With 16 Grammy(TM) Awards Between Them, Christina Aguilera, Mary J. Blige and Toni Braxton Join 'Mr. Las Vegas' Wayne Newton and KA(TM) by Cirque du Soleil(R) to Headline NBA All-Star 2007 Entertainment
New York (ots/PRNewswire)
Four-time Grammy(TM) Award-winning artist Christina Aguilera, winner of Sunday night's Grammy for best female pop vocal performance, six-time Grammy Award-winning R&B artist Toni Braxton, and six-time Grammy Award-winning artist Mary J. Blige, who took home three Grammys Sunday night, will headline the entertainment for NBA All-Star 2007 in Las Vegas.
Aguilera and Braxton will headline the halftime show of the 56th NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 18 at 8 p.m. ET at the Thomas & Mack Center. The game will air live on TNT, ESPN Radio and in 215 countries and territories. Braxton, currently starring in her hit production show, "Toni Braxton: Revealed," at the Flamingo in Las Vegas, will open Sunday's halftime extravaganza by performing "Making Me High" from her Secrets album and "Take This Ring" from her Libra album. To culminate the show Aguilera will perform two songs from her 2006 Grammy-nominated, certified platinum album Back to Basics, "Ain't No Other Man," for which she won best female pop vocal performance at Sunday's Grammys, and "Candyman." This will be Aguilera's last live performance before kicking off her nationwide tour Feb. 20, 2007.
On Saturday, Feb. 17, multi-platinum recording artist Blige, who won three Grammys Sunday night including best R&B album for The Breakthrough, as well as best R&B song and best female R&B vocal performance for "Be Without You," will pay tribute to NBA Cares, the league's social responsibility initiative with a special performance of her rendition of the U2 original hit "One" during NBA All-Star Saturday Night presented by EA SPORTS at the Thomas & Mack Center airing live on TNT at 8 p.m. ET. Footage from some of the hundreds of NBA Cares events, featuring current and former NBA players working in communities around the world will be thread into the performance.
In addition to the musical acts during Sunday's All-Star Game, Cirque du Soleil(R) artists will perform a dynamic display of acrobatic martial arts from the opening act of KA(TM), the gravity-defying production presented at MGM Grand.
Prior to the start of the All-Star Game, nine-time Las Vegas "Entertainer of the Year" Danny Gans, who is celebrating his 11th year as a Las Vegas headliner and seven years as a solo performer in his very own 1,265-seat theater at the world famous Mirage, will perform the National Anthem.
In a special performance, "Mr. Las Vegas" Wayne Newton, currently headlining at Harrah's, Las Vegas will lend his remarkable voice and energy to perform as only he can as part of the NBA All-Star player introductions. During this performance, the famed Folies Bergere Showgirls from the Tropicana Hotel and Casino will dazzle the crowd with their signature moves providing a Vegas-style show for the arena and live television audience to enjoy.
About NBA All-Star 2007
NBA All-Star 2007 brings together the top NBA players and performers for a week of competition, community service, and world-class entertainment. Among the many events that reach fans in 215 countries and territories are the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam; McDonald's NBA All-Star Celebrity Game presented by 2K Sports; NBA All-Star Saturday Night presented by EA SPORTS (Sprite Slam Dunk; Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout; PlayStation Skills Challenge; and Haier Shooting Stars); NBA All-Star Jam Session presented by adidas, the league's interactive event that attracts more than 100,000 fans each year; and the 56th NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 18.
Web site: http://www.nba.com
Contact:
Amanda Thorn, +1-212-407-8477, athorn@nba.com, or David Cooper,
+1-212-407-8095, dcooper@nba.com, both of NBA