Montreal's Rawi Hage has won the Paragraphe Hugh MacLennan Prize for fiction given by the Quebec Writers' Federation for his novel, Cockroach. CBC.ca

One of the most popular live music venues on the East Coast is closing. CBC.ca

Cottage Living is the latest U.S. shelter magazine to fold, parent company Time Inc. has announced. CBC.ca

Sebastian Barry's Booker-nominated novel The Secret Scripture and Louis de Bernieres's The Partisan's Daughter have been nominated in the best novel category for Britain's Costa book award. CBC.ca

Clive Barnes a passionate critic who covered the New York theatre and dance scenes for 40 years, has died. He was 81. CBC.ca

Hollywood-calibre glitz descended on Sydney Tuesday, as filmmaker Baz Luhrmann unveiled his highly anticipated sweeping historical epic Australia. CBC.ca

Senator Jerry Grafstein wants to get plans for a national portrait gallery back on track by resurrecting an old proposal to put the gallery in the former U.S. embassy in Ottawa. CBC.ca

A community initiative has transformed a set of 95-year-old streetcar maintenance barns into an artists' colony and community centre in mid-town Toronto. CBC.ca

Like mother, like daughter: A week after Harvey Fierstein returned to his gender-bending, maternal role in Broadway's Hairspray for its final weeks, his stage daughter has announced she will join him. CBC.ca

Although he once joked that he'd never watched the Juno Awards before being named host of the prominent Canadian music prize broadcast, Russell Peters has snagged the gig for a second time. CBC.ca

Tuesday night marked that start of the holiday season when Kenny Rogers brought his "Christmas & Hits Tour" to Prospera Place.

Kenny Rogers is an icon in the music industry with a career that has lasted over six decades. He has a rough, yet soulful voice that many recognize instantly. Rogers has had more than 70 hit singles and countless CMT Music Awards, Academy of Country Music Awards, Country Music Association Awards and Grammy Awards.

The first half of the evening had Rogers delivering songs from his many years in the industry. To allow for as many songs as possible, they were shortened, but fans were not disappointed as Rogers delivered hit after hit.

After a brief intermission, the holiday portion of the show began and Rogers sang timeless holiday classics. He showed his humorous side throughout the evening but a highlight was when he had selected audience members to join him on stage to sing "The Twelve Days of Christmas".

A younger set of selected Kelowna residents had the opportunity to be up close and personal with Rogers and see why he is a music legend.

Rachel Pavlakovic, 10, Zach Iskievski, 10, Ryan Siddon, 10, Jaelynn Graham, 10 and Janel Filipiak, 9, winners of a recent contest to join Rogers on stage, had the chance to spend some time with the
superstar and sing a few Christmas songs.

"My mom and dad heard about the contest and we sent in an email saying why I wanted to sing with Kenny Rogers. From there they did a random draw and picked 25. Then I had to go to an audition and they picked me and four others," says Rachel Pavlakovic.

"I am really excited and I'm nervous at the same time. It is such an honour to be singing with him," says Pavlakovic.

Also joining Rogers on stage, with the five contest winners, where selected members chosen from the Kelowna Secondary School Vocal Jazz, Rutland Senior Secondary Choir and Mount Boucherie Secondary Choir brought together specifically for this concert. The combined choirs were under the direction of Peter DeRoche, music director at RSS.

"It was a big undertaking. We had the choir directors from all the schools running many rehearsals before and after school. Then, on this past Sunday, we brought them all together at RSS and had a gruelling three hour group rehearsal. They were marvellous. It was amazing how well all the kids fit together even though they were from different schools. Even today we had an additional rehearsal on the stage at Prospera to work on some things we were not quite happy with and clear them up," says Peter DeRoche.

"The kids are extremely excited and pumped to be doing this," says DeRoche.

Rogers spent some time speaking privately with all the kids and allowed for eager parents to get pictures. It was an unique experience that will not be forgotten by those who participated in the concert and those in the audience enjoying the festivities.

Link: Kenny Rogers Official Website Link: Castanet Gallery - coverage of concert at Prospera Place

The Sugar Plum Fairy, the Snow Queen and everyone's favourite Christmas toy come to life, the Nutcracker, will dance across Canadian cinema screens this December. CBC.ca

Layoffs, a hiring freeze and revisions or delays of new projects are in the cards at Canadian broadcaster CTV, according to a memo staff received Tuesday. CBC.ca

Cuban-born pianist and composer David Virelles has won the $10,000 Louis Applebaum Composers Award for excellence in jazz composition. CBC.ca

Researchers at the University of Maryland have found that unhappy people watch more TV and do less reading and socializing than happy people. CBC.ca

A lawyer for Michael Jackson told a British court Tuesday that the pop star is too ill to testify in person for a breach-of-contract lawsuit brought by the son of Bahrain's king. CBC.ca

A star-studded revival of Noel Coward's play Blithe Spirit is moving closer to a Broadway debut, with stage and TV actress Jayne Atkinson joining the cast. CBC.ca

A 76-year-old heritage theatre slated to close at the end of November will keep film stars moving across its single silver screen after all. CBC.ca