Part 1 of the ‘Wicked’ Movie Is Coming Sooner than Expected

by Shahrzad WarkentinMarch 16, 2023

It’s time to try defying gravity—here’s everything we know about the movie version of Wicked

Everyone deserves a chance to fly—and to see Wicked the musical. If you haven’t had a chance to experience the Broadway sensation, you won’t have to wait ~~much longer~~ forever. There’s a movie version of Wicked that’s coming to theaters—and its release is even sooner than we expected.

Part of the reason we’ll be able to return to Oz so soon is because Wicked is now being split into two movies. But the first installment has also been bumped up a month earlier than planned. Originally slated for a release around Christmas, Wicked part one is now set to open in theaters nationwide on Nov. 27, 2024. According to Variety, Universal thought a Thanksgiving release would give it a better chance of success since Christmas 2024 is already stacked with Avatar 3 and a new Sonic the Hedgehog movie.

Wicked will be directed by Jon M. Chu, who announced the new release date on Twitter.

WICKED NEWS: We are deep into production on WICKED and everyday we get more and more excited to share with u the mischief we’ve been up to. So…We’ve decided to get it to you all a little earlier than planned. OUR NEW RELEASE Date is NOV 27th 2024! A little Thanksgiving treat! pic.twitter.com/6YvjA1gRDr

— Jon M. Chu (@jonmchu) March 14, 2023

What is Wicked about?

Wicked acts as a sort of prequel to The Wizard of Oz, telling the story of how green-skinned Elphaba became the Wicked Witch of the West, long before Dorothy and pals hit the Yellow Brick Road. The original Broadway production opened in 2003, with Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth in the iconic roles of the two witches, Elphaba and Glinda. The Broadway show is well known for hit songs like “Defying Gravity,” “Popular,” and “For Good,” and the movie version is expected to feature at least two new songs.

Who is starring in Wicked?

The leads in the movie version have some big (pointy) shoes to fill. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are set to star as Elphaba and Glinda. Also on board: Bridgerton‘s Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard, Oscar winner(!) Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, and Ethan Slater as Boq.

Blippi Is Heading Back Out on Tour & Here’s How to Get Tickets

by Karly WoodNovember 16, 2021

Are your kiddos major fans of Blippi? Well it’s time for the YouTube sensation to get out from behind the screen and entertain the family live, in round two of his super popular tour!

Moonbug Entertainment and Round Room Live have just announced that Blippi The Musical will resume touring North America in February 2022. Blippi will be bringing his educational and energetic content to to cities all across the U.S., with tickets already going on sale.

photo: Courtesy of Shore Fire Media

“After multiple sold out shows in over 65 markets this past summer, we’re excited for even more audiences to experience Blippi The Musical in 2022,” says Stephen Shaw (the tour’s producer and co-president of Round Room Live). “We’re thrilled to continue to provide exciting and lasting memories for the whole family while prioritizing safety with venue and health officials in every city.”

While the entire list of cities have not been released yet, so far Blippi will appear in the following locales:

