ago—to great success in her home town of Mason City (of "Music Man" fame). Ms. Frederick, along with famed surfer Shaun Tomson, also founded "Project Save Our Surf," an annual event which raised tens of thousands of dollars for oceanic conservation. She recently received the 2009 Maverick Award from the Los Angeles Women's Theatre Festival and the Performer to Watch Award, at the 2009 Method Fest.Earlier awards include Best Actress for her performance in Hollywood Dreams at The Fargo Film Festival, The Montana Film Festival and the Houston International Film Festival. Tanna Frederick’s website is located at www.tannafrederick.com

Sunday Oct 4, 2009

ON TODAY'S SHOW WWW.CRNTALK.COM

Carol Channing & Roslyn Kind on this week's show!

Carol Channing - Legedary Tony Award Winner
Carol was born Jan 31, 1921 in Seattle, Washington, the daughter of a prominent newspaper editor, who was very active in the Christian Science movement. At just two weeks of age, her father’s work took the family to San Francisco, where Carol was raised, schooled and eventually found work as a model. She majored in drama and dance and was able to supplement her income by taking parts in the nearby Pocono Resort area. A recipient of the 1995 Lifetime Achievement Tony Award, Ms. Channing has been a star of international acclaim since a Time magazine cover story hailed her performance as Lorelei Lee in Gentleman Prefer Blondes writing; "Perhaps once in a decade a nova explodes above the Great White Way with enough brilliance to re-illumine the whole gaudy legend of show business." Since her 1948 Broadway debut in Blitzstein's No For An Answer, her Broadway appearances include So Proudly We Hail, Let’s Face It , Lend An Ear (Theatre World Award), Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Show Girl, Pygmalion, The Millionairess, The Vamp, Four On A Garden, and Wonderful Town. Making theatrical history, she won the Tony Award in 1964 for her legendary portrayal of Dolly Levi in Jerry Herman’s Hello, Dolly! Jacqueline Kennedy and her two children made their first public appearance after JFK's death by seeing her perform in Hello, Dolly! and later visited her backstage. She has since played the role in over 5000 performances, including a smash London engagement at the great Drury Lane Theatre without missing a single performance. She then toured with her own revue, Carol Channing and Her Ten Stout Hearted Men and critically acclaimed tours of Jerry's Girls and Legends, in which she co-starred with Mary Martin. Ms. Channing's happiest film project was in the role of Muzzy in Thoroughly Modern Millie, which set box office records and earned her an Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe Award. Other films include Paid In Full, The First Traveling Saleslady starring opposite Ginger Rogers and giving new comer Clint Eastwood his first on screen kiss, Otto Preminger's Skidoo (which she refuses to see), Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Archie and Mehitabel and Thumbelina. Ms. Channing has starred in six TV specials, including Broadway at the Hollywood Bowl, Carol Channing’s Los Angeles, Carol Channing and Pearl Bailey on Broadway, George Burns – His Wit and Wisdom and to millions of children worldwide is best known as the White Queen in Alice Through the Looking Glass. Other television credits include (* indicates numerous appearances) popular game shows as *What’s My Line, *I’ve Got a Secret and *Password. Carol’s variety shows encompass *The Dean Martin Show, The Red Skelton Show, The Milton Berle Show, *Rowen & Martin’s Laugh-In, *The Carol Burnett Show, The Muppet Show, *The Rosie O’Donnell Show, *Hollywood Squares, as well as many *Tony and Grammy broadcasts. A partial list of Carol’s Episodic work consist of Playhouse 90’s Three Men on a Horse, *The Love Boat, Magnum, P.I., The Nanny, Touched by an Angel and The Drew Carey Show. As one of the most easily recognized and highly imitated voices in the world, Carol’s unique sound has been established as characters and narrative in both TV series and documentaries like JFK: The Day the Nation Cried, The Addam’s Family (voice of Granny), Thumbelina, Free To Be You and Me, *Space Ghost, *Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers and The Brave Little Toaster Goes To Mars. Ms. Channing also cut twenty children's albums of classic stories on Caedmon records, including Winnie The Pooh and Madeline. Ms. Channing has recorded ten gold Albums and her original cast album of Hello, Dolly! was an all-time best seller in its field, which knocked the Beatles off the charts when it was released in 1964. When not performing in theatre, Ms. Channing has numerously made appearances in most every grand ballroom and concert hall in the country. Among her other acknowledgements is a Best Nightclub Act of the Year Award and Harvard University's Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year Award In 2003, the octogenarian released her best selling memoirs, "Just Lucky I Guess" and received the Julie Harris Lifetime Achievement Award from the Actors’ Fund of America. Carol has been touring the nation (from Broadway to the Hollywood Bowl) and abroad with her new one woman show entitled "The First Eighty Years are the Hardest," after the very successful preview given to New York audiences in Nov 2003 that prompted the New York Times to say "Back Where She Belongs: Carol Channing Reminisces . . . The audience jumped to its feet more than once. "We were watching a master performer" and Associated Press declared "The audience clearly was there to worship, and Channing did not disappoint." In 2004, Broadway’s "first lady of musical comedy," also received an honorary doctoral degree becoming Doctor Carol Channing at the 44th annual California State University, Stanislaus Commencement ceremony in May 2004. (This is only the third Honorary Doctoral Degree given in CSU Stanislaus 45-year history). In addition, Carol was presented with the Oscar Hammerstein Award for lifetime achievement in musical theatre from the York Theatre Company, in New York. Carol was recently married to her junior high school sweetheart, businessman Harry Kullijian, after a 70 year separation. She is also a proud mother, her son is a nationally syndicated editorial cartoonist, who has the distinction of being a Pulitzer Prize finalist. The career of Carol Channing is varied and continuing. She performs with the gusto of a young aspiring actress. However, her heart will remain on stage even though she has recently committed her life to bring a refocus of the Arts in the public educational system of California. Scholarships, teaching and lecturing and performing, hoping to engage the public support for education in the Arts.

