Showing titles in Performing Arts

How did a young girl born in South London grow up to be a Tony and Grammy Award-winning star? Find out in this Who HQ Now biography about Cynthia Erivo and her exciting career from The Color Purple on Broadway to starring as Elphaba in the Wicked movie!

Michael Jackson's journey to fame began in 1966 at age eight, when he started singing with his brothers in the Jackson 5. In the early 1970s, he launched a solo career, accumulating a dozen number-one singles. His record-breaking album, Thriller, has sold an estimated 110 million copies worldwide. He won 17 Grammy awards and was introduced into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. In 2009, people of all ages mourned Michael's sudden death.

How did a teenage actress become a Grammy-winning pop star? Find out in this Who HQ Now biography about Ariana Grande and her exciting career that spans the Broadway stage, television, and music to blockbuster movies!

Bruce Springsteen grew up in a blue-collar New Jersey town where his parents struggled to make ends meet. Bruce didn't fit in at school but found solace in rock and roll and playing guitar. After the breakup of a local band he'd joined, Springsteen went out on his own, and people began to take notice. He signed with Columbia Records and, under pressure to come up with a hit, wrote "Born in the USA", which tells the story of America during the years of the Vietnam War.

Jim Henson broke into television with a five-minute puppetry segment when he was only a freshman in college. He created puppets like none ever seen before, with expressive fabric faces and rod-controlled arms. His Muppets became world-renowned celebrities and formed the backbone of a media empire. This easy-to-listen-to biography will be published 20 years after Henson's untimely death.

Born in New York to Puerto Rican parents, Lin-Manuel Miranda had a passion for the arts and creativity from a young age. He participated in theater as a child and wrote his first Broadway musical, In the Heights, while he was still in college. That show won him his first Tony Award for Best Musical! He went on to create and star in the beloved musical Hamilton about the life of Alexander Hamilton. A nonstop writer, Lin-Manuel contributed music for other major projects such as Moana, Encanto, Star Wars, and The Little Mermaid.

Want to know more about the life of Jennifer Lawrence? Listen to this audiobook to learn all about Jen's childhood, family, rise to stardom, likes and dislikes, romantic life, and more!

From an early age, Carol Burnett developed a love for entertainment, teaching herself to "Tarzan yell" at age nine. After graduating from high school, Burnett studied theater arts and English at UCLA, which only solidified her passion for acting. She fell in love with making audiences laugh, landing her first breakthrough role in Broadway's Once Upon a Mattress. Since then, Burnett went on to perform on programs like The Garry Moore Show and Julie and Carol at Carnegie Hall. In 1967, The Carol Burnett Show was born, breaking ground and earning her several Emmys and Golden Globes.

Auntie su familia y amigos la conocen como Úrsula Hilaria Celia de la Caridad Cruz Alfonso, el mundo se refiere a ella simplemente como Celia Cruz. Trap comenzar su carrera en 1950, Celia se hizo cada vez más popular como la nueva cantante principal de la banda cubana Sonora Matancera. Su exceptional rango vocal y sus llamativos vestuarios hicieron que los fanáticos se enamoraran de ella.

A través de este gran viaje en forma de libro, conocerás cada uno de esos instantes emblemáticos para la gran familia polinesia y descubrirás por qué se han quedado en el corazón de millones de personas.

As a shy young boy, Fred Rogers found comfort in telling stories through puppets. When television grew in popularity, he knew he wanted to create a show that encouraged kindness and goodness. His show Mister Rogers' Neighborhood shaped modern television and cemented his legacy.

Olivia Rodrigo is an award-winning singer and songwriter who has sold out stadiums around the world! Before she became a pop star, she was a little girl who loved listening to music with her parents and wanted to be an actress. Explore how Olivia Rodrigo went from making her own music videos at home to being a famous singer, songwriter, and entertainer.

Born in Ontario, Canada, in 1940, Alex Trebek grew up listening to the radio and hoping to one day become a broadcaster. His dream became a reality when he was hired as a reporter for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in 1961. Alex's composed nature and ability to skillfully improvise while on television eventually led to his role as the host of Jeopardy!, the biggest quiz game show in the United States.

In 1944 the modern American ballet Appalachian Spring premiered at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. The collaborators behind the performance anxiously awaited the critical response to their artistic achievement: Would the world understand what they had done? In Ballet for Martha, the journey to this stage and the success shared among choreographer Martha Graham, composer Aaron Copland, and artist Isamu Noguchi is expressively captured by acclaimed children’s book authors Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan.

You probably know Justin Timberlake as the successful boy-band singer turned solo artist whose voice dominates the airwaves. But did you know that he sang - and lost! - on the competitive TV show Star Search at the age of 11, opened a barbecue restaurant in New York City, and wrote a song for his wife, Jessica Biel, and sang it for her on their wedding day?

Due to his wide range of musical talent and an incomparable career spanning forty-nine years, Johnny Cash has been inducted into the Country, Rock and Roll, Rockabilly, and Gospel Halls of Fame. He also won 18 Grammys and 9 Country Music Association Awards. Who Was Johnny Cash? lets young listeners learn about every step in Johnny Cash's groundbreaking musical career. As one of the best-selling American musicians of all time, Cash, born JR Carter, was known for his rich, deep voice and musical style that featured a chugging, train-like beat.

In 2010, Harry Styles was thrust into the spotlight when he auditioned for X-Factor and was placed in a new band called One Direction. That band of five young men would go on to place third in the competition, but their time together wouldn't stop there. They went on to release five albums and headline four international tours. When the band went on a break in 2016, Harry Styles decided to pursue his dream of being a solo artist. Since then, Harry has released three albums, sold out massive tours, and won a Grammy award.

Jenna Ortega’s role as Wednesday Addams in Netflix’s series Wednesday made her an international star. Since then, the actress has worked at full speed, taking on starring roles in horror films such as X, Scream IV, and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Jenna has become a role model for young Latina girls across the world and has used her voice to advocate for anti-bullying programs, AIDS healthcare support, LGBTQ+ rights, women’s rights, and gun control laws.

At four years old, Ria Thundercloud was brought into the powwow circle, ready to dance in the special jingle dress her mother made for her. As she grew up, she danced with her brothers all over Indian country. Then Ria learned more styles—tap, jazz, ballet—but still loved the expressiveness of Indigenous dance. And despite feeling different as one of the only Native American kids in her school, she always knew she could turn to dance to cheer herself up.

Before Frank Sinatra became the international superstar that we remember him as today, he was just a young boy singing for spare change in his family's New Jersey tavern. Those small beginnings would be the start of an incredible career in which Frank became one of the best-selling musicians of all time—selling over 150 million records worldwide. More than just a musician, Frank also went on to win an Academy Award and a Golden Globe during his career as an actor.