Feature Film/Miniseries Based On The Life Of Siegfried & Roy

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The authorized biopic telling the life-story of Siegfried & Roy, who also serve as Executive Producers, will continue on schedule despite the recent passing of Roy Horn from complications of COVID-19 last week. The emotional story will cover their life together and how they influenced each other to achieve world-renowned success.

Nico Hofmann and Sebastian Werninger on behalf of UFA Fiction, confirmed the script by award-winning writer/director Michael Bully Herbig is in its final stages and pre-production will begin after its completion. The project has been in development with Siegfried & Roy and UFA for more than two years. The biopic will be distributed as a feature film in theaters and expanded to a limited series for television.

"Roy and I worked closely with Nico and Bully to tell the story of our life together, on and off stage," said Siegfried Fischbacher. "This will be our personal and emotional journey that could only be told as we looked back over how the connection between us built our career and led to our achievements. Now that Roy is gone, this movie will be the ultimate tribute to the truly special person Roy was not just to me but to our audiences and fans."

UFA CEO Nico Hofmann has been personally involved in the film's creation and is also executive producing.  

"Roy's death deeply affected me," said Hofmann. "Roy had so much power and an incredible energy. He only had one motto: 'Always live your dreams!'  His strength and duration inspired us all – including just recently when we met in February with Michael Bully Herbig to further refine the vision for the film. This film will be our legacy for him. Together with Siegfried we will shoot the biopic – and Roy's spirit will guide us."

"Ever since I saw my first Siegfried & Roy show in the early nineties at The Mirage in Las Vegas, I was spellbound," said Michael Bully Herbig. "Telling the story of these two exceptional artists to a large audience makes me very happy and is proof that dreams do come true, like Roy used to say. I am very grateful for their trust."

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Times Square Billboard Promises A Free Face Mask For Every American

DHVANI, the Activ(ist)Wear brand, unveiled a Times Square billboard promising "A Mask for Every American." The red, white and blue billboard features the internet address DHVANI.com/FreeMasks – a web page where anyone can request a free face mask, and donate to help supply masks.

The billboard kicks off a fundraising campaign to provide all 327 million American residents with a free face mask to protect themselves and others from the COVID-19 pandemic. The company will provide medical-grade masks to healthcare professionals and reusable cloth masks to the general public, per recommendations from U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

This is a personal issue for DHVANI's co-founder and chief of operations, Kanayochukwu Onwuama. Onwuama first learned of the seriousness of the personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages in the New York City area from his mother Joy Austin, a registered nurse at Elmhurst Hospital in Queens, NY. 

"When my mom told me she'd been using the same disposable mask for a whole week, my stomach dropped, and I couldn't help but cry," said Onwuama. "I immediately knew I had to do something."

"We hope nobody actually sees the billboard because they're sheltering in place," said Avi Brown, DHVANI's co-founder and chief executive. "Unprecedented times require unprecedented action. It's up to all of us to put an end to the COVID-19 pandemic. With the help of donations from the public, we're using our manufacturing and distribution resources to put a mask on every face in America."

The two founders quickly decided to help the American people fight the virus, which has already caused more than 170,000 deaths worldwide, one in four of which have been in the U.S. In Portland, where DHVANI is headquartered, the company made an initial donation of 10,000 medical-grade face masks to Providence St. Vincent Medical Center and an additional 1,000 to essential workers such as grocery store employees. Its next donation of 10,000 masks will be delivered to Elmhurst Hospital.

"Providence is grateful for DHVANI's mask donation," said Nancy Roberts, chief operating officer of Providence St. Vincent Medical Center. "Every caregiver in a patient care area, no matter what their role, wears a mask for their shift. Donations from local organizations like DHVANI help us ensure that we continue to have masks to protect our patients, their families, and our caregivers. We are truly amazed by the generosity of individuals and businesses in Oregon."

DHVANI is no stranger to philanthropic activism. Earlier this year, the brand launched their Buy One, Plant One initiative to help the reforestation effort of Australia's 8.8 million acres of brush fire devastation. The company plants a tree for every item purchased from their website. And in an effort to directly reduce plastic pollution in oceans and landfills, DHVANI recently announced its new Terra leggings and sports bras, which are made from post-consumer recycled plastic bottles. 

