Latest news with #spectacular
Scoop
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Mana Moana Wellington Shows With Signature Choir And NZSO Now Sold Out
Press Release – NZSO Mana Moana celebrates two worlds of music, with the NZSO led by acclaimed conductor Brent Stewart, and each performance hosted by talented actor and comedian Tofiga Fepuleai. Wellington has again embraced the hit show Mana Moana and its spectacular fusion of symphony and songs of the Pacific. Both performances by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and the 50-strong Wellington-based Signature Choir this Thursday and Friday at the Michael Fowler Centre are sold out. Mana Moana celebrates two worlds of music, with the NZSO led by acclaimed conductor Brent Stewart, and each performance hosted by talented actor and comedian Tofiga Fepulea'i. 'We are incredibly humbled and grateful to return home to two sold-out shows,' says Signature Choir Founder and Music Director Helen Tupai. 'After selling out back-to-back performances at the iconic Sydney Opera House in June, coming back to where our Mana Moana journey began and reuniting with the world-class NZSO is the perfect way to close our 2025 Mana Moana season. These sold-out shows are a testament to our communities' unwavering support, and we cannot wait to put on an unforgettable homecoming show!' Following 2022's sensational debut in Wellington and a hit performance with the NZSO in Auckland in 2023, Mana Moana reached new heights this year with a second show at Auckland's Spark Arena in May. Sydney audiences loved every minute of the choir's historic performances with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra last month. 'What an incredible performance! The energy in the room was electric. So privileged to experience this iconic moment,' an audience member told ABC Pacific. Wellington audiences on 24 and 25 July will again experience an energetic, unique, and emotional celebration, bringing traditional and contemporary songs from Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau. The exciting music selection blends beloved favourites from the previous shows with fresh new arrangements, offering an even richer experience for audiences. The stunning mix of traditional and contemporary songs includes the Samoan classic Manu o le Vaveao, Nepituno —written by Queen Salote Tupou III to commemorate the 1953 Royal Tour of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth's visit to Tonga—and an exhilarating medley featuring some of the most iconic Fijian songs, and much more. In 2022 a collaborative journey between the NZSO and Signature Choir to celebrate and promote the languages and stories of Pasifika. Their aim was to create high-quality audio recordings and videos of Pasifika songs in partnership with RNZ. This was then followed by a live performance at the Michael Fowler Centre where audience-recorded videos from the show have accumulated in over 1 million views on social media, highlighting the massive impact Mana Moana had and resulted in an incredible musical experience in 2023 and 2025 at Spark Arena.
Newsweek
2 days ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
Could Trade to Dodgers Be Secret Recipe to Return Ace to 'Former Glory'?
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Los Angeles Dodgers came into the season with seemingly the best pitching staff in baseball, but injuries have destroyed most of the top arms. Los Angeles' pitching staff is barely averaging four innings per start at this point. ESPN's Jeff Passan recently suggested the Dodgers would be one of the best fits in a trade for Miami Marlins ace Sandy Alcántara ahead of the upcoming trade deadline. MIAMI, FLORIDA - JULY 18: Sandy Alcantara #22 of the Miami Marlins pitches against the Kansas City Royals d1i at loanDepot park on July 18, 2025 in Miami, Florida. MIAMI, FLORIDA - JULY 18: Sandy Alcantara #22 of the Miami Marlins pitches against the Kansas City Royals d1i at loanDepot park on July 18, 2025 in Miami, Florida."Alcantara was arguably the best pitcher in baseball in 2022, winning the NL Cy Young unanimously. He was more solid than spectacular in 2023 and missed 2024 with Tommy John surgery," Passan wrote. "He has been tinkering this season to try to get his pitch mix and locations right in hopes of regaining his former glory. His 7.14 ERA is unsightly, and with the Marlins still valuing him as a top starter, they could hold on to him until the winter, when teams such as the Baltimore Orioles would be more inclined to acquire him and the final two years of his contract." The Dodgers are certainly the level of aggressive it would take to land a star like Alcántara. The righty also has a few years of affordable team control left on his deal, which would fit perfectly with the Dodgers' payroll. The Marlins need to trade him before he drops his trade value any further. Trading him now would almost certainly net at least one star prospect in return. If the Marlins hunt a trade with the Dodgers, they could pursue former top prospects Bobby Miller and James Outman as well as talented prospects like Justin Wrobleski and plenty of others. Either way, the Dodgers are the right level of aggressive and desperate to make a deal like this come to life this month. More MLB: Shocking Deadline Deal? MLB Insider Links Phillies To All-Star Outfielder
USA Today
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
MLB All-Star winners and losers: Dramatic mini HR derby spices up festivities
