MSG Entertainment Takes Over Sphere Construction in Las Vegas

Madison Square Garden Entertainment is taking back the reins on its much-ballyhooed MSG Sphere venue at The Venetian in Las Vegas, the company announced Thursday (Dec. 17).

According to a release, construction on the state-of-the-art venue — first announced in February 2018 by MSG executive chairman and CEO James Dolan at a splashy interactive presentation held at Radio City Music Hall — will now be spearheaded by MSG Entertainment, with general contractor AECOM transitioning to a supporting role under a new services agreement. AECOM was first enlisted for the project in June 2019.

“MSG Entertainment, through a wholly-owned subsidiary, will manage construction of MSG Sphere in Las Vegas, with direct responsibility for strategic planning and the construction timeline, as well as management of all subcontractors,” the release reads.

Construction of the venue will continue to be overseen by MSG Entertainment’s Jayne McGivern, who has been given the new title of president of development and construction (she was formerly executive vp development and construction). McGivern has put together “a world-class team of construction management professionals” who will be responsible for seeing the project through to completion and “retaining the knowledge gained for future MSG Sphere projects,” reads the release, suggesting AECOM will not be leading the construction of any future MSG Sphere venues.

The internal team assembled by McGivern — including members who have collectively worked on projects including the O2 Arena, London Olympic Stadium, Aria Hotel & Resort in Las Vegas and Fisht Olympic Stadium in Sochi, Russia — will direct all aspects of the project while overseeing 30 AECOM employees who will continue to support key areas of construction, including health and safety.

“We have taken significant steps to strengthen our internal construction team. This, along with valued support from AECOM, will give us greater transparency and control over the construction process, while enabling us to continue benefiting from AECOM’s expertise,” said McGivern in a statement. “MSG Sphere will be a venue unlike any other, and we believe we are well-positioned to not only advance our Las Vegas project, but also deliver on our long-term vision for MSG Sphere.”

The release touts “significant progress” on construction of the venue, noting that the structure reached its widest point earlier this year with completion of its sixth-level concrete ring beam, which is 490 feet wide and sits 113 feet above ground. The construction team has additionally finished placing two 240-ton steel girders that sit 140 feet off the ground and span the length of what will be the venue’s stage, “paving the way for continued vertical construction.”

Over the coming year, the construction team will focus on several of the venue’s critical path elements. Currently, work is focused on completing all superstructure concrete pours, including finishing stair and elevator cores and the venue’s proscenium wall. After that, steel will be placed for the remaining exterior ring beams and inboard decks, leading to construction of the steel domed roof beginning early next year.

As MSG Entertainment previously disclosed in its August earnings report, the opening of MSG Sphere at The Venetian has been pushed from 2021 to sometime in 2023 — a cost-saving measure necessitated by the pandemic’s negative impact on the company’s bottom line, with fiscal fourth quarter revenues having plummeted 96% year-over-year. In its fiscal second quarter earnings report in February (before the pandemic necessitated a shutdown of live events in the U.S.), the company estimated the final cost of the project at $1.66 billion.

Under McGivern’s watch, a second MSG Sphere is already being planned in London “pending necessary approvals,” with hopes for smaller Sphere venues down the line. McGivern joined MSG Entertainment in 2018 following stints as CEO of the European Division of Multiplex plc and managing director of Anschutz Entertainment Group in London.

Located on an 18-acre site on Sands Avenue between Manhattan Street and Koval Lane, MSG Sphere at The Venetian will boast a spherical shape and fully-programmable LED exterior. The estimated 17,500-seat venue will be 360 feet tall and 516 feet wide and connect to the Venetian Resort via an approximately 1,000-foot long pedestrian bridge. The venue’s more than 160,000 square foot display surface will encompass the stage and audience to create a completely immersive, virtual reality-style experience.

/by

Garth Brooks on CBS Holiday Special With Trisha Yearwood & The Christmas Tradition He’s Breaking This Year

The holiday season will look very different for many people this year with COVID-19 restricting travel and keeping people from joining their loved ones in person.

Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood are no exception, but they are bringing a bit of Christmas cheer from a safe social distance on Sunday with Garth and Trisha Live! A Holiday Concert Event, which will air live on CBS.

The format, which will be audience-free, will be similar to the couple’s CBS special in April, during which they took requests. This time, the focus will be on holiday songs, though Brooks tells Billboard, “If things get silly and things go to ‘I’ve got friends in low ho ho places,’ I think you can try to stretch to try to get music from an artist you want to hear on a Christmas special.”

