Burt Bacharach News

High school vocalists from 11 states will arrive in Indianapolis on June 12 for the Great American Songbook Vocal Academy and Competition. The four-day academy and competition is sponsored by the Michael Feinstein Great American Songbook Initiative. The annual endeavor is the only U.S. competition dedicated solely to the music from Broadway, Hollywood musicals and the Tin Pan Alley era of the early to mid-twentieth century.

Gretna Theatre celebrates its 85th Anniversary season at the Mt. Gretna Playhouse with a sparkling opening performance by the one and only Tommy Tune in "Steps in Time" featuring the Manhattan Rhythm Kings for a single performance tonight, June 3 at 7:30 pm. The nine-time Tony Award winner will perform his Broadway biography in song and dance to celebrate 50 years on the Great White Way.

Kritzerland Upstairs at Sterling's presents The Randy Newman Album tonight, June 3, 2012 - 7:00 pm. The show stars (in alphabetical order) Melody Hollis (Broadway: Susan,Irving Berlin's White Christmas; Annie, MusThWest), Dennis Kyle (Reprise's They're Playing Our Song; Rooster in Annie, Theater Aspen), Gia Mora (Three-time Helen Hayes Nominee; Sunset Boulevard, Signature Theatre), Leigh Ann Larkin (Broadway: Gypsy, Dainty June; A Little Night Music, Petra) and Stephen Van Dorn (Gerard, Lovelace: A Rock Opera; Rutledge, 1776, Actors Co-op), with music director Tom Griep and special guest and world-class guitarist and composer Grant Geissman.

Today we are talking to a two-time Tony Award winning lyricist and book writer who was responsible for the 2010 Best Musical winner, MEMPHIS, and who has since written the libretto of the Gershwin revue NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET and received a well-earned Tony nomination for his efforts; one of the show's ten nods - Joe DiPietro. In this concluding portion of our conversation, DiPietro and I break down the process of creating NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT and he comments on the starry cast - including Matthew Broderick, Kelli O'Hara, Judy Kaye and Estelle Parsons - and the process of collaboration in bringing the 2012 Tony Awards top nominee to the Broadway stage. Additionally, DiPietro fills us in on the future for THE TOXIC AVENGER and its tentative Broadway plans, as well as the upcoming West End mountings of MEMPHIS and, hopefully, NICE WORK - and, a look ahead to his next David Bryan collaboration, CHASING THE SONG, as well. Plus, a glance back at his work on I LOVE YOU, YOU'RE PERFECT NOW CHANGE, F*CKING MEN and ALLEGRO and his favorite current pop acts.

Feinstein's at Loews Regency will continue its Spring 2012 season with the debut of double Grammy Award winning jazz and pop singer JACK JONES from June 26 to 30. For the performance, Jones will feature songs from his Greatest Hits Tour as well as a few gems from his latest album "Love Ballad." Jones will be accompanied by Music Director Lou Forestieri on piano, Chris Colangelo on bass, Kendall Kay on drums and New York's acclaimed Houston Person on saxophone. The show runs at the Loews Regency Hotel (540 Park Avenue at 61st Street.

Peter French brings his concert, 'About Love' (musical director Leon Charles), to The Pheasantry on Thursday, 21 June, 2012. Doors open at 7 p.m., and the show begins at 8:30 p.m. at 152 Kings Road, London, SW3, 4UT.

Local actor and singer Jerome Elliott will debut his latest cabaret one man show - Sweet Nerd Of Youth, his sixth show in the last four years, tonight, May 27, 2012 at the Arthur Newman Theatre in Palm Desert as part of the Sundays In Summer Series presented by Les Michaels' Life Is A Cabaret.

Feinstein's at Loews Regency continues its Spring 2012 season with the debut of multi-award winning singer Jennifer Sheehan in her new show "I Know A Place." Sheehan and her trio traverse the vast spectrum of music that was the sensational soundtrack of the '60s. Plus, she shares how younger generations are falling in love with these classic songs just as their parents did. Brimming with songs and stories, "I Know A Place" features music by songwriters such as Burt Bacharach, The Beatles and Antonio Carlos Jobim and songs made famous by Barbra Streisand, Petula Clark, Carole King and more. The show opened last night, May 23 and runs from May 23 through June 2 at the Loews Regency Hotel. Check out photos of the concert below!

Sterling's Upstairs at The Federal welcomes Broadway's Faith Prince and Jason Graae Monday, June 11, 2012 for the Los Angeles debut of The Prince and The Showboy.

