Entertainment
Peter Nero, A Grammy-Winning Pianist Of The Philly Pops, Dies At 89
THE PHILADELPHIA TIMES — Peter Nero, a Grammy-winning pianist who interpreted pop tunes in classical and jazz styles and conducted the Philadelphia Pops for over three decades, has died. Nero was 89 years old.
According to his daughter, Beverly Nero, Nero died Thursday at Home Care Assisted Living Facility in Eustis, Fla., according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. Private services will be provided.
Nero infused classical, swing, Broadway, blues, and jazz themes into his versions of popular songs ranging from Cole Porter and George Gershwin to the Beatles and Bob Dylan. He frequently referred to his sound as “undefinable” and was not offended when others referred to it as “middle of the road.” (He previously told a newspaper that he was “middle of the road and doing great business.”)
Nero founded the Philly Pops orchestra in 1979, the year Arthur Fiedler died, after being recruited by Philadelphia concert promoter Moe September. Fiedler is credited with practically establishing the modern pops orchestra in Boston, and Nero sought to compete in popularity.
“I’d like to beat the pants off them,” Nero declared.
Nero’s orchestra was less well-known than Boston’s, but it often sold out in Philadelphia, which was undoubtedly aided by Nero’s vibrant playing style and pleasant stage persona.
In his career as both performer and conductor, Nero frequently returned to Broadway tunes, Hollywood themes, and Gershwin, the subject of the Philly Pops’ first concert. He also delved into Motown’s back catalog and further afield to bands like Procol Harum and an album devoted to disco and ’70s love songs.
“I find it impossible to use a lot of the new material that’s coming out,” he lamented to The Washington Post in 1975. My repertoire includes some rock tunes… but many rock bands sell a sound rather than music. When you take the tune apart, there’s nothing to work with.”
He headed the Philadelphia Pops until 2013 when the orchestra said it could no longer afford him.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/ZA6HSMSGQTCMH62PB42Q2ZHKJU.jpg "Peter Nero, A Grammy-Winning Pianist Of The Philly Pops, Dies At 89")
Peter Nero, a Grammy-winning pianist who interpreted pop tunes in classical and jazz styles and conducted the Philadelphia Pops for over three decades, has died.
According to Nero, he battled early in his career — under the alias Bernie Nerow — in New York and Las Vegas. However, he found his stride in his late twenties while playing on New York’s club circuit.
Stan Greeson, who regarded him as a potential star, signed him to RCA and had him change his name to Peter Nero. Over a decade, a constant stream of early 1960s club gigs led to frequent radio and TV appearances and two dozen RCA LPs.
Nero won Grammy Awards for best new artist in 1961 and best performance by an Orchestra or Instrumentalist in 1962 for his album “The Colourful Peter Nero.”
“Hail the Conquering Nero,” a 1963 album, peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard pop album list. It featured covers of “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean” and “Mack the Knife.”
He also peaked with a cover of “Theme from ‘The Summer of ’42,'” by Michel Legrand for the 1971 film. Nero’s rendition peaked at No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Nero also wrote the score for Jane Fonda’s 1963 film “Sunday in New York” and appeared in it.
Nero was born Bernard Nierow in 1934 and raised in Brooklyn. He began taking piano lessons at the age of seven, and by the age of eleven, he was believed to be able to play Haydn’s Piano Concerto in D Major from memory. He later received a Juilliard scholarship, won various talent contests, and graduated from Brooklyn College.
Nero loathed having a set list when he was the headliner and would choose songs on the spot. The Philly Pops adopted the concept of blending styles and genres.
“My programmes for the Philly Pops may open with ‘Die Meistersinger,’ then ‘Chariots of Fire,’ then Enesco’s Rumanian Rhapsodies,’ then a television theme,” Nero told The New York Times in 1982. “I keep going back and forth, and the audience has bought it from the beginning.”
SOURCE – (AP)
(VOR News) – The “Merc with a Mouth” will return to the big screen in Deadpool & Wolverine this weekend, and his contribution to Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe extends beyond his R rating.