The pair’s spring CBS concert drew more than 5.65 million viewers and earned a repeat on the network. In addition, they and CBS donated $1 million to charities fighting the COVID-19 virus.

“[CBS executive] Jack Sussman was sweet enough to say, ‘Hey, man, we should do another one.’ Our thought was we’re promoting two albums, Fun and Triple Live Deluxe, but it got so close to Christmas, we said, ‘Let’s just keep it to holiday stuff,’” Brooks says.

Brooks says the two won’t limit themselves to their recorded holiday output, which includes their holiday duets album, 2016’s Christmas Together; his two solo Christmas albums, 1992’s Beyond the Season and 1999’s Garth Brooks & the Magic of Christmas; or her 1994 solo album, The Sweetest Gift. “Hopefully, there will be some stuff that we’ve never recorded,” Brooks says. “We’re just looking at the requests as they come in.”

Though the special will start at 8 p.m. ET, Brooks adds that he and Yearwood will likely sign on to his Facebook page 30 minutes to an hour beforehand, so people can start enjoying the performance before they switch to CBS.

Fans may even see the two perform Brooks’ favorite holiday song, José Feliciano’s “Feliz Navidad.” “I’ve loved it ever since I was a little kid,” he says. “It’s so fun and upbeat. It’s not like the old traditional classics you hear when you’re little.”

Brooks and Yearwood are usually joined by his three grown daughters for the holidays, but because of coronavirus, it will just be the two of them. “My favorite Christmas tradition is decorating the tree with the girls, always. We’ve done it since they were babies,” he says. “They always decorate the tree, we tell stories. With COVID, we’re not getting together this year, so it’s no tree. We’ve got one outside that we put lights on, but no ornaments, but the tree that sits inside right where I’m staring won’t be there and it’s to honor that tradition. It makes me sad, but it makes me love that we’re not going to do it without them.”

/by

Rubio’s middle road on Trump’s election challenges could draw a GOP primary challenge

At a weekend rally organized by Republicans outside Miami’s Freedom Tower, a crowd unified by the false belief that the 2020 election was stolen from President Donald Trump gathered and … Click to Continue »
/by

Miami Beach sucker punch attack suspect is a Palm Beach carjacking-by-punch suspect

The man who Miami Beach police believe sucker punched a 70-year-old, breaking his nose, on a South Beach street corner is suspected of carjacking a Rolls-Royce and $4,800 cash with … Click to Continue »
/by

Fire reported at Aventura Mall. Nearly two dozen units respond

More than 20 Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units responded to a blaze at Aventura Mall Wednesday night. The department said the fire was in the kitchen of a restaurant. It was … Click to Continue »
/by

Mango’s owner proposes selling South Beach club, nearby property to build new complex

The owner of Mango’s Tropical Cafe is under contract to buy three adjoining properties behind the iconic Ocean Drive club for the development of a mixed-use complex that may include … Click to Continue »
/by

Duluth police officer placed ‘off duty indefinitely’ after shooting through door

DULUTH, Minn. – A police officer was placed “off duty indefinitely” after he shot an unarmed man through an apartment door in September, the department said Wednesday after completing an … Click to Continue »
/by

Crocodile Was ‘Blown Away That I Even Made It Top Three’ on ‘Masked Singer’

[Spoiler alert: This story contains the identity of the eliminated third-place finisher on Wednesday night’s (Dec. 16) The Masked Singer finale.]

Crocodile put on quite a show during his run on season 4 of The Masked Singer. And while he could only swim his way to third place on Wednesday night’s finale showdown with winner Sun and second-place finisher Mushroom, the veteran showbiz kid made it a wild ride. From a towering “Silent Night” to emotional covers of Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” and Leona Lewis’ “Bleeding Love,” a rocking “It’s My Life” by Bon Jovi and a high-energy run through pal Britney Spears’ “Toxic,” Crocodile gave it his all. But even his heart-swelling take of Journey’s “Open Arms” couldn’t get him to the winner’s circle.

The judges were all over the place, with guesses that ranged from Broadway/TV/movie veteran Neil Patrick Harris to judge Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg’s hubby, Donnie — which was way closer than they thought — but when the shimmery pink head came off it was none other than Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter.

The 40-year-old veteran performer whose new solo single, “80’s Movie,” is due out this Friday, hopped on the phone with Billboard before his elimination to talk about why his pink Croc costume was a dead-on emotional choice and how he thinks his Britney cover was the perfect complement to BSB’s recently released collab with their former Jive Records labelmate on “Matches.”

Crocodiles have a thick skin, and in the clue packages you alluded to the fact that you’ve had to grow one as a child star coming up in the biz. Why did you choose him and why was he so pink?

