"Dancing With the Stars" Season 22 Premiere Recap: Nyle DiMarco Impresses, Mischa Barton Not So Much

Mischa Barton’s ‘Dancing With The Stars’ Partner Reveals ‘O.C.’ Connection

The ballroom"s burning up! Dancing With the Stars" season 22 premiere on Monday, March 21, kicked off with lots of swinging hips, chiseled abs and one set of leaky b*****s (more on that later). There were a few notable changes this time around, including Len Goodman"s return to the judges table and the fact that, for the first time in over two years, there are no teenagers in the mix.

PHOTOS: Dancing With the Stars Winners Through the Years: Mirrorball Champs From 2005 to Now

The first night on the dance floor usually sets the tone for the season ahead, establishing a loose pecking order of contestants. With season 22 not boasting any insanely energetic youngsters or celebs with heavy doses of dance training (though Mischa Barton claimed she fit the latter category), it was really anyone"s guess who would land on top and who would fall flat. Here"s how it went down.

PHOTOS: "Dancing With the Stars" Season 22 Cast: See the Celebs and Their Partners in Costume!

The Good

No one seemed to expect much from the, um, not-petiteWayna Morris, who rose to fame in the 1990s as one of the original members of the R&B group Boyz II Men. Expectations weren"t raised when he revealed during his video package that seeing Joey Fatone compete on the show inspired him to try it. "I was like, "If this fat white boy can do it "" the singer recalled before trailing off with a laugh. He sort of said he was kidding, but not really.

Paired with Lindsay Arnold, however, Morris delivered an awesome cha-cha-cha that clearly surprised the judges. Bruno Tonioli praised the "precision" of Morris" timing, while the notably difficult-to-please Goodman predicted the crooner "could make it to the end of the road." For their unexpected performance, they earned an impressive 23 points.

PHOTOS: Celebrity Weddings 2015

Also nabbing 23 points were Good Morning America"s chief meteorologist and new mom Ginger Zee and her partner Valentin Chmerkovskiy. "I apologize in advance if I leak on you because I"m breastfeeding, so milk is going to be everywhere," Zee joked to Chmerkovskiy, who looked absolutely terrified.

The GMA host explained that she hoped dancing would help her get her "mojo" back, but the second she began their jive, it was clear she"d never lost it. Carrie Ann Inaba compared Zee to Mirrorball winner Bindi Irwin, describing Zee"s energy as "infectious." Len praised the dance for being "frisky, risky, fast and furious"; still, he told her to work on straightening her legs.

Just d**n

Rounding out the trio of pairs who tied for first were Nyle DiMarco and Peta Murgatroyd but while their scores were all the same, it was this couple who clearly stood out. DiMarco was the winner ofAmerica"s Next Top Model cycle 22 and has the chiseled abs to back up that title. He"s also completely Deaf. That"s right he can"t hear a thing, not even with a hearing aid.

The cast of Dancing with the Stars Heidi Gutman/ABC via Getty Images

While having to speak to her partner through an interpreter must have had its challenges, Peta didn"t seem the least bit freaked. Instead, she and DiMarco delivered a sizzling cha-cha-cha that had Carrie Ann literally gasping for air. Bruno definitely said it best, however, when he got up and went over to touch DiMarco to "make sure he was real."

The Bad

Not everyone had a great night, though. 1984 Heisman Trophy winner Doug Flutie performed a foxtrot with Karina Smirnoff that only earned 15 points. "The good news is, you did it," Carrie Ann managed. (Umm, if that"s the "good news," things are really, really bad.) Len echoed Carrie Ann, adding, "You came out, and you really tried to sell it." The only problem was, no one was buying it.

PHOTOS: Stars They"re Just Like Us!

Coming in dead last with a 13 were Geraldo Rivera and Edyta Sliwinska, whose cha-cha-cha left the judges wanting more. The colorful broadcaster continued his "70 is the new 50" shtick in between comments alluding to how hot his partner was (which she mainly ignored). This time it was Bruno who went in for the kill. "Very cunning strategy," he began. "Maybe you could dance next week, yeah?" Rivera pretty much laughed that off and (sort of) agreed.