Roslyn Kind - Multi Talented Entertainer
Roslyn Kind is a dynamic, multi-talented entertainer who has forged a successful career in all facets of entertainment from critically acclaimed recordings to sold-out performances on Broadway and in top concert venues and nightclubs the world over. A vibrant musical artist, Ms. Kind is familiar to both national and international audiences for her headlining appearances at some of the most prestigious venues including Lincoln Center, The Greek Theater and London’s Café Royal. The London Times noted “To say she is superb would be an understatement.” In 2006 she made her long awaited and rapturously received Carnegie Hall debut with her frequent musical collaborator and friend, Michael Feinstein.She began her performing career while still in her teens with the release of her first album, Give Me You. A whirlwind of performing activity followed including engagements at the nation’s top nightclubs, acclaim from Time Magazine and three appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show leading up to her show-stopping New York debut at the Plaza Hotel’s legendary Persian Room.Her follow up singles and a second album, This is Roslyn Kind, showcased her growth as a recording artist comfortable in a wide range of musical genres. Ms. Kind’s latest CD release, Come What May, which the New York Times described as “splendid and sizzling”, further establishes her reputation as a virtuoso vocalist possessing impeccable phrasing, a richness and clarity of tone and an undeniable emotional connection to her always first-rate material.Concurrent with her recording career, Ms. Kind is an accomplished theatrical performer. On Broadway, she starred in the crowd-pleasing musical revue 3 from Brooklyn. Additional theatrical credits include the Off-Broadway production of Show Me Where the Good Times Are, Leader of the Pack and Ferguson the Tailor. She also stopped the show in a critically lauded Los Angeles production of William Finn’s Elegies; The Hollywood Reporter noted, “Roslyn Kind sings like a dream…”Ms. Kind’s extensive list of television credits include the film Switched at Birth, multiple episodes of NBC’s Gimme a Break, Throb starring Jane Leeves and a humorously memorable turn as herself on CBS’s The Nanny. This appearance also showcased her talent as a songwriter in a performance of her composition, Light of Love. She also performed the title song for the made-for-TV movie Not Just Another Affair. Ms. Kind has appeared on virtually every major talk/variety show including the Tonight Show, Saturday Night Live, Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood and Good Morning America. Among her international television credits are England’s Pebble Mill Show, Canada’s Musique Plus, and For Me – Formidable, a Charles Aznavour special for European TV co-starring Dusty Springfield. In motion pictures, Ms. Kind has had starring roles in The Underachievers and I’m Going to Be Famous.Ms. Kind also takes pride in her work for various animal welfare, Alzheimer’s and AIDS related charitable organizations including HSUS, APLA and Broadway Cares Equity Fights AIDS for which she contributed a song selection to Cabaret Noel, a recent volume in their annual series of holiday CD releases. One of the premiere interpreters of popular song, Roslyn Kind continues to succeed in every new facet of her performing career delighting audiences with her spellbinding talent. Roslyn’s unique artistry is equally at home on stage, screen and disc.The New York Post summed it up best “She’s so good on so many levels; it’s difficult to categorize her. This elegant, beautiful, petite, dynamo delight rules the stage with a royal command that demands adoration from every seat in the house.” A native of Brooklyn, New York she currently resides in Los Angeles.

