On July 17th, 1955, Disneyland opened in Anaheim, California.

In 1959, jazz singer Billie Holiday died in a New York hospital while under arrest for narcotics possession. She was 44.

In 1961, The Supremes released their first record, “Buttered Popcorn.”

Also in 1961, John Chancellor replaced Dave Garroway on the “Today” show, but admitted he hated the job and wanted out after the first day.

In 1965, “Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag” by James Brown was released. It sold more than two million copies.

In 1967, Jimi Hendrix performed as the opening act for The Monkees in New York.

In 1968, the animated Beatles film “Yellow Submarine” premiered at the London Pavilion.

In 1982, “Valley Girl” by Frank Zappa and his 14-year-old daughter, Moon Unit, entered the pop chart.

In 1986, 50 people were hurt in gang violence outside a Run-DMC show in Long Beach, California.

In 1991, the revamped Lynyrd Skynyrd opened its world tour in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Also in 1991, James Brown was honored by his native state of Georgia for his comeback following a two-year prison term.

In 1996, bassist Chas Chandler of The Animals died in a British hospital at age 57. He had been undergoing tests related to an aortic aneurysm.

Also in 1996, Smashing Pumpkins fired drummer Jimmy Chamberlin. The announcement came less than a week after Chamberlin was arrested on a drug charge and backup keyboardist Jonathan Melvoin was found dead of a heroin overdose.

(AP) — Stevie Wonder says he won’t perform in Florida and other states with a “stand your ground” law.

In a video posted on YouTube, the 63-year-old singer said at a concert in Quebec City, Canada, on Sunday “that until the ‘stand your ground’ law is abolished in Florida, I will never perform there again.” Wonder added: “Wherever I find that law exists, I will not perform in that state or in that part of the world.”

The “stand your ground” law allows people to use deadly force if they believe their life is in danger.

George Zimmerman shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin during a February 2012 confrontation in Sanford, Fla. Zimmerman said he fired his gun in self-defense. A six-member jury acquitted Zimmerman of second-degree murder and manslaughter charges on Saturday.

Wonder’s representative said the singer had no further comment.

Singer William Bell is 74
Actor-singer Ruben Blades is 65
Drummer Stewart Copeland of The Police is 61
Dancer Michael Flatley (“Lord of the Dance”) is 55
Actress Phoebe Cates is 50
Actor Daryl “Chill” Mitchell (“Ed”) is 48
Actor Will Ferrell is 46
Actress Rain Pryor (“Head of the Class”) is 44
Actor Corey Feldman is 42
Singer-guitarist Ed Kowalczyk (Live (LYV)) is 42
Singer Ryan McCombs of Drowning Pool is 39
Actress Jayma Mays (“Glee”) is 34
Actress AnnaLynne McCord (“Nip/Tuck”) is 26
Actor-singer James Maslow (“Big Time Rush”) is 23
Actor Mark Indelicato (“Ugly Betty”) is 19.

On July 16th, 1959, The Coasters recorded “Poison Ivy” in New York.

In 1966, guitarist Eric Clapton joined bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker to form Cream.

In 1976, Loggins and Messina broke up.

In 1980, “No Nukes,” the film documentary of anti-nuclear benefit concerts, premiered in New York. Among the performers were Jackson Browne, the Doobie Brothers and James Taylor.

In 1981, singer Harry Chapin was killed when his car was struck by a tractor-trailer on New York’s Long Island Expressway. He was on his way to a benefit concert. Chapin was 38.

In 1989, actress Rebecca Schaeffer, star of the sitcom “My Sister Sam,” was shot to death at her Los Angeles home by an obsessed fan. She was 21.

In 1994, the Three Tenors — Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras — reunited the night before the World Cup soccer final for a concert. It drew an estimated 1.3 billion TV viewers.

In 1995, rapper Queen Latifah’s bodyguard was shot and wounded when two teenagers tried to carjack her BMW in New York.

Also in 1995, Sinead O’Connor dropped out of the Lollapalooza tour because she was pregnant.

In 1996, drummer John Panozzo, one of the founding members of Styx, died of a gastrointestinal hemorrhage at his home in Chicago. He was 47.

Also in 1996, singer Dolores O’Riordan of The Cranberries accepted an undisclosed sett

The North Platte Community Playhouse’s Summer Children’s Theatre will bring the classic Roald Dahl  tale, James and the Giant Peach, to life at the Neville Center for the Performing Arts.

Over 50 local youth will showcase their acting ability as they tell the audience the story of young James, who is forced to live with his horrendous Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker, after his parents are eaten by a rhinoceros.

James soon meets three wizard-like men and is given a gift that allows him to enter a magical world filled with giant bugs and, of course, a giant peach.

North Platte Community Playhouse Executive Director, Scott Carlson, says the children never cease to amaze him year after year as they display their amazing talent and love of theatre.

There will be two performances, Saturday July 20 at 7:00 pm and Sunday July 21 at 2:00 pm.

Admission is a free-will donation to support the North Platte Community Playhouse.

The production is made possible by Kwik Stop Food Stores, the Nebraska Arts Council and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment of the Arts.  It is produced through a special arrangement with Dramatic Publishers, Inc.

Directors are Scott Carlson and Lou Cox-Fornander.