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Canada Goose Launches Sustainable Impact Strategy and Commits to Carbon Neutrality by 2025

Canada Goose launched its Sustainable Impact Strategy outlined in the company's first-ever Sustainability Report. Driven by its long-standing commitment to keep the planet cool and the people on it warm, the accelerated strategy includes tangible commitments supporting four key UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to ensure a sustainable future for generations to come.

As part of its Sustainable Impact Strategy, Canada Goose outlines key commitments:

Canada Goose (CNW Group/Canada Goose)

• Carbon Neutrality: Net zero direct and indirect (Scope 1 and 2) greenhouse gas emissions by 2025, through aggressive and tangible action plans which aim to reduce emissions by more than 80 per cent from current levels.
  

• Reclaimed Fur: In 2022, Canada Goose plans to introduce reclaimed fur into its supply chain, which includes beginning to manufacture parkas using reclaimed fur and ending the purchasing of new fur. The company also plans to launch a consumer buy-back program for fur in the months ahead.

• Responsible Down Standard (RDS): In 2019, in partnership with Textile Exchange, the company completed third-party compliance audits at 100 per cent of its manufacturing facilities and commits to being 100 per cent RDS-certified by 2021.

• bluesign®: Commit to reach 90 per cent of Canada Goose fabrics as bluesign® approved for responsible and sustainable practices by 2025, increasing from 32 per cent in 2019.
  

• Plastic-Free: Eliminating single-use plastics in all Canada Goose owned or controlled facilities.

Sustainability has been a foundational part of the Canada Goose business model for more than 60 years, starting with its unwavering commitment to making best-in-class products using highest quality materials and craftsmanship. The company's 2019 Sustainability Report marks its first step in measuring and publishing its global environmental and social impact, and new and ongoing commitments in support of four key UN SDGs.

The inaugural report also highlights the company's long-standing global citizenship initiatives including its Polar Bears International (PBI) collection, the Canada Goose Resource Centres Program and Project Atigi, all aimed at supporting Canada's Northern communities. As well, the report details innovative employee-driven sustainability initiatives, giving programs, and impactful commitments to reduce its environmental footprint and transform operations.

"We have always believed in building a business that is good for our team, for the communities we're a part of and for the planet, for generations to come," said Dani Reiss, President & CEO, Canada Goose. "No matter how much we've done over the last 60 years, we need to do more – the world can't wait. Our aggressive commitments outlined in our first Sustainability Report are the steps we're taking to transform the way we do business and ensure we are doing everything we can to create the future we want to see."

As part of its accelerated Sustainable Impact Strategy, Canada Goose also announced it achieved carbon neutrality as of March 2020 through investments in strategic offsetting projects, equivalent to 200% of its annual greenhouse gas emissions. The company will continue to offset at this level as it continues to transform business operations to achieve its 80 per cent emissions reduction targets by 2025.

To read the full report, visit: canadagoose.com/sustainability/

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Loverboy Launches A Refreshing Twist On The Classic Spritz

Loverboy, a New York based better-for-you beverage startup, founded by Bravo TV's Kyle Cooke from Summer House, announces the launch of its first 'Spritz' product, a distinctive low calorie, no sugar added option as a flirtatious twist on the traditional spritz. Exclusively sold online, direct-to-consumer—Loverboy Spritz will bring summer to your doorstep as a refreshing new ready-to-drink canned beverage.

To meet demands for the health-conscious consumer, the new bubbly Loverboy Spritz is designed to taste like a freshly-shaken cocktail without being overly sweet or artificial. "We love the refreshing nature of a spritz cocktail, but recognize it's high in sugar and calories," said Cooke, "we created our own spritz with quality ingredients and only 100 calories and 2g of sugar for a guilt-free sip, with no sugar hangovers." To bring levity to individuals at home, and taking a turn from traditional cocktail combinations, the first flavor to market is Blueberry Lemon, a combination of blueberries kissed with basil, zest, and bubbles to take you from your living room to the Amalfi Coast.

