With turns in “Gold” and “Firestarter” this year, Zac Efron continues to diversify his acting output and distance himself from his former teen heartthrob image. And Efron shows no signs of slowing down his drive to be taken seriously as an actor.
30.05.2022 - 12:57 / manchestereveningnews.co.uk
After two years of lockdowns, it's a real joy to be able to get younger ones out for their first live theatre experience - and what better way to do it than with one of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler's classic tales? The live show of Zog debuted in 2018, and now we have the follow-up, Zog and the Flying Doctors, playing to sold-out shows at The Lowry theatre over the weekend.
Although I could have done with a flying dragon myself to help our family navigate the sheer traffic hell at Salford Quays on Sunday. As if the big orange dragon at The Lowry were not enough of a family draw, there was also the dragon boat race (how very fitting) outside on The Quays and also the Maker's Market outside seeing thousands of people all trying to get in (and out) of the car park at the same time.
However, once inside the show itself could not have done more to deliver the perfect first taste of theatre for my youngest, aged 2 and a half. He was sat in thrall from the moment the actors headed out on stage with flying puppets - and when Zog himself arrived on stage, the beam on his face was (almost) worth the traffic hell his poor old mum had to endure.
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The show is brought to life by the experienced team at Freckle Productions, who have brought previous Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler works to life on the stage like Stick Man, Tabby McTat and the original Zog story. Based on the Zog sequel, we see our hero, the hilariously mild-mannered dragon back in action.
Zog is now super keen student turned air-ambulance for his friends, Princess Pearl and Sir Gadabout. But yes, he still lands with a crash-bang-thump.
In the production we get some
With turns in “Gold” and “Firestarter” this year, Zac Efron continues to diversify his acting output and distance himself from his former teen heartthrob image. And Efron shows no signs of slowing down his drive to be taken seriously as an actor.
Over the years, Netflix has proven there’s still good business in the rom-com. The streaming service has made a habit of releasing rom-coms on a fairly regular basis since it appears they always seem to be big hits.
Kelly Ripa has been loyal to her hosting duties on Live! With Kelly and Ryan since day one, but she's also not one to deny herself a break!MORE: Kelly Ripa makes dazzling return to TV in gorgeous Barbie pink outfitHer co-host Ryan Seacrest recently announced that Ali Wentworth would be co-hosting in place of Kelly, and the star's latest pictures – which are as adorable as it gets – finally reveal where she had gone off to.The morning show host just returned from spending a well-deserved vacation in Paris, France, alongside her husband, Mark Consuelos.WATCH: Kelly shares heartfelt clips from her son's graduationMORE: Kelly Ripa joined by LIVE! co-host Ryan Seacrest for new ABC showShe took to Instagram to share glimpses of her time away, fitting into the city of love perfectly with a series of loved-up pictures and selfies with Mark revealing their exciting plans.The host teased that she was celebrating something special, captioning her Instagram Stories with: "Scenes from a weekend in Paris celebration."Some of the pictures saw her donning glamorous dresses ready for a night out, snuggling next to her husband with a view of the Seine river behind them, as well as one where she's posing in sunglasses and he is adoringly looking at her. Kelly and Mark enjoy the Parisian sightsIt seems the two had a big night out, attending a cabaret show at the iconic Paradis Latin Cabaret on Paris' Left Bank.MORE: Kelly Ripa gives fans long-awaited career newsMORE: Kelly Ripa celebrates son Michael Consuelos' milestone birthday on the airFor the exciting night out, Kelly donned a flirty, figure-hugging halter dress with pearl and diamond appliqués, a feather trim, and a sweet bow on its collar.
Could this be the end of Kailyn Lowry and Briana DeJesus’ years-long feud? The Teen Mom 2 costars have been publicly fighting since 2017, but the Florida resident gave Us Weekly a surprising update on her relationship with the “Coffee Convos” podcast host.
Justin Bieber has cancelled his upcoming shows for his “Justice Tour” in Toronto. The “Hold On” singer was scheduled to perform on June 7 and June 8 at the Scotiabank Arena.
