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Cast of 'The Sopranos' reuniting for firefighter charity

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Members of “The Sopranos” cast in 2006 – Evan Agostini/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — For the first time since the Emmy-winning HBO show’s 20th anniversary, the cast and creators of The Sopranos will reunite, for a good cause. 

The mob, including creator David Chase, and stars including Steve Buscemi, Edie Falco, Michael Imperioli, Robert Iler, Drea de Matteo, Vincent Pastore, Steve Schirripa, and Jamie-Lynn Sigler, will join together on December 18 for a virtual event benefiting Friends of Firefighters.  The charity was founded in the aftermath of 9/11 to support active and retired New York City firefighters and their families.  

You can donate to Friends of Firefighters yourself, by giving at Tiltify.com

Incidentally, Steve Buscemi himself was once an NYFD fireman, and he spent hours volunteering on The Pile, the name for the Ground Zero site where the World Trade Center once stood, to aid recovery efforts for the 343 fire fighters that were killed on September 11, 2001. 

The Sopranos aired for six seasons on HBO beginning in 1999 and won 21 Primetime Emmy Awards. A prequel film, The Many Saints of Newark, starring Michael Gandolfini as Tony Soprano, his late father James’ role, will hit theaters and HBO Max later this year.

By Stephen Iervolino
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Melissa VillaseƱor delivers Dolly Parton impression on 'Saturday Night Live'

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Ian Gavan/Getty ImagesComedian and Saturday Night Live cast member Melissa Villaseñor delivered a spot-on impression of Dolly Parton during the Weekend Update segment of the show.

Dressed in a Dolly Parton costume complete with a wig, bedazzled white dress and enhanced cleavage, Melissa coyly tells Weekend Update co-anchor Colin Jost that she’s only there to perform Christmas songs, and not impersonate Dolly.

But then, Melissa opens her three-song set with a spot-on impression of Dolly singing “Holly Jolly Christmas” before delivering a new rendition of “Jingle Bells,” set to the tune of “Jolene.” 

“News flash, I want to be Dolly, who doesn’t? She’s the coolest. She’s a great singer, she writes her own songs, she donated a million dollars to the vaccine,” Melissa declares between songs, rounding out her impression by singing what she jokingly refers to as her favorite hymn she used to hear at midnight mass — Dolly’s iconic “9 to 5.” 

In a follow-up Instagram post, Melissa shares that Dolly’s book Dream More offered her a source of comfort during the pandemic. 

@dollyparton i love you. Early in pandemic i was alone for while at home and i was desperate for someone to bring me comfort and i found dolly’s audiobook “dream more” it made me cry and smile and laugh and believe again,” the comedian writes. 

Dolly hosted and performed on SNL in 1989.

By Cillea Houghton
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

University of Florida basketball player remains critical but stable after collapsing during game

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Mary Holt/Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesBy CARMEN COX, ABC News

(TALLAHASSEE, Fla.) — University of Florida basketball player Keyontae Johnson is in critical but stable condition after collapsing on the court in the middle of a game against Florida State Saturday.

The Gators had just come out of a timeout when Johnson, a junior from Norfolk, Virginia, collapsed on the court. Johnson was transported to Tallahassee Memorial hospital after receiving emergency medical care in the locker room.

During Saturday’s 83-71 loss to Florida State, Johnson had scored five points in four minutes. This season, Johnson has averaged 19.7 points per game, according to ESPN.

Since Saturday’s incident, Johnson’s parents, Gators coach Mike White and associate AD for sports health Dave Werner have stayed with him at the hospital.

It’s not clear what caused Saturday’s emergency, though Johnson did test positive for COVID-19 during the summer, ESPN reports.

Watch the full report from ABC News with video from Saturday’s game:

Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Ashley McBryde, Hardy & more named to 2021 CRS New Faces

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Country Radio Broadcasters Ashley McBryde, Hardy, Matt Stell, Travis Denning and Tenille Arts have been named to the Country Radio Seminar’s New Faces class of 2021.

The New Faces of Country Music show lineup is voted on by members of the country music industry. The show has been a key component of the annual CRS, which launched in 1970, showcasing the up-and-coming artists who are expected to make a significant breakthrough in the genre. Previous artists who were named to New Faces include Taylor Swift, Luke Combs, Luke Bryan and Maren Morris

CRS is a three-day event typically held in Nashville that brings together professionals in radio and the music industry for a variety of panels and workshops. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, CRS 2021 will be held virtually on February 16-19. All five artists will perform when the New Faces of Country Music show closes out the seminar on February 19.

By Cillea Houghton
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

'The Witcher' limps on without injured Henry Cavill

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Jay Maidment/Netflix(LONDON) — Filming on the Netflix drama The Witcher is plowing ahead without star Henry Cavill, who is recovering from what’s being described as a “minor leg muscle injury” sustained during production on the series shooting in London, according to The Sun

Production on The Witcher’s second season has been suspended twice: first in March when actor Kristofer Hivju revealed he had tested positive for COVID-19. That pause lasted until mid-August as the UK went into lockdown over the spring.  Filming was halted again in November following multiple positive cases of the virus. 

The series, which is based on Andrzej Sapkowski’s books that center on supernaturally-empowered beast hunters known as Witchers, ranks as one of Netflix’s most popular series. It is spawning an upcoming prequel for the streaming service, called The Witcher: Blood Origin.

By George Costantino and Stephen Iervolino
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.