New York City was transformed into a magical playground this morning when hundreds of thousands of innovative playthings were unveiled at the opening of the 111th American International Toy Fair - the largest toy marketplace ever held in the Western Hemisphere - taking place February 16-19, 2014.
More than 30,000 play professionals from 100 countries are expected at Toy Fair to explore a record-breaking 412,000 net sq ft of exhibit space at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. Upwards of 1,150 toy companies are slated to unveil the year's hottest trends in toys, games and youth entertainment products in front of an estimated 14,000 global buyers.
Toy Fair opened at 10 am with a ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring GRAMMY-winning artist Alicia Keys, co-creator of the interactive children's app, The Journals of Mama Mae & LeeLee. Immediately following the show opener, trade guests surged the exhibit hall and kicked off four, jam-packed days of trend-spotting, networking and order-writing.
Keys also introduced the new interactive storytelling app called "Mookey." The project releases as the latest extension of Alicia's app for children "The Journals of Mama Mae & LeeLee."
Check out photos from the event in the gallery.

Alicia Keys, Katy Perry, Dave Grohl, Stevie Wonder, the Eurythmics were among the stars who saluted the Beatles at a special tribute concert in Los Angeles on Monday night.
Some of the most famous faces from the world of music turned out at the Los Angeles Convention Center to take part in the show, which was organized by bosses behind the Grammy Awards.
Maroon 5 kicked off the concert by recreating the band’s appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, performing their hits “All My Loving” and “Ticket to Ride,” while Alicia Keys performed “Let It Be” with John Legend, and Katy Perry sang “Yesterday.”
Other performers included Pharrell Williams & Brad Paisley, John Mayer & Keith Urban, Dave Grohl, Jeff Lynne, the Eagles’ Joe Walsh and George Harrison’s son Dhani, while music legend Stevie Wonder was left red-faced after stopping his rendition of “We Can Work It Out” and asking for a restart, joking to the audience, “Fire me, sue me.”
owever, the most anticipated performance of the night came when Eurythmics stars Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart reunited for their first stage performance together since 2003.
The concert closed with separate sets by Ringo Starr and Sir Paul McCartney.
Speaking during the show, the drummer paid tribute to late bandmates George Harrison and John Lennon, telling the audience, “We were in a band. It’s called The Beatles. And if we play, John and George are always with us. It’s always John, Paul, George and Ringo.”
McCartney ended the gig with a rousing rendition of the group’s anthemic pop hit “Hey Jude,” during which Starr joined him back on the stage.
The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to The Beatles will air on February 9, exactly 50 years after The Beatles’ appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show.
Click on thumbs below to view pictures from the show.

If any singer in the world should be confident, it's Alicia Keys.
The multi-award winning stunner embraced her body in a curve-hugging, cleavage baring Armani Privé blue gown as she arrived at the 56th Grammy awards Sunday night at the Staples Centre.
The singer, accompanied by husband Swizz Beatz, celebrated her 33rd birthday on Saturday - and went on to win a wonderful gift: Grammy Award for Best R&B album 'Girl on Fire'.
The Armani Privé blue gown featured a black Swarovski crystal belt that showed off the singer's small waist, yet emphasised her curvaceous behind. She kept her accessories minimum: she wore only black crystal earrings to match the belt - and her diamond wedding ring. Swizz looked equally swanky in a grey fitted suit with a light pink and grey dress shirt.
Before the ceremony even started, Alicia took home the award for Best R&B Album, beating out John Legend, Faith Evans, Chrisette Michele and TGT.
To date, Keys has won 15 Grammy awards. Congratulations Alicia!
Check out photos from the event in the gallery.

Some of the biggest stars helped celebrate with legendary singer-songwriter Carole King at the 2014 MusiCares Person of the Year Gala at the L.A. Convention Center on Friday night. The music icon was honored with musical tributes from Alicia Keys, Miguel, Lady Gaga, Pink, will.i.am, and more during the pre-Grammy event.
Alicia Keys wowed the crowd with a soaring (You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman. She dubbed King "the most magnificent songwriter and composer on earth."
“Just performed Natural Woman n tribute 2 1 of my music heroes & friends Carole King! What a way 2 bring n my bday!!” Alicia tweeted yesterday.
Check out pictures from rehearsals, performance and backstage in the gallery.

Wearing a jaunty fedora, singer Alicia Keys joined first lady Michelle Obama at the White House yesterday to screen her passion project, "The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete", an often-heartbreaking coming-of-age story of two inner-city boys.
Obama said she wept when she first saw the film, and then decided to screen it for educators as part of her new campaign to help more young people make it to and through college.
She praised "my dear friend" Keys for her "eloquence, and her foresight in seeing the value of this movie and investing in it," according to the White House transcript.
"I saw this movie this summer and I wept, like I know all of you all did, because you can't help but weep and laugh and look in horror and cheer for these two young kids. Because they represent all of our kids."
The film tells the story of two boys and what happens when they are left to fend for themselves in New York over the summer after their mothers are taken away by the authorities.
The Grammy-winning Keys was the movie's executive producer and wrote its score. Keys says she's passionate about the story, and passionate about the need to do better for kids.
Click here to watch Alicia's full speech and check out photos & captures below.

Alicia is calling on women to join her in a mass combined viewing of her AIDS documentary.
The Fallin' hitmaker wants female fans to gather together on the evening of 19 January to simultaneously watch her 30-minute film, in which she chats with HIV sufferers about their battle with the disease.
The documentary will be available to watch on the Greater Than AIDS website & VH1.com..
Keys says, "I was so moved by the strength, passion and message of hope... and I know you will be too. The power is within all of us - whether HIV positive or negative - to make a difference in this fight."
The singer launched the Empowered campaign in 2013 as part of the Greater Than AIDS initiative, calling on women to work towards ending the scourge of AIDS.

