“You and me are through/Watch me hit it Solo/I’ma do it Acapella”.

Basically, any song with an Olive Garden Shout-out is a Winner in my books and one of my fave Duos of all time, Karmin are back and at it with a fierce new completely Track titled Acapella, which – you guessed it – was recorded completely Acapella.  You won’t believe your ears that they accomplished this Track without any Instruments.  Frontwoman Amy Heidemann is the most charismatic and I absolutely adore everything she brings here.  Cannot wait for their forthcoming Disc, due sometime this Fall via Sony Music Canada!

Listen to the Track below:

We had the pleasure of meeting Karmin in Toronto last Summer and they are just the nicest! Can’t wait till they return!! Read about our experiece last Summer here.

D.I.A. = Do It Acapella! Catchy!

And can we talk about Heidemann‘s newly-Blonde Hair just for a moment?  Love.

Official Artwork:

(Photo/video credit: Sony Music Canada)

It’s about time!  Cher finally is ready to launch her Comeback and she’s ready to do so with a live performance of her latest Single Woman’s World live on the Season Four Finale of NBC‘s The Voice. Although we heard the Single last November (listen here), it is officially getting a release next Tuesday, June 18, 2013.

Despite originally planning to release her 24th Studio Disc sooner, Cher recently announced that Warner Bros. had reschedule its release for September 24, 2013. P!nk, Lady Gaga, Jason Derülo, Timbaland and more are said to have contributed Tracks on the Disc.

Check-out the stunning Official Artwork for Woman’s World below:

The Season Finale of The Voice airs on NBC (CTV in Canada) at 9:00 PM on Tuesday, June 18, 2013.

(Photo credit: Warner Music)

Traditionally one of my favourite Race Days of the year, Woodbine Oaks Day showcases Canada’s finest three-year-old Fillies.  The $500k Race this year pit together two of the Country’s best in years, Spring in the Air and Nipissing, both Division Leaders as two-year-old Fillies in 2012 – the former recently being crowned last year’s Champion at the Sovereign Awards.  Ultimately though, it would be second choice Nipissing who was victorious, winning by 3/4 of a length over Spring in the Air, the post-time Favourite.  The Winner won in a timely 1:50.3 for the nine-furlong Fixture, paying $7.10 to win on a $2 investment.  Watch the Race here.

Nipissing’s Story however truly is one of legacy and love.  She is a homebred Filly who races for Chiefswood Stables, trained by Rachel Halden and ridden by her Partner Steven Bahen.  The Filly’s Father Niigon, in 2004 won the Queen’s Plate and there is much buzz surrounding her possibly making an appearance against the Boys in the 154th running of that $1-million Race at Woodbine Racetrack next month.

See her in the Winner’s Circle below:

Not to steal the Ladies’ spotlight, the Plate Trial also was run  earlier in the day at Woodbine, with highly-regarded Dynamic Sky winning by a tight nose under the guidance of red-hot Joel Rosario, edging-out the lightly-experienced His Race to Win.  Winning in a time of 1:50.5, the Colt was just a click slower than eventual Woodbine Oaks Winner, Nipissing.  He rewarded his Supporters with $8.60 to a $2 bet as the second choice.  Watch the Race here.

Although falling-off the ultra-tough Kentucky Derby Trail earlier in the year for Tycoon Owner John C. Oxley, Dynamic Sky appears to be peaking again right in time for the Queen’s Plate.   He certainly won’t have it easy though as Plate Trial Runner-up His Race to Win is in fighting form and we mustn’t forget that one’s Sam-Son Farms Stablemate, Up With the Birds, who also looks ultra-sharp after a decisive five-length win in May 26th’s Marine Stakes at Woodbine.  Watch that Race here.

In all, this is shaping-up to be the most competitive Queen’s Plate in years with the Male and Female Divisions well-represented in talent. Bettors will have their work cut-out for them in terms of sifting through the quality selection.

