ROCKING THE VATICAN
Evanescence frontwoman Amy Lee has a pretty special show coming up later this month.
Lee, who grew up in Maumelle, will perform a solo set Dec. 17 as part of the Vatican's "Concerto Di Natale." She joins a lineup that includes AKA7even, Cristina D'Avena, Darin, Fiorella Mannoia, Jimmy Sax and more.
The Vatican's Christmas Concert is an annual event that began in 1993 at the Vatican's Paul VI Hall and features an international roster of musicians. This year's show takes place at Auditorium Conciliazione in Rome, and will be aired New Year's Eve on Italian television.
Lee became involved with the concert after she and other musicians took part in a songwriting session last summer with Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli and his son, Matteo, at Bocelli's estate in Tuscany, according to her father, John. On Twitter, she said she was "deeply honored" to be part of the Christmas show.
Evanescence is on the road in Europe and will return to the U.S. to open shows for Muse beginning in February (looks like early March concerts in Fort Worth, Houston and St. Louis are the closest they'll come to Arkansas).
A 'WHEEL' WINNER Congrats to University of Arkansas Little Rock senior Alyssa Fawbush who recently won $4,500 on "Wheel of Fortune."
Fawbush, a Sherwood native studying psychology and nursing, watched the show on Thanksgiving at her grandmother's home with family and friends, according to a news release from UALR.
"All of my friends and family were super excited," she said. "My entire high school knew about 'Wheel of Fortune' and said they were going to watch. After my episode aired, I got so many messages from people. When I went Black Friday shopping the next day, I got so many weird looks. I was wearing my college sweatshirt, and people would come up to me and tell me they saw me on TV last night."
WEDNESDAY'S 'NORMIE' BUDDY There is an Arkansas connection to "Wednesday," the "Addams Family" spinoff series on Netflix starring Jenna Ortega as the deadpan, Gothic title character.
Hunter Doohan, who plays nice guy Tyler Galpin, son of the local sheriff, is from Fort Smith and was a member of the Young Actor's Guild there. Menshealth.com posted a short piece about Doohan last week, calling the 28-year-old "one of the standouts of 'Wednesday' Season 1."
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