Friday, Feb. 4 – Merrill Auditorium – Portland, ME
Saturday, Feb. 5 – Emerson Colonial Theatre – Boston, MA
Sunday, Feb. 6 – Cross Insurance Center – Bangor, ME
Tuesday, Feb. 8 – New Jersey Performing Arts Center – Newark, NJ
Wednesday, Feb. 9 – Bushnell Performing Arts Center – Hartford, CT
Thursday, Feb. 10 – Proctors Theater – Schenectady, NY
Friday, Feb. 11 – Shea’s Performing Arts Center – Buffalo, NY
Saturday, Feb. 12 – Lyric Theatre – Baltimore, MD
Tuesday, Feb. 15 – Benedum Center – Pittsburgh, PA
Wednesday, Feb. 16 – 1^stSummit Arena – Johnstown, PA
Thursday, Feb. 17 – Berglund Performing Arts Theatre – Roanoke, VA
Friday, Feb. 18 – John Paul Jones Arena – Charlottesville, VA
Saturday, Feb. 19 – Thomas Wolfe Civic Auditorium – Asheville, NC
Sunday, Feb. 20 – Macon City Auditorium – Macon, GA
Tuesday, Feb. 22 – SKyPAC – Bowling Green, KY
Wednesday, Feb. 23 – Old National Center Events Plaza – Theater – Evansville, IN
Thursday, Feb. 24 – Rupp Arena – Lexington, KY
Friday, Feb. 25 – Rialto Square Theatre – Joliet, IL
Saturday, Feb. 26 – Fisher Theatre – Detroit, MI
Sunday, Feb. 27 – Carson Center – Paducah, KY
Tuesday, Mar. 1 – Landmark Theater – Syracuse, NY
Thursday, Mar. 3 – Hershey Theatre – Hershey, PA
Friday, Mar. 4 – The Palace Theatre – Stamford, CT
Saturday, Mar. 5 – Kings Theatre – Brooklyn, NY
Sunday, Mar. 6 – Flynn Center for the Performing Arts – Burlington, VT
Tuesday, Mar. 8 – Mohegan Sun Arena – Wilkes-Barre, PA
Wednesday, Mar. 9 – Forum Theatre – Binghamton, NY
Thursday, Mar. 10 – Kodak Center – Rochester, NY
Friday, Mar. 11 – Embassy Theatre – Fort Wayne, IN
Saturday, Mar. 12 – Miller High Life Theatre – Milwaukee, WI
Tuesday, Mar. 15 – Duluth Symphony Hall – Duluth, MN
Wednesday, Mar. 16 – State Theatre – Minneapolis, MN
Thursday, Mar. 17 – Chester Fritz Auditorium – Grand Forks, ND
Friday, Mar. 18 – Washington Pavilion – Sioux Falls, SD
Saturday, Mar. 19 – Five Flags Event Center – Dubuque, IA
Tuesday, Mar. 22 – Hartman Arena – Wichita, KS
Wednesday, Mar. 23 – Pikes Peak Center for the Performing Arts – Colorado Springs, CO
Thursday, Mar. 24 – Fine Arts Theatre – Rapid City, SD
Sunday, Mar. 27 – Theater at the Brick – Bozeman, MT
Wednesday, Mar. 30 – Ford Wyoming Center – Casper, WY
Thursday, Mar. 31 – Eccles Theatre – Salt Lake City, UT

Parents can head to BlippiTheMusical.com for tour dates and tickets. If your littles absolutely can’t wait to catch Blippi on stage, you can stream the North American Tour Cast Recording of his show, which features 13 songs, by heading to moonbug.lnk.to/BLive.

––Karly Wood

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SNICKERS New Almond Brownie Bar Will Be Your Summer Staple

by Erica LoopApril 14, 2021

Get ready for a new snacking sensation! SNICKERS recently announced the launch of an almond brownie bar—and you can nab one this summer.

The SNICKERS Almond Brownie is everything you want in a candy bar. This new addition to the brand’s bars follows the release of the SNICKERS Peanut Brownie and SNICKERS Peanut Brownie Ice Cream.

photo courtesy of SNICKERS

Instead of your typical chocolate bar, the new SNICKERS brownie features a rich, chewy filling mixed with chopped almonds and topped with caramel. As if that’s not enough, the Almond Brownie is coated in a layer of dark chocolate.

Michelle Deignan, Mars Wrigley Senior Brand Director, said in a press release, “After seeing unparalleled excitement for the SNICKERS Peanut Brownie and SNICKERS Peanut Brownie Ice Cream launches, we’re excited to deliver on our purpose of better moments and more smiles by unveiling a delicious variation of the bar for our fans.”

SNICKERS Almond Brownie flavor will hit store shelves this August. Along with the 1.26-ounce Single bar, you can also indulge in a 2.52-ounce Share size or the 6.93-ounce Sharing Stand Up Pouch option.

—Erica Loop

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A Hot Dog In a Pickle? Disneyland Has this Salty Snack with a Side of Peanut Butter

by Erica LoopApril 2, 2021

Are pickles your favorite? Now Disneyland has a menu item you can’t miss! As if a trip to the theme park wasn’t a treat in itself, you can take a break from the attractions and nab a hot dog stuffed in a pickle with a panko crust.