Making their spritz available to most states, Loverboy Spritz is exclusively sold online, direct-to-consumer, bypassing industry norms for a safer and more convenient delivery method. "No more trips to the store for ingredients," said Cooke. "As an already prepped, ready-to-drink beverage, our spritz is a great grab-and-go item you can take anywhere, and is less expensive than trying to duplicate a cocktail at home."

With the Loverboy brand built on family and friendship, Cooke's Summer House co-star, co-creator, and fiancé Amanda Batula serves as the brand's Creative Director, designing Loverboy's packaging and managing branding and merchandise. As their first line of sparkling hard teas was inspired by Kyle's persona; colorful and playful -The Spritz will embody Amanda's with a classic feel; minimal, elevated and sophisticated, yet sexy. "We wanted a look and feel that was elegant enough to toast at a wedding, yet cool and fun to post on your Instagram feed," stated Batula. Joined by co-star Carl Radke, who heads sales and business dev for Loverboy, the trio promises the spritz will "turn any occasion into a special occasion.”

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The Princess and The Platypus Foundation Presents The Princess Diana Museum

The largest collection of Princess Diana's personal historical items in the world currently on display, online 24/7. The only Diana online museum that contains over 1,700 carefully curated iconic, personal and historical artifacts spanning Diana's lifetime from early childhood through her tragic death. Displayed in a 3D interactive environment, the artifacts depict her incredible life and reveal her enduring legacy.

Once inside the museum, a real time location map and virtual avatars will guide you through the museum in English or Spanish. An exclusive community chat and video feature will enable visitors to share experiences in real time to create a sense of belonging. In addition, over 40 exclusive interviews with Diana's friends, designers, artists and closest collaborators will give you a unique insight of one of the biggest icons in modern history. We hope this virtual journey will unite people from all around the world and inspire a desire to treat others with kindness and to help others while expecting nothing in return just as Princess Diana once did.

"With the sudden rise of COVID-19 virus forcing us to practice 'social distancing,' we are making access to Princess Diana's Museum completely free for one month. This will not only help take people's minds off of all the bad news out there but it will help them connect with each other since users can interact in the museum environment and give back in Diana's honor", Renae Plant and Livinio Stuyck founders at The Princess & The Platypus Foundation said.

The museum works perfectly with your internet broadband connection, any operating system PC/Mac/iOS/ Android on any popular desktop, laptop or tablet internet browser. Mobile phones are not supported due to the large extent of graphical elements and information rendered.

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Earth Day 2020 Brings Together An Unprecedented Collection Of Voices

Earth Day 2020 Brings Together An Unprecedented Collection Of Voices Including Zac Efron, Patricia Espinosa, Al Gore, Denis Hayes, Alex Honnold, Van Jones, Anil Kapoor, John Kerry, Prince Albert Of Monaco, And Kyra Sedgwick To Share Their Support For Our Planet For The 50th Anniversary  

"The Earth is our environment to protect and the garden to tend to." – His Holiness Pope Francis, Earth Day 2015

With the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, April 22,  now more than ever we need to connect as a global community united in our fight to protect the health and welfare of the planet and its people. 

In support of this global movement, illustrious and preeminent religious leaders, environmental advocates, celebrities, musicians and government officials will be celebrating Earth Day with a variety of first-person video pieces demonstrating their commitment to our planet.

These messages, talks, teach-ins and performances will be part of Earth Day Network's robust 15-hour (9am ET to 11pm ET) live digital event on the homepage for the planet, earthday.org, as well as part of a comprehensive social media partnership with Twitter (#EarthDay2020), and as part of Earth Day Live.

