As a classically trained pianist, Phyllis Chen knew her way around a grand piano from a young age. But then she saw her first toy piano -- and life took on a whole new dimension.

Toy pianos are child-size, some no bigger than a music box. And while they might be in the shape of a grand, they can be picked up by one person, possibly even by one hand.

Oprah Winfrey earned the rare opportunity to convert her media charisma into a monogramed TV channel. Now she's the one tasked with rescuing OWN, the Oprah Winfrey Network, after a disappointing first year.

It's a high-stakes, potentially ego-shattering challenge that could make the strongest woman or man flinch. But win or lose, Winfrey says she relishes the fight to turn OWN's fortunes around.

Forty years ago, Dick Clark's New Year's Eve special was created to give young people an alternative to a seasonal institution, bandleader Guy Lombardo.

Now Clark's annual show is the institution.

The final box office weekend of 2011 should be led by Tom Cruise in "Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol," with a not impossible domestic gross near $35 million for the four-day New Year's weekend.

The Paramount film led the Christmas weekend after its limited debut in IMAX gave it a big marketing boost, and this week's midweek numbers indicate audience interest is holding, with a total North American gross of about $130 million expected by Monday night.

Wynonna Judd is celebrating an engagement this holiday season.

Representatives for the 47-year-old country singer say her boyfriend, Cactus Moser, proposed on Christmas Eve.

Pop diva Lady Gaga, tenor Placido Domingo and rock veteransChuck Berry and Patti Smith will join a star-studded lineup to ring in the New Year Saturday in New York.

As with every December 31, the main celebration will be held at Times Square in the heart of Manhattan, where more than a million people are expected to gather to watch the New Year's crystal ball drop at the stroke of midnight.

Metallica lead singer James Hetfield hurled stones at reporters who were photographing him in an ice-cream parlor at a chic Uruguayan resort, the El Pais daily reported Thursday.

The singer for the hugely popular American heavy metal band was cruising with his son on a scooter Sunday in Jose Ignacio when photographers spotted him and followed him to the shop, the paper said.

Brother Jean-Jacques spends most of his time in quiet contemplation and solitude, but once a week the white-robed Carthusian monk leaves his cloistered confines on an important mission.

His task is to test a highly potent and somewhat mysterious green liqueur that is enjoying renewed popularity in New York's hippest bars and elsewhere in the United States.

After watching an emotional video of Malaysian Timothy Tiah propose to his girlfriend, "American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest hailed it as a heartwarming coda to 2011. Singer Christina Perri confessed that it made her cry.

Celebrity endorsements have helped the creatively crafted clip rack up nearly 4 million views online within a week, turning Tiah and his now-fiancee, Audrey Ooi, into unexpected role models for numerous young romantics worldwide.

Police have arrested the Sri Lankan caretaker of a property belonging to Hollywood actress Gillian Anderson following allegations of fraud, police said Thursday.

The caretaker, a Sri Lankan national, was remanded in custody Wednesday following a complaint he misappropriated up to 17.8 million rupees ($154,000) from the X-Files star's property at Pasyala, a village outside Colombo.