You read that right! The Blue Ribbon Corn Dogs Cart in the Downtown Disney District has panko-crusted hot dogs neatly stuffed inside a whole pickle. While this might sound sort of odd, it’s all your fave flavors rolled into one.

photo: Disney Parks Blog

Not only does Disneyland have this kind of crazy corn dog delight, you can get the panko-covered dream with a side of peanut butter. For those of you who haven’t tried the super-secret taste sensation of peanut butter and pickles—it’s a flavor profile you need to know. Forget about PB and J, PB and P (that’s for pickles) is a tasty treat you’ll crave.

Just in case a panko-crusted fried pickle covered hot dog with a sweet and salty side of peanut butter isn’t your idea of fab foodie fun, check out the Disney Parks Blog for more taste sensations coming to Disneyland this month.

—Erica Loop

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The Shirley Temple King Just Launched His Own Line

by Erica LoopMarch 30, 2021

Main Event Entertainment recently announced a can’t-miss collab! The family-friendly entertainment brand is partnering up with none other than The Shirley Temple King himself—a.k.a. Instagram sensation Leo Kelly.

The Shirley Temple King Kelly is launching a brand-new line of mocktails across Main Event’s 44 centers in 17 states. Kelly’s colorful collection features three tasty drinks that are sure to become faves with your fam.

photo courtesy of Main Event Entertainment

Main Event and The Shirley Temple King’s line includes the Classic Shirley—a ginger ale, Rose’s grenadine combo with cherries and a blue sugar-coated rim. The three-drink menu also features the Cotton Candy Shirley. This sweet pick is a twist on the standard. Along with the ginger ale-esque cherry goodness, this tasty treat comes with either pink or blue cotton candy on top. The third new drink, the Floaty Shirley, comes with a coop of vanilla ice cream on top!

The drinks all come with the King’s required three maraschino cherries, a candy gummy cherry and unicorn candy bacon. Your kiddos can also add on a candy straw for even more sugary fun. The Shirley Temple King, Kelly, said in a press release, “It’s a dream come true to create my own unique line of Shirley Temples.”

Kelly added, “I had so much fun building these drinks with Main Event and they are definitely King-approved! I cannot wait for kids and families across the country to enjoy all of them.”

Find Kelly’s new line of sweet Shirley Temple drinks nationwide at Main Event locations. The maraschino-garnished menu starts at $2.99.

—Erica Loop

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This Rib Smash Photo Shoot Is First Birthday Goals

by Karly WoodFebruary 13, 2020

When it came time to celebrate their daughter Calista’s first birthday, pit master and restaurant owner Paul Morales and his wife Denise decided something a little more fitting was appropriate for their lifestyle. Basically, a regular cake smash just wasn’t going to cut it.

In a festive and funny photo shoot, the Texas family decided on a more meaty take on this tradition and served up two racks of ribs! The result was a delicious-looking set of pics.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Made In Texas BBQ (@madeintexasbbq)

Little Calista wasn’t going to let those ribs pass her by for her first “Rib Smash.” Donning a white onesie and crown, the 12-month old dug right in, clearly not a stranger to Texas BBQ.

In a recent post by dad, Paul shares that Calista is becoming quite the sensation as a result of her unique photoshoot. We just wonder what kind of “smash” we’ll see next.

––Karly Wood

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This “Santa Shark” Video Will Have You Ho-Ho-Ho-ing All Season Long

by Shahrzad WarkentinDecember 20, 2019

By now you’re all too familiar with the “Baby Shark” song and the ear worm that persists every time you hear those words. This holiday season you can keep the singing and dancing going with a new “Santa Shark” song.

“Baby Shark” just got a holiday makeover with a new version of the song kids just can’t seem to get enough of. The latest reimagining of the Baby Shark song is not from PinkFong, the creators behind the hit sensation, but instead Super Simple Songs, a YouTube channel featuring kids songs.

There are a few changes in this latest rendition, however. Those familiar “doo-doo-doos” have been replaced with “ho-ho-hos” and the shark family is now Santa and all of his North Pole friends, like reindeer sharks and elf sharks. Of course these changes don’t make the tune any less likely to get stuck in your head.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

Featured photo: Super Simple via YouTube

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These Sam’s Club Exclusive Holiday Toys Are Sure to Be at the Top of Every Wishlist

by Shahrzad WarkentinOctober 29, 2019

It’s barely November, but the holiday shopping season has already begun. There are plenty of deals and exciting items to be found, especially Sam’s Club’s selection of exclusive holiday toys.

