Entertainment News Roundup: BTS to celebrate New Year with first show since coronavirus shut-down; 'Old Town Road' singer Lil Nas X to perform in first virtual Roblox concert and more

BTS to celebrate New Year with first show since coronavirus shut-down South Korean boyband sensation BTS will welcome in the New Year with their first live concert since they were forced to call off a world tour because of the novel coronavirus, their management company, Bit Hit Entertainment, said on Thursday.

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Opera singer serenades Paris in second lockdown

French tenor Stephane Senechal has been subsisting on pasta and potatoes since the coronavirus pandemic forced opera houses to close and work dried up, but he has at least made a name for himself by performing - for free - from his Paris window. When France entered its first lockdown in March, Senechal joined other musicians, professional and amateur, who took to their balconies or windows across Europe to serenade their neighbours and lift their spirits.

Going for a song? Eric Clapton's yacht up for auction

British rocker Eric Clapton is unloading his luxury yacht, offering it up for auction at a sale of Hollywood memorabilia. The 47.5 meter long (156 foot) Va Bene yacht, which the "Layla" singer and guitarist bought in 2005 and refurbished extensively three years later, is expected to fetch $7 million-$10 million at the Nov. 28 sale in Los Angeles, auction house GWS Auctions said on Thursday.

Collapse in BTS label's shares sparks South Korean soul searching over IPO process

Big Hit Entertainment Co., the management label behind K-pop sensation BTS, debuted with a bang, but its dramatic crash after a pop on the first day of trading is causing South Korean regulators to seek safeguards for mom-and-pop investors. Riding on the success of scoring Korea's first-ever no. 1 hit on the main U.S. Billboard music chart in September, the management agency of BTS went public in October as one of the hottest listings in town.

BTS to celebrate New Year with first show since coronavirus shut-down

South Korean boyband sensation BTS will welcome in the New Year with their first live concert since they were forced to call off a world tour because of the novel coronavirus, their management company, Bit Hit Entertainment, said on Thursday. The concert - "2021 New Year's Eve Live" - will be on Dec. 31 just outside the South Korean capital, Seoul, and will include other groups on the Big Hit label including NU'EST, GFriend and ENHYPEN.

'Old Town Road' singer Lil Nas X to perform in first virtual Roblox concert

Rapper Lil Nas X will perform in a virtual concert and debut a new music video on Roblox this weekend, in the first such venture for the hugely popular kids gaming platform. Roblox said on Tuesday it would partner with Columbia Records to bring the "Old Town Road" singer to its millions of users for three free live virtual concerts, as video games become a popular means for artists to promote their music when coronavirus curbs have barred big gatherings.

Elvis ring, Woodstock tapes grab spotlight at Hollywood auction

A gold and diamond "TCB" ring worn by Elvis Presley is expected to fetch more than $500,000 at a memorabilia auction in Los Angeles that ranges from rock guitars to a set of master tapes from the Woodstock festival. The Elvis Presley ring is described as the first in a series of rings with the TCB (Taking Care of Business) letters and lightning bolt motif that the singer adopted as his mantra in 1969 when he returned to performing concerts after focusing on movies.

K-pop girl band pulls video after backlash in China over baby panda

A reality TV episode showing K-pop girl band BLACKPINK holding a newly born panda was pulled after accusations in China that the group mishandled a national treasure, the latest row between South Korea's entertainment stars and audiences in its large neighbour. Last month, South Korean boyband BTS was heavily criticised in China after its leader made remarks about the Korean War, and some BTS-related products were removed from Chinese websites.

Czech group offers 'take-away' theatre amid COVID lockdown

The coronavirus pandemic may have shut Czech theatres for now but some Prague residents hungry for entertainment have found that watching a live performance can be as easy as grabbing a takeaway. Prague troupe Cirk La Putyka has opened a "Culture Window" at a Prague marketplace building where an audience of up to four outside can watch a five-minute live show of music, acrobatics and dancing inside, while still observing social distancing rules.

Gillian Anderson recounts her Madame Tussauds moment on set of 'The Crown'

Playing famous people comes with myriad challenges and Gillian Anderson had it tougher than most when she took on British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the new season of "The Crown" without any special effects. Thatcher enters the Netflix television series portraying the British royal family as it moves into the 1980s, when the polarizing Conservative Party leader was at the height of her power.

'Come Away' lets Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan take flight with multiracial cast

Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan are brother and sister in the new fantasy film "Come Away" that puts a new spin on two of the best-known British children's classic stories. And that's not all. Both Peter and Alice are played by multi-racial young actors, with David Oyelowo playing their father and Angelina Jolie playing their mother in turn of the 20th century England.

(With inputs from agencies.)