The incredible lineup of personal video messages for Earth Day 2020 includes:

• Ed Begley, Jr., Actor, Environmentalist, Global Advisory Committee Member

• Zdeno Chara, Captain of the Boston Bruins

• Sylvia Earle, World-renowned Marine Biologist and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence

• Zac Efron, Actor and Global Advisory Committee Member

• Patricia Espinosa, UN Climate Change Executive Secretary

• Christiana Figueres, Former Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change

• Jerome Foster II, White House Climate Striker and Founder of OneMillionOfUs

• Al Gore, Former Vice President, Global Environmental Advocate, and Award-winning Filmmaker

• Denis Hayes, Organizer of the first Earth Day, Board Chair Emeritus of Earth Day Network and President, CEO, The Bullitt Foundation

• Alex Honnold, Free Climber and star of Oscar-Winning Documentary, Free Solo

• Van Jones, News Commentator

• Licypriya Kangujam, Youth Climate Activist and Founder of The Child Movement

• Anil Kapoor, Award-winning Actor, Producer, and Global Advisory Committee Member

• Ricky Kej, Grammy-Winning Musician and Global Advisory Committee Member

• John Kerry, 68th Secretary of State, Global Advisory Committee Member, Founder of World War Zero

• Thomas Lovejoy, Senior Fellow at the United Nations Foundation and Professor of Environmental Science and Policy, George Mason University.

• Bill McKibben, Founder of 350.org

• His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco, Global Advisory Committee Member

• Paul Nicklen, National Geographic Filmmaker, Photographer and Marine Biologist

• Kyra Sedgwick, Actress, Producer, Director, and Global Advisory Committee Member

• Alexandria Villaseñor, Founder and Executive Director of Earth Uprising

• Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr., President and CEO of the Hip Hop Caucus and Global Advisory Committee Member

"This unprecedented time has stopped us all in our tracks," said Kathleen Rogers, President of Earth Day Network. "As each of us ensures that those around us are safe and well, it is in a momentous opportunity to examine our individual and collective relationship with the natural world and how our activities impact the planet. The way forward is hopeful, and we have an opportunity to forever change how we interact with the environment in our own backyard and our community at large."

Earth Day 2020 is comprised of a multi-faceted program intended to activate individuals to support their planet in a safe and responsible way during the coronavirus pandemic. Titled "24 Hours of Action," Earth Day Network will reveal an action an hour that individuals can do to support our planet. Earth Day 2020 also includes a 15-hour digital Earth Day Live program on earthday.org, featuring long-form and short-form content with interactive programming, live appearances by religious leaders, celebrities, musicians, as well as live teach-ins with preeminent scientists and advocates.

In addition, individuals can participate in Earth Challenge 2020, a global citizen science initiative that will help build an open source database on air quality and plastic pollution using an app on your smartphone from the safety of your home.

About Earth Day Network    

Earth Day 2020 comes 50 years after the first Earth Day which, in 1970, mobilized over 20 million citizens to demand action on the environmental challenges of the time. Today, Earth Day is observed in around 190 countries and close to 100,000 organizations. More than 1 billion people now participate in Earth Day activities each year, making it the largest civic observance in the world. To learn more, visit earthday.org. 

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MasterClass Launches Weekly Free, Live-Stream Series with the World's Best

MasterClass, the platform that makes it possible for anyone to learn from the best announced MasterClass Live, a new series where members can connect with MasterClass instructors and outside experts, taking their learning beyond MasterClass's video-streaming classes, downloadable workbooks, and apps.

For the foreseeable future, MasterClass is making this member benefit available to all.

"MasterClass Live is directly part of our mission to democratize access to the world's best," said David Rogier, co-founder and CEO of MasterClass. "The Live sessions are free and across a wide range of topics from scientific thinking to interior design so everyone has a chance to learn from the best."

Upcoming MasterClass Live sessions include:

• Wednesday, April 22: Award-winning designer Kelly Wearstler will share interior design techniques to make any space more beautiful, creative and inspiring.

• Wednesday, April 29: Community activist and self-proclaimed "Gangsta Gardener" Ron Finley, whose MasterClass is launching on Earth Day, will share tips on how to keep plants alive and thriving, garden in any space and grow your own food.

• Wednesday, May 6: Daniel Negreanu, one of the best and most influential poker players today, will break down his tips and strategies for making the most of your hand.

• Wednesday, May 13: SPANX®  founder Sara Blakely will dive into her entrepreneurial journey and her approach to inventing, selling and marketing products that people love.