“Deadpool & Wolverine,” the third standalone feature film featuring Ryan Reynolds as the regenerative reprobate, is expected to gross between $160 million and $180 million in its opening weekend at the domestic box office.
The movie has already surpassed the greatest number of ticket pre-sales in 2024, according to data provided by Fandango. It is anticipated that it will break numerous records during its opening weekend.
Most noteworthy among these accomplishments is the most successful premiere for an R-rated film in history, as well as the largest domestic opening of 2024.
Disney and Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” has achieved the highest opening of the year with a total of $154.2 million, as per the data provided by Comscore.
Additionally, the first “Deadpool” film has achieved the highest début for any R-rated feature film with a total of $132.4 million.
Mike Bowers, the president and CEO of Harkins Theatres, a theatre corporation located in Arizona, stated, “I am confident that this will be the largest R-rated film to ever be released if it is released.” Furthermore, it is already one of the most successful presale films in the annals of our company.
“Deadpool & Wolverine” was initially rated R because of its trailer.
It is also the 34th Deadpool & Wolverine film to be released under the Marvel Cinematic Universe banner. The two Deadpool films that preceded it, both of which were rated R, were produced and distributed by 20th Century Fox.
The reintroduction of the X-Men and Fantastic Four into the broader Marvel catalogue was the consequence of Disney’s acquisition of the corporation in 2019.
Similar to other Marvel Cinematic Universe films, “Deadpool & Wolverine” is benefiting from the enthusiasm of its audience.
Audiences are anxious to view the film during its opening weekend in order to prevent spoilers. Disney has maintained the confidentiality of the majority of the film’s content, and only a limited number of press screenings have been conducted prior to the film’s release.
Bowers anticipates that individuals will continue to return for additional viewings in the weeks following the film’s premiere.
He made the observation that “this is a film that there is so much happening, so many jokes and funny sequences that no one is going to be able to eat just one, you know, they’re going to be back.”
Ellis Jacob, the president and chief executive officer of Cineplex, the largest cinema theatre operator in Canada, echoed Bower’s viewpoint. Jacob asserted that “Deadpool & Wolverine” is replete with Easter eggs and that viewers will revisit the film to attempt to locate them all.
Furthermore, he stated that a substantial number of moviegoers are purchasing tickets for premium screenings, such as IMAX, Dolby, and ScreenX, which are more expensive.
Additionally, Marvel has collaborated with movie theatres to grant licenses for items such as collector popcorn tubs and drink containers, which the theatre operators anticipate will be in high demand.
Historically, concessions have been the most profitable revenue source for movie theatres, and the presence of limited-edition products can result in even greater sales of food and beverages.
” Deadpool & Wolverine” is an essential Marvel release.
Shawn Robbins, Deadpool & Wolverine the inventor and owner of Box Office Theory, announced that Disney had “slowed down the pace” and had scheduled fewer films in the series that has dominated the global box office for over a decade. Box Office Theory is also associated with Robbins.
He stated that Disney is making an effort to correct the course after a series of theatrical errors and poor box office performance, as well as a flood of streaming content that overwhelmed even the most devoted fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Robbins pointed out that “in the end, despite the fact that this is a Marvel movie, it may be viewed equally as a midsummer action comedy that stars personalities and brands that are loved by both die-hard fans and casual viewers.”
The fact that Reynolds and Jackman have both made a name for themselves in Deadpool & Wolverine popular culture and have maintained a cordial relationship through interviews and social media makes them an ideal pairing.
Likewise, there is genuine curiosity regarding the first R-rated film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and whether it will retain the qualities that made the first two Deadpool films and [Jackman’s 2017 Wolverine film] Logan so successful.
SOURCE: CNBC
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Turner Sports hopes to continue its long-standing relationship with the NBA.
On Monday, Warner Bros. Discovery informed the league that it will match Amazon Prime Video’s $1.8 billion annual bid. Turner has had an NBA package since 1984, and games have been broadcast on TNT since the network started in 1988.
“We studied the offers and accepted one of them. This will allow fans to continue to experience our unequaled coverage, including the greatest live game productions in the business and our legendary studio shows and talent, as we build on our proven 40-year commitment for many more years,” WBD stated. “We submitted our matching paperwork to the league today.” We are looking forward to the NBA completing our new contract.”