The Really Bad

While their 16 placed them above Flutie and Rivera, Mischa Barton and Artem Chigvintsev were possibly the biggest disappointment of the night. Though the former OC star boasted that she"d "actually danced a lot" in her life, her pro quickly put that claim to bed. "I"m sorry, but Mischa is not a natural dancer," Chigvintsev groaned. After their uninspired tango, Len didn"t hold back. "That wasn"t a dance," he said. "That was walking!" Bruno delivered the same message more softly, suggesting she add "more s***k."

Listening to the critique, Barton looked a little deflated, but not really surprised. Erin Andrews who was recently in the news for her $55 million court win did her best to cheer up the actress by fangirling all over her, but it didn"t seem to help much. "It"s really tough," Barton began. "He"s a tough teacher, which is a good thing, but it"s been a road." (It"s been a road? It"s only the first week!) This is not looking good.

Mischa Barton and Artem Chigvintsev ABC/Craig Sjodin

Everyone Else

The rest of the pairs filled out the middle. Facts of Life star-turned-Real Housewife Kim Fields received mostly positive reviews from the judges for her cha-cha-cha with Sasha Farber. UFC fighter Paige VanZant and Mark Ballas pleasantly surprised the judges with their not-super-stiff foxtrot. Full House (and Fuller House) star Jodie Sweetin performed a respectable tango with partner Keo Motsepe, while Marla Maples (a TV personality and ex-Mrs. Donald Trump) and Tony Dovolani charmed everyone with their quickstep.

Rounding out the pack were Antonio Brown and Sharna Burgess, who made it through their quickstep with no major errors, as well as Von Miller with Whitney Carson, whose foxtrot was described as "soft and silky."

As for random celebrity facts that were revealed: Miller has a chicken tattoo, and Maples wishes people would stop asking her about her ex-husband"s hair. "His hair is fine!" she laughed.

Complete rankings for week 1:

23: Wanya Morris, Ginger Zee, Nyle DiMarco

21: Paige VanZant, Marla Maples, Antonio Brown, Von Miller

20: Kim Fields, Jodie Sweetin

16: Mischa Barton

15: Doug Flutie

13: Geraldo Rivera

Tell Us: Who do you think will go home first?

Dancing With the Stars airs on ABC on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET.

Can"t get enough of Us? Sign up now for the Us Weekly newsletter packed with the latest celeb news, hot pics and more!

Source: http://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/dwts-season-22-premiere-mischa-barton-has-a-ways-to-go-w199311

Continue Reading ..

7h Associated Press

Stephen F. Austin

Notre Dame outscored Stephen F. Austin 22-10 in the paint in the second half, including Rex Pflueger"s game-winning tip-in with 1 second remaining. Pflueger"s basket was his only points of the game and his first field goal in four games.For the game, Notre Dame outscored Stephen F. Austin 40-26 in the paint, with five of its final six field goals coming in the paint. The Lumberjacks attempted nearly two-thirds of their shots outside the paint while nearly 60 percent of the Fighting Irish"s shots came in the paint.

Source: http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/game?gameId%3D400872251

Continue Reading ..

The Passion Brings Whole City of New Orleans

THE PASSION | "Calling All Angels" | FOX BROADCASTING

I didnt want to create a show just for believers. I wanted to reach those who know nothing!

Adam Anders is talking about his latest project, The Passion,a creative and contemporary retelling of the Gospel narrative which will be broadcast live from New Orleans on Palm Sunday. Anders is executive producer and executive music producer for The Passion.At Foxs New Orleans studio, he talked to reporters about the project.

