Breakout country band Gloriana performed at the Royale in Boston on Thursday night. Fans lined the street hours before the show, hoping to get the best seats in the house.

The band is made up of brothers Tom and Mike Gossin. They've been making music together since 2007 when they moved to Nashville and met third band member Rachel Reinert. Gloriana quickly rose to fame after being hand picked by Taylor Swift to open for her Fearless tour three years ago. Ever since Gloriana has been on the road promoting their self-titles album "Gloriana."

Cheering loudly, fans filled the venue with excitement and begged for Gloriana to take the stage. As promised, the band members came out at 9:45pm and began their set. They made a point to interact with the audience. Tom even gave the crowd a shout-out for having great singing voices. The fans went wild when the band members debuted their new single "(Kissed You) Goodnight."

The energy was high all night. The band was a perfect example of live music at its best, blending sweet country harmonies and rock-style country riffs. Rachel commanded the stage with her sassy solo "Rocky," and then the three came back together, receiving loud cheers when they performed John Mellencamp's classic "Small Town."

The fans were clearly demanding an encore and Gloriana delivered. The band stuck around after the concert to sign autographs and take pictures with fans. The production crew worked in the background taking down the stage and erasing what had been a mere hour ago. But the impact on the fans will stick for a long time.

Rick Santorum has suspended his campaign. The former Pennsylvania Senator made his announcement following the weekend hospitalization of his 3-year old daughter Isabella. This is the second time she has been hospitalized since the start of the campaign. Santorum says though his campaign has ended, he will not give up on America.

"We made a decision over the weekend that while the Presidential race for us is over, and I will suspend my campaign effective today, we are not done fighting."

Santorum's withdrawal clears a straight path for frontrunner Mitt Romney, who now seems to be the Republican nominee to take on President Barack Obama in the fall.

The former competitors spoke before this announcement. Romney said Santorum "has proven himself to be an important voice in our party and in the nation."

Even former House Speaker Newt Gingrich had earlieradmitted that Romney was the likely candidate. He plans to continue his bid at least until the Republican National Convention in August. Gingrich's goal is to prevent Romney from gaining all 1,144 delegates.

Author Seth Grahame Smith was in Boston to speak about his increasingly successful career as a screenwriter.

Smith has written two New York Times best-selling books, Prides & Prejudice and Zombies and Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter. One audience member asked how he came up with the idea for Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter. His answer was "every store I went into there was a bookshelf of Lincoln books next to a shelf of Twilight books." He pointed out that this was during the 100th birthday celebration of Abraham Lincoln and the time of the Twilight craze.

The best-selling author got his first big break when he was asked to write for a web-only TV series "Clark & Michael" starring Michael Cera who was an unknown actor at the time. The series didn't take him anywhere, but he pointed out, "it's only a mistake if you don't learn from it."

Smith mentioned the many disappointments he's had throughout his career. These disappointments included writing several books about topics ranging from politics to the porn industry. Although these books never made it big in Hollywood he said, "I don't know if it was stubbornness or stupidity but I just wouldn't leave [Los Angeles]."

Smith spoke about his upcoming projects. He discussed his writing for the upcoming film," Dark Shadows" and how director Tim Burton originally approached him to write the movie.

Smith pointed out that his main reason for speaking was to reiterate his main motto in life. He said, "There's no path, no timetable. There's just what you want."

"The Cabin in the Woods" is a love letter to classic horror flicks. Writers Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dollhouse) and Drew Goddard (Cloverfield) invite viewers to what seems like a spoof on horror flicks. It evolves into a story filled with monsters, clichés and a touch of science fiction.

The movie starts off the way every good horror movie does, with five college aged friends going to a mysterious looking cabin in the woods. Evil Dead fans will recall the interior of the cabin as an homage to Sam Raimi's classic.

The characters are the all to familiar archetypes of the horror genre. There's the promiscuous blonde girl (Anna Hutchison) and her virginal friend (Kristen Conolly). There's the jock (Chris "Thor" Hemsworth), the smart-guy (Jesse Williams) and the stoner who looks like Shaggy from Scoobie Doo. (Dollhouse fans will remember Fran Kranz.)

