Jack Black Sends School Band To Disneyland!

Jack Black just dropped more than $10,000 so a group of music students could travel to Disneyland to perform in a parade tomorrow … TMZ has learned.

The whole thing came to fruition thanks to Jack’s mom — who lives in Tonasket, Washington and is a HUGE supporter of the local music programs.

We’re told the band — made up of local high school and middle school students — entered a Disneyland contest and were selected to perform at the Magic Kingdom … but there was a catch — they had to pay for their own travel expenses.

We’re told the community was rallying to raise the cash — when Jack caught wind and came through with a MONSTER donation.

The band arrived in L.A. yesterday after a two-day bus trip and will perform in the Town Square parade this afternoon. After that, we’re told the kids will all have dinner with their famous benefactor.

“And we shall teach rock ‘n’ roll to the world.”

News Source: TMZ

The ‘Devil Wears Prada’ actress – who stars as Princess of Lilliputia in new movie ‘Gulliver’s Travels’, which is based on the classic novel by Jonathan Swift – has taken up the guitar-like instrument after seeing her two co-stars Jack Black and Billy Connolly playing it on set between takes.

Emily, 26, claims she is getting good and serenades fiance John Krasinski with her favourite Otis Redding song.

She said: “I can play ‘Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay’ and that Beatles song, ‘When I’m 65′ or is it ‘64′? Whatever it is. I like that one. Next I’d like to learn ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’ on the ukulele.”

Emily is not the only star to have recently taken up the ukulele.

Zac Efron, 22, has started to learn the instrument after becoming interested in it while shooting his new coming-of-age movie ‘Me And Orson Welles’.

He said: “I think one thing that I’ll never forget was the ukulele instrument we had. One of the guys in the cast is really good on the ukulele so he would kind of improvise. And we would all improvise songs about people on the cast and just kind of like sing.”

Source: BANG Showbiz

The legendary entertainers were praised by the US President Barack Obama at the Kennedy Center Honours yesterday (06.12.09), where they were presented with their accolades at a black-tie event for transforming the arts in America.

US leader Obama told the 300 celebrity guests – which included Jack Black, Ben Stiller, Edward Norton, Matthew Broderick and Philip Seymour Hoffman – at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts that the entertainers were being honoured because they were “the best”.

He said: “These performers are indeed the best. They are also living reminders of a single truth — and I’m going to steal a line from my wife Michelle here — the arts are not somehow apart from our national life, the arts are the heart of our national life.”

Veteran actress Meryl Streep was one of many stars to praise the award-winners.

Speaking about Robert, she said: “Bob has earned the respect he enjoys around the world in the thousands of little bitty details.”

Legendary rocker Bruce said it was “satisfying” for his music to be recognised because he and his group, E Street Band, have worked hard for their fans.

He said: “We worked really hard for our music to be part of American life and our fans’ lives.

“So it’s an acknowledgment that you’ve kind of threaded your way into the culture in a certain way. It’s satisfying.”

As well as rewarding actor Robert, musician Bruce and funnyman Mel, jazz pianist Dave Brubeck and opera singer Grace Bumbry were also honoured.

Source: BANG Showbiz