'City of Joseph' Pageant Starts; Expects to Draw 50,000

Nearly 1,000 cast and crew members gathered in Navoo, Illinois this week, as preparation for this year's "City of Joseph" pageant got underway. It is estimated that 50,000 people will attend the two week pageant that will tell the story of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint's prophet Joseph Smith and the founding of the city of Nauvoo in 1839.

Guess Who Album Set For August

While The Guess Who, which includes LDS rocker Randy Bachman, are touring this summer, their first album since they were reunited will be released, according to Bachman's business Manager Paul Whitteker.

Ord's Play Didn't Pay

Maren Ord, Canada's hottest and youngest LDS music star, has been touring small public venues throughout her native land and our neighbours to the south in hopes to establish a name for herself among LDS and non-LDS audiences alike.

New Products: Classic Books Reissued, Edgar Mint Gets Critical Praise

This week's new books include two classics that have been reissued, and a new novel that is winning national critical praise. Dean Jessee's "Personal Writings of Joseph Smith" and B. H. Roberts' "Mormon Battalion" have both been reissued in new editions from LDS publishers, while two new books, Lewis B. Horne's collection of short stories and Brady Udall's novel, "The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint" are likely to gain crtical praise, already seen in the case of Udall's "Edgar Mint."

Bestsellers: Kirn's 'Up in the Air' Makes Lists

After a month-long hiatus for logistical reasons, Mormon News' bestseller lists have returned to find that former LDS Church member Walter Kirn's most recent book, "Up in the Air" has just appeared on several major bestseller lists. The book is a satiric look at modern business culture.

'Lady in Waiting' to be performed at Margetts Theatre

"Lady in Waiting," an original play by Brigham Young University graduate student Melissa Larson, will be performed in the Margetts Theatre Aug. 1-4 and 7-11 as part of the 2001 Theatre Student Showcase.

Top Musicians Respond to Brigham City

It's finally here! The much-anticipated album "Welcome To Brigham" hits stores today, July 24, across the nation. "Welcome To Brigham" is a musical response to the critically acclaimed motion picture "Brigham City." Rich melodies and haunting lyrics allow the listener to relive the warmth, wonder and mystery of this stirring Zion Films production.

Family Celebrates Their Newly Discovered Heritage

Thomas and LeJoyce Bailey wanted to have a unique family reunion -- one that the family would always remember. They decided to do a little family history, research where their family came from, and plan activities based on their pioneer heritage and celebrate family traditions.

KBYU Television documentary receives regional Emmy award

KBYU Television received an Emmy Award for its original documentary, "Brides on the Homefront," at the recent Rocky Mountain Southwest Emmy Awards. "Brides on the Homefront" explores the lives of three American women who fell in love during World War II. The documentary was produced by Rebecca Byers Taylor and directed by Melissa Puente, both of whom were BYU students majoring in theatre and media arts at the time of its production.

Arts & Entertainment News Briefs

Ryan Shupe and Rubberband Record 'Live' CD

The LDS bluegrass band Ryan Shupe and the Rubber Band released a new live album June first titled "Live" which is only available at their concerts. The band, which was called the "Dave Matthews Band gone bluegrass" by MTV.com, has changed somewhat since its previous album, with the addition of Bart Olson on drums and Jeremy Nielsen on bass. Its new CD draws on previously unreleased material, recorded at two sold-out shows February 2-3 at the Junction Theater in Ogden, including a nine-minute version of "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" and a version of "Rainbow Connection" that leads into "Banjo Boy." The group sold over 16,000 copies of their first two albums, and also appeared in the film "God's Army" performing "Go To Hell."

LDS Filmmaker Groberg Recognized with Pioneer Day Award

Film maker Lee B. Groberg, a native of Farr West, Utah, was given one of five 2001 Utah Pioneers of Progress awards Tuesday as part of the "Days of '47" celebration. The awards honor outstanding Utah citizens who have, in their own areas of endeavor, carried on the pioneering spirit of the original pioneers who first settled Utah. Grobert is the owner of Groberg Communications, a film production company, and has produced two highly acclaimed documentaries for PBS, "Trail of Hope: The Story of the Mormon Trail," and "American Prophet: The Story of Joseph Smith." Groberg was born in 1951 and now resides in Bountiful, Utah with his wife, Jeanene and seven children. In addition to "Trail of Hope" and "American Prophet" Groberg also wrote and directed "American Gunmaker: The John M. Browning Story," two other documentaries and three educational films. He is currently working on a film about Nauvoo.

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