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Category: Entertainment
FirstBank Supports ‘Our Duke Has Gone Mad Again’ Stage Play
FirstBank of Nigeria Limited proudly sponsored an outstanding theatrical production called ‘Our Duke Has Gone Mad Again: A Sharp Satire.’ This fascinating performance was expertly directed by the renowned Joseph Edgar, who is well-known as The Duke of Shomolu. The play was highly praised for its imaginative creativity and keen satirical wit, successfully conveying a significant message to the audience. The eagerly awaited performance occurred on December 23, 2023, at the renowned Shell Hall, MUSON Centre in Lagos. This performance was a key element of the lively events linked to the 2024 edition of FirstBank’s yearly initiative, ‘DecemberIssaVybe,’ which seeks to support and uplift Nigeria’s flourishing arts and entertainment industry. Written and produced by the talented Joseph Edgar, a noted playwright and journalist, ‘Our Duke Has Gone Mad Again’ is a deep satire that effectively delivers an important message through witty satire and well-developed characters. Edgar characterizes the play as a collection of his previous writings published in ThisDay newspaper, along with his personal thoughts expressed on different platforms such as WhatsApp. Also Read: FirstBank Launches Decemberissavy 2024 With Kenny Blaq’s ‘Reckless’ Musiccomedy. This production was the fourth time the play has been performed, following earlier adaptations that were celebrated and well-received. A highlight of the performance was the talented actress Chantal, who humorously scolded Edgar in a memorable moment, calling him a “self-centered Ibibio man,” which made the audience laugh. Another popular moment featured a scene in a white garment church, directed by the renowned Segun Adefila.
Coca-Cola Rhythm Unplugged 2024: Honoring Africa’s Musical Excellence
As a segment of the broader Flytime Fest 2024, Rhythm Unplugged featured an impressive lineup of artists, offering memorable performances that highlighted the continent’s musical variety. Symphony of Stars. Featuring the Grammy-nominated star Gunna, the festival burst to life with vibrant energy. Davido, the Afrobeats sensation and international star, captivated the audience with his lively performance, while Bnxn delighted fans with his soothing voice. Wizkid, known as the Starboy, enchanted the audience with his velvety voice and popular hits, solidifying his reputation as a global music icon, while Odumodublvck fascinated fans with his unique sound that crosses genres. Budding talent Qing Madi made a memorable impact with her captivating stage presence. Voices Behind the Magic. Yusuf Murtala, Senior Director of Marketing for Coca-Cola Nigeria, conveyed the company’s pride in supporting this impactful event: “Coca-Cola is privileged to serve as the main sponsor of Rhythm Unplugged, a platform that showcases the outstanding talent of African artists worldwide.” Cecil Hammond, the innovative creator of Rhythm Unplugged, shared his thoughts on the festival’s influence: “Every artist delivered an extraordinary amount of energy and creativity on stage, leaving the audience amazed.” An unforgettable night.
Rapper Blaqbonez makes it clear that he is not near 40 years old
Nigerian rapper Emeka Akumefule, better known as Blaqbonez, has addressed the confusion regarding his age. The artist behind the hit ‘Like Ice Spice’ has faced online speculation about how old he is. In a recent interview with Naija FM in Lagos, Blaqbonez confirmed that he is not nearing 40, as some have suggested, and stated that he is actually 30 years old. “I am not close to 40.” I am 30. “But I suppose that’s nearer to 40 than to zero,” he said.
“I once admired certain individuals” – Drake recounts personal growth
Renowned Canadian rapper Drake has enjoyed the success of his career. The 38-year-old shared how he was inspired by some of his peers. He mentioned that he has now reached an exceptional high point in his career. On his Instagram, he wrote, “[I] used to admire certain individuals, then I experienced a growth spurt…$$$”. Drake became well-known for his character Jimmy Brooks in the CTV teen drama series ‘Degrassi: The Next Generation’ (2001–2008). He started his music journey in 2006 by releasing his first mixtape, ‘Room for Improvement.’ Since that time, Drake has built a reputation as one of the top-selling artists globally and the all-time top-selling rapper. His track ‘One Dance,’ featuring Wizkid and Kyla, holds the Guinness World Record for being the first single to reach 1 billion streams on Spotify.
