- Title: FILE: Showbiz and lifestyle news highlights from April to June 2022
- Date: 4th December 2022
- Summary: Super Trouper: ABBA returns to the stage as virtual avatars for London gigs Performing their much-loved hits like "Mamma Mia!" and "Dancing Queen," Swedish supergroup ABBA returned to the stage on May 26, albeit as digital avatars, for a new London concert residency. The band -- Bjorn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Agnetha Faltskog, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad -- have been brought to virtual life as digital versions of themselves from their 1970s heyday, thanks to motion-capture technology. Their last performance together was some 40 years ago. The foursome, all now in their seventies, posed for pictures together at the concerts' red carpet premiere at a purpose-built venue, dubbed ABBA Arena. Accompanied by a live band, the avatars, or ABBA-tars, perform some 20 songs during the 90-minute show, called "Voyage." During the show, they made jokes and even had costume changes. The concerts, which officially begin on May 27, are part of a hugely successful comeback for the band, who topped the charts last November with "Voyage," their first album in 40 years. LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE - MAY 26, 2022) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF ABBA BAND MEMBERS, BJORN ULVAEUS, AGNETHA FALTSKOG, ANNI-FRID LYNGSTAD, AND BENNY ANDERSSON ARRIVING AT RED CARPET FOR THE PREMIERE OF THE VIRTUAL CONCERT SERIES "ABBA VOYAGE" AND POSING FOR PHOTOS BJORN ULVAEUS SPEAKING TO A REPORTER ABOUT HOW THE EXPERIENCE WAS SO COMPLEX THAT A SPECIAL ARENA HAD TO BE BUILT ABBA STADIUM 'Stranger Things' actors celebrate the show's premiere in New York "Stranger Things" took over the Empire State Building and 14 other landmarks around the world to celebrate the show's fourth season. Actors Gaten Matarazzo, Noah Schnapp, Priah Ferguson, and Cara Buono from the hit Netflix show attended a lighting ceremony at the iconic New York building on May 26. The sci-fi drama set in the 1980s returned that week with the first part of its highly-anticipated season four promising more supernatural horrors besetting the fictional Indiana town of Hawkins. Like other shows, filming of the nine new episodes was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Season three aired in 2019. Other locations part of the global fan event included Piazza Duomo Square in Milan; Bondi Beach in Australia and Kuala Lumpur City Center in Malaysia; Saudi Arabia. "Stranger Things" 4 Volume 1 premiered on May 27, with Volume 2 following on July 1. NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (FILE - MAY 26, 2022) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF "STRANGER THINGS" ACTORS, (L-R) CARA BUONO, NOAH SCHNAPP, PRIAH FERGUSON, AND GATEN MATARAZZO POSING FOR PHOTOS AT THE EMPIRE STATES BUILDING LIGHTING CEREMONY (LEFT TO RIGHT) MATARAZZO, FERGUSON, SCHNAPP, AND BUONO POSING FOR PHOTOS AT THE TOP OF THE BUILDING K-pop supergroup BTS meets Biden, discusses anti-Asian hate crimes South Korean supergroup BTS, a fundraising juggernaut for social justice causes in the United States, visited the White House on May 31 to discuss hate crimes targeting Asians with U.S. President Joe Biden. The meeting comes as May's recognition of Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (AANHPI) month comes to a close amid a sharp upswing in hate crimes against Asian Americans in the past year. Attacks against people of Asian descent have escalated as some politicians and pundits have encouraged Americans to blame China for COVID-19, amid other tensions. The boy band's meeting with Biden was closed to media organizations. The K-pop stars are known for using their lyrics and social campaigns aimed at empowering youngsters since making their debut in 2013. Their fan base extends into older demographics, tying their spending clout to a generation that is internet-savvy and able to harness the power of social media. In June 2020, the group's fans put their energy behind an online campaign called #MatchAMillion to raise money for social justice causes in the United States. It hauled in $1 million in roughly one day, matching the donation of the band itself to Black Lives Matter. WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (FILE - MAY 31, 2022) (REUTERS) WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY KARINE JEAN-PIERRE INTRODUCING MEMBERS OF THE K-POP BAND BTS WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (English) BTS GROUP MEMBER, RM, SAYING: "And it is a great honor to be invited to the White House today to discuss the important issues of anti-Asian hate crimes, Asian inclusion, and diversity." (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) BTS GROUP MEMBER, KIM SEOK-JIN, SAYING: "Today's the last day of AANHPI Heritage Month. We join the White House to stand with the AANHPI community and to celebrate."