People who know me, my friends and family and children, know that I’m extremely sensitive and I’m just a lover, and the color pink just popped up for me from the performance side of things. But also the feeling that pink gives me when I look at it… it makes me happy.

You’ve done reality TV before with House of Carters, I Heart Nick Carter and Dancing With the Stars. How did this compare?

This experience was definitely unlike anything because of the secrecy that had we had to have behind the scenes and then had to add on top of it all the [COVID-19 safety] protocols, tests every single day and the masks we had to wear on top of the masks and how careful we all had to be. At the same time, hiding our identity form one another was also definitely a challenge, but was also rewarding. Before I even decided to do the show we had all been on lockdown for three months and I committed to it, but at the same time it was running through my mind, “How are we going to do this? How is it going to work?” Until you get on the set and experience it for the first time filming in this new world you don’t know what to expect.

You came in second place on DWTS. Did that make you want to win this even more?

I say this all the time, but on Dancing With the Stars when I got second place, I was just grateful to be there and come that far. I never set too much of a goal one way or another. I just try to live in the moment and enjoy the experience and wherever it takes me, that’s where I land. I was extremely surprised when I landed at two on Dancing and blown away that I even made it top three on this. It’s probably because I’m very critical of my talent and who I am as an artist. I’m one out of five in my group and we’re a team. I’ve stepped out before with solo records, and they never really did anything, never took off, and part of me feels like I was a failure when it came to being a solo artist. Then I think, “No, did I want to win?” When I look at my children and my wife, I feel like I’m grateful to be here and feel like I’m a winner because I have two healthy babies that I totally live for.

You’re so recognizable as part of the Backstreet Boys. Was there something fun for you about being an anonymous singer for the first time in your life?

I’ve been watching the show as it’s been going and analyzing my performances and I’ll say, “Wow, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was.” I’ve been in my group since I was 11 years old and entertaining people and being a part of their lives and giving them an escape has been my job and I love it. I really, really enjoy being part of my group. Now that I’m stepping out and we’ve had the COVID thing going on and we’ve all had to be socially distanced… I’ve had to find a way to blossom and do things on our own. I thought it was a cool opportunity to  grow and learn about myself.

So what did you learn? How did you grow?

One thing I definitely grew from was to not be so critical of myself when it comes to being an entertainer and the joy of it. Putting the mask on and performing so people could only hear my voice and them enjoying it… that got me that far and it gave me confidence to say maybe my talent has matured to the point where I can give it a shot from the solo perspective. That’s why I’m recording another solo record now and getting ready to drop a single.

You’re pals with Britney from way back, was it fun to cover one of her songs?

When I was picking the songs I wanted to perform I was like, “Oh God, I’m very eclectic when it comes to music.” I listen to rap, rock, classic rock, pop, dance, soul, every kind of music. I’ve done it all. For fans of our era of music, Britney and us were partners on Jive Records coming up with *NSYNC and we all did it tougher and broke down that door in America. So I thought that was a way to throw people off a bit… that’s another one of my biggest issues with being a solo artist. With my voice I can sing in a lot of different ways in a wide range and I felt like maybe I could utilize that and try to trick people on the show. I would see people writing [on Twitter] who were like, “You can’t disguise your voice Nick, we know it’s you!” I’d read stuff like that on social media and I was like, “No, you don’t know it’s me!” That Britney Spears song was definitely a way to throw people off. I don’t know, maybe Britney saw the performance and she liked it, but right after that we decided to [release “Matches”]. So maybe it inspired her.

/by

The White Stripes’ ‘Greatest Hits’ Goes Top 10 on Album Sales Chart

The White Stripes’ The White Stripes Greatest Hits arrives at No. 4 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart (dated Dec. 19), as the set rocks with 20,000 copies sold in the U.S. in the week ending Dec. 10, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data.

It’s the fourth top 10 for the duo, who last visited the top 10 in 2007 with their final studio album, Icky Thump.

Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart ranks the top-selling albums of the week based only on traditional album sales. The Album Sales chart’s history dates back to May 25, 1991, the first week Billboard began tabulating charts with electronically monitored piece count information from SoundScan, now Nielsen Music/MRC Data. Pure album sales were the measurement solely utilized by the Billboard 200 albums chart through the list dated Dec. 6, 2014, after which that chart switched to a methodology that blends album sales with track equivalent album units and streaming equivalent album units. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.

The White Stripes previously visited the top 10 on Top Album Sales with Icky Thump (No. 2, 2007), Get Behind Me Satan (No. 3, 2005) and Elephant (No. 6, 2003).