Earlier in the day, legendary Mickey Walls made a rare appearance to accept the Avelino Gomez Award, honouring Canadian Jockeys who have made significant contributions to the Sport of Thoroughbred Horse Racing.  The 39-year-old Toronto Resident  retired officially in 2003, but at the age of 17 went on to be crowned North America’s most Outstanding Apprentice Jockey in winning an Eclipse Award.   Overcome with emotion, Walls held back his tears as several of his Peers and a new generation of Talent (including Model/Actress/Jockey Chantal Sutherland who recently came out of retirement), stood by his side as he accepted the Award on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course.

Racing Fans got a huge treat earlier in the day as Rosario made his way north of the Border after a third-place finish in the Belmont Stakes in New York yesterday aboard the outstanding Orb, who won this year’s Kentucky Derby.  In addition to a win in the Plate Trial aboard Dynamic Sky and a runner-up finish aboard Spring in the Air in the Woodbine Oaks, Rosario graciously spent time with Fans signing Autographs and taking Photos earlier.  He came ever-prepared with array of Sharpies, giving Fans a choice of colour as he placed his coveted Signature upon 8×10s of his recent Derby Victory.

We’ll definitely be at the Queen’s Plate on Sunday July 7, 2013 and look forward to it eagerly!

  Mark your Calendars and reserve your seats today right here.  Learn all about the Hats & Horseshoes Party also right here which everyone’s invited to!

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)

A huge surprise at the Box Office this weekend as the R-rated Home Invasion-Horror with a tiny budget trumps all!  The Purge from Universal Pictures grosses a shocking $36.3 million in its debut, exceeding all expectations.  More impressively, it is showing only in 2,536 theatres. Critics gave it 41% on the Tomatometer at Rotten Tomatoes, while Audiences gave it a C CinemaScore. Starring Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey, the Film  is one of two Films in currently in theatres for Hawke as Romantic-Drama, Before Midnight,  reuniting him a third time with Richard Linklater and Julie Delpy, lands in fifteenth spot also with $585k from only 50 theatres.

Box Office Monster Fast and the Furious 6 continues to perform well in second for Universal Pictures, earning $19.7 million in this its third week, just ahead of Now You See Me in third with $19.5 million, in its second week exceeding expectations.

Reuniting Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson, The Internship debuts in fourth spot with $18.1 million for 20th Century Fox. Critics didn’t love the Google-inspired Comedy, earning 41% on the Tomatometer, while earning  a much better B+ CinemaScore.

Animated Feature, Epic, in its third week earns $12.1 million for 20th Century Fox, the only Family-oriented Film in the Top Ten.

Meanwhile, Will & Jaden Smith‘s After Earth finds itself in seventh spot with $11.2 million and The Hangover Part III slips to eighth spot with $7.3 million for Warner Bros.  The Great Gatsby rounds-out the Top Ten with $4.2 million in its fifth week, now grossing over $136 million in North America.

After making a splash at TIFF 2012, Director/Writer Noah Baumbach‘s latest effort, FRANCES HA hits theatres at long last. Now Mongrel Media and Mr. Will Wong are thrilled to give Toronto and Vancouver Readers a chance to see this delightful Comedy/Drama!

Official Synopsis:

Best Friends since their Vassar days, Frances (Gerwig) and Sophie (Mickey Sumner, Sting’s daughter) live together in a Brooklyn apartment. Whether discussing Boyfriends or just hanging out, the Women are so comfortable with each other, Frances jokes “we are like a Lesbian Couple that doesn’t have sex anymore.” But Frances’s world is toppled when Sophie decides to move with a Friend to Tribeca.

Baumbach likens Frances to Charlie Brown without the “good grief.”

She can’t afford the $3.00 charge on an ATM Machine, let alone an apartment in Tribeca. She’s an Apprentice with a Dance Company that may never hire her. She’s still considers Sophie her Best Friend, but they aren’t really speaking anymore. She’s still living in New York, but she doesn’t have a place of her own. While others move on with their lives, Frances bounces from apartment to apartment, maybe crashing with a friend or often making rash decisions, like taking a weekend trip to Paris.