The son of Christian missionaries, Anders grew up attending church in Sweden. Here in the states he has enjoyed a successful Hollywood career selling more than 80 million albums and developing songs for films such as Rock of Agesand TVshows, including Glee.His work has earned four Grammy award nominations as well as two Peoples Choice Awards and two Golden Globe awards. With The Passionhe returns to his Christian roots, bringing his extensive talent and experience to bear in retelling the story of Jesus suffering and death.

Anders first got the idea for The Passionafter he was invited to attend a similar large-scale production in Holland. In that country, he reported, only 7percentof the population goes to church. In contrast, since the musical production of The Passionwas introduced there in 2011, it has been viewed by more than 50 percent of Hollands populace. Anders was excited to realize that this performance could bring the Gospel to people who might otherwise know nothing about it.

The Catholic Church [in the Netherlands] got behind it, helping to fund and promote it, Anders told me. It just took the country by storm. So when I saw that response in a country thats largely atheist, I thought This is perfect! Weve got to get it here!

The Passionfeatures a star-studded cast from a wide range of musical genres. Tyler Perry is the host and narrator. Cuban American singer/songwriter/actor Jencarlos Canela will play Jesus, clad in a beige trenchcoat. Chris Daughtry stars as Judas, and Trisha Yearwood portrays Jesus mother, Mary. British singer/songwriter Seal steps into the role of Pontius Pilate. Christian artist Michael W. Smith plays a disciple. And Nischelle Turner, entertainment correspondent for CNN and anchor/correspondent for Entertainment Tonightin effect plays herself as a reporter on the streets of New Orleans, interviewing people from the crowd during the live procession. Three musical groups a band from Los Angeles, a New Orleans jazz band and a choir of voices from local churches will perform, and there will be an appearance by New Orleans famed Preservation Hall Jazz Band.

The procession will originate at New Orleans iconic Superdome, where thousands of displaced persons took refuge during Hurricane Katrina. The relevance of New Orleans as a resurrected city is not lost on Anders. Tyler Perry, who grew up in New Orleans, will talk about it, he told me. The Superdome, where this starts, has become a symbol of suffering. There is, in peoples minds, that powerful visual of people trapped by the swirling floodwaters. So many lives have been changed for better and worse. The city lost thousands of people, some who died and some who left and never came back. My own brother lived here and never returned after Katrina. Now hes back here for the first time h**l be playing in the band.

From the Superdome, 1000 volunteers will help carry a 20-foot lighted cross, winding through the French Quarter, along Canal Street and Bourbon Street, past historic New Orleans landmarks. Finally, the cross will reach its destination Woldenberg Park, where a massive 10-story stage has been erected beside the Mississippi River, and where the musical performances will occur. As many as 40,000 are expected to join in, lining the procession route and filling the concert venue.

Asked whether hes concerned about inclement weather or unexpected incidents among the crowd, Anders was optimistic. Obviously, we have backup plans in place, in case things go horribly wrong. I just cant worry about the weather. Youd think, with a project like this, that G*d willsmile upon us and make sure the weather is good.

Besides Gods cooperation, Anders is depending on the logistical support of New Orleans police and politicians. Louisianas lieutenant governor is expected to participate in some way; New Orleans mayor will sing in the choir. The police will help control crowds and ensure that the processional cross is able to navigate busy intersections. There are train tracks to be crossed and helicopters flying overhead, and permission was required for service interruptions.

This story is tagged under:

Source: http://aleteia.org/2016/03/19/the-passion-brings-whole-city-of-new-orleans-into-start-of-holy-week/

Continue Reading ..

Villanova Routs Iowa to Advance to Round of 16

News Conference: Iowa vs Villanova Postgame
Photo Adam Woodbury of Iowa, left, and Phil Booth of Villanova battled around the rim Sunday afternoon. Credit Al Bello/Getty Images

Since Villanova arrived in Brooklyn last week, the Wildcats have been shadowed by questions about their recent inability to advance past the round of 32 at the N.C.A.A. mens basketball tournament.