The writers pit the unassuming heroes against what appears to be a government agency led by veteran actors Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford. Their behind the scenes meddling is what sets "The Cabin in the Woods" apart from its horror movie cousins. There's a great cameo in the last 10 minutes of the film that made every fan-boy in the theater squeal.

But the real star of the film is the writing. Fans of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Angel," and "Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-long Blog" will be happy to see the same level of care and wit in this script. Even those unfamiliar with the Whedonverse will enjoy the well timed jokes and quips strewn throughout the dialogue. Whedon and Goddard are at the top of their game keeping the characters real and the blood level delightfully over the top without making it look like a Quentin Tarantino knock off. Whedon is famous for character development in his films and shows, and this script doesn't fall back on a deux ex machina to drive the story.

"The Cabin in the Woods" takes the story we're seen a dozen times over and rehashes it into a unique and fun experience. You don't have to be a horror fan to enjoy it, but you may get more of the inside jokes.

This musical is anything but normal. The Boston premiere of the rock musical Next to Normal was brought to the SpeakEasy Stage Company. Next to Normal takes you into the life of an ordinary suburban family dealing the extraordinary effects of a mother's mental illness.

Mental illness may not be the subject of choice for a musical. But composer Tom Kitt (American Idiot) and bookwriter/lyricist Brian Yorkey (Making Tracks) take a heavy topic and treat it with care. The pop rock score tells the intense and emotional story of how a family comes to terms with its past and faces its future. Kitt and Yorkey won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama along with three Tony Awards. Next to Normal features over 35 songs and very little dialogue.

The small 6-member cast works extremely well together to depict realistically this struggling family. The musical scores are anything but simple with multiple six-part harmonies. But the performers and musicians manage to pull off almost every number throughout the musical journey.

Kerry A. Dowling plays Diana Goodman, a bipolar mother trying to let go of her traumatic past. But the combinations of her prescription cocktail and extreme depression keep Diana from maintaining a normal lifestyle. Dowling is successful in capturing the spectrum of Diana's everyday life. Dowling's interpretation of Diana's insanity and return to reality captivated the audience. However, Dowling's classically trained soprano did not work well with the pop-rock score. In the song "Didn't I See This Movie?" Dowling attempts to belt out lyrics, but she more or less screams them instead. Her voice did excel in quieter ballads like "I Miss The Mountains."

The rest of the show is well cast. Boston Conservatory musical theater student Sarah Drake stands out as the quirky, attention-starved daughter Natalie. Drake had the best vocals and gave a flawless performance. Her on-stage stoner boyfriend Henry was played by Northeastern University graduate Michael Levesque. The chemistry between Drake and Levesque was put on display during the song "Hey" and its multiple reprises. Christopher Chew plays Diana's loving husband Dan Goodman. Chew's baritone vocals perfectly fit the Next to Normal musical score.

SpeakEasy Stage Company took the Broadway musical and transformed it into an intimate production in the Roberts Studio Theater in Boston's South End. The audience was able to capture every performer's emotion from the moment the show began. The set consisted of white panels that allowed lights to project onto the set. The projections of a wall paper design tell the audience members they are in the family's kitchen and the projections of lockers tell the audience that they are at Natalie's high school. The projections and lighting also explain the mood of the mother Diana. The chaos projected on the panels takes the audience inside Diana's head.

Next to Normal is a unique and original show. It sheds light on a subject that is not often talked about but affects many families. SpeakEasy Stage Company did an excellent job of bringing this Broadway show to the city of Boston. Next to Normal is extending its run at the Roberts Studio Theatre in the Stanford Calderwood Pavilion until April 22nd.

Comedian Amy Anderson just performed in Boston. Anderson's comedic personality runs in the family. Her 4-year-old daughter, Aubrey Anderson, plays Mitchell and Cam's adopted daughter Lily on the hit TV series "Modern Family."

Anderson began her act with some interesting news. "I just got a very big career break that happened to me today. And I'm very excited! You guys are actually the first people I'm telling...That Angelina Jolie is adopting me," she laughed.