ATLANTA – If you're the sort who enjoys plotting the demise of baseball – and, in a grander sense, Western Civilization – then it all was neatly summed up by one moment in the wee hours at Truist Park. A line drive striking the faux brick just to the right of a FanDuel advertisement, a crucial moment in a home-run hitting contest intended to pump life in a once culturally-dominant Midsummer Classic that now claws for viability in the attention economy. A little heavy, eh? Well, that's sort of how it felt when this 95th All-Star Game went to extra innings and was decided for the first time by a swing-off, which replaced the mega-roster to ensure there'd be plenty of pitchers for extra innings, which replaced How The Game Once Was, at least until it ended in a tie before a befuddled Bud Selig in 2002. Yet the game always seems to win, thanks in large part to the stars in the arena that seem to produce spectacular feats, regardless of format. On this night, it was Kyle Schwarber's three homers in three swings that stood up for a National League 'victory' after American Leaguer Jonathan Aranda's bullet line drive hit brick and not seats. When Aranda followed with a harmless pop fly that sent the NL into a bobbing mass of celebration down the first base line, they were 7-6 victors (4-3 on penalty swings). Somehow, it all worked out. That could be a theme for an All-Star week that was at times grim and sweaty and confusing and at others fresh and fun. With that, the winners and losers from All-Star Week in the A (or at least Cobb County): Winners Tiebreaker swing-off The various buttons MLB pushes in the Rob Manfred era often serve two purposes: Teeth-gnashing followed by pragmatic acceptance. It was fascinating to discover that everyone from casuals in your contacts list to superstars on the field had no idea – 'I honestly had no clue this was a thing,' says Giants pitcher Logan Webb – what was to come. Yet the swing-off – the derby after the Derby, if you will – has been on the books since 2022. They just hadn't had to break the glass yet in case of emergency, and Tuesday that emergency was Robert Suarez and Edwin Diaz blowing a two-run ninth-inning NL lead. While extra-inning baseball has its charms, there can be a certain death march element to it. And in an All-Star Game, it honestly comes down to leftover pitchers trying to get out batters who hadn't yet hopped a private jet to their final All-Star break destinations. Nah, we weren't exactly 'robbed' of drama not seeing Shane Smith and Hunter Goodman clash in the bottom of the 11th, just one scenario had managers not had the freedom to burn all their pitchers before game's end. And while roughly half the 41,702 in attendance had departed, those that remained were plenty engaged by the oohs and ahhs of the swing-off. Kyle Schwarber The baddest dude on the first-place Philadelphia Phillies is seemingly universally respected in the game, and his ability to take three batting practice pitches and put them all in the seats – with a result literally on the line – goes to his superior skill and ability to focus. That man is a free agent at the end of the year, and his late-night power show, even coming in a fake game, nicely illustrated why he'll be paid superstar money, and not DH money. Players who like playing baseball If the swing-off exposed anything to the casual fan, it's that the All-Star starters – typically the game's biggest superstars – have long beaten a hasty path to the airport by game's end. Hey, they got places to be and money to burn and it is their break time. That's why teams lock in their three swing-off participants ahead of time, knowing who will be around in a 10th inning – and no, it almost surely won't be Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani. But anytime he's on the roster, Mets slugger Pete Alonso counts himself in. The two-time Home Run Derby champion is both an avid competitor and a ball enthusiast. And there's something of a difference between dudes who both love baseball and are very good at it, and those for whom the latter is the only qualifier. That's not to say the players that begged off this All-Star Game – ultimately more than 80 were named to the rosters – don't love it. Rest is important and unpublicized injuries are very real. But it never hurts to have stars who want to be here. 'It's an honor for me,' says Alonso. 'Certain guys, if they're banged up, it's situational. But I'm healthy and I'm appreciative and it's a great event. For me, it's a no-brainer to come.' Cal Raleigh Sometimes, a player will have his star-is-born year and back it up at an All-Star Game expected to serve as his platform – think Judge in 2017. Raleigh roared into the break with an AL record 38 first-half homers, the curiosity of being a switch-hitting catcher outslugging Judge and the best nickname in the game – and backed all of it up. His Home Run Derby championship was both a compelling tale and a remarkable feat, and gives the game a legitimate star in a Pacific Northwest outpost that too often gets ignored. Dino Ebel He might be the greatest batting-practice pitcher of all time, or at least the most decorated. Ebel has been the soft tosser for two Home Run Derby champions – Vladimir Guerrero Sr. in 2007 and Teoscar Hernández in 2024 – and as the clock neared midnight Tuesday he climbed halfway up the Truist Park mound and tossed cookies to Stowers and Schwarber. Four of the six pitches ended up in the seats. 'Put a 'W' next to Dino's name in the paper,' says Dodgers and NL manager Dave Roberts, whom Ebel serves as third base coach. 