- Embargoed: 18th December 2022 23:58
- Keywords: 75th Cannes Film Festival A Strange Loop ABBA Aerosmith cancels summer Vegas shows after singer Steven Tyler enters rehab Alec Baldwin Amber Heard Ashanti Austin Butler Australian TV soap Neighbours BTS discusses anti-Asian hate crimes BTS taking hiatus Baz Luhrmann's biopic about the King of Rock and Roll Ben Stiller in Lviv Beyonce new music Billboard Music Awards Billie Eilish Blake Lively Bob Odenkirk British Vogue Britney Spears announces third pregnancy Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz marry in Florida Cabaret triumphs at Olivier awards Crimes of the Future Cuba Gooding Jr. pleads guilty to forcible touching DJ Khaled Dan + Shay David Cronenberg Diana Ross Doja Cat Downton Abbey Duran Duran Ed Sheeran slams 'baseless' lawsuits after victory in 'Shape Of You' case Elvis Forest Whitaker Forever Young Glass Animals Glastonbury music festival returns Grammy-winner Jon Batiste Grammys Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone 25th anniversary of book Harry and Meghan wax figures by British royals at Madame Tussauds London Honorary Palme d'Or Hunt Idris Elba James Corden to leave his CBS late-night show Janet Jackson Jeff Goldblum Jennifer Connelly Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck get engaged Joaquina Kalukano Joe Biden meeting BTS Johnny Depp Johnny Depp and Amber Heard face off in U.S. libel trial Jubilee concert Jurassic finale Justin Bieber emotional breakdown Kanye West sued over claim of illegal sample on 'Donda 2' Kevin Spacey sex charges Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker married Kristen Stewart Laura Dern Lily Tomlin Lin-Manuel Miranda Megan Thee Stallion Met Ball Michael R. Jackson Mick Jagger and Hugh Jackman positive for COVID-19 Miles Frost Miles Teller Morgan Wallen Ncuti Gatwa New Era Nile Rodgers Olivia Rodrigo Ozzy Osbourne operation Palme d'Or for Best Picture Paul McCartney Queen and Adam Lambert Ramy Season 3 Rapper A$AP Rocky taken into custody in LA in connection to shooting Rihanna and A$AP Rocky welcome baby boy Rod Stewart Rupert Murdoch and Jerry Hall to divorce Rust shooting Ryan Reynolds Sam Neill Sam Ryder Shakira and Gerard Pique separate Shakira loses appeal to avoid trial in Spanish tax fraud case Sharon Stone Silk Sonic Squid Game actor Lee Jung-jae Stranger Things 4 Swedish director Ruben Ostlund Taylor Swift engaged to actor Joe Alwyn The Lehman Trilogy Three Thousand Years of Longing Tilda Swinton Tom Cruise Tom Ford Tom Hanks Tony awards Top Gun: Maverick Travis Barker taken to hospital in Los Angeles Triangle of Sadness U.S. defamation case against ex-wife Heard Ukraine crowned winners of Eurovision Song Contest Ukraine's Kalush Orchestra Universal Music acquires 'Cosmik Debris' guitarist Frank Zappa's catalog Viggo Mortensen Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks at Glastonbury Voyage avatar concert cinematographer Halyna Hutchins comedian Dave Chappelle fighter jet flypasts gets married model-actor Cara Delevingne models Gigi and Bella Hadid musician Lizzo new Doctor Who reality TV star Kim Kardashian semi-naked protester painted in blue and yellow the Ukraine crisis
- Location: VARIOUS LOCATIONS
- City: VARIOUS LOCATIONS
- Country: Various
- Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment
- Reuters ID: LVA018665320092022RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS FOOTAGE THAT WAS ORIGINALLY 4:3 AND NUDITY (SHOT 53) AND PROFANITY (SHOT 67)
Please note Yearender stories are incorporated within the shotlist.
(Production: Lisa Giles-Keddie) - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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