The albatross became tiresome. Over the past four days, players opened news media sessions trying to give courteous answers, acknowledging their recent stumbles. But as the hours wore on and different variations of the same questions were repeated, their heads hung low, the smiles disappeared and they grumbled through replies on how they did not want to be defined as underachievers.

The second-seeded Wildcats most potent retort came Sunday afternoon with a dominating 87-68 win over seventh-seeded Iowa in a South Region game at Barclays Center. Josh Hart led the way with a game-high 19 points.

Its definitely a sigh of relief, the senior Ryan Arcidiacono said. I just think the biggest thing is Im honestly just done answering the questions about getting past the second weekend.

Villanova was more aggressive from the start, diving for loose b***s and clogging passing lanes, eventually holding a 12-0 advantage off turnovers in the first half. The Wildcats executed with so much aplomb that after the game Villanova Coach Jay Wright apologized to his friend Fran McCaffery, Iowas coach, who is a Philadelphia native.

Were thrilled that we came out and played a first half like that, Wright said. When I shook hands with Fran, I just said, Hey, Im sorry. We havent played a first half like that in a long time.

After the teams tied, 13-13, the Wildcats outscored Iowa, 41-16, before halftime for a 54-29 lead, which also set a Villanova program record for points in a half in an N.C.A.A. tournament game.

During the extended run, Villanova received contributions from almost every player on the floor. Jalen Brunson and Phil Booth hit multiple 3-pointers. On defense, Iowa stood motionless through numerous possessions, with players fumbling routine passes.

The 7-foot-1 center Adam Woodbury, who had put back the winning shot in Iowas 72-70 overtime win over Temple in the first round on Friday, was held to 1 point.

The only flicker of energy emerged from Nicholas Baer, a redshirt freshman walk-on, who scored 8 points in the first half.

Theyre a tough group to close out to because theyll rip a drive on you, McCaffery said. So we closed out a little bit short, and they were making threes. We had a couple uncharacteristic turnovers that led to easy transition layups, and that was a big part of it as well.

During the first 20 minutes, Villanova shot 7 for 12 on 3-pointers and over 60 percent over all from the field. The Wildcats also remained disciplined on defense they had six steals and Iowa did not make a first-half free throw, their only two attempts coming with 4.7 seconds left before the break.

Kris Jenkins led Villanova with 12 points at halftime. Hart and Brunson added 10 each.

I think we didnt come out with the intensity defensively that we needed against a team like that, Iowa guard Mike Gesell said.

Villanovas lead grew to 34 points early in the second half, when a layup by Hart gave the Wildcats a 65-31 lead. At that point, it became clear that the questions about another Villanova collapse would cease.

Jarrod Uthoff paced the Hawkeyes with 16 points, also making their first free throw with 8 minutes 45 seconds remaining. Baer added 15 for Iowa.

Villanova will play No. 3-seeded Miami in the round of 16 on Thursday in Louisville, Ky.

We wanted it badly for this senior class, Wright said. I really didnt want them to go down as the winningest class in Villanova history but they never got past the first weekend.

Before Sundays win, the Wildcats had not advanced to the second week of the tournament in their last five appearances. On three of those occasions they were a No. 1 or No. 2 seed.

As the East Regions top seed last year, Villanova was stunned in its second game against No. 8-seeded North Carolina State, 71-68. That upset lingered throughout the summer for Wright and his team.

Its like if you have a cold and everybody keeps asking you: Hows your cold? Hows your cold? How are you doing? Wright said. After a while, youre like, Im fine, you know. You know youve got to answer the question.

Wright left in a majority of his starters late into the game.

When Arcidiacono finally exited the court with under a minute to go, he hugged Wright tightly.

A few moments later, when the final buzzer sounded, the public-address announcer congratulated Villanova on reaching the round of 16. Arcidiacono smiled, Villanova fans stood and players held their fists in the air, looking somewhat relieved that they had shook off an unwanted label, resoundingly.

