Thursday, December 31, 2015

Monday, December 28, 2015

Wahlburgers to Open 100 to 150 New Restaurants Nationwide

People Magazine reports that Wahlburgers is expected to open at least 100 more locations in the US and even more internationally. Here is the article:

Wahlburgers Will Open 100 to 150 New Restaurants Nationwide


Wahlburgers, the burger chain started by brothers Donnie, Mark and chef Paul Wahlberg is expanding in a big way.

A representative for the Massachusetts-based burger eatery confirmed to PEOPLE that the chain will add 100 to 150 more restaurants over the next five years.

The company—which currently has five locations in Massachusetts, New York and Toronto—has plans to open restaurants in Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Orlando, Manhattan and Washington D.C. in the near future. And according to Business Insider, they intend on expanding to 300 locations overseas.

The success of Wahlburgers is largely due to the Emmy-nominated reality show based on the restaurant, says CEO Rick Vanzura.

“It has certainly been a huge promotional vehicle,” he told Business Insider. “We saw an immediate increase in sales with the show. And Mark and Donnie understand the importance of the show to the brand so they have done everything they can to promote the show.”

But of course that also means chef Paul’s food—like their signature burger with “wahl sauce”—has to be up to par to compete with chains like Shake Shack and Five Guys.

“We’re just fortunate that people are interested in it,” he said last year. “The family name has some celebrity status to it. But we still have to live up to that.”

Donnie Wahlberg's interview with Chicago Sun-Times

Donnie Wahlberg recently spoke with students at South Shore International College Prep High School in Illinois. The Chicago Sun Times interviewed him while he was there:

Sunday Sitdown: with Donnie Wahlberg — performer, mentor to Chicago teens





He’s an actor, singer, film producer and restaurateur. But Donnie Wahlberg recently wore the hat of mentor at an inner-city school in the town he now calls home. Like many of the South Shore International College Prep High School students he spoke with, the odds were stacked against him, says Wahlberg, 46, formerly of the boy band New Kids on the Block. Wahlberg plays Danny Reagan in the CBS cop series, “Blue Bloods.” He was the eighth of nine children raised in poverty in Boston’s gritty Dorchester neighborhood (younger brother is actor Mark Wahlberg). His mother was a nurse’s aide and clerk, his father a delivery drive. His family was dependent on food stamps. Most of his siblings dropped out of high school. He says he overcame because he always wanted something more and went after it hard. The actor who currently headlines four TV shows — the others being A&E’s “Donnie Loves Jenny” and “Wahlburgers” and Pop TV’s “Rock This Boat: New Kids on the Block” — moved here after marrying actress and Chicago native Jenny McCarthy last year. He spoke with reporter Maudlyne Ihejirika. A condensed transcript follows.

“It’s very funny. I’ve been on many stages, but walking in to the halls of a school is something that moves me a lot. School was a critical part of my life. As a teen, I was bused to a predominantly black school in the time of great racial tension in Boston. Black kids were being sent to white neighborhoods and vice-versa, and the parents were rioting. Everybody was angry, but the students, we just wanted to go to school.

“Those early days shaped me. While the parents were fighting outside and protesting, I was inside meeting children of all diverse ethnicities, learning what ‘old school’ meant, about music, culture, and differences, and people. If it wasn’t for that, I can’t even imagine where I’d be today. Had I not been on those school buses, I would have had a much more narrow view of the world. So I feel very blessed for that.

“Even though I’m from Boston, I grew up in a very similar place to the South Side. Every single kid in my school was poor. We didn’t have much. The kids who were lucky weren’t on food stamps. But a lot of us had dreams.

“I got my music break from Maurice Starr, who discovered New Edition. New Edition actually lived all around the neighborhood where I went to high school. My first girlfriend dated Bobby Brown before me. Now, that’s really old school. In high school, when they opened a theater class, I just felt like it’s where I belonged. I jumped into theater freshman year, and outside school I formed New Kids On The Block.

“Even though the band took off first, I always knew acting was something I would eventually do. I was one of those kids that every time I walked down the street, I was always thinking about doing a scene in a movie. We did a lot of walking as kids. We didn’t have a family car.

“My acting break came from Mickey Rourke, in ‘Bullet,’ with Tupac Shakur. It wasn’t really a big movie, and it wasn’t that successful, but I got the hunger. I remember talking to Tupac who was probably on his fourth or fifth movie about that time, who said, ‘Once you get the taste of acting, you’re gonna want more.’