Here are a few of the must-have items kids will be clamoring for this holiday season that you can only score at the warehouse club. Grab them while you can.

My Lovely Unicorn

This powered ride-on is a unicorn dream come true. It features a light-up musical horn and brushable hair.

Available in clubs and online, $179.98.

Ryan's World Mystery Adventure Play Set

This exclusive set based on YouTube sensation Ryan's World comes in one of three mystery themes Red Titan, Combo Panda and Astro Ryan.

Available in clubs and online, $34.98.

LOL Surprise Fashion Pack

This LOL Surprise pack features a whopping 25 surprises including 6 fashion crushes and a tot.

Available in clubs only, $26.98.

Fortnite 4-Pack

The Fortnite Victory Series features four 12-inch figures based on some of the most popular outfits from the game.

Available in clubs, $29.98.

Blume Friendship Playset Bundle

This Blume playset includes an ultra-rare collectible Blume doll along with a two-story house.

Available in clubs only, $29.98.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

All photos: Sam’s Club/Feature image: Walmart via Flickr

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New & Cool: mamaRoo sleep bassinet

by Erin LemOctober 15, 2019

When you’re in those early weeks of new motherhood, you’ll do pretty much anything to get baby to sleep. 4moms, the brand behind the popular mamaRoo infant seat, is set to introduce a new product into their line of innovative baby gear to help parents (and baby) score a few more moments of precious sleep. Read on to learn all about the new mamaRoo sleep bassinet and why it might be a good fit for your family.

The Scoop
Whether your baby prefers rocking or enjoys a bouncing sensation, there’s no denying that she likes movement. After all, she was in the womb for 10 months being soothed by your body’s natural rhythms and motion.

The brand-new 4moms mamaRoo sleep bassinet, set to debut in early 2020, tries to mimic these movements. The bassinet features five motions: car ride, wave, kangaroo, tree swing and rock-a-bye, along with vibration, four different white noise options, and five different speed options.

Additional features worth noting:
• Safety is your #1 priority, and 4moms shares your perspective. That’s why they’ve ensured the bassinet’s firm and flat sleep surface adheres to the American Association of Pediatrics (AAP) Safe Sleep Guidelines. Even the bassinet’s features—like height adjust for optimal visibility and accessibility, as well as mesh sides—all create a safe sleep environment for your little.

• Control the bassinet from your smartphone by downloading the 4moms app. You can control the motion, speed, vibration and sounds. Or, use the app to set a timer to help establish a consistent bedtime routine.

• Optional opportunity to purchase a storage basket, sold separately.

The new mamaRoo sleep bassinet is appropriate for babies up to 25 pounds or until your child can push up on her hands or knees (whichever comes first). Retail price is $329.99, and it will be available in early 2020 at 4moms.com and Bed Bath & Beyond, with further retail distribution in spring 2020.

—Erin Lem

photos: 4moms

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JoJo Siwa and Betsey Johnson Teamed Up for an Epic Clothing Collab

by Shahrzad WarkentinSeptember 24, 2019

Fashion icon Betsey Johnson and Nickelodeon sensation JoJo Siwa are both famous for their colorful over-the-top style so it’s only fitting that they collaborate on a brand new line of girls clothes for Bloomingdale’s.

The JoJo Siwa by Betsey Johnson collection is available exclusively at Bloomingdale’s and is inspired by JoJo’s energetic personality and colorful style.

Featuring bright colors and dazzling designs like reversible sequins, this collection is perfect for girls that like to show off their flair, but still comfortable enough to conquer the playground.

The limited edition clothing and accessory line will feature tops, bottoms, dresses, backpacks and more in sizes 4x to 12x. Items will range in price from $32 to $68.

The JoJo Siwa by Betsey Johnson collection will be available exclusively at Bloomingdale’s in stores and online starting Sep. 30.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

All photos: Courtesy of Betsey JoJo

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ML Interest Tag: sensation

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