1. PRINCE HARRY AND MEGHAN MARKLE MARRY IN SOULFUL CEREMONY: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were wed on May 19 at Windsor Castle, in a lavish ceremony that was highlighted by celebrity appearances, a rousing sermon from a U.S. reverend, and a gospel choir. Associated Press: "The wedding was a global event, thanks to Harry’s status as a senior British royal and Markle’s celebrity after starring on the U.S. television series 'Suits' for seven years. Yet it seemed somehow so personal—and they both beamed like a couple who couldn’t take their eyes off each other. In a rousing sermon that highlighted a bit of a culture gap between outgoing Americans and reserved Brits, the Most. Rev. Michael Curry of the U.S. stirred the congregation from its fairy-tale reverie, quoting Martin Luther King in in a sermon that had some reaching for hankies and others shifting in their chairs. Joining the couple were a phalanx of celebrities, many of whom shared their wish to change the world. Oprah Winfrey, Idris Elba, Elton John, George and Amal Clooney, Serena Williams, James Corden and David and Victoria Beckham all watched from rows of seats in the Gothic masterpiece that is St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. The British weather was—gasp!— sunny and balmy, bathing the ancient stones of Windsor Castle in a beautiful spring light. Many in the throng who waited outside also embraced the trans-Atlantic symbolism of the moment. ... As they emerged from the chapel as a married couple, the two kissed—and the crowd roared. It just kept on cheering as Harry helped his wife fold her 5 meter (16½ foot) train into an Ascot Landau carriage for their procession through the streets of Windsor. Police said more than 100,000 people lined the route. The open-topped carriage was pulled by four Windsor Grey horses and past crowds waving flags and holding cellphones aloft. The newlyweds smiled and waved, smiled at each other, waved and repeated the process for the 25-minute tour of Windsor." https://bit.ly/2IDTppW
2. BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS ADDRESS GUN VIOLENCE: The Billboard Music Awards on Sunday celebrated some of the biggest stars in music, while also addressing the recent Sante Fe high school shooting through performances and in a monologue by ceremony host Kelly Clarkson. Billboard: "The first one came from Clarkson herself: In a cold open before the official show kick-off, an already-tearful Clarkson spoke about the recent school shooting in Santa Fe and explained that she was asked to lead Las Vegas' MGM Grand Garden Arena in a moment of silence. 'I’m so sick of moments of silence, it’s not working, obviously,' she said. 'Why don’t we do a moment of action? Why don’t we do a moment of change? Why don’t we change what’s happening? Because it’s horrible.' Those are tough words to follow, but it’s hard to think of a more fitting segue than Ariana Grande’s spirited performance of her new single, 'No Tears Left to Cry'—a triumphant single about picking up the pieces after tragedy, and also her first new track since the deadly attack at her Manchester concert in 2016. Yet that wasn’t the only performance of the night to reference gun violence: Bebe Rexha also got choked up as she introduced a performance from Shawn Mendes and Khalid, who sang their new duet 'Youth' with backing from the choir from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., where another mass shooting took place in February. Other artists used their spotlight to make feminist statements: Christina Aguilera and Demi Lovato debuted their new duet, 'Fall in Line,' a women’s empowerment anthem that addresses the way society polices young girls, while flanked by dancers dressed up as actual policemen." https://bit.ly/2IACWH8
3. ROYAL WEDDING DRAWS NEARLY 30 MILLION U.S. VIEWERS: The royal wedding on Saturday drew 29.2 million American viewers. Recode: "In spite of diminishing TV audiences, this year’s Windsor Castle affair garnered an estimated 29.2 million viewers in the U.S, according to a new Nielsen report. Compare that to the 2011 Royal Wedding which drew 23 million viewers in the U.S. Networks have been preparing for the event since the engagement was announced in April 2018. NBC, for instance, struck a deal with a local hotel to get views of Windsor Castle which is typically off-limits to cameras. The network also sent more than 10 correspondents to England. CBS also secured its own hotel deal. The network, which aired a prime-time special on Meghan Markle in April, dedicated 6 hours of coverage and ran a wedding recap special Saturday night. On social, there were 6.9 million interactions across Facebook and Twitter, according to Nielsen. TV networks also dedicated resources to producing video content for Snapchat. NBC, for its part, had a correspondent on the ground to host the network’s Snapchat show Stay Tuned and TLC ran a four-part video series on the wedding." https://bit.ly/2IDwqQg
* LOCAL NEWS *
CHICAGO: The Alzheimer’s Association raised $1.1 million at its 31st annual Chicago Rita Hayworth Gala, which took place May 12 at Hilton Chicago.
LAS VEGAS: Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas will rebrand as the Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas in August.
LOS ANGELES: Interactive pop-up art show Bloom will take place June 22-24 at Griffith Park. The event, which will showcase nearly a dozen large-scale installations, supports Honeylove, a local nonprofit conservation organization that aims to protect bees and inspire urban beekeepers.
For information on upcoming events in Los Angeles, visit Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/losangeles
NEW YORK: Red Nose Day has partnered with Boys & Girls Club of America to host its Hometown Heroes Block Party this evening at Madison Square Boys & Girls Club.
The New School’s 70th annual Parsons Benefit takes place tonight at Pier Sixty. The event, which is produced by Josh Wood Productions, will honor Solange Knowles; Marco Bizzarri, president and C.E.O. of Gucci; and José Neves, founder and C.E.O. of Farfetch.
The National Museum of American Jewish History’s Only In America Gala takes place Tuesday at the Mandarin Oriental New York. The event will honor Leonard Bernstein, and feature performances by Orange Is the New Black actress Lea DeLaria and students from LaGuardia High School.
The Breast Cancer Research Foundation’s annual Hot Pink Party, which took place May 17, raised more than $5.5 million.
For information on upcoming events in New York, visit Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/newyork
TORONTO: The 17th annual Grace International Jerk Food and Music Festival will take place August 9-12 at Centennial Park in Etobicoke. The event is organized by Caribbean Promotions Arts & Culture Inc.
WASHINGTON, D.C.: The Meridian Diplomacy Forum on Japan will take place June 6 at Meridian House.
The D.C. Shorts International Film Festival will present D.C. Shorts Laughs June 22-23 at Miracle Theatre. Comedians will perform live sets before introducing comedy short films from past festivals.
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With contributions from Claire Hoffman in Los Angeles and Beth Kormanik, Michele Laufik, Ian Zelaya, and Deirdre Jahn in New York.
BizBash Daily is the must-read digest of event industry news from BizBash.com.
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