“The No. 1 person who pushed me — besides myself — was my mom. When I said, ‘Hey, I wanna go out and do some break-dancing tonight; we’re going to lay down some linoleum and dance on the street corner,’ she didn’t say, ‘Are you crazy?!’ She said, ‘OK, have a good time.’ That little bit of support means a lot.

“‘Blue Bloods’ is a huge hit, and I take it very seriously. For me, the greatest compliment is when I meet a detective or police officer, and they say, ‘You do it the way we’d like to see it on TV.’

“It’s a tough time in our country right now with police officers. But 99 percent of police really want the best, for everyone to be safe and OK. It’s not necessarily fair to judge the great ones for the few bad apples. I’m honored to play a flawed officer, one who makes mistakes and does the wrong thing sometimes. People can learn from that as well.

“Jenny and I both grew up very, very poor, with odds stacked against us, and worked really, really hard. We were dreamers who were willing to step up and risk failure to try to get where we wanted to get. And we got there. So to be able to share even the slightest bit of wisdom and experience with these students means so much to me.”

Jordan Knight invests in new Milton restaurant


Jordan has invested in a new restaurant in Milton, MA called Novara. Here are a few articles about it!

Boston Globe:

It turns out Donnie Wahlberg isn’t the only New Kid on the Block moonlighting as a restaurateur. While Wahlberg is busy with his burger chain Wahlburgers — and the A&E reality show it spawned — Jordan Knight is one of the backers of Novara, a new restaurant in Milton. We know because Knight (inset) tweeted about it this week: “I’m excited and honored to join a great group of investors in the town of Milton’s newest attraction!! NOVARA!!” The northern Italian restaurant is opening soon in the space formerly occupied by Milton Cinema. Knight’s partners are the gang behind Abby Park, namely chef Tony DeRienzo, Vance Welch, and Ajay Sadhwani.

Singer Jordan Knight an investor in soon-to-open Milton restaurant

The Patriot Ledger

MILTON – Another New Kids on the Block member is giving the restaurant business a go.

Boy band alum Jordan Knight is one of the investors in a new Italian restaurant in East Milton Square, slated to open the second week in January.

The 5,500-square foot restaurant, Novara, from the team behind Abby Park, will be at 556 Adams St., the site of the old Milton Cinema and more recently Java Joe’s.

“I’m excited and honored to join a great group of investors in the town of Milton’s newest attraction,” Knight said Tuesday via Twitter.

Abby Park’s executive chef Tony DeRienzo will put modern spins on Northern Italian cuisine. The menu offers pizzas, homemade gnocchi, Nonna’s spaghetti and meatballs, chicken parmesan and beef tenderloin and veal sirloin.
DeRienzo told The Patriot Ledger in a 2013 interview that growing up in an “old-school Italian family” in Brockton inspired his love of cooking.

Knight’s NKOTB bandmate, Donnie Wahlberg, is an owner of Hingham’s Alma Nove and Wahlburgers with his brothers, Paul and Mark Wahlberg.

The old State Theater operated at the Novara restaurant site decades ago. Its successor, the Milton Cinema, closed in the late 1980s. Java Joe’s was there from the 1990s until a five-alarm fire forced it to close in 2007. The space has been vacant since then.
Abby Park is a few doors away at 550 Adams St.

Saturday, December 26, 2015

Donnie Wahlberg's interview with CBS 2

CBS 2 in New York interviewed cast members about their favorite holiday traditions. Donnie talks about watching Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and his favorite Christmas song.

Sunday, December 20, 2015

Joey McIntyre to Guest-Star on Angel from Hell

According to People.com, Joey will be guest starring "Angel from Hell" on January 14.

Joey McIntyre is the new kid on the set of Angel from Hell.

The New Kids on the Block member will guest-star as himself on the Jan. 14 episode of the CBS comedy.

"I had a lot of fun on Angel From Hell," McIntyre, 42, tells PEOPLE exclusively of working on the Jane Lynch sitcom, which was initially scheduled to premiere in November but will now debut in the new year.

McIntyre previously worked with Angel actress Maggie Lawson on Psych and says it was "great" to be reunited once again.

Source: People.com

Monday, December 14, 2015

Pre-Order Danny Wood's new album "Look At Me"


Danny Wood's new album "Look At Me" will be released in January, but you can now pre-order it on iTunes, Google Play, and Amazon! You can also download the songs “Hold On”, “Look At Me” and “Endlessly (Betty’s Wish)” now. Click here to order!

Friday, December 11, 2015

Watch clips of Joey McIntyre in "Blind Date Project"

Here are some clips of Joey participating in the "Blind Date Project" at The 3 Clubs in Hollywood, CA on Wednesday.




