Latest news with #RainbowConnection
New York Post
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Yo Gabba Gabba announces 2025 tour, NJ show. Get tickets today
Vivid Seats is the New York Post's official ticketing partner. We may receive revenue from this partnership for sharing this content and/or when you make a purchase. Featured pricing is subject to change. Prepare to rock out with the whole family. Yo Gabba Gabba announced they're striking out on a 24-concert North American tour from Aug. 1-31 with unnamed 'special guests' this year. That includes a stop at Sayreville, NJ's Starland Ballroom on Tuesday, Aug. 19. Advertisement 'It's time for the 'Yo Gabba Gabba Live Summer Tour!'' Plex the Magic Robot shared via Yo Gabba Gabba's Instagram. 'Brobee, Muno, Toodee, Foofa, Kammy Kam and me, Plex, are coming very soon to a city near you. Get ready for music, dancing, singing, games, and, of course, magic robots, because that's me.' This nationwide run follows the group's two 2025 Coachella appearances; according to Set List FM, they performed YGG originals like 'Don't Bite Your Friends' and 'Get the Sillies Out' as well as classic covers of Biz Markie's 'Just A Friend' alongside Flavor Flav and The Muppets' 'Rainbow Connection' with Weird Al, Portugal. The Man, Paul Williams, Thundercat, Cheer Bear and The Teletubbies. Prior to that, the colorful ensemble dropped a joyful yet tight NPR Tiny Desk concert last December. 'We've never had a performance quite like this before,' Alanté Serene of NPR wrote about the 13-minute set. '…this one is sure to please the little ones and your inner child.' Advertisement Fans Yo Dazzlers can purchase tickets for all upcoming Yo Gabba Gabba shows on sites like Vivid Seats; the official on-sale for the 'Yo Gabba Gabba Live Summer Tour' is Wednesday, July 2. Vivid Seats is a secondary market ticketing platform, and prices may be higher or lower than face value, depending on demand. They have a 100% buyer guarantee that states your transaction will be safe and secure and will be delivered before the event. Yo Gabba Gabba tour schedule 2025 A complete calendar including all tour dates, schedule and links to buy tickets can be found below. Advertisement Yo Gabba Gabba set list On April 19, Yo Gabba Gabba tore the roof down at Coachella. Based on our findings at Set List FM, these are the tunes they took to the stage to electrify the Indio audience. 01.) 'Yo Gabba GabbaLand!' 02.) 'I Like to Dance' 03.) 'Party in My Tummy' 04.) 'Get the Sillies Out' 05.) 'Hold Still' 06.) 'I'm So Mad (Just Breathe)' 07.) 'Biz's Beat of the Day' 08.) 'Just a Friend' (Biz Markie cover) (with Flavor Flav) 09.) 'I Love Bugs' (with Flavor Flav) 10.) 'Bubbles' 11.) 'Don't Bite Your Friends' 12.) 'DJ Lance Says' (with DJ Lance Rock) 13.) 'The Orange Cat's Special Time Outdoors' (with Thundercat) 14.) 'Rainbow Connection' (The Muppets cover) (with 'Weird Al' Yankovic) (Also Portugal The Man, Paul Williams, Thundercat, Cheer Bear, & The Teletubbies) Yo Gabba Gabba characters Advertisement If you're an OG YGG fan, it's likely you've forgotten who's who in the show. As a refresher, here's a quick reintroduction to all of your favorites: DJ Lance Rock: A human DJ that also serves as the show's host. Muno: 'YGG's' main character who happens to be a friendly red cyclops. Foofa: A bubbly pink flower bubble character. Plex: A magical yellow robot that's also the eldest member of the group. Brobee: A short, green broccoli/bee monster who lives in 'Brobee Land.' Toodee: A blue arctic, fun-loving cat dragon. Kammy Kam: 12-year-old Kamryn Smith hosts the latest iteration of the show. Advertisement Mark Mothersbaugh of DEVO and Biz Markie pop in from time to time as well. How to watch Yo Gabba Gabba Way back when, Yo Gabba Gabba ran on Nick Jr. from 2007-15. These days, Gabba Gang members can stream the popular show on Apple TV+, Amazon Prime, The Roku Channel, Pluto TV, Tubi or YouTube. A reboot known as 'Yo Gabba GabbaLand!' — which hosted guests like Kurt Vile, Anderson .Paak, Thundercat — debuted on Apple TV+ in 2024. Season two gets underway on Jan. 30, 2026. Fun shows for the whole family Advertisement Seeking out more family-friendly acts live this year? We've got you covered. Here are just five of our favorite traveling shows you won't want to miss in the near future. • The Price Is Right Live Advertisement • Kidz Bop Live! • Disney's 'Descendants' and 'Zombies' • Blue Man Group • Wheel of Fortune Live Advertisement Who else is on the road? Take a look at our list of all the biggest artists on tour in 2025 to find the show for you. This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change
Chicago Tribune
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
How ‘Take Me Out to the Ball Game' seeded a music nonprofit supporting the songwriters of tomorrow