MasterClass Live sessions average an hour and are fueled by questions from the audience.  MasterClass kicked off its first session in March with former FBI hostage negotiator and MasterClass instructor Chris Voss, who discussed negotiating through collaboration and empathy in the time of social distancing. This was followed by sessions with makeup artist Bobbi Brown, renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson and Cronut® creator Dominique Ansel. Additional MasterClass Live sessions will continue to be added to the series.

MasterClass Live is free and all are welcome. Tune in on Wednesdays at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET by clicking here or by going to the MasterClass YouTube channel. Share your thoughts and join the conversation by using the hashtag #MasterClassLive on Twitter.

ABOUT MASTERCLASS: Founded in 2015, MasterClass makes it possible for anyone to learn from the best. With MasterClass, step into Anna Wintour's office, Timbaland's recording studio, and Neil Gaiman's writing retreat. Improve your serve with Serena Williams, perfect your pitch with Shonda Rhimes, and leave the atmosphere with Chris Hadfield. Hundreds of video lessons from 80+ of today's most brilliant minds are available anytime, anywhere on iOS, Android, desktop, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV and Roku with the All-Access Pass ($180/year). Subscribe to greatness with MasterClass.

MasterClass's current roster of courses includes:

Business: Howard Schultz (business leadership), Anna Wintour (creativity and leadership), Sara Blakely (self-made entrepreneurship), Bob Iger (strategy and leadership), Chris Voss (art of negotiation), Goodby and Silverstein (advertising and creativity)

Culinary Arts: Gordon Ramsay (cooking), Alice Waters (home cooking), Thomas Keller (cooking techniques), Wolfgang Puck (cooking), Dominique Ansel (French pastry), James Suckling (wine appreciation), Aaron Franklin (Texas BBQ), Massimo Bottura (Italian cooking), Gabriela Cámara (Mexican cooking)

Film and Television: Werner Herzog (filmmaking), Martin Scorsese (filmmaking), Ron Howard (directing), Spike Lee (filmmaking), Mira Nair (independent filmmaking), Jodie Foster (filmmaking), Ken Burns (documentary filmmaking), Helen Mirren (acting), Samuel L. Jackson (acting), Judd Apatow (comedy), Aaron Sorkin (screenwriting), Shonda Rhimes (writing for television), Natalie Portman (acting), David Lynch (creativity and filmmaking)

Lifestyle: Bobbi Brown (makeup and beauty), RuPaul (self-expression and authenticity), Kelly Wearstler (interior design)

Music and Entertainment: Steve Martin (comedy), Christina Aguilera (singing), Usher (performance), Reba McEntire (country music), Herbie Hancock (jazz), Deadmau5 (music production), Armin van Buuren (dance music), Hans Zimmer (film scoring), Tom Morello (electric guitar), Carlos Santana (art and soul of guitar), Timbaland (producing and beatmaking), Penn & Teller (magic), Itzhak Perlman (violin), Danny Elfman (music for film)

Writing: James Patterson (writing), David Mamet (dramatic writing), Judy Blume (writing), Malcolm Gladwell (writing), R.L. Stine (writing for young audiences), Margaret Atwood (creative writing), Dan Brown (writing thrillers), Neil Gaiman (storytelling), Billy Collins (poetry), David Baldacci (writing thrillers), Joyce Carol Oates (short story writing), David Sedaris (storytelling and humor)

Photography: Annie Leibovitz (photography), Jimmy Chin (adventure photography)

Design and Fashion: Frank Gehry (architecture), Diane von Furstenberg (how to build a fashion brand), Marc Jacobs (fashion design)

Sports and Games: Serena Williams (tennis), Stephen Curry (shooting, ball-handling, and scoring), Garry Kasparov (chess), Daniel Negreanu (poker), Phil Ivey (poker strategy), Simone Biles (gymnastics), Misty Copeland (ballet)

Politics and Society: Jane Goodall (conservation), Bob Woodward (investigative journalism), Karl Rove and David Axelrod (political campaign strategy), Paul Krugman (economics and society), Doris Kearns Goodwin (U.S. presidential history and leadership)

Science and Technology: Chris Hadfield (space exploration), Will Wright (game design), Neil deGrasse Tyson (scientific thinking and communication)

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