Screen People | Vegas – Celine Dion returns to Caesars Palace stage in August

     Celine Dion is returning to The Colosseum stage at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas starting Aug. 27 after a year-long hiatus to care for her husband, allow her inflamed throat muscles to heal and spend time with her three children.
Caesars Entertainment Corp. announced this week that the singer’s residency would resume with 40 performances between August and January. The singer says in a statement that it was her husband Rene Angelil who urged her return to the stage since last performing at The Colosseum on July 29 and cancelling a fall Asian tour. Angelil has been recovering after having a cancerous tumor removed last year.
A representative for Dion confirmed earlier this month that she would eventually return but without four of her band members whose contracts weren’t renewed.

Mad Men – Star Hamm has treatment for alcohol addiction

A spokeswoman for “Mad Men” star Jon Hamm says the actor recently completed treatment for alcohol addiction.
Hamm had the support of his longtime partner, actress-filmmaker Jennifer Westfeldt, in his struggle, publicist Annett Wolf said in a statement earlier this week. The couple asks for privacy and sensitivity, the statement said. No further details were provided.
The disclosure, first reported by the TMZ website, came as the final season of the 1960s-set advertising agency drama begins April 5 on AMC.
The 43-year-old Hamm plays Don Draper, a troubled advertising executive with a dark past. The role brought him stardom and repeated Emmy Award nominations.

Come to Chicago – McCartney, Metallica to headline Lollapalooza 2015

Paul McCartney, Metallica and Sam Smith will be among 130 acts at this year’s Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago.
Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell said Florence + the Machine, Bassnectar and The Weeknd are also on the lineup.
Farrell says “young talented artists will be performing alongside legends.” McCartney will be making his first appearance at Lollapalooza, while Metallica is taking a stage for the first time since 1996.
Others performing include Kaskade, Alesso, NERO, Dillon Francis, Carnage, Nicky Romero and DJ Snake. Farrell says the lineup contains “fresh faces,” including MisterWives, Ryn Weaver, Catfish and Bottlemen.
The festival, taking place July 31 to Aug. 2, marks its 11-year anniversary in Chicago’s Grant Park.

Standup – JB Smoove ‘psyched’ to perform at Garden of Laughs benefit

JB Smoove says he’s “psyched” to be performing this weekend at the Garden of Laughs benefit at Madison Square Garden.
The actor-comedian sees his participation as the perfect confluence of opportunities: He’ll be supporting a great cause, playing in his home city and making a connection with a live audience.
“That immediate response, it’s like a high,” Smoove said in an interview. He added: “I don’t think anything beats direct contact with people and that immediate response.”
Smoove is one of six comedians set to take the stage Saturday night. He’ll be joined by Dane Cook, Lewis Black, Bill Burr, Billy Gardell and John Oliver. He refers to the lineup as “an ice cream parlor of comedian flavors.”
“I haven’t figured out what flavor I am, yet. Maybe I’m butterscotch or even mocha,” Smoove joked.

Country – Oak Ridge Boys, Browns, Martin join hall of fame

Vocal quartet The Oak Ridge Boys, Jim Ed Brown and his singing sisters, and longtime session guitarist Grady Martin are the newest members of the Country Music Hall of Fame.
The Country Music Association announced their selection yesterday. The induction will take place later this year at the museum’s annual medallion ceremony in Nashville, Tennessee.
The Oak Ridge Boys made the hits “I’ll Be True to You,” ‘’American Made” and “Elvira” and became known to a non-country audience when they sang backup to Paul Simon’s “Slip Slidin’ Away.” They’ve sung behind Johnny Cash, Ray Charles, Bill Monroe and others.
While they are being inducted in the modern era artist category, the Boys were founded as the Georgia Clodhoppers in 1943 in Knoxville, Tennessee. They sang so often to staff members and families at the Oak Ridge nuclear facility that the group changed its name to the Oak Ridge Quartet two years later.
The modern members — Duane Allen, Joe Bonsall, William Lee Golden and Richard Sterban — are being inducted. Golden is the one with the long, flowing white hair and beard.

Oprah – TV celeb selling furniture, paintings in auction

Oprah Winfrey will auction off paintings, furniture, designer clothing and other items from her Chicago residence next month.
Leslie Hindman Auctioneers said this week that the proceeds will benefit the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa, which tries to prepare disadvantaged high school-aged girls to be future leaders. The auction house plans a preview exhibit starting April 16. The auction will be held April 25, with bidding in person and online.
Winfrey announced earlier this month that she plans to close Harpo Studios in Chicago, where she made “The Oprah Winfrey Show” for more than 20 years. She said she would transition production for her cable network to a studio in California.