Kelly Ripa has a brand new role! The star has finally revealed what she got up to during her time away from Live! With Kelly and Ryan studios, having recently taken a trip to Los Angeles.MORE: Kelly Ripa celebrates son Michael Consuelos' milestone birthday on the airThough the role took her away from her host duties in New York City, she's not quite hanging up the hosting gig just yet, taking on the familiar role but for an entirely new show, and fans can't wait to see the results.Kelly revealed that she is hosting a brand new game show, a trivia competition titled Generation Gap.WATCH: Kelly shares heartfelt videos from her son's graduationMORE: David Muir shows support for Kelly Ripa's son in the best wayShe shared an exciting preview of the new series, which is set to air on ABC on 7 July. The show has been a longtime coming, as it was first planned and ordered three years ago, though only got a slot on the ABC line-up just now.Sparking an epic "battle of the ages," the show is in fact a revival from a similar competition popular in the late 1960's.
“It’s rare when the thing that you’re working on so deeply reaches in your own life, your own history, your own family,” says director J.D. Dillard, whose forthcoming “Devotion” is as much a historical drama as it is an exploration of his own ancestry and childhood.
It’s the end of an era!
Calling it quits. After more than a decade on Teen Mom 2, Kailyn Lowry revealed that she is ready to part ways with the franchise.
Kailyn Lowry‘s time on Teen Mom 2 has come to an end.
country music group during a short video shared to the band’s YouTube account.The 51-year-old musician, who has served as a multi-intrumentalist with focus on the bass guitar, in addition to a powerful vocalist and lyricist since the band’s inception in 2002, acknowledged he had difficult news for the band’s massive fan base.“I have tough news to share, and my brothers and sister have gathered to support me,” he said in the minute-long clip, which was also posted on the band’s Twitter account.“Over the past several years, I’ve noticed some balance issues and some stiffness in my hands. After careful analysis by some of the country’s top neurologists, I have been diagnosed with ALS.“Because my symptoms have been slow progressing form the start, we believe they will continue to be slow progressing going forward.
Randy Travis got a big surprise when he went to watch the Zac Brown Band playing in Frisco, Texas on Saturday night.
Zac Brown Band founding member John Driskell Hopkins revealed he's been diagnosed with ALS as he stood alongside bandmates from the country music group during a short video shared to the band's YouTube account. The 51-year-old musician, who has served as a multi-intrumentalist with focus on the bass guitar, in addition to a powerful vocalist and lyricist since the band's inception in 2002, acknowledged he had difficult news for the band's massive fan base.
Musician John Driskell Hopkins, who plays bass in the Zac Brown Band, has been diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) — also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
Taylor Swift wasn't the only famous face in attendance at New York University's graduation ceremony on Wednesday. Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos watched from the crowd as their eldest son, 24-year-old Michael, crossed the stage to receive his diploma from NYU. The proud parents both shared multiple images on their Instagram Stories, with Consuelos posting a sweet family photo which showed that their daughter, Lola, and son, Joaquin, both tagged along to celebrate their older brother's accomplishment.
Kelly Ripa had an incredibly proud mom moment on Wednesday night as she attended her son Michael Consuelos' graduation ceremony.MORE: Where is Kelly Ripa? Absence from LIVE! explainedMichael was one of the many New York University graduates who had been waiting for their ceremony - which had been held off due to Covid.The 24-year-old shared photos from the event on social media, including a tongue-in-cheek post regarding his appearance.VIDEO: Kelly Ripa shares video from son Michael's graduation In the photo, the NYU alum poked fun of the size of his head, writing: "My head was not built for these stupid hats."ALSO: HELLO! launches Jubilee T-shirt collection to celebrate Queen Elizabeth in styleMORE: Kelly Ripa's daughter Lola has a big year ahead - and it's bittersweet for her familyMichael looked dapper in his mortarboard hat and a purple gown, which was worn over a smart suit.For the long-awaited ceremony, the whole family all showed their support for Michael, and his father Mark Consuelos, as well as his siblings, Lola and Joaquin, were also in attendance.
Frank Grillo is set to star in Liam O’Donnell’s horror-thriller Merciless, which Sentient Pictures International is shopping here in Cannes this week. The company also has announced that Columbian actor Juan Pablo Raba (Peppermint, Narcos) has been tapped to lead Antonio Negret’s new action thriller Sombra.
Reba McEntire is returning to the small screen after making a bold announcement about the future of her career. The singer and actress has just been named as a series regular in the third season of Big Sky. MORE: Reba McEntire shares she is having a 'lot of fun' wth boyfriend Rex LinnReba will play Sunny Brick, the matriarch of the Brick family and according to Deadline, her character is "a successful backcountry outfitter with a secret history of missing customers."WATCH: Reba McEntire reveals how she met her boyfriend Rex LinnBig Sky was created by David E. Kelley and based on The Highway book series by C.J.