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Foo Fighters to perform at White House

WASHINGTON, July 4 (UPI) -- The White House says the rock band Foo Fighters will be part of a special Fourth of July evening concert in the U.S. capital.

WhiteHouse.gov said at 8:10 p.m. local time, a special holiday concert will take place on the South Lawn of the White House featuring the "Long Road to Ruin" band, as well as singer Michelle Branch.

Comedian Jimmy Fallon will be the emcee of the special event organized by the United Service Organizations.

President Barack Obama will begin the holiday special at 7 p.m. local time by offering opening remarks to the service members and their families attending the festive event.

WhiteHouse.gov said the event will conclude with fireworks above the National Mall.

Lloyd Webber confident in 'Love' stars

NEW YORK, July 4 (UPI) -- Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber says stage stars Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Boggess should enjoy success in London and New York productions of "Love Never Dies."

Playbill reported Saturday that Karimloo, a noted stage actor in London's West End, and Boggess, known best for playing the lead in stage productions of "The Little Mermaid," will play the leads in Lloyd Webber's sequel to "The Phantom of the Opera."

"I personally feel that what will now happen is that Sierra and Ramin will open in London early next year and then go to New York in the autumn of 2010," Lloyd Webber said of the casting choices. "I think once the album comes out, hopefully before Christmas, a lot of singers will come out of the woodwork and we'll find new Christines and Phantoms for the other productions."

Playbill, citing a report by Britain's Daily Mail, said the "Love" performances will be directed by Jack O'Brien with lyrics from Glenn Slater and choreography by Jerry Mitchell.

'Mother' actress Smulders has baby girl

LOS ANGELES, July 4 (UPI) -- Canadian actress Cobie Smulders, co-star of the U.S. TV series "How I Met Your Mother," is a mother, People.com reports.

People.com said Friday the 27-year-old actress, who plays Robin Scherbatsky on the CBS comedy, gave birth to daughter Shaelyn Cado Killam on May 16.

Smulders and her fiance, actor Taran Killam, announced the actress was pregnant with the couple's first child in November.

Smulders said during a January event the fact her "Mother" co-star Alyson Hannigan was also pregnant meant babies became a significant part of their conversations.

"You really can't help it, because you have babies on the brain, and you can't help but talk about it a lot," she told People magazine at the time. "From creams, doctors, birth methods, dilation ... you talk about everything."

"It's nice because we can just talk about babies all day long, and not be like, 'OK, this person has to be sick of this,' because you know that she's just as excited as I am," Hannigan offered regarding those discussions.

Large response to Jackson memorial drawing

LOS ANGELES, July 4 (UPI) -- More than half a million people have registered for a chance to attend a Los Angeles memorial for singer Michael Jackson, a Jackson family spokesman says.

Family spokesman Ken Sunshine said international response to the planned lottery that will give 8,750 lucky fans tickets to next week's Staples Center event has resulted in event organizers allowing non-U.S. residents the chance to register in the drawing, CNN reported Saturday.

The memorial show for the singer, who died last Thursday, will be produced by Grammy Awards producer Ken Ehrlich and directed by Kenny Ortega.

"When you grow up with Michael Jackson's music pretty much your whole life, you feel like you lost a family member and you have to go to the funeral," said Add Seymour of Atlanta, who is already registered for the lottery.

AEG Live President Tim Leiweke told CNN that lottery entrants will be informed via e-mail Sunday if they are among the recipients of the 17,500 free tickets to next Tuesday's event.

The Los Angeles Times said police have urged those Jackson fans who do not win tickets to avoid the memorial as officers will be dispatched throughout the downtown Los Angeles area.