Warner Bros. Discovery Informs NBA It Will Match Amazon Prime Video’s Offer To Carry Games
The NBA Board of Governors approved the league’s 11-year media rights deals with Disney, NBC, and Amazon Prime Video on Tuesday at its meeting in Las Vegas. WBD received all three contracts on Wednesday, beginning the five-day clock for deciding whether to match.
The new deals, for $76 billion, will begin with the 2025-26 season and entail a game being shown or streamed nationally every night during the second half of the season.
The Prime Video package would have offered games on Thursday night after it finished carrying NFL games. The other nights were Friday and Saturday.
TNT would air games on Thursday, with the other nights being streamed on Max.
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav warned at an RBC Investor Conference in November 2022 that Turner and WBD “don’t have to have the NBA.”
Warner Bros. Discovery and the league could not negotiate an agreement during their exclusive bargaining period, which ended in April. Zaslav and TNT Sports Chairman/CEO Luis Silberwasser have recently announced that they intend to match one of the agreements.
“During our four-decade collaboration with the NBA, we have consistently provided exceptional coverage for basketball fans. WBD stated that they behaved in good faith to offer strong proposals that were fair to both parties throughout exclusive and non-exclusive negotiations to maintain their long-standing collaboration. “Regrettably, the league notified us of its intention to accept other offers for the games in our current rights package, leaving us to proceed under the matching rights provision, which is an integral part of our current agreement and the rights we have paid for under it.”
NBC and WBD would alternate broadcasting one of the conference finals series. ESPN and ABC will continue to broadcast the league’s top package and will host conference finals and the NBA Finals each year.
According to people familiar with the negotiations, Amazon’s offer contained a mechanism for paying many years in advance into an escrow account, which many thought would be difficult to match. However, WBD has informed the league that it has the financial resources to do so.
“The Ringer’s” Bill Simmons originally mentioned the Amazon provision on “The Town” podcast.
People talked to the AP anonymously because they were not at liberty to discuss such serious topics.
Warner Bros. Discovery Informs NBA It Will Match Amazon Prime Video’s Offer To Carry Games
WBD pays $1.4 billion per season under the existing nine-year contract, which expires after next season.
WBD is making a large financial investment, but it is necessary. Without the NBA, it would have struggled to charge its present subscriber fees to cable and satellite companies.
Retaining the NBA would also ensure that the popular “Inside the NBA” show will continue. Charles Barkley was dismissive of WBD’s negotiation position and did not believe it would match. Barkley revealed at the end of this season that he planned to retire following the next season.
SOURCE – (AP)
Celebrity
American Who Made Social Media Threats Against Taylor Swift Detained Ahead Of German Concert
BERLIN — An American man who made threats against Taylor Swift on social media was seized before her first concert in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, and will be held in custody until her gigs there end, authorities said Thursday.
swift | AP news Image
American Who Made Social Media Threats Against Taylor Swift Detained Ahead Of German Concert
According to police, the accused stalker, a 34-year-old whose name has not been disclosed, had a ticket to Taylor’s concert at Gelsenkirchen’s Veltins-Arena on Wednesday. They stated that he was detained at event admission checks because an early assessment could not completely rule out a risk.
According to police, the man threatened Taylor and her partner on social media. They say he was detained after receiving tips from the event’s organizers.
The American superstar will perform in Gelsenkirchen on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday as part of her Eras tour. According to authorities, a local court has ordered that the suspected stalker be detained until Saturday.
They went on to say that Swift and the audience were always safe. The event drew approximately 60,000 people on Wednesday evening and went off without incident.
American Who Made Social Media Threats Against Taylor Swift Detained Ahead Of German Concert
Before the concerts, Gelsenkirchen temporarily renamed the town “Swiftkirchen” and honored the singer on a “Walk of Fame” dedicated to local luminaries.
Taylor has plans to perform in two more German cities after Gelsenkirchen: Hamburg and Munich.
SOURCE | AP
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