NEW YORK — It's sung every summer in baseball stadiums around the United States. But the impact of 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game' goes much further than simply getting fans out of their seats for the 7th-inning stretch. More than a century after Jack Norworth penned the lyrics, a nonprofit founded with the song's royalties is celebrating 50 years of supporting young musicians — including the talent behind some of today's most popular musicals. The ASCAP Foundation, the charitable arm for the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, was established in 1975 after Norworth's estate left a bequest of the licensing payments for baseball's unofficial anthem and his other hits. 'Just as all music begins with a song, the ASCAP Foundation began with a song,' said Paul Williams, the group's president and a composer-lyricist whose award-winning career includes 'Rainbow Connection.' The organization provides money, lessons and mentorship at all career stages in an industry where that support is badly needed by artists who often toil for years working other gigs while trying to get their music before the right ears. To reach its semicentennial, however, the foundation has had to identify new funding streams and reinvent programming. 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame,' written in 1908, has since entered the public domain and no longer generates revenue. The foundation nowadays relies on a mix of philanthropies, corporate sponsors and general public donations. The Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation is a longtime backer and storied New York law firm Paul Weiss is another sponsor. And, according to Williams, 'there's not a lot of stingy songwriters out there.' The late Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, as well as Herb Alpert, are among those with named scholarships and awards. Williams said other bequests, which are charitable gifts left through a will, have come from 'Hello, Dolly!' composer-lyricist Jerry Herman and 'Tea for Two' lyricist Irving Ceasar. 'It's really a way of making a mark on the world and extending their values forward,' fundraising coach Claire Axelrad said of bequests, which she added have consistently made up about one-tenth of charitable gifts. With dwindling arts funding and millions of children reportedly going without music education, the ASCAP Foundation is also trying to reach underserved communities. Leaders count nearly 60,000 K-12 students who participated in last year's programs. They help teach guitar to New York summer campers and bring students to free Broadway-caliber productions. Youth are learning to play the djembe, a drum originally from West Africa, through a collaboration with urban farming nonprofit Harlem Grown. Tax filings show the foundation gave away more than $325,000 in grants for scholarships, fellowships and cash awards in 2023. Award-winning songwriter Emily Bear, who co-wrote the soundtrack for Disney's 'Moana 2,' said the foundation took her 'very seriously' when she was a five-year-old prodigy receiving its young composer award. 'That kind of validation at that kind of age means so much when you're just a little girl with very big dreams and you're in a room full of people that you idolize,' she said. Composer Stephen Schwartz, who was honored this week with the ASCAP Foundation Champion Award during a June 10 fundraiser at Tony winner Adam Guettel's Manhattan home, said the nonprofit is filling gaps as the government 'supports the arts less and less.' This April also marked the third year that Schwartz has hosted the foundation's two-day Musical Theatre Fest in Los Angeles. The location allows participants to get feedback from prominent guests and connect with Hollywood studios — one way the foundation is trying to stay relevant by serving the renewed interest in musicals for television and film screens. It's emblematic of the mentorship younger composers say Schwartz — a Broadway icon whose hits include 'Godspell,' 'Pippin' and 'Wicked' — has offered to emerging artists over the years. Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the songwriting duo behind 'Dear Evan Hansen,' credited the ASCAP Foundation for 'cementing' their connection with Schwartz. Pasek said such close proximity to a hero, who then became a 'living, breathing person who gives you advice,' made the profession 'more plausible.' 'Typically, you're working on projects on a wing and a prayer and hoping that someday it reaches the stage,' Paul said. 'So, an organization like the ASCAP Foundation breathing life into not just your work, but your pocketbooks, is a huge, huge support.' Schwartz said it was 'scary and bewildering' when he first started out without any connections. He sees an important role for himself as someone who can 'ease the way a bit' to help newcomers' 'talents flourish earlier and more completely.' There's also another motivation. 'It's slightly selfish because I get to see good work and enjoy it,' Schwartz added.
