Thomas Ian Nicholas sat down with ARTISTdirect.com editor and Dolor author Rick Florino to talk about his new album Heroes Are Human. Click here for the interview on Artistdirect.com.

The record is packed to the brim with hooks that could leap tall buildings in a single bound. “Color Outside The Lines” and the title track bristle with a vibrant and vital energy, segueing from robust riffs into anthemic choruses that’ll take up residency in your head for days.

The show will separate itself from the typical quiz show model, which has been to test contestants encyclopedic knowledge, The Six features six contestants or “experts” who compete against viewers by trying to answer their questions selected by spinning a horizontal wheel.

The Six is slated to begin production this Summer.

SPIKE TV IS ABOUT TO EXPLORE THE OUTRAGEOUS AND CONTROVERSIAL WORLD OF LITTLE PERSON WRESTLING

WITH “HALF PINT BRAWLERS” – PREMIERES JUNE 2 AT 11 PM, ET/PT

This half-hour reality series created by visionary Duke Straub chronicles the often-absurd yet astonishing adventures of one of the most extraordinary performance wrestling groups in the country who will do just about anything inside and outside of the ring. A combination of “Jackass” and “Little People, Big World,” the series will be seen through the eyes of these extreme little people.

The “Half Pint Brawlers” consist of Puppet, the leader and founder of the group; Bobby, the ladies man; Kato, Bobby’s brother and veteran wrestler; Mad Mexx, the Immigration Sensation and hard core wrestler; Turtle, the rookie of the group paying his dues to become a Brawler; Teo, the smallest and most athletic member; and Spyder, the regular-size announcer for the group.

Make sure you’re tuned into Spike TV on June 2nd at 11pm so you can catch these little people doing big things.

Richard Ouzounian, theater critic for The Star.com reviewed the performance and gave it a four out of four stars rating saying that–

“The whole show, however, is a Grade A outing. Kristin Hanggi’s direction moves like the wind, but is twice as inventive and also knows how to slow right down to allow some real feelings to sweep the stage.” You can read the whole review here.

Congratulations to Kristin for her exemplary directing, and cheers to the cast for a wonderful performance.

“Vivaldi”  centers on a forbidden romance that develops between composer, priest and violin virtuoso Antonio Vivaldi and his protege, singer Anna Tessieri Giro, leading him to write his enduring masterpiece “The Four Seasons.”

Giro was Vivaldi’s favorite prima donna and part of his entourage. Vivaldi at the time denied any romantic relationship, and most modern scholars believe that to be true.

The film will be selling at the Festival de Cannes.

Joey McIntyre is probably best known as the youngest member of the New Kids on the Block, but he has also engaged audiences as a season regular on David Kelley’s Boston Public and in films such as On Broadway and Tony ‘n’ Tina’s Wedding, sharing the screen with everyone from Adrian Grenier to Mila Kunis. He also had a successful stint in the Broadway production of Wicked, and Tick, Tick, Boom. Click here to check out Joey’s official website.

Flex Alexander recently wrapped the CBS pilot Regan’s Law opposite Tom Selleck and Donnie Wahlberg .  He is best known for his role as Flexter “Flex” Washington on the UPN sitcom One on One which he also co-created  and produced.

Big Live, which launches this June, is a synergistic social media network which fuses Facebook with online streaming video to give everyone everywhere an opportunity to enjoy a concert with your friends worldwide. Now you can find people who share the same taste in music with you worldwide, making you feel like you’re part of a crowd.

The logic behind the stellar site is that if you’re watching Jay-Z rock out at Madison Square Garden, you might be inspired to bond with a fellow viewer over one of his greatest hits. But Big Live’s chat function isn’t only intended to foster friendships — it’s also designed to keep users engaged. Chatting with friends that are viewing the same concert keeps them from leaving the site.

Big Live may be the new big thing to hit the Internet because now there’s a place to hang out when you’re on the Internet. You can meet up with your friends online to watch the same thing live, and finally talk about it in real time. In the future, Big Live is hoping to expand to fashion shows to news events. Needless to say, it’s going to be a Big Live summer.

Check out Big Live here.

If you enjoy great bars, great food, and great music, celebrate your Cinco de Mayo in style with the Thomas Nicholas Band when they perform at Molly Malones this Wednesday night @ 9pm. Proceeds from the performance will benefit the Life Through Art Foundation.

The band will be performing all the songs from their brand new album “Heroes Are Human” from start to finish. The CD officially drops June 1st, but you can be the first to buy a copy at the show. Doors open @ 8pm, and the band is set to perform @ 9pm. Bring all of your friends; we hope to see you there.

Be sure to keep up with Thomas Ian Nicholas on Twitter and Facebook

“Fool on the Hill No More”, by Mike Larsen for Huffington Post

(April 1, 2010)

Today, April 1st, is the first day in two years that I can say what I want. Until yesterday, I was employed as spokesman, speechwriter and press flack for a Member of Congress. As such, whatever I said or wrote was attributed to my boss and, honestly, I don’t even claim credit for half the crap I spout. So, here are some basic observations from two years inside the belly of the beast:

1. Congress is a fairly adequate representation of America.

It’s frightening, but true. House members and senators represent the best, worst and most mediocre of America. They’re health nuts and heavy drinkers; family folks and philanderers; geniuses and Joe Wilson. Granted, women and minorities are under-represented and I have to believe that there’s a much higher percentage of closeted gay Republicans here than in the country at large. But, all-in-all the lawyers, car dealers, community organizers and offspring of former politicians who serve in Congress represent us all too well.

2. Incumbents aren’t the problem, likely voters are.

Seriously, has there ever been a more incompetent pack of idiots than those of us who vote in every election? The one constant that binds every political embarrassment – from Duke Cunningham to Rod Blagojevich to William Jefferson – is that they were all repeatedly elected by likely voters.

You want to vote out the incumbents? Fine, have at it. But what makes you think the dimwits who sent Virginia Foxx to Washington would replace her with someone from our planet? Not to mention the obvious fact that ridding Washington of incumbents is a never-ending chore. Every two years there’s another batch of bums to toss out.

Besides, whatever problems Congress has – swollen prostates, an inability to listen, latent sexual deviancy – won’t be cured by turning the institution over to rookies. Look at the states with term limits, like California, and see what happens to government when your legislators are all virgins and the lobbyists are high school quarterbacks.

3. Hypocrisy knows no party.

It’s hard to beat a Treasury Secretary who doesn’t pay taxes or the Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee who can’t handle money. But for pure balls-out hypocrisy, …. (Full Article Continues on Huffington Post.com)