'Well, there's no more papers anymore, but Dino should get the win. Absolutely." That's only the half of it. Sunday night, Ebel's son Brady was drafted 32nd overall by Milwaukee, and he has another lad, Trey, who is a well-regarded prospect for the 2026 draft. Let's just say mid-July has been very good to the Ebel clan. Losers The MLB draft It remains Manfred's pet project, and the optics are good holding it in conjunction with All-Star Week. Enough space fillers wearing overpriced Fanatics gear are willing to fill up the couple hundred chairs to create a well-crafted television show. And sliding the draft into the most desirable television slot in the sport – supplanting Sunday Night Baseball for a night – will ensure its ratings will be sufficient even if the in-person product resembles a Potemkin Village. Yet it's an undeniable setback that exactly zero prospects showed up all dressed up for the show and ready to grip and grin with Manfred. They certainly have their reasons, be it advisors who prefer they not forfeit leverage with drafting teams, to the greater uncertainty involved with baseball's draft compared to its NFL and NBA cohorts. No one wants to get stuck in a green room for a couple hours, especially an 18-year-old whose reps might be haggling over bonus pool money right up to the moment they'd be picked. Manfred is perhaps the only baseball official who wants to drag the process into mid-July, putting scouting departments, front offices, college coaches and, of course, the players in flux deep into the summer when the whole thing could be done in early June. Pat McAfee, or whoever decided to loop him into the festivities That was weird. What's usually a pretty rote process – the pregame All-Star press conference where starting pitchers and lineups are announced got a startling charge when McAfee, ESPN's sleeveless ambassador to the Coveted Young Demographic, was on stage to moderate the session. It's tough to fake baseball, and while McAfee did all right, the entire presser was simply bizarre. It helped that Paul Skenes' presence enabled McAfee to lean into his Yinzer shtick, yet couldn't save him from mispronouncing Ketel Marte. And an inquiry from a reporter on baseball's unexplained decision to move the game back to Atlanta after onerous voting laws were passed – and Roberts' general abdication of stances on social issues important to Dodgers fans – resulted in McAfee trying to parry the whole exchange. He was also tapped to intro the participants in that night's Home Run Derby, which is among ESPN's most important broadcasts all year. The whole thing smacked of the erstwhile Worldwide Leader signing all its inventory over to McAfee, and MLB eagerly (desperately?) hoping to cash in some of that cultural currency. The Phillies Hey, they're on the clock for the next All-Star Week and the pressure is mounting. The game comes less than two weeks after the country's Semiquincentennial, and there may not be enough red, white and blue to out-America all the Midsummer Classics that came before it. Also, Kyle Schwarber is a free agent. As this 95th game showed, some things you just can't let get away.
Euronews
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
Marina Abramović leads laureats for Praemium Imperiale arts awards
The Japan Art Association has revealed its laureates for the Praemium Imperiale, the awards widely known as the "Noble of the Arts" Serbian performance artist Marina Abramović has won the sculpture award for her long career of putting her life on the line and using her own body as a medium for her spectacular work. She first grabbed worldwide attention in 1974 with Rhythm 0 by inviting audiences to interact with her using one of 72 objects on a table at a Naples gallery. While people started tamely - offering her a rose or a kiss - the six hour performance ended with a loaded gun held to her head. Painting Scotsman Peter Doig is regarded as one of the world's most important and expensive living painters. His modernist creations are celebrated for their colour, composition and perspectives, weaving together history and everyday life. Many of his most well known works stem from the 20 years he spent living in Trinidad and Tobago and the relationships and real-life encounters he had on the Caribbean island. His works often sell for several million euros and perhaps to add to their intrinsic value, he only produces up to six paintings a year Architecture Eduardo Souto de Moura is known throughout Portugal and beyond for his minimalist approach to gaining maximum impact. His buildings have been widely praised for their functionality, careful use of natural materials and their unexpected dashes of colour. The 58-year-old also won the prestigious Pritzker Prize for architecture in 2011. Cinema and performing arts Choreographer and dancer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker has the added distinction of becoming the first Belgian to win the award for cinema and the performing arts. She's devised more than 60 pieces over her forty year career In 1982, she found fame with Fase: Four movements to the Music of Steve Reich; a ballet based on the music of Reich, himself a Praemium Imperiale winner in 2006. Music Hungarian-born pianist András Schiff is one of the world's leading interpreters of Bach and his music. Over the years he's also gained a reputation for using his platform to protest over politics, describing it as a moral duty. He lived in Austria for more than a decade and courted controversy for refusing to perform in 2007 to demonstrate against the formation of a government that included the far-right party of Joerg Haider. He's also voiced extreme concern over Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his combative and critical stance towards the European Union. Each laureate will receive 15 million yen, or approximately €92,000 at a ceremony to be held in Tokyo on October 22, 2025.