THE CAST

 

Mother	Natalie Miller
Father	Jared Wullschleger
Narrator	Breanna Patterson, Allie Hasenauer, Tatum Bagwell
Aunt Sponge	Cassie Brown
Aunt Spiker	Whitney Miller
James Trotter	Sam Mackley
Little Old Men	Abby Young, Kyrie Jenny, Dakota Guthrie
Crowd Member	Racheal Young
Old Green Grasshopper	George Gipe
Silkworm	Mia Hilber-Hansmeier
Centipede	Kinsley Ballentine
Spider	Ciera Carlson
Ladybird	Beth Goentzel
Earthworm	Jaylee Shaner
Glow-Worm	Ashley Kosmicki
Captain	Drew Phillips
First Officer	Case Axthelm
Second Officer	Grady Lashley
Cloud-Men	Derek Patterson, Danny Phillips, Caleb McKeon, Ethan Schmidt Gabe Jenny
Onlookers/Passengers	Ellie Granger, Ryleigh Lampe, Ember Lehman, Karisa Lower,Brenna McAdam,
	Tobye Miller, Livy Phillips, Caitlin Roundy, Rylee Schroeder,
	Savanna States, Paige VanSkiver, Rebecca Ady, Hannah Armstrong, Sierra Staab,
	Kate Axthelm, Kaylee Carlson, Morgan Fischer, Akoia Forder,
	Allison White, Chloe Wiegand, Molly Young, Morgan Baker

 

 

(AP) — The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is inviting women to participate in a stock tank float down the Middle Loup River in the Sandhills.

The two-hour trip is set to begin in Mullen at 9 a.m. on Aug. 24. Women can bring friends or make new ones at the Beyond Becoming an Outdoors-Woman event.

Women must be at least 18 years old to participate, and must pay a $35 registration fee. Camping is available.

The registration deadline is Aug. 12. For more information, contact Julia Plugge at 402-471-6009 or [email protected].

Actor Ken Kercheval (“Dallas”) is 78
Actor Patrick Wayne is 74
Actor Jan-Michael Vincent is 69
R&B singer Millie Jackson is 69
Guitarist-singer Peter Lewis of Moby Grape is 68
Singer Linda Ronstadt is 67
Drummer Artimus Pyle (Lynyrd Skynyrd) is 65
Actor Terry O’Quinn (“Lost,” ”West Wing,” ”Alias”) is 61
Drummer Marky Ramone (The Ramones) is 57
Guitarist Joe Satriani is 57
Actor Willie Aames (“Eight Is Enough,” ”Charles In Charge”) is 53
Model Kim Alexis is 53
Actress Lolita Davidovich is 52
Actor-director Forest Whitaker is 52
Actress Brigitte Nielsen is 50
Drummer Jason Bonham is 47
Actor Kristoff St. John (“The Young and the Restless”) is 47
Singer Stokley of Mint Condition is 46
Actor-comedian Eddie Griffin (“Malcolm and Eddie”) is 45
Actor Jim Rash (“Community”) is 42
Drummer John Dolmayan of System Of A Down and of Scars On Broadway is 41
Actor Scott Foley (“Felicity”) is 41
Actor Brian Austin Green (“Beverly Hills 90210”) is 40
Rapper Jim Jones is 37
Actress Lana Parrilla (LAH’-nuh pa-REE’-uh) (“Swingtown”) is 36
Guitarist Ray Toro of My Chemical Romance is 36
Singer Kia Thornton of Divine is 32
Actor Tristan Wilds (“90210”) is 24.

On July 15th, 1973, singer Ray Davies announced during a concert in London that he was leaving The Kinks. He returned after a few days.

In 1980, singers Linda Ronstadt and Rex Smith opened in a production of “The Pirates of Penzance” at the New York Shakespeare Festival. The production moved to Broadway in 1981 and eventually was made into a movie.

In 1986, Columbia Records dropped Johnny Cash after 28 years. Cash signed a new recording contract with Polygram later the next year.

In 1988, MTV banned the video for Neil Young’s “This Note’s For You” because it ridiculed MTV sponsors.

In 1989, more than 200,000 people crammed into Venice for a free Pink Floyd concert. Before the show began, 80 people were slightly hurt in a scuffle, and residents complained about littering and drug use.

In 1991, actor and game show host Bert Convy died in Los Angeles.

In 1994, singer Phil Collins announced he was seeking a divorce from his wife, Jill.

In 1998, drummer Joey Kramer of Aerosmith was burned when his Ferrari caught fire at a gas station in Scituate (SICH’-yoo-it), Massachusetts.

In 2006, Avril Lavigne married Sum 41 singer Deryck Whibley in Montecito, California. They have since divorced.

A California television station was the victim of a prank following the crash of Asiana Flight 214 in San Francisco last week.  The station reported what they claimed were the names of the pilots flying the plane, even saying that the information was confirmed by the National Transportation Safety Board.  The station quickly issued an apology, but the anchor reads the names without batting an eye.  Check it out…

(AP) — The producers of “Glee” are describing Cory Monteith as an exceptional performer and an “even more exceptional person.”

The actor who played Finn Hudson on the Fox TV series was found dead in his Vancouver, B.C., hotel room yesterday.

Police say there was no indication of foul play, but the coroner’s office says it does not have a great deal of information as to cause of death.

Lepard said the 31-year-old Monteith had been out with people earlier and that those people are being interviewed.

Monteith had struggled with addiction, and once said he felt lucky to be alive. He had voluntarily entered rehab for substance abuse problems in April.