Anderson related many of her jokes to her own personal experience. Originally born in Korea, she was adopted by Swedish parents and raised in suburbia Minnesota. Anderson received her B.A. in classical music from Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey. She worked as a dog walker and a boarding school dorm mother. Then she realized that music was not her calling and decided to go in a very different direction. She took on the Twin Cities comedy scene. For six years, she mastered her comedic abilities by working as a theater and commercial actor, sketch writer, and improv teacher. Then she made her way to L.A., where she quickly established herself and created the first Asian American showcase called Chop-SHTICK. She has also been seen on Comedy Central, and Showtime, among others.

Known as "a skinny Margaret Cho," Anderson offered the crowd some of her own advice. "Do something fun... do it now. This is the last chance you'll get to do it," she said. Near the end of the show, Anderson talked more about her daughter, Aubrey. She explained the importance of her child keeping her own money and claimed she is just a normal mother managing her daughter's money.


"Do you think that I would be performing in this cave of a room if I was making money...with these fake curtains...?" Anderson said as everyone laughed hysterically.

She did admit that her daughter's higher salary makes their relationship awkward at times. Anderson says that Aubrey's lack of financial comprehension scares her sometimes.
"Before I would be like 'Go sit in timeout, you're being naughty!' But now I'm like, 'Go to timeout ......or give me $1000 dollars,' Anderson joked.

The comedian says that what she loves about watching Aubrey on TV is that she really understands the joke.

"She's a really funny little kid and as a comedian, nothing makes me prouder," Anderson said.

Photo credit: Bad4nr

The new action flick John Carter is giving James Cameron a run for his money. Academy award-winning director Andrew Stanton and Walt Disney Pictures have combined forces to bring Edgar Rice Burroughs' book series Barsoom to the big screen.

John Carter (Taylor Kitsch) is a former Confederate soldier who has nothing to lose. He dreams of finding gold in the Arizona territory and spending the rest of his days as a rich man. But in the midst of a struggle with some Apache Indians, Carter finds himself transported to new world known as Barsoom, or as he knows it as, Mars.

Because of the gravity differences, Carter is now stronger, faster, and can jump higher than anyone else on the planet. That makes him an ally for some, such as Prince Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins) and Tars Tarkas (Willem Dafoe), or an enemy for others. But Carter soon realizes there is more happening on Barsoom than some may realize. He also finds that he may the only person who can save the planet and its people from complete destruction.

Stanton has managed to bring the incredible world Burroughs envisioned to the big screen in a true pulp fiction style adventure. It is one that fans and newcomers alike will love. This is science fiction, as well as action and adventure, at its finest.

Photo credit: DannyHerrera98

Living at home doesn't look so bad in the comedy "Jeff Who Lives at Home."

Jason Segel delivers a brilliant comedic performance as Jeff, a 30-year-old man who sits at home all day smoking weed and waiting for a sign that will help him discover his destiny.

When Jeff receives a call from a mysterious phone call from a man asking for Kevin, he believes that the name Kevin is a sign. He is attempting to decipher the code when his mother, Susan Sarandon, calls and sends him on an errand. What begins as a simple task soon unfolds into a chain of events that bring together Jeff, his mother, and his older brother Pat, played by Ed Helms, in one serendipity day.

Helms brings the perfect combination of comedy and drama to the movie. Helm's character is the one causing trouble and starting all the problems in the comedy, but he manages to yell and cause a scene while still entertaining the audience.

Following a chance meeting between Jeff and Pat, Jeff spots Pat's wife Linda, portrayed by Judy Greer, with another man. The brothers set off to follow the couple and find out what they're doing together. How Jeff and Pat interact is by far the funniest part of the movie. Segel and Helms have truly great chemistry, which shows on screen.

Meanwhile, Susan Sarandon's character, Sharon, is dealing with an apparent secret admirer at her office. She is a widow who believes herself to be old and no longer attractive. So she is skeptical at first but soon finds herself determined to get to the bottom of her anonymous lover's identity. Sarandon does a great job playing a middle-aged woman going through a mid-life crisis. Despite the pity the audience may feel for her, her facial expressions will keep you laughing in every scene.

Jeff Who Lives at Home is the perfect movie to go to if you're just looking to sit back and enjoy. The writers provide just enough witty lines to keep the audience smiling throughout the 83-minute movie.

Photo credit: hyku