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
How 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game' seeded a music nonprofit supporting the songwriters of tomorrow
NEW YORK -- It's sung every summer in baseball stadiums around the United States. But the impact of 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game' goes much further than simply getting fans out of their seats for the 7th-inning stretch. More than a century after Jack Norworth penned the lyrics, a nonprofit founded with the song's royalties is celebrating 50 years of supporting young musicians — including the talent behind some of today's most popular musicals. The ASCAP Foundation, the charitable arm for the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, was established in 1975 after Norworth's estate left a bequest of the licensing payments for baseball's unofficial anthem and his other hits. 'Just as all music begins with a song, the ASCAP Foundation began with a song,' said Paul Williams, the group's president and a composer-lyricist whose award-winning career includes 'Rainbow Connection.' The organization provides money, lessons and mentorship at all career stages in an industry where that support is badly needed by artists who often toil for years working other gigs while trying to get their music before the right ears. To reach its semicentennial, however, the foundation has had to identify new funding streams and reinvent programming. 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame,' written in 1908, has since entered the public domain and no longer generates revenue. The foundation nowadays relies on a mix of philanthropies, corporate sponsors and general public donations. The Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation is a longtime backer and storied New York law firm Paul Weiss is another sponsor. And, according to Williams, 'there's not a lot of stingy songwriters out there.' The late Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, as well as Herb Alpert, are among those with named scholarships and awards. Williams said other bequests, which are charitable gifts left through a will, have come from 'Hello, Dolly!' composer-lyricist Jerry Herman and 'Tea for Two' lyricist Irving Ceasar. 'It's really a way of making a mark on the world and extending their values forward,' fundraising coach Claire Axelrad said of bequests, which she added have consistently made up about one-tenth of charitable gifts. With dwindling arts funding and millions of children reportedly going without music education, the ASCAP Foundation is also trying to reach underserved communities. Leaders count nearly 60,000 K-12 students who participated in last year's programs. They help teach guitar to New York summer campers and bring students to free Broadway-caliber productions. Youth are learning to play the djembe, a drum originally from West Africa, through a collaboration with urban farming nonprofit Harlem Grown. Tax filings show the foundation gave away more than $325,000 in grants for scholarships, fellowships and cash awards in 2023. Award-winning songwriter Emily Bear, who co-wrote the soundtrack for Disney's 'Moana 2,' said the foundation took her 'very seriously" when she was a five-year-old prodigy receiving its young composer award. 'That kind of validation at that kind of age means so much when you're just a little girl with very big dreams and you're in a room full of people that you idolize," she said. Composer Stephen Schwartz, who was honored this week with the ASCAP Foundation Champion Award during a June 10 fundraiser at Tony winner Adam Guettel's Manhattan home, said the nonprofit is filling gaps as the government 'supports the arts less and less.' This April also marked the third year that Schwartz has hosted the foundation's two-day Musical Theatre Fest in Los Angeles. The location allows participants to get feedback from prominent guests and connect with Hollywood studios — one way the foundation is trying to stay relevant by serving the renewed interest in musicals for television and film screens. It's emblematic of the mentorship younger composers say Schwartz — a Broadway icon whose hits include 'Godspell,' 'Pippin' and 'Wicked' — has offered to emerging artists over the years. Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the songwriting duo behind 'Dear Evan Hansen,' credited the ASCAP Foundation for 'cementing' their connection with Schwartz. Pasek said such close proximity to a hero, who then became a "living, breathing person who gives you advice,' made the profession 'more plausible.' 'Typically, you're working on projects on a wing and a prayer and hoping that someday it reaches the stage,' Paul said. "So, an organization like the ASCAP Foundation breathing life into not just your work, but your pocketbooks, is a huge, huge support.' Schwartz said it was 'scary and bewildering' when he first started out without any connections. He sees an important role for himself as someone who can 'ease the way a bit' to help newcomers' 'talents flourish earlier and more completely.' There's also another motivation. 'It's slightly selfish because I get to see good work and enjoy it,' Schwartz added. ___
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kermit the Frog tells Maryland students to ‘take big leaps' in sweet commencement speech
Miss Piggy would surely agree that Kermit the Frog looked dapper in his red robe and graduation cap as he delivered his cheery commencement speech to the University of Maryland's graduating class on Thursday. The iconic green Muppet encouraged the graduates to 'take big leaps' in life and to always 'stay connected to your families, your friends and your dreams.' 'Life's like a movie,' he told the crowd. 'Write your own ending. Keep believing. Keep pretending. You've all done just what you set out to do. And you're just getting started!' The speech — written and spoken by puppeteer Matt Vogel, who has performed Kermit since 2017 — paid tribute to the late Jim Henson, creator of 'The Muppet Show' and a graduate of the University of Maryland class of 1960. 'In the early days, he had a hand in literally everything I did,' Kermit said at one point, eliciting laughter from the crowd. 'Jim believed that everyone had a place,' he continued. 'Jim thought of that and he made us believe it. And so, my whole life I tried to appreciate people for exactly who they are. ... Life is not a solo act. No, it's not. It's a big, messy, delightful ensemble piece, especially when you're with your people.' He added, 'So as you prepare to take this big leap into real life, here's a little advice, if you're willing to listen to a frog. Rather than jumping over someone to get what you want, consider reaching out your hand and taking the leap side by side. Because life is better when we leap together.' And if those sweet remarks weren't enough to inspire, Kermit wrapped his speech with a 'Rainbow Connection' sing-along, reminding everyone of the prism of opportunities before them. Kermit's speech begins around the 2:04:00 mark below. Click here for a transcript of his remarks. This article was originally published on
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
Kermit the Frog shares words of wisdom for Class of 2025
Class of 2025, Kermit the Frog has some sage advice for you all! Everyone's favorite frog delivered a special "Ker-mencement" address at the University of Maryland in College Park on Thursday and shared some pearls of wisdom for graduating students. It was in some respects a full-circle moment, as the university is Muppets creator Jim Henson's alma mater. "I am honored to share some words of wisdom about three things that are close to my heart: finding your people, taking the leap and making connections," Kermit said in his speech. "As you prepare to take this big leap into real life, here's a little advice, if you're willing to listen to a frog," he continued. "Rather than jumping over someone to get what you want, consider reaching out your hand and taking the leap side by side, because life is better when we leap together." The beloved Muppet also revisited his own past and hearkened back to Henson's time at the university. "Jim and his wife Jane were proud students right here at UMD when the food at the [Adele H. Stamp Student Union] was good," he joked. At the heart of his speech, Kermit emphasized friendship, harmony and celebrating everyone's special traits. "The show must go on, and if you're with your people, then you won't have to do it alone, because life is not a solo act," he said. "No, it's not. It's a big, messy, delightful ensemble piece, especially when you're with your people." Kermit ended his memorable address with a "Rainbow Connection" sing-along, joined by the crowd of students.