Correction: March 21, 2016

An earlier version of this article misstated the number of points Iowas Adam Woodbury scored. He had 1 point; he was not held scoreless.

Continue reading the main story

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/21/sports/ncaabasketball/villanova-routs-iowa-to-advance-to-round-of-16.html

Continue Reading ..

Maryland basketball finishes regular season at No. 18 in AP poll

Michigan State vs. Maryland - 2016 Big Ten Men"s Basketball Men"s Basketball Highlights

Maryland finished the regular season ranked 18thin the Associated Press media poll and 17thin the USA Today Sports coaches poll.

Both Top 25 polls were released Monday.

The 25-8 Terps remained in the same spot in the AP poll after a better-than-expected showing in the Big Ten Tournament, particularly in taking No. 2-ranked Michigan State to the final seconds before losing Saturday, 64-61, in the semifinals at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Maryland, which opened the season No. 3 behind North Carolina and Kentucky, dropped two spots from 15thto 17thin the coaches poll. USA Today will release a final poll the day after the NCAA tournament ends. Mondays poll by the AP was its last of the season.

The Terps earned a No. 5 seed in the NCAA tournament and face South Dakota State, a No. 12 seed, in Spokane, Wash., at 4:30 p.m.Friday.

don.markus@baltsun.com

twitter.com/sportsprof56

Source: http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/terps/tracking-the-terps/bal-maryland-basketball-finishes-regular-season-at-no-18-in-ap-poll-20160314-story.html

Continue Reading ..

"The Passion": Breaking Down Fox"s Live Music Event

THE PASSION | "Demons" | FOX BROADCASTING

Fox is resurrecting the live TV space once again this Palm Sunday with The Passion, a modern spin on the story of Jesus Christs last hours.

Aside from being the first of recent TV music events to be based on religion, The Passion is setting itself apart from other musicals like the networks own Grease and NBCs trifecta by not billing itself as a musical rather, its been described as a live spectacular spanning across New Orleans, packed with mini-movies, a plethora of sets, A-list names, not a lot of dancing, but lots and lots of singing.

Exec producer Mark Bracco of d**k Clark Productions and music producer Adam Anders, a graduate of Glee, break down The Passion forVariety heres the lowdown on the city, the music and the stars.

THE CAST:

Its been a dream, Anders says of working with the stellar cast including musical icons Trisha Yearwood (Mary) and Seal (Pontius Pilate),plusAmerican Idol alum Chris Daughtry (Judas) and Jencarlos Canela (Jesus).

Trisha was so important because shes the anchor of the show. Theyre big songs, theyre big moments Shes a legend. She has a world-class voice. Her vocals are incredible. Shes so wonderful to work with, Anders raves of Yearwood.

Of Seal, he says, He was singing next to me and I got goosebumps. For me, the opportunity to work with him is a dream come true. Beyond that, he brings such a cool element to the show. He can walk on that stage and hes really a powerful man. He has that weight to him.

As for Daughtry? He was the first guy who popped into my head for Judas, Anders admits. To actually have him be in the show, Im just so appreciative to Fox to have the guy I had in my head bring it to life. Its just so good.

THE LIVE AUDIENCE:

Foxs Grease Live! was the first recent TV musical to incorporate a live audience into the television broadcast, and The Passion is taking that interaction to the next level. Spanning across the city of New Orleans, a live procession with hundreds of people who drove across the country to carry a large cross will be a huge part of the show, which is expected to have 25,000 to 30,000 live audience-goers on site.

Explaining the level of audience interactivity to expect, Bracco says, Even outside of the procession, when the trial of Jesus happens live on the stage, theres always that moment in the story where the crowd will yell back so at that moment when Pontius yells at the crowd, itll be the crowd that yells Crucify him! Crucify him! because that is what happened in the bible. There are going to be a few moments where the thousands of the people in the park are going to become a part of the live show, just as if they were in church on Palm Sunday where there are people in church saying, Crucify him! Crucify him!

NEW ORLEANS:

New Orleans was always the city of choice for the producers behind The Passion.