CBS and the Grammys will celebrate that defining moment in music and television history with an all-star tribute to The Beatles and their Feb. 9, 1964 appearance on the famous variety show.
The primetime special, The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute To The Beatles, will tape at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Jan. 27, the day after the 56th Annual Grammy Awards air.
The tribute will then premiere on CBS on Sun. February 9 at 9 p.m., the exact day, date, time and network of the original Ed Sullivan appearance.
Performers include a slew of Grammy winners: Maroon 5, John Mayer, Keith Urban, Alicia Keys and John Legend together and a one-time special reunion of the Eurythmics’ Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart.
Two days after arriving in America for the first time, the Beatles’ John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr gave their first live US television appearance on CBS’ The Ed Sullivan Show in front of approximately 73 million viewers in over 23 million households.
The special presentation will feature footage from the original Beatles performance and other archival material.

Alicia Keys and BlackBerry Ltd will cut ties at the end of January, just one year after the Keys was hired as a “global creative director” for the struggling smartphone maker.
The Canadian company on Thursday confirmed the singer’s upcoming departure. The move comes as BlackBerry retreats from the consumer market to focus on businesses, governments and other large organizations.
“BlackBerry and Alicia Keys have completed our year-long collaboration,” the company said in an emailed statement. “We have enjoyed the opportunity to work with such an incredibly talented and passionate individual.”
Keys was hired when the company launched its long-delayed BlackBerry 10 devices last year. She helmed the Scholars Scheme, which was designed to support tech-loving women.
The new phones were seen as BlackBerry’s last chance to win back market share lost to Apple Inc’s iPhone and devices using Google Inc’s Android technology. But sales flopped, triggering billions of dollars in losses and forcing BlackBerry to slash its staff.
In recent months the company has tried and failed to sell itself. The chief executive who hired Keys has left, along with many of his senior executives.

Warmest wishes for a wonderful Holiday Season to Alicia Keys Fam! ★Merry Xmas★

Here are pictures from the last concert of Set The World On Fire Tour, at the Vector Arena in New Zealand. After over nine months being on tour Alicia and her family are resting and preparing herself for Christmas. Click here to watch a video with hers holiday message.

Alicia, husband Kasseem Dean and Egypt this week shared one last moment on a Sydney beach before flying on to the last pit-stop of her international tour, Auckland.
Just as all the Australian stars and celebs have rushed into the ocean on their arrival in the harbour city, Alicia took a page out of their book to soak up the sun in Watsons Bay.
It is a rare thing to capture such a precious moment with one of the world's biggest stars and her son, who she does her best to keep out of the spotlight.

Congratulations to Alicia for her Grammy Award nomination in Best R&B Album category for "Girl on Fire"! Best R&B Album nominees included 'R&B Divas' Faith Evans, 'Love In The Future' John Legend, 'Better' Chrisette Michele and 'Three Kings' TGT.
The Grammys awards ceremony will air on CBS on January 26, 2014. The full Grammy nominations list is available at the official website.

Alicia & Egypt were seen in Adventure World in Perth, Australia several days ago.

Two of the biggest voices in RnB set Perth Arena ablaze as US singer-songwriter Alicia Keys kicked off the Australian leg of her Set the World on Fire Tour.
Supported by fellow Grammy Award-winner John Legend, Keys opened her set with a few powerful bars from Empire State of Mind before leading into catchy opener Karma.
Dressed simply and stylishly in a figure-hugging black sequined jumpsuit, the Keys stunned with her vocal ability during performances of her singles such as You Don't Know My Name, Tears Always Win, A Woman's Worth, Diary and Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready).
The Arena's big screens allowed the audience a close-up on the intricate work of her fingers, which glided across the piano keys, and her signature loud, bluesy notes of her Fallin'.
The reggae vibe of a mash-up of her song Limitedless, and Chaka Demus and Pliers' hit Murder She Wrote, had Keys up and moving as she was flanked by her dancers.
The passionate musician was at home on stage, clearly happy to be immersed in her lyrics and snippets of songs such as Unbreakable and Brand New Me showcased a raw, softer side of Keys' vocal abilities.
"I gotta tell you, I am crazy excited to be here with you tonight" she said, flashing a megawatt smile.
A moving rendition of If I Ain't Got You, from her second studio album The Diary of Alicia Keys, was followed by one of the evening's highlights as the crowd lit up the Arena with their mobile phones and sang along with Keys for No One.
Keys took to the drums during New Day & the beat lead into her performance of Girl on Fire.
Though the power of showmanship should never be underestimated, Keys gave a refreshing, no frills performance, which focused on the music.
It speaks volumes about an artist who can stand on stage, in this day and age, and command the attention of thousands using nothing but the power of her own voice or, similarly, bring an arena to a low hush with her fancy finger work on the piano. With such strong vocals, backed by a great live band, there was no need for bells and whistles or costume changes.
There was only one switch into a sparkly purple full-length gown for the encore, in which Keys returned for Empire State of Mind.
Make sure to view pictures from the show in the gallery.

R&B superstar Alicia Keys said she felt like a ray of Australian sunshine as she swept down the ARIA red carpet in a canary yellow frock.
The 32-year-old, who is in Australia for her Set the World on Fire tour, arrived at Sydney's The Star casino in an elegant floor-length Stella McCartney creation, Mimco jewellery and Jimmy Choo shoes. She wore her hair in an up-do and opted to keep the beauty simple. "I feel good, like a ray of Australia sunshine," she told AAP.
Keys presented an ARIA for Best Female Artist to Jessica Mauboy and performied "Girl on Fire" & "Brand New Me" herself. Click here and here to watch red carpet interviews, check out a bunch of photos from the show and watch full performance below.

Older news ·