Friday, April 04, 2008

Elton John to executive produce Elvis Costello show

Elvis Costello to be exec produced by Elton John

Elton John, Elvis Costello Launch Television Series

April 3, 2008 02:04 PM
By Suzanne Kayian
LiveDaily Contributor

Elvis Costello [ tickets ] and Elton John [ tickets ] are collaborating on a new television series "Spectacle: Elvis Costello with...," that will feature performances and in-depth conversations with an eclectic mix of artists ranging from newcomers to legendary performers. John and Costello both are executive producers of the show, which will begin airing later this year on the Sundance Channel in the US, CTV in Canada and Channel 4 in the UK, according to a press release.

"Spectacle: Elvis Costello with..." will feature a variety of talk formats including intimate one-on-ones and thematic panel discussions, punctuated with live performances relating to the topics at hand. The musical side of the television series will be equally eclectic, with host and guests doing acoustic performances, unique collaborations and some interpretations of others' songs by Costello.

In a statement, John said, "Elvis Costello is the foremost expert on popular music. I thought it would be sensational to use his knowledge and intelligence to explore the artistry of musicians and other fascinating people involved in making great music, as well as true music aficionados."

Costello explained in a statement that he is not interested in extracting some dark secret from the show's guests. "I'd rather hear about a bright secret, a deep love or a curiosity that might be otherwise obscured by fame," he said. "This is a wonderful opportunity to talk in complete thoughts about music, movies, art or even vaudeville, then frame it with unique and illustrative performances."

"Spectacle: Elvis Costello with..." will keep with John's commitment to philanthropy; the series producers have struck an association with the (Product) RED campaign, which was created to raise awareness and money for the Global Fund to fight AIDS in Africa. Select excerpts and performances from the 13 one-hour shows will be distributed in a variety of new media and conventional platforms, with a portion of the profits going to the Global Fun

Wednesday, April 02, 2008

Missed this yesterday...

Eminem takes on challenging role

1st April 2008 00:00
PinkNews.co.uk writer

He may be the bad boy of white rap, but Eminem is set to wow fans of his music and acting career by starring in a new biopic of a British singing legend.

Real name Marshall Bruce Mathers III, the 35-year-old has been praised by poet Seamus Heaney for getting kids interested in lyrics and poetry and compared to Elvis Presley.

Now, following his critically acclaimed performances in 8 Mile and Da Hip Hop Witch, Eminem is set to take on his most challenging acting role to date.

He is reported to have signed up to play a young Elton John in an upcoming film about his life.

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