Videos couresty of guavagirl26








Videos Courtesy of Shanna Salinas


Videos Courtesy of Cara Bermejo

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Watch Joey McIntyre sing "O Holy Night" at IAMA Christmas Cabaret

Here is a video clip of Joey McIntyre singing "O Holy Night" at IAMA Christmas Cabaret, Rockwell Table and Stage on Sunday night.


Video couretsy of guavagirl26

Monday, December 7, 2015

Joey McIntyre to be a guest on "The Blind Date Project"

Joey will be a guest on "The Blind Date Project" at The Three Clubs in Hollywood at 8PM on December 9th. Tickets are $20 and you can RSVP at theblinddateprojectla@gmail.com.

Thursday, December 3, 2015

See Joey McIntyre "Another Holiday Cabaret" in LA on December 6

Joey will be featured in a performance of "Another Holiday Cabaret" with the IAMA Theatre Company on December 6th at the at Rockwell Table and Stage in Los Feliz, CA at 8pm.  

Here is an article about the show from Broadway World:

Joey McIntyre, Bellamy Young, Busy Phillipps and Barrett Foa join IAMA Theatre Company's: Another Holiday Cabaret. Join Ovation Award winning theatre company IAMA in a Broadway and Hollywood star studded cabaret this Sunday, December 6th at Rockwell Table and Stage in Los Feliz at 8pm. This one night only event to benefit IAMA THEATRE COMPANY will feature Joey McIntyre (NKOTB, Bwy: Wicked), Bellamy Young (Scandal. Bwy: The Life), Barrett Foa (NCIS LA, Bwy: Spelling Bee), Busy Phillipps (Cougar Town), Cornelius Smith Jr. (Scandal), Josh Lawson (House of Lies), with IAMA's Katie Lowes* (Scandal, Iama co-artistic director), Deborah S. Craig* (Transparent, Bwy: Spelling Bee) and John Lavelle* (Bwy: The Graduate).

Showcasing IAMA and their dearest friends' musical talents, the night will include songs that mean the most to us all during the holidays. The one night only event is a benefit for the IAMA Theatre Company and their 2016 theatrical season.

Additional performances by IAMA company members include Adam Shapiro* (Steve Jobs), Amy Rosoff* (House of Lies), Brandon Scott* (Grey's Anatomy), Christine Woods* (Hello Ladies),Graham Sibley* (Grey's Anatomy), Laila Ayad* (Grey's Anatomy), Margaux Susi* (Blind Date Project), Mark Saul* (Agent X), Sara Utterback* (Grey's Anatomy) and Stefanie Black* (Casual, Iama co-artistic director)

Produced by Cymbre Walk* and Deanna Barillari*. Musical direction by Rachael Lawrence, known for her expansive work on Broadway, TV, and film.

Hosted by television host and personality Matthew Hoffman (Tuesdays with Matthew).

* denotes IAMA Company member

New TV project for Joey McIntyre

According to Deadline.com, Joey will be starring on a new TV series on POP loosely based on his life (the working title is The Joey McIntyre Project). Here are the details from the article:

TVGN launched its rebrand into Pop with reality series Rock This Boat: New Kids On The Block, which was used as an example of the fan-driven fare the network was going to build its new brand around. Now the network has put in the works a half-hour improv-style comedy series toplined by Rock This Boat co-star, NKOTB’s Joey McIntyre, playing a fictionalized version of himself juggling a gig as a cable talk show host and his hectic family life. He will executive produce with fellow NKOTB-er and Rock This Boat executive producer Donnie Wahlberg. Also in development at Pop are Celebrity Escape Room, a competition show set in the fully immersive environment of the hottest new craze in live action gaming; and I Watch it With My Girlfriend, a comedic talk show about fan favorite, female-skewing television hits viewed from the perspective of men.

THE JOEY MCINTYRE PROJECT is a half-hour comedy featuring Joey McIntyre as a fictionalized version of himself. The show catches up with Joey in an attempt to branch out from his New Kids on the Block fame and continue towards his goal of becoming a serious actor. Joey is given the offer to host his own daily talk show at an up-and-coming cable network, something he’s not sure is the right move. Finally relenting, Joey finds that he must navigate the absurd behind-the-scenes world of talk show development as he interacts with a revolving staff, crazed network executives and celebrity guests—and balance all of that with his own hectic family life. THE JOEY MCINTYRE PROJECT is produced by T Group Productions and executive produced by Donnie Wahlberg, Jenny McCarthy, Joey McIntyre, Jenny Daly, Paul Greenberg and Tim Gibbons.