Sunday Aug 30, 2009

ON TODAY'S SHOW WWW.CRNTALK.COM

J.Randy Taraborrelli - The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe
This is the definitive biography of the most enduring icon in popular culture. Beautiful, damaged, the ultimate sex symbol, publicly celebrated, privately unhappy - Marilyn Monroe's tumultuous life and untimely death continue to fascinate us. When Marilyn Monroe became famous in the 1950s, the world was told that her mother was either dead or simply not a part of her life. However, that was not true. In fact, her mentally ill mother was very much present in Marilyn's world and the complex family dynamic that unfolded behind the scenes is a story that has never been told - until now. In this groundbreaking book, Taraborrelli draws complex and sympathetic portraits of the women so influential in the actress' life, including her mother, her foster mother and her legal guardian. He also reveals, for the first time, the shocking scope of Marilyn's own mental illness, the identity of Marilyn's father and the half-brother she never knew, and new information about her relationship with the Kennedys - Bobby, Jack and Pat Lawford Kennedy. Explosive, revelatory and surprisingly moving, this is the final word on the life of one of the most fascinating and elusive icons of the twentieth century. J. Randy Taraborrelli is the author of twelve books, including the major bestsellers Madonna: An Intimate Biography, Michael Jackson: The Magic and the Madness, and Once Upon a Time: The Story of Princess Grace, Prince Rainier and their Family.