Speaking of the NOLA native host, Bracco says, Tyler Perry says this better than anyone, but its a city that resurrected itself. It rose again after Katrina. We went there and the people of the city were so welcoming and wanted us to bring the show there.

THETHEME:

Its huge. Its paramount to the success of this, Anders says about the wide-ranging religious theme. Music moves people in the way nothing else can. Its a powerful medium. If you want to re-tell this classic powerful story story in a modern way, the only way to do it is through music, and then you add this music that people already love, it takes it to the next level. I think when I worked on Glee, part of the success of that show is that everybody got something that they loved from and thats something that Ive taken from there.We need to give everybody something to reflect our diverse cast and diverse audience.

THE MUSIC:

All the songs are modern hits. Theres no Christian songs. Theres no religious songs at all, Anders says of the soundtrack that includes live covers of music by Whitney Houston, Imagine Dragons, Katy Perry, Celine Dion and more. When you go through the hits from the last couple decades, its unbelievable how many No.1 songs have religious messages.

Adam Anders,hes a genius, Bracco raves of the music producer. The scene when Judas betrays Jesus and they sing the duet by Imagine Dragons, its almost as if that song was written for that moment. The lyrics are so perfect and the songs that Adam chose, its so eerie at times. Anders adds, For me, it was all about finding the right lyrics that fit the themes. Its been a really fun process.

For more on The Passion, including exclusive behind the scenes photos, click here.

Source: http://variety.com/2016/tv/news/the-passion-fox-live-musical-tyler-perry-jesus-christ-1201733978/

Continue Reading ..

The Weird Early-"00s Covers From The Passion

THE PASSION | "Home" | FOX BROADCASTING
We need a sign to let us know this was real. Photo: Michael Becker / FOX

Did you wake up Palm Sunday thinking, Why yes, American Idol"s Chris Daughtry covering that one Evanescence banger in character as Judas is a thing I"d definitely like to see today? Or does the idea of Saint Peter belting Hoobastank bring on a deep nostalgia for the early "00s you"ve been hiding all this time? Perfect! Because Tyler Perry"s The Passion delivered all that and then some. Jesus Christ Superstar it was not; what happened semi-live on the streets of New Orleans Sunday night can only be described as the karaoke night of Avril Lavigne"s dreams a smorgasbord of vaguely Christian hits from the early "00s that have aged about as well as Scott Stapp. Here are just a select few of the weirdest covers to happen to Fox since Glee bit the dust.

Hoobastank, "The Reason"As if denying Jesus three times wasn"t enough, Peter poured on the salt with some Hoobastank.

Creed, "With Arms Wide Open"Nothing says you"re one last meal away from being crucified like Creed.

Evanescence, "Bring Me to Life"We never pegged Amy Lee for a Judas, but Daughtry has us reevaluating a lot of things right now.

Train, "Calling All Angels"Sorry, was Pat Monahan himself not available to play Jesus?

Lifehouse, "Broken"In the span of two hours, Trisha Yearwood covered Whitney Houston, Jewel, Jason Mraz, and Lifehouse a miracle only Jesus" mom could perform.

Oh yeah, and this happened:

Tears for Fears, "Mad World"Did you find it kind of funny that Seal (!) played Pontius Pilate? Not as funny as this.

THE PASSION | "Mad World"

After deciding Jesus" fate, Pontius Pilate (Seal) performs "Mad World" LIVE on The Passion.

Posted by FOX on Sunday, March 20, 2016

Katy Perry, "Unconditionally"We personally would"ve picked something from Perry"s Christian singer-songwriter years for Jesus" big Resurrection song, but sure, this works.

Watch Jencarlos Canela as Jesus perform Katy Perry"s "Unconditionally" in The Passion.

Posted by FOX onSunday, March 20, 2016

Source: http://www.vulture.com/2016/03/the-passion-live-weird-early-2000s-covers.html

Continue Reading ..