Reasons many women remain unmarried in their 30s – Nigerian actor Kanayo O. Kanayo
Experienced Nollywood actor, Kanayo O. Kanayo, has shared his thoughts on why numerous women remain single in their 30s. He attributed their unmarried status to the decisions they made in their younger years.
He pointed out that many women in their 30s spent their 20s in relationships with married older men while turning down younger potential partners. In a recent interview with News Central, Kanayo remarked, “Some girls will be in university at 18, 19, or 20, and they start dating a wealthy man, often much older as well.”
What we see in this situation is that the man, who is quite wealthy and likely married, leads her to turn down the advances of younger individuals because he has provided her with a car and a house. To her, she is functioning at a very advanced level. “Starting at 22, she moves on to 24, and even if she has a disagreement with this guy, she can easily find another one.”
Before you realize it, she reaches 25 and 26 without being married because she rejects the proposals of younger potential partners. By the time she turns 29 or 30, she has already left university, and men are no longer seeing her as attractive. When she reaches 31, her husband isn’t around. And what do you possess? At 23, she’s impressive. At 28, she becomes the focus of prayers.
Hollywood stars help Blake Lively over accusations made against Justin Baldoni,
In response to Blake Lively’s accusations of wrongdoing against her It Finishes with Us co-star and producer Justin Baldoni, some members of Hollywood’s A-list are expressing their support for the actress. The problem, filed late next week with the California Civil Rights Department, accuses Baldoni of sexual abuse on the collection of the film and a subsequent efforts to “destroy” Lively’s status. Following a conference where she and her husband Ryan Reynolds addressed “repeated sexual abuse and other disturbing behaviour” by Baldoni and a supplier on the film, Beautiful accuses Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios of embarking on a “multi-tiered program” to harm her standing in the complaint. Baldoni enlisted reporters and issue managers in a” powerful, planned, and well-financed retaliation strategy” meant to “bury” and “destroy” Beautiful if she went public with her on-set concerns, the complaint alleges.
View picture in full displayBlake Friendly and Justin Baldoni are seen on the established of’ It Stops with Us’ on Jan. 12, 2024 in Jersey City, N. J.
Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images
Baldoni’s legal team has said the allegations are” categorically false “.In the wake of the revelations, Lively has received an outpouring of support from Hollywood friends, co-stars and famous faces. Author of the book that served as the film’s inspiration and has a name associated with it, Colleen Hoover, wrote in a blog to her Instagram account this week that read,” Nothing but truthful, kind, supportive, and client since the day we met.” ” I appreciate you for being just the person you are. Not change. Never wilt” .Hoover later added,” Blake’s ability to refuse to sit down and ‘ be buried’ has been nothing short of inspiring” .3: 39
‘ It Stops with Us ‘ play: What’s going on with Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni? Lively’s Sisters of the Traveling Pants co-stars, Alexis Bledel, Amber Tamblyn and America Ferrera, issued a joint statement supporting their companion, writing:” As Blake’s friends and sisters for over twenty years, we stand with her in cooperation as she fights back against the reported plan waged to kill her status”. We are horrified to read the evidence of a premeditated and vindictive effort that ensued, and we saw her summon the courage to ask for a safe workplace for herself and her coworkers on set throughout the filming of It Ends with Us. View this Instagram post:” The most upsetting is the unflinching exploitation of domestic violence survivors ‘ stories to silence a woman who asked for safety. The hypocrisy is astounding”, the actors added. Even if a woman is as strong, celebrated, and resourced as our friend Blake, she can face forceful retaliation for daring to demand a safe working environment, according to Amber Heard, who spoke out on Monday in response to Baldoni hiring the same PR