Sunday Aug 23, 2009

ON TODAY'S SHOW www.crntalk.com

Owen Elliot-Kugell (Mama Cass Elliot’s daughter)
Cass Elliot was born Ellen Naomi Cohen on September 19, 1941 in Baltimore, Maryland. She grew up in the Washington D.C. environs and in her senior year of high school, she performed in a summer stock production of "The Boyfriend" at the Owings Mills Playhouse where she played the French nurse who sings "It's Nicer, Much Nicer in Nice." After this experience, even though her family anticipated her to seek a college education in pursuit of a career, Cass forged ahead in the world of performance. She made a splash in New York and began an acting career, competing with Barbra Streisand for the Miss Marmelstein part in "I Can Get It for You Wholesale" in 1962. She toured in a production of Meredith Wilson's "The Music Man." Elliot also produced a play at Cafe La Mama in New York. At this point Denny Doherty had joined John and Michelle Phillips and the three were performing as The New Journeymen. Soon they left for the Virgin Islands where Cass subsequently joined them and the four began to sing together in mid-1965. Thus the superstar group The Mamas and The Papas was born. From 1965-1968 the Mamas and Papas recorded a series of top ten hits including "Monday, Monday," "California Dreamin'," "I Saw Her Again," and "Dedicated to the One I Love." The group's last hit was a launching number for Cass Elliot. "Dream A Little Dream Of Me" became Cass' theme song and beginning in 1968 she embarked on her own short-lived but solid solo career. Her distinct voice had always emerged from the groups in which she sang. In 1969 she scored big with "It's Getting Better" and 1970 yielded the hits "Make Your Own Kind of Music" and "New World Coming." In 1970, Elliot also appeared in the film version of "Pufnstuf" and recorded an album with rock star Dave Mason. Elliot had two prime time television specials of her own in 1969 and 1973, but most people remember her scores of television appearances throughout the early 1970's with Mike Douglas, Julie Andrews, Andy Williams, Johnny Cash, Red Skelton, Ed Sullivan, Tom Jones, Carol Burnett and others. She guest hosted The Tonight Show, had successful stints in Las Vegas and continued to record for RCA during these years too. Cass had one daughter Owen Vanessa in April 1967 and she was married twice, first (1963-68) to fellow Big 3 and Mugwumps member Jim Hendricks and second to Baron Donald von Wiedenman (1971). In 1974, Cass Elliot travelled to London where she had a two week engagement at the London Palladium. After performing to sellout audiences and basking in repeated ovations, Cass tragically succumbed to a heart attack on July 29, 1974 in London, following this successful concert tour. In 1998, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted Cass Elliot and her fellow band mates from The Mamas and The Papas into that institution. Her daughter Owen represented her mother and accepted her award. The facts about Cass Elliot's death have existed since a few days after she died on July 29, 1974. The pathologist who performed the autopsy, Keith Simpson, was one of England's leading forensic pathologists.A competent forensic autopsy showed:1) A heart problem leading to heart failure;2) No sandwich or any other item in her throat or trachea; and3) In fact, she had had very little to eat the day before she died.Furthermore, the drug screen (a standard part of a forensic autopsy) showed no drugs in her system.Simpson's conclusion was that Cass died of "heart failure due to fattymyocardial degeneration due to obesity". Although this conclusion was disputed by American pathologists at the time, fatty myocardial degeneration is now recognized as a potentially lethal condition. The latest (1996) edition of the authoritative "Heart Fascicle" (officially, Tumors of the Heart and Great Vessels) published by the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology states: "Rarely, lipomatous [fatty] infiltration ... may cause sudden death" and cites the following reference: Voigt J, Agsal N. Lipomatous infiltration of the heart. An uncommon cause of sudden unexpected death in a young man. Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine 1982;106:497-8.One possible theory is that Cass Elliot had a heart condition of this sort for a long time. This would be consistent with the various times she is reported to have passed out during the 1963-74 time period. In a young woman, fainting is usually due to heat, onset of flu, pregnancy, or some other innocuous cause, but if it continues to happen, it warrants investigation. A "cardiac conduction defect" creating a disturbance of heart rhythm just might be caused by a fatty myocardium and could explain a great deal. Failure of the fibers of the heart that should conduct the impulses that cause the heartbeat to do so is a known cause of sudden death.

Sunday Jul 5, 2009

ON THE SHOW TONIGHT WWW.CRNTALK.COM

Al Martino - Singer / Crooner / Celebrity
(born Alfred Cini, October 7, 1927, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania[1]) is an Italian American singer and actor. Allmusic journalist Steve Huey states, "Martino was one of the great Italian American pop crooners, boasting a string of hit singles and albums that stretched from the early 1950s all the way into the mid 1970s. However, he is perhaps even better known for his role in The Godfather as singer Johnny Fontane, a character supposedly based on Frank Sinatra, but with eerie similarities to Martino's own career."

Ashley Jones - "Bold & Beautiful" "True Blood"
Jones rose to fame on the long-running CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless, playing Megan Dennison Viscardi from 1998 to 2000 and returned for a visit in 2001. During her time on the soap, she earned two Daytime Emmy nominations for the role.
She currently plays Dr. Bridget Forrester on The Bold and the Beautiful and has done so since December 2004. The role was originated by Agnes Bruckner and later played by Jennifer Finnigan and Emily Harrison. Jones also stars as Daphne on the second season of HBO's True Blood.

Sunday May 24, 2009

ON TODAY'S SHOW WWW.CRNTALK.COM


Shawn Johnson - 2009 "Dancing with the Stars" winner
Direct from the Coca Cola 600 the Olympic Star rode the track along side Nascar legend Kyle Petty and talks about her narrow victory on the popular ABC weekly program.