The cast includes Grace Gummer (Meryl Streep’s Daughter) and Adam Driver (TV Hit Girls) with Cameos by Josh Hamilton (Star of Baumbach’s Kicking and Screaming) and Gerwig’s parents (who play Frances’s Parents).

The Advance Screening takes place at Fifth Avenue Cinemas (Vancouver) and Varsity Cinemas (Toronto) next Thursday, June 20, 2013 at 7:00 PM.

Watch the Trailer in full below:

To enter to win, simply click “like” on this Post at Mr. Will Wong on Facebook before Wednesday, June 13, 2013. Share on Facebook or Re-Tweet the info below and double your chances.  Good luck!

http://www.mrwillwong.com/francesha @MRWILLW wants us to attend an Advance Screening of #FRANCESHA in #Toronto and #Vancouver! #win

Mongrel Media releases FRANCES HA on Friday, June 21, 2013 in Toronto and Vancouver, followed by Montreal on Wednesday, June 28, 2013.

I had the pleasure of seeing FRANCES HA last Fall at TIFF and loved it!  Read my Review here.

(Photo/video credit: Mongrel Media)

One thing I’ve learned in life is that you can never underestimate Selena Gomez. She is an absolute Pop Star and legitimately has transitioned from Disney Star to an actual Pop Princess. Amidst all the bustle in Toronto last week with the Upfronts I didn’t get a chance to listen to her brand new Track Slow Down, the second Single from upcoming Disc Stars Dance.

Written by Lindy Robbins, Julia Michaels, Niles Hollowell-Dhar, David Kuncio, Freddy Wexler and produced by The Cataracs (Dev,  Icona Pop), the Track is phenomenal. If you ask me, I like it even more than current Single Come & Get It which already is perhaps her biggest hit yet reaching the Top Ten in both Canada and the U.S.. I really cannot wait to hear more!

Listen below:

Complete Tracklisting on Stars Dance:

1. Birthday
2. Slow Down
3. Stars Dance
4. Like A Champion
5. Come & Get It
6. Forget Forever
7. Save The Day
8. B.E.AT.
9. Write Your Name
10. Undercover
11. Love Will Remember

Universal Music releases Stars Dance on Tuesday, July 23, 2013, the same day as labelmate Mariah Carey. I know HMV at 10:00 AM sharp is where I’ll definitely be that day!

Pre-Order now on iTunes.

Official Artwork:

Billy and I had the pleasure of meetingGomez again in Toronto a couple weeks back. Super-exiting. Read more about that here!

(Photo credit: Universal Music)

In-town for their much-hyped The Package Tour, Popular former-Boy Band 98° are in Toronto right now and promoting their latest Disc, 2.0 along with the Testosterone-packed Show in which they share the spotlight with the likes of NKOTB (New Kids on the Block) and Boyz II Men.  The Band hits Air Canada Centre tonight, returning once again on Sunday, July 28, 2013.

Members Drew Lachey  and Jeff Timmons visited CP24 Breakfast, while Frontman Nick Lachey and Justin Jeffre were assigned to Global Television‘s The Morning Show (Toronto Edition) earlier today and I was lucky to get a Snap with the latter two, who were more than nice despite being in a rush.  Click on each link to watch their Interviews.

Released on Entertainment One, the Disc includes current Single Microphone, their first in over eleven years.

Bell Media unveiled their 2013 Fall/Midseason Lineup at Sony Centre for the Performing Arts today, bringing-in a number of familiar faces to ring-in the occasion.  Among the Stars in Toronto today were Eric Dane, Snooki, Shawn Ashmore, Meghan Ory, Katie Cassidy, Shemar Moore, A.J. Cook, Tate Donovan, Bethenny Frankel and several more.