The Greatest Hits sold particularly well at independent record stores, as the album debuts at No. 1 on the Tastemakers Albums chart, with 6,000 sold via indie retailers. (Tastemakers ranks the top-selling albums of the week at indie stores.) Additionally, the set bows at No. 2 on the Vinyl Albums chart, with 13,000 sold via vinyl LP (64% of the album’s overall first week sales).

Meanwhile, Shawn Mendes’ Wonder bows at No. 1 on Top Album Sales with 54,000 copies sold — which aids its No. 1 debut on the Billboard 200. Carrie Underwood’s holiday album My Gift is steady at No. 2 on the Top Album Sales chart with 33,000 sold (up 18%). My Gift has sold 210,000 copies in total.

Another holiday effort, Dolly Parton’s A Holly Dolly Christmas, is a non-mover at No. 3 with 26,000 sold (up 4%). With a total of 171,000 sold, through Dec. 10, Holly is Parton’s biggest-selling non-greatest hits album since 2008’s Backwoods Barbie, with 281,000 sold thus far.

AC/DC’s former No. 1 on Top Album Sales, Power Up, is stationary at No. 5 on the latest chart, with 18,000 sold (down 12%), while Pentatonix’s latest holiday album, We Need a Little Christmas, surges 11-6 (a new peak) with 17,000 sold (up 31%). BTS’ previous No. 1, Be, falls 1-7 in its third week with just under 17,000 sold (down 46%) while Chris Stapleton’s Starting Over is steady at No. 8 with 16,000 (down 2%).

Rounding out the top 10 are Harry Styles’ former No. 1 Fine Line, which moves 7-9 with 14,000 (down 20%) and Vince Guaraldi Trio’s A Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack, which dips 9-10 with 13,000 (down 7%).

/by

As ‘Masked Singer’ Winner, Sun Hopes to Shine ‘Light Into This World in This Dark Time’

[Spoiler alert: This story contains the identity of the winner of Wednesday night’s (Dec. 16) The Masked Singer finale.]

Well, season 4 of The Masked Singer is in the books, and this year’s winner was crowned in an emotional finale on Wednesday night that featured a final showdown between this season’s top three: Sun, Mushroom and Crocodile.

And when the glitter settled and the masks came off, it was Sun that shone through, taking the crown after an epic run that included a titanic opening-night cover of Lizzo’s “Cuz I Love You,” a fun, throwback “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” moving versions of Billie Eilish’s “When the Party’s Over” and Kesha’s “Praying” that nearly brought the judges to tears and a sensual run through Janis Joplin’s “Piece of My Heart” that helped make her an unstoppable force on the show. But it was her explosive finale run through Brandi Carlile’s “The Story” that helped write the final chapter in what the singer says was a purpose-driven narrative she tried to build over the course of the socially distanced, audience-less season.

The clue packages for Sun hinted at a performer who started early, along with lots of references to the color blue and Disney. But it was her peerless voice that really made fans think that the woman behind the mask might be a legendary country star whose unmistakable sound has been in our ears for more than 25 years. And after guesses ranging from Madonna to Idina Menzel and Gwyneth Paltrow, when the solar dust settled, it turned out that the odds-on favorite to win this season was none other than “How Do I Live” singer LeAnn Rimes.

The child star, who first rose to national attention at age 8 after appearing on Star Search and broke through at 13 with her multiplatinum debut Blue, was an unstoppable force on the show, and with a win under her belt, she’s back in our ears today with her new single, the uplifting pop anthem “Throw My Arms Around the World.”

Billboard spoke to Rimes before her coronation on Wednesday night to find out how she got her shine back and why Singer was the perfect vehicle for her to burst back into the spotlight.

Choice of costume is key on this show. Why the Sun? What did it mean to you?

The costume team brought some other ideas and they were kind of earth-driven and then we started talking about the moon, which was a bit too on-the-nose with me because of [2000 single] “Can’t Fight the Moonlight.” I thought, “Why can’t I be the opposite and be the Sun?” I loved the idea of being the opposite of what people connect me with with “Moonlight.” It was also part of this huge message I feel is coming through in my music and my chant album [this year’s Chant: The Human & The Holy] and my new song “Throw My Arms Around the World,” this beautiful power of hope and grounded wisdom that has been channeled through my music at this moment. It felt so connected to my message and what I want to bring out and put into the world at this time.

A lot of your clues were about the difficulty of being a child star and how you’ve had a rough time in the spotlight. Did performing anonymously help you relax?