Olympia Dukakis - Actress
Dukakis has starred in films, including Steel Magnolias, Mr. Holland's Opus, Jane Austen's Mafia!, The Thing About My Folks, and Moonstruck, for which she won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. She also played the role of Anna Madrigal in the Tales of the City television mini-series, which garnered her an Emmy Award nomination, she also appeared on Search for Tomorrow as Dr. Barbara Moreno, who romanced Stu Bergman. She also appears as Dolly Sinatra (Frank's mother) in the mini-series of Frank Sinatra's life (1992). Her Broadway theatre credits include Who's Who in Hell, Social Security, and the one-woman play Rose. Her theater, film, and television work has won her an Obie Award, a Drama Desk Award, a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award, and a Golden Globe.

Sunday May 04, 2009

ON THE SHOW TODAY WWW.CRNTALK.COM

Tony Dovolani - "Dancing with the Stars"
Tony partnered the WWE wrestler Stacey Keibler in Season 2. The couple came in third place. In Season 3, Tony's partner was country singer Sara Evans. The couple had to withdraw in the middle of the competition for personal reasons. In Season 4, Tony partnered Leeza Gibbons into 9th place. In Season 5, Tony led Jane Seymour to a 6th place finish, and reached the final four with Marissa Jaret Winokur in Season 6.Born in Kosovo, Tony began folk dancing at age three. When he was 14, his entire family moved to the United States and Tony got the opportunity to attend a Fred Astaire Dance Academy. From that moment on, he knew he had found his passion.Since that time, Tony has traveled the world and won many championships. Tony also had a featured role in the hit film Shall We Dance and spent time coaching Jennifer Lopez.

Chelsie Hightower - "Dancing with the Stars"
Dancing has been a major part of Chelsie's life from a very young age. She started ballroom dancing when she was 9 years old in an after-school program. Being trained in all styles of dance, Chelsie's specialty is ballroom, where she has had the opportunity to receive thorough and extensive training from current and former world champions. Ballroom dancing has been a passion and an incredible opportunity for Chelsie to showcase her natural talents. Ever since Chelsie began competing at a high level in ballroom, she has been in the finals and ranked as one of the top three couples in the country. In 2006 Chelsie appeared on the television show 'So You Think You Can Dance' and was one of six finalists. Chelsie received much critical acclaim from the judges. As one pointed out to her, "You move so well, you could make a Mannequin look good". Chelsie won her first national title when she was just 11 years old. In 2005, Chelsie and her partner were asked to be one of four couples in the country to represent Team USA, in Blackpool, England, which holds the most prestigious competition in the world. Chelsie represented the U.S. in the Latin style, where Team USA took 3rd place behind Ukraine and Russia. In that same year Chelsie had the opportunity to be one of two couples from the U.S. that represented the country in the Standard World Ballroom Competition. Chelsie has been teaching since she was 15 - she moved to North Carolina to teach and would fly to New York on weekends to get lessons. She has been teaching at Center Stage in Utah, and has helped many students win national titles. She also teaches abroad.

Sunday Apr 26, 2009

ON TODAY'S SHOW WWW.CRNTALK.COM

Jason Priestley - Actor/Director
Jason Priestley continues to be one of the most versatile talents in Hollywood both in front of and behind the camera. Priestley made an undeniable mark with his portrayal of Brandon Walsh for eight seasons on FOX Television’s hit series “Beverly Hills 90210,” a role for which he earned two Golden Globe nominations. He made his directorial debut on the show in 1993, and produced and directed numerous episodes. A native of Vancouver, British Columbia, Priestley appeared in Canadian television commercials and starred in his first telefilm by the age of eight. He currently resides in Los Angeles.

Sun Apr 26, 2009

ON TODAYS SHOW WWW.CRNTALK.COM

Jason Priestley -Actor/personality
Priestley made an undeniable mark with his portrayal of Brandon Walsh for eight seasons on FOX Television’s hit series “Beverly Hills 90210,” a role for which he earned two Golden Globe nominations. He made his directorial debut on the show in 1993, and produced and directed numerous episodes. A native of Vancouver, British Columbia, Priestley appeared in Canadian television commercials and starred in his first telefilm by the age of eight. He currently resides in Los Angeles.