Despite persistent rain, Fans still lined the Red Carpet to catch a glimpse of the Talent and many were more than accommodating despite less-than-ideal conditions, although Snooki left several Fans disappointed by rushing-in, bypassing  interviews.

See some of the names and faces from earlier today and the Shows announced:

Once Upon a Time: Now in its third season, the Fantasy-Drama Series shot in Vancouver, returns Sunday nights on CTV this Fall at 7:00 PM and present today was Ruby herself, Meghan Ory.

Hostages: Although only on short-order, this Drama Series starring Toni Collette, Dylan McDermott and Tate Donovan (pictured below) airs this Fall on CTV Mondays at 10:00 PM.

Arrow: Already proving a Hit, this Action-Adventure Series starring Toronto’s Stephen Amell returns a second Season this Fall on Wednesday nights at 7:00 PM on CTV. Katie Cassidy who stars as Laurel Lance, appeared today on behalf of the Series.

Bethenny: Daughter of Horse Racing Great Bobby Frankel and every bit a Business Magnate in her own right, Bethenny Frankel, gets her own Talk Show this Fall which airs daily at 2:00 PM on CTV.

The Following: Returning for a second season in 2014, the Psychological-Thriller Series starring Kevin Bacon was represented by Stars Valorie Curry and Toronto’s own Shawn Ashmore.

The Amazing Race Canada: After an extensive Talent Search, the Reality Series is set to debut this Fall on Sundays at 8:00 PM on CTV with Gold Medal-winning Olympian Jon Montgomery hosting.

Believe: J.J. Abrams produces this Fantasy Series about a gifted young Girl who has an unlikely pairing with a Prisoner and together they must fight off the evil elements that hunt her powers. CTV airs Sunday nights at 9:00 PM this Fall. Delroy Lindo who stars as Winter in the Series, appeared today.

The Goldbergs: One of this Season’s biggest potential Hits is the Family Comedy, The Goldbergs, which centers on a protective Matriarch, her Husband and three Children.  Sean Giambrone  (below) was among the Kids from the Cast who came to town.

Criminal Minds: The wildly-popular Crime Series returns again this Fall on Wednesday nights at 9:00 PM on CTV and appearing today were Shemar Moore (who comes for a second consecutive year) and Toronto’s own A.J. Cook.

Snooki & JWoww: The MTV Reality Series gets renewed for a third season and Snooki herself came to ring-in the occasion.

Based upon the Mexican TV Series Ellas son la Alegría del Hogar, Canadian Desperate Housewives Fans will revel in delight knowing that Creator Marc Cherry’s Devious Maids at long last has found a home on Lifetime Canada. Several were left shocked and disappointed after news broke the original Pilot had not been picked-up by ABC despite being ordered early 2012 by the Network.

The Series centers around four Latina Maids who work in Beverly Hills for some of the most powerful and wealthy Families. Certainly not short on juiciness, many will savour the scandal. There’s murder, love, affairs, secrets and betrayal galore. Meet Marisol (Ana Ortiz of Ugly Betty), Rosie (Dania Ramirez of ), Carmen (Roselyn Sánchez) and Zoila (Judy Reyes), who in the Desperate Housewives universe respectively would kinda/sorta be your Susan, Lynette, Gabrielle and Bree. Add to that mix the return of Soap Opera Royalty Susan Lucci as the commanding, self-absorbed and youth-obsessed Heiress Genevieve, Zoila‘s Boss.

Arriving in Toronto to unveil the brand new Series at today’s 2013 Shaw Media Upfronts, Stars Ortiz and Lucci greet me in their Hotel Suite, the former elegant in emerald green, the latter stunning in sapphire blue. I could not help but be in awe of  how amazing Lucci (a Grandmother of four) looks, long-heralded as Queen of the Soaps with a record-breaking 21 Daytime Emmy Nominations in the iconic role of Erica Kane on All My Children. Ortiz whom we all loved as Elder Sister Hilda Suarez in Ugly Betty, is as vivacious as expected in person, eloquent really.