I don’t know if relax would be the word. My favorite piece about being in costume as a woman was there was no hair and makeup and I came on set in sweats with wet hair, I put on my costume and then went back to sweats after. I think it helped for people to hear me and to feel me and especially as a woman we’re judged so much on what we’re wearing and what we look like people sometimes don’t stop there and don’t truly take in what’s coming through. That’s what was so powerful about the costume for me. I felt so connected to what I was doing and what was coming through and I didn’t get stifled by the rest of the package that needs to be presented in this world. That felt really powerful. I’ve joked so many times about doing a sweats tour, because if you’re showing up for anything besides my voice and the music, you’re showing up for the wrong reason.

How did you feel about the guesses, which ranged from Madonna to Anna Kendrick, Gwyneth Paltrow and Idina Menzel?

I was definitely surprised by some of them. At first I didn’t want to do the show, because isn’t the whole point that people don’t know who you are? I felt like people grew up with me and I’ve been in the business for 25 years and there’s no way people don’t know who I am. … I have a very distinctive voice. I thought there was no way the judges didn’t know! After the first performance, I saw my Twitter blow up and I felt like people did know!

You got your start on a reality singing show and you’ve hosted a few, and here you are three decades later winning a show. Is this a full-circle moment for you?

Yeah! I was 8 and I hadn’t been in that kind of competition thing like this for so long. Someone said to me the other day that I owned the whole galaxy now: the stars, the moon and now the Sun. The competition piece was interesting because I don’t love competition, though it lights a fire under me.

The competition was pretty stiff near the end.

I know! The people next to me were so talented and one is a dear friend of mine and I didn’t know it until the very end. Aloe Blacc is a dear friend, we’ve done a duet [“That Spirit of Christmas”] and he was next to me warming up and I thought, “God, I know that voice but I can’t quite place it!” I was singing along to his Stevie Wonder song and I thought, “We should do a duet!”

How much did you want this win? Did you think you had a chance?

Yes. I think I wouldn’t go into it without thinking I had a chance, but you never know with these things. It’s not always about who’s the best singer because some people can be incredibly entertaining and you never know what people will gravitate towards.

Did you have a game plan? What was the story?

I had a specific arc of songs I wanted to perform and a way I wanted to lay it out. I wanted to do the Billie Eilish song almost all a cappella and the music department was so supportive of my ideas. I really thought it out. I thought, “If I put my heart into this I’m really going to go for it.” For me, music has always been boundary-less. As an artist, I’ve never stuck to one thing and you can’t keep me in a box because then there’s the more I want to claw my way out of it. I wanted to hit on every different genre and pay homage to my whole career. Lizzo was the perfect thing to kick that off with… “this will confuse people a bit.” And I love Janis Joplin and I wanted to be able to go there. “Praying” was so beautiful and I love the lyrics to that song. With the Billie Eilish song, there was an intimacy that I really wanted to bring across. And before tonight’s song, “The Story,” I toyed with doing one of my own songs — “can I do something I covered or recorded?” — but I ended up choosing “The Story” because it’s such a powerful song that speaks to my personal story and the power of love.

The judges thought you were a favorite from your opening performance of the Lizzo songs and then fans uncovered a video of you doing it earlier. Were you afraid your cover was blown?

Yes! I cover songs all the time and I had done the Billie Eilish cover and put it up on YouTube, so we had to pull that video down so people couldn’t find it. The only time I did the Lizzo song was during an Instagram Live thing on my bus with my guitar player and someone recorded it, a fan on their phone, and they put it up. We went through everything to make sure there were no videos of me doing anything and I was bummed out about that.

You were literally a ray of sunshine during these dark COVID days, was that part of what drew you to doing the show, knowing that it would make people smile at home during lockdown?

Absolutely. That was one of the main pieces. I don’t think there’s another show on TV that is this joyful, that is truly this fun and you can tell by the fans that they really tune in for the joy of the show. I really took that in and thought about being the sun and bringing light into this world in this dark time, which connected with the message of what I want to put out into the world.

You’ve won your fair share of awards, so where will the golden mask go on your trophy shelf?

It has to go right beside the Grammys. There was as much work and thought that I put into this performance and character as anything else I’ve ever done.

Tell me about your new single and the message behind it. 

I’ve never been more excited about music in my entire career. There are so many ancient percussion sounds on this record… it makes me dance and cry at the same time because the message is so powerful. I know I am only one on my own, but we are so much more as we and we have so much power if we just open our hearts up to love. It speaks to so much of what’s going on in our world right now and what’s possible. I can’t get through the song without bawling and I don’t know how I’m going to sing it live! If it can make you dance and cry at the same time that’s a great thing.

/by