Sunday Apr 12, 2009

ON THE SHOW: WWW.CRNTALK.COM

Robert Conrad - Actor/Radio Host
American actor and director of film and television. He is primarily known for the 1965-1969 CBS television series The Wild Wild West, in which he played the sophisticated Secret Service agent James West. Before The Wild Wild West, Conrad played Tom Lopaka in ABC's Hawaiian Eye opposite Anthony Eisley and Connie Stevens. In the 1970s, he played such roles as prosecuting attorney Paul Ryan in a short-lived 1971 TV series, The D.A., and American spy Jake Webster in the series Assignment Vienna. With his muscular build and cigarette-induced gravelly voice, Conrad found ratings success playing legendary tough-guy World War II fighter ace Pappy Boyington in Baa Baa Black Sheep on NBC (later known in syndication as Black Sheep Squadron), from 1976 to 1978. Conrad also hosts a weekly radio show, "The PM SHOW WITH ROBERT CONRAD" on CRN DIGITAL TALK RADIO.

Sun Apr 5, 2009

ON THE SHOW TODAY: WWW.CRNTALK.COM

Milton DeLugg
Milton DeLugg (born December 2, 1918 in Los Angeles, California) is an American composer and arranger. A talented accordionist, he appeared in short Soundies musicals and occasional movies (like 1949's Jolson Sings Again). He quickly became a successful arranger and composer. His clients ranged from the American Junior Miss Pageant to Jackie Wilson, and he was a musician on such radio programs as The Abe Burrows Show. One of his best-known tunes is an arrangement of the song "The Happy Wanderer", and his brassy polka "Hoop Dee Doo" became a game-show staple. He is also the composer of "Hooray for Santy Claus," the catchy theme song for the low-budget motion picture Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. In 1950 and 1951, DeLugg was musical director, bandleader, and accordionist on Broadway Open House an NBC late-night television program which has been considered a forerunner to the Tonight Show. He often played a song he co-wrote, titled, "Orange Colored Sky," which was best remembered as a hit for Nat King Cole. In 1953, he played accordion leading the Milton DeLugg Trio on the short-lived Bill Cullen Show. In 1958 Milton DeLugg produced Buddy Holly's famous record, "Rave On."

Sunday March 29, 2009

ON TODAY'S SHOW - www.crntalk.com


Actress & Singer Debbie Reynolds - Hollywood Legend

DEBBIE REYNOLDS was born Mary Frances Reynolds in El Paso Texas . Her family moved to Burbank , California in 1939 and while a High School student, at age sixteen, Reynolds won the Miss Burbank Beauty Contest, a motion picture contract with Warner Brother, and acquired her new first name (complements of Jack Warner). For over six decades, our lives have been enriched by the talents of this singer, dancer and actress. She regularly appeared in movie musicals, most notably Singin’ in the Rain, during the 1950s and chalked up several hit records. She is still making appearances in film and television, one of the few actors from MGM’s “golden age of film” who are still active in filmmaking. By the 1970s Debbie knew that the real golden era was gone and developed a passion to preserve it. She purchased thousands of items from the great MGM auction of 1970 and formed a non-profit corporation laying the groundwork for the future Hollywood Motion Picture Museum. In 1984 the Debbie Reynolds Hollywood Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas showcased her extensive collection of Hollywood props, sets and costumes. The financial collapse of the hotel and casino saw much of her collection go to storage. (There are plans to open Debbie’s Hollywood Motion Picture Museum in Tennessee ). Ms. Reynolds is currently actively involved in an initiative from Warner Brothers whereby the studio will “open the WB vault” to the public for movies and television shows that have never been available to the public. (This “Warner Archive Collection” can be previewed on-line by fans who can then purchase their own collection (on DVD) which is individually created for them. While waiting for your own collection to arrive, consumers are provided a digital copy of the film or show to watch on their PC immediately. 150 movies will be offered at launch (including Debbie Reynold’s first film for Warner, “The Daughter of Rosie O’Grady,”) and many more to be added later this year. From 1999 to its 2006 finale she played the recurring role of Grace’s ditzy mother Bobbie Adler in the NBC sitcom “Will & Grace” (for which she received an Emmy nomination) and also plays a recurring role in the Disney Channel Original Movie “Halloween Town ” series. Ms. Reynolds currently resides in Los Angeles next door to her daughter Carrie, and her granddaughter, Billie. She is and will always be, AMERICA ’S SWEETHEART.