Fifty years after its release, the MGM re-mastered film returns to the big screen in high definition with its original vocals and dialog intact. This classic romantic tragedy and the bitter battle between the Jets and the Sharks as Leonard Bernstein's seminal score, featuring the much loved 'America', 'Somewhere' and 'Tonight', is dramatically brought to life on stage by The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra conducted by Jayce Ogren at the Royal Albert Hall for four performances on the 22nd to the 24th of June, 2012.

Sie hat noch keinen einzigen Ton gesungen an diesem Abend, dem 22. Mai im Berliner Admiralspalast, als eine Welle der Sympathie bestehend aus minutenlangem Applaus und stehenden Ovationen für Dionne Warwick entbrennt und die Sängerin erstrahlen lässt. Die amerikanische Sängerin hat eine Weltkarriere vorzuweisen. Bekannt ist sie vor allem durch ihre enge Zusammenarbeit mit Burt Bacharach und die Songs 'I Say A Little Prayer', 'Alfie', 'I'll Never Fall In Love Again' und 'What The World Needs Now'.

Kritzerland Upstairs at Sterling's presents The Randy Newman Album on Sunday, June 3, 2012 - 7:00 pm. The show stars (in alphabetical order) Melody Hollis (Broadway: Susan,Irving Berlin's White Christmas; Annie, MusThWest), Dennis Kyle (Reprise's They're Playing Our Song; Rooster in Annie, Theater Aspen), Gia Mora (Three-time Helen Hayes Nominee; Sunset Boulevard, Signature Theatre), Leigh Ann Larkin (Broadway: Gypsy, Dainty June; A Little Night Music, Petra) and Stephen Van Dorn (Gerard, Lovelace: A Rock Opera; Rutledge, 1776, Actors Co-op), with music director Tom Griep and special guest and world-class guitarist and composer Grant Geissman.

FEINSTEIN'S AT LOEWS REGENCY will continue its Spring 2012 season with the debut of multi-award winning singer JENNIFER SHEEHAN in her new show "I Know A Place." Sheehan and her trio traverse the vast spectrum of music that was the sensational soundtrack of the '60s. Plus, she shares how younger generations are falling in love with these classic songs just as their parents did. Brimming with songs and stories, "I Know A Place" features music by songwriters such as Burt Bacharach, The Beatles and Antonio Carlos Jobim and songs made famous by Barbra Streisand, Petula Clark, Carole King and more. It will run from tonight, May 23 through June 2 at the Loews Regency Hotel (540 Park Avenue at 61st Street).

The White House program, which was taped by WETA Washington, D.C. as part of the 'In Performance at the White House' series, will premiere on PBS stations nationwide tonight, May 21, 2012 at 9 p.m. EDT (check local listings) as 'Burt Bacharach & Hal David: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song In Performance at the White House.' BroadwayWorld has just received preview clips of tonight's broadcast and brings them to you below! Click to watch Mike Myers, Sheryl Crow, Smokie Robinson and more honor the musical greats at the White House presentation and be sure to tune into PBS tonight for the full show.

Atlantic recording artist Rumer has announced the U.S. release of her new album, 'BOYS DON'T CRY.' The collection -- which follows recent domestic release of the British singer/songwriter's acclaimed debut, 'SEASONS OF MY SOUL' -- arrives on these shores on September 25th.

On May 8, The Library of Congress kicked off a series of events honoring Grammy- and Academy-Award-winning songwriters Burt Bacharach and Hal David, recipients of the 2012 Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, culminating a special tribute delivered by President Barack Obama. The prize commemorates George and Ira Gershwin, the legendary American songwriting team whose extensive collection resides in the Library of Congress. The White House program, which was taped by WETA Washington, D.C. as part of the 'In Performance at the White House' series, will premiere on PBS stations nationwide tonight, May 21, 2012 at 9 p.m. EDT (check local listings) as 'Burt Bacharach & Hal David: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song In Performance at the White House.'

The 20th Anniversary season of New York City Center's Tony Award-winning Encores! series will open on January 30, 2013 with Fiorello!, the show that launched the series in 1994. The season will continue with It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman, followed by On Your Toes. A Gala Encores! at 20 Celebration on November 12, 2012 will star Tony Award nominees and Encores! alumni Rauil Esparza and Kelli O'Hara.

Local actor and singer Jerome Elliott will debut his latest cabaret one man show - Sweet Nerd Of Youth, his sixth show in the last four years, on Sunday, May 27, 2012 at the Arthur Newman Theatre in Palm Desert as part of the Sundays In Summer Series presented by Les Michaels' Life Is A Cabaret.

President Obama welcomed guests to the East Room at the White House tonight, May 9, for the In Performance at the White House series. The program honored Burt Bacharach and Hal David, legendary songwriters, with The Gershwin Prize. The following is a transcript of the president's award presentation.