crisis manager as her ex-husband, Johnny Depp. A lie travels halfway around the world before truth can get its boots on, according to the adage” Social media is the absolute personification of the classic saying.” I witnessed this firsthand and up close. It’s as horrifying as it is destructive”, Heard said in a statement to NBC News. On X, filmmaker Paul Feig, who directed Lively in A Simple Favor, wrote,” She truly did not deserve any of this smear campaign against her.” I think it’s awful that she went through this. Gwyneth Paltrow also expressed her subtle support for the actor by referencing Lively’s line of haircare on her Instagram Story, writing” Just added to my Christmas wish list” and adding a queen emoji along the way. 1: 40
Domestic Violence Awareness MonthMore accusations against Baldoni’s teamOn Tuesday, Baldoni’s former publicist, Stephanie Jones, filed a lawsuit claiming she was ousted from representing Baldoni and his film studio over concerns Lively would go public with her accusations, according to The New York Times. In her lawsuit, Jones claims her former employee, Jennifer Abel, was assigned to handle Baldoni’s publicity and Abel, in turn, hired crisis PR specialist Melissa Nathan to handle the emerging In Ends with Us feud. Jones claims the pair’s goal was to “tear down Jones ‘ reputation and take her clients and enrich themselves upon Abel’s planned departure from” Jones’ PR firm. Jones and Abel are the two publicists Lively is accusing of carrying out a smear campaign against her. In Jones ‘ lawsuits, Nathan and Abel exchanged text messages. According to the New York Times, one, in which Nathan texts Abel, reads:” I know. And once you leave, we will be together on accounts and enjoy ourselves.”Matt Gaetz’ regularly’ paid for sex, including with minor, U. S report alleges
Ex-OpenA I engineer who filed legal questions about the technology he helped create passed away.
A women’s solidarity award that was given to the actor earlier this month was rescinded, giving him another significant blow. Vital Voices, a global non-profit that focuses on empowering women, gave Baldoni the award but announced this week that it was taking it back over his alleged “abhorrent conduct” that was” contrary to the values” held by the organization. View this post on InstagramBaldoni’s podcast co-host Liz Plank, who also announced on Monday that, in response to the allegations, she would stop working at The Man Enough Podcast. I’m writing to you today to let you know that I have been informed by ( Baldoni’s production company ) Wayfarer that I will no longer co-host The Man Enough podcast. View this Instagram postShe thanked viewers for” trusting me with your hearts and stories, for holding space for mine, and for making this show what it was” and for leaving her with the talent agency WME. He has refuted Lively’s claims, calling them” shameful” and” a desperate attempt to “fix” her negative reputation that her own remarks and actions during the film’s campaign earned.
View image in full screenJustin Baldoni attends the’ It Ends With Us ‘ New York Premiere at AMC Lincoln Square Theater on Aug. 6, 2024 in New York City.
Cindy Ord/Getty Images
Details of Lively’s complaint Lively’s complaint lists 30 demands that she said Baldoni and others agreed to after their tense sit-down over her hostile work environment concerns. Among them:” no more showing of nude videos or images of women” to Lively and others on set and no more discussions about pornography, sexual experiences or genitalia. Additionally, she claimed that whenever Lively and Baldoni shared a scene on set, an intimacy co-ordinator was required to be on the set and that he was prevented from letting him in or leave the makeup trailer while she was undressed. Additionally, the demands stated that there would be no more “improvising of kissing” scenes or adding sex scenes to the movie besides those that Lively had approved when she signed on. In a statement to the Times, Lively said,” I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted.” The New York Times report, in which Lively denied planting or spreading offensive stories about Baldoni or the studio, was referenced by a Lively representative for The Associated Press. —with files from The Associated PressCurator Recommendations
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