We talk first about Casting and how they came to be involved in what potentially could be a Breakout Hit and both point to the Man who started it all – Cherry. Oritz tells me about her observant and cool Character who harbours a deep, dark secret. “Marc had approached me and after some meetings and asked me which Maid I gravitated toward most. I didn’t even hesitate it was always Marisol”, she recalls. “We read together and after that I was like ‘Where do I sign?’”.

Lucci meanwhile tells me it was Fan Feedback which helped connect her and Cherry. “There had been a lot online suggesting I was going to go on Desperate Housewives and it wasn’t coming from me nor Mark – it was largely Fan-driven”, says Lucci. “He told me that Show was actually finished being written and that he had a new one called Devious Maids that was being written. I got a call to audition and he didn’t tell me how was going to pronounce my name. I didn’t know whether it was “Jen-ah-veev” or “Jon-vee-yev”.  It was the under-the-bed scene we did and I loved it, I was at home in New York then. It was hysterical when I read it and I loved it.”.  That scene she is describing certainly is  funny indeed, as we are introduced to her Character clasping a bottle of pills, suicidal after being dumped by her much younger Fling.

Cherry certainly has created some dynamic Characters once again here in Devious Maids and his talented Ensemble would agree. Ortiz is not shy about paying her respects declaring, “Thank you Marc Cherry for writing these really wonderful, complex Women that we really are in real life, and doing it so succinctly with so many Women and so many different Characters.”. “Because we’re creating these characters, we’re doing it all together. Marc will talk to us for an hour if we have any questions.”. Chiming-in, Lucci adds “He’s such a vision and it’s coming from a good place. After he sees rehearsal he’ll give you a little note to tweak it a certain way and it’s always right on the money. It’s very much an Ensemble.”.

What makes Devious Maids unique is its over-the-top Novela (“in the best sense of the word” as Lucci puts it) vibe and its humorous look at Class Relations. “What’s so wonderful about the Show is that you see these incredible Beverly Hills mansions and glamour through the Maids’ eyes”, says Ortiz. “There’s definitely the aspect of class difference, but Marc has made it about the Characters and their relationships with one another. I guess the comment is that as far apart as we are, we are all still very similar and we all have so much more in common than we realize.”.

Ortiz and and Lucci both admit that they too have needed help too in order for them to be able to fulfill their own dreams as Mothers and Actresses. On finding balance, Ortiz states “Women have been doing this centuries not just on TV, it’s just what we do. The fact that you had those Women helping you, who enabled you to be a Working Mom. I have a Daughter and it’s so important she sees me working because that’s when I’m most happy – doing what I love, fulfilling my dreams and passions”. “It’s more than just about Women cleaning your house or helping you with your Children. There’s such a special relationship there and Marc really has been able to finesse that and bring it to life.”.

Lucci reveals that she also has benefited from help and admits, “I know that I could never have done what I did without the incredibly warm and smart help of Frieda, who has been with me for 30 years. There’s only one other person who got a page in my Book and that’s Frieda!”, she laughs.

Enjoy the Audio from our Chat below:

Our Snap:

Devious Maids premieres Sunday, June 23, 2013 on Lifetime Canada. Click here for more.

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)

Shaw Media is set to unveil their 2013 Fall and Mid-Season Lineup today at their annual Upfronts and in Toronto today are a few familiar and exciting Television Personalities!  On Global Television‘s The Morning Show not only was it unveiled that popular News Anchor Leslie Roberts would be hosting the National Edition of the increasingly-popular morning staple, but here in-town today are the likes of Blair Underwood, Daniel Dae-Kim, Ana Ortiz and Soap Legend Susan Lucci!

Ironside – The Drama Series stars Blair Underwood (Sex and the City, LAX) as Robert T. Ironside, a Police Detective relegated to a wheelchair after a shooting.  He still continues to forge ahead with a brand-new handpicked Team. It airs this Fall and also can be seen in the U.S. on NBC.

Check-out the complete Lineup here.