CAF
15-07-2025
- Sport
- CAF
In search of a seat at the table: The tenacious tale of Touré
Clémentine Touré has lived a life shaped by football – from her early days playing in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana to coaching on some of Africa's biggest stages. Touré speaks of football – as if she's discussing a sacred covenant rather than a sport. "Football is my life, and it's given me so much. I've been playing football from childhood and I've worked hard to become a coach and develop my skills. Without football, I don't know what I would be doing. It's my passion, and I love it." These aren't merely words – they're the breathing manifesto of a soul intertwined with the beautiful game. In Morocco's coaching academies, where the future of African football is being forged, Touré stands as both student and pioneer. Her pursuit of the CAF Pro license isn't just professional development - it's a statement of intent, a declaration that excellence knows no gender. "I've been fortunate to have had many opportunities, and I'm grateful for that. I'm currently working on my CAF Pro License in Morocco, and I'm proud to be one of the few women in Africa pursuing this certification." The weight of those words carries the dreams of countless women across the continent. In a world where barriers are erected as quickly as they're torn down, she moves with the quiet confidence of someone who understands that revolution often begins with education. Equatorial Guinea. A nation's footballing virginity lost in the most spectacular fashion possible. When Touré lifted that WAFCON trophy, she wasn't just celebrating a victory – she was announcing the arrival of a new era. "My most memorable moment was winning the African Cup of Nations with Equatorial Guinea in 2008," Touré recalls, her voice carrying the warmth of that historic moment. "Going to a country, working hard, and winning—it's what every coach dreams of. That moment was unique and special. It was incredible for Equatorial Guinea. "We were just starting out, and to win that tournament showed that our efforts paid off. It was a dream come true for the players, for me, and for the country." Even her later achievements – guiding Côte d'Ivoire to WAFCON appearances and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup – seem to pale in the shadow of that golden moment. Some victories, it seems, are too perfect to repeat. But Touré's canvas extends far beyond personal glory. She paints with broader strokes now, her frustrations informed by a continental perspective that sees both the potential and the waste. "I'm not satisfied with just participating in competitions. Every national team's dream is to reach the final stages of the Africa Cup of Nations, where you can truly measure your level. Not qualifying is painful and leaves a bitter taste." Her critique cuts deep because it comes from love – the love of someone who has seen what's possible when commitment meets opportunity. "African countries and federations need to prioritize women's football and provide genuine support. Some countries claim to support women's football but don't support always. We need to move beyond this and follow the CAF's lead in promoting women's football." Touré's vision for African women's football reads like a master architect's blueprint – detailed, comprehensive, and built on foundations that can weather any storm. "This means supporting women's football at all levels, starting with clubs and helping them organize themselves. Clubs have valuable experience with players, so we need to assist and empower them. Regular championships should be organized, and players should be given the recognition they deserve. National teams also need to play more friendly matches to assess their level and prepare for competitions. As coaches, we've struggled to arrange even a single friendly match in two years, which makes it challenging to evaluate our players' true potential." Her appeal resonates with the urgency of someone who understands that time is both ally and enemy. "That's my advice to all federations, and I hope they'll take it seriously." Now, as she stands at another crossroads, Touré's gaze turns toward an even bolder horizon – coaching a men's national team. It's a dream that would have seemed impossible to that young girl on those dusty pitches yet feels inevitable for the woman she has become. "I believe it's possible," she declares with the confidence of someone who has already rewritten the rules once. "I'm sharing my dream with you – my goal is to coach a men's team one day. Why not? If we can train coaches and develop the game, why can't women also lead men's teams?' For her, the shift is already underway. 'It's the same sport. Women can succeed at the highest level too. We have the knowledge, the experience, and the confidence. What we need now is trust. When that happens, women will rise to the challenge and deliver." With a proven track record and a bold vision, Clémentine Touré continues to break ground in African football. And if her journey so far is anything to go by, her next historic milestone might be just around the corner. "Overall, I'm proud to be part of the football community, and I'm excited to see how sports will continue to grow and develop in Africa." In these words, lies perhaps the truest measure of Clémentine Touré – not as someone who conquered the game, but as someone who surrendered to it completely, allowing it to transform her into something larger than herself. She has become both the bridge and the destination, the question and the answer to what African football can become when it dares to dream without limits. Her story continues to unfold, each chapter more audacious than the last. And if her journey so far has taught us anything, it's that the most beautiful dreams are often the ones that seem impossible – until they're not.
