Carl Sandburg News

Neighborhood Theatre Group in Ypsilanti presents CoffeeHouse Theatre: Words and Songs on April 13 at 8pm and April 14 at 2pm at The Back Office Studio (13 N. Washington St) in downtown Ypsilanti.

Broadway In Chicago is delighted to announce that the eighth annual Illinois High School Musical Theatre Awards (IHSMTA) will be held at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place (175 E. Chestnut) on Monday, May 6, 2019, hosted by NBC 5's entertainment reporter LeeAnn Trotter and sponsored by CHICAGO THE MUSICAL (which will play at the Cadillac Palace Theatre from May 7-12). The Illinois chapter of The Jimmy Awards (National High School Musical Theatre Awards) one of the largest programs in the country serves as an annual national celebration of outstanding achievement in musical theater performance by high school students.

 Chicago Shakespeare Theater brings together 300 high school students and their teacher coaches from 40 public, private, and parochial schools across the region for this year's Chicago Shakespeare Slam. A series of Saturday workshops and regional preliminary bouts throughout the fall culminate in a spirited, fun-filled Final Bout on Monday, December 10 at 6:00 p.m. on the stage of The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare. Emcees warm up the crowd and an onstage DJ drops beats as nine teams perform, cheered on by a full house of fellow participants, classmates, and friends.

Softball legend Jennie Finch, ESPN broadcaster Victoria Arlen, and Olympic gold medalist Laurie Hernandez will headline the 'Empowering Girls for Life' show at the Rosemont Horizon, August 10-12.

It takes decades for tragic losses and separations to turn around to bliss in Steve Martin's BRIGHT STAR, but there's plenty of sparkling bluegrass music along that rocky mountain road.

Broadway In Chicago is delighted to announce the twenty-four students nominated for Best Actor and Best Actress, and nominees for Best Production presented by Guardian Music Travel, Best Direction and Best Scenic Design presented by SPL for the seventh annual Illinois High School Musical Theatre Awards. The nominees (12 young actors and 12 young actresses), selected after evaluating 80 productions across the state of Illinois, have been invited to participate in the Awards program, which will be held at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place (175 E. Chestnut) on Monday, June 4, 2018 at 6:30PM and hosted by NBC 5 entertainment reporter LeeAnn Trotter. Sponsored by NBC 5, the Illinois chapter of The Jimmy Awards (National High School Musical Theatre Awards) serves as an annual national celebration of outstanding achievement in musical theater performance by high school students.

New episodes of Poetry in America will be on public television stations nationwide starting the first week of April and running throughout the Spring.(Check local listings as some stations will debut the series at other times during the spring.)

Laguna Playhouse is proud to announce a very special event, the Coyote Stageworks, Founding Artistic Director Chuck Yates, production of Bets Malone starring as Mae West in DIRTY BLONDE, written by Claudia Shear and directed James W. Gruessing, Jr.. DIRTY BLONDE will perform six performances only, Thursday, April 26 through Sunday, April 29 at Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road in Laguna Beach.

NBA Hall of Fame basketball star and platinum hip-hop artist Shaquille O'Neal reads the immersive Edward Hirsch poem “Fast Break” about the universal experience of playing basketball in a remarkable new 12-part television series Poetry in America that aims to bring poetry to millions of viewers.

General Director and CEO Deborah Sandler today announced the final performance in 2017-2018 Lyric Opera's ExplorationsSeries. The company will close the second season of this new and innovative series with American Voices on Saturday, March 24 with a 7:30 p.m. performance in the Michael and Ginger Frost Production Arts Building. Continuing the theme of featuring eclectic performances in intimate spaces, this recital will feature Lyric Opera's Resident Artists performing art songs by prominent American composers, past and present.

NBA Hall of Fame basketball star and platinum hip-hop artist Shaquille O'Neal reads the immersive Edward Hirsch poem “Fast Break” about the universal experience of playing basketball in a remarkable new 12-part television series Poetry in America that aims to bring poetry to millions of viewers. Watch the trailer here!

In partnership, the Illinois Arts Council Agency (IACA) and Arts Alliance Illinois are excited to announce that the next One State Together in the Arts conference will be held in Galesburg, Illinois on October 22 and 23, 2018. Additional pre-conference events for the Illinois Local Arts Network on October 21 will kick off the tenth occasion of this statewide convening for the arts, culture, and creativity.

Next week, Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) brings together more than 300 high school students from 47 public, private and parochial schools across the region for this year's Chicago Shakespeare Slam. A series of Saturdayworkshops and regional preliminary bouts throughout the fall culminate in a raucous and fun-filled Finals Bout on Monday, December 11 at 6:00 p.m. on CST's Courtyard Theater stage. Emcees warm up the crowd and an onstage DJ drops beats as nine teams perform, cheered on by a full house of fellow participants, classmates and friends. This year's Finals Bout performances will be overseen by a star-studded panel of judges (special guests to be announced).

Write Out Loud - an organization founded in 2007 with a commitment to inspire, challenge and entertain by reading literature aloud for a live audience - announces The Windy City, the second production in their American Season XI, a season that focuses on American stories by American authors. Write Out Loud Story Concerts bring literature to life - aloud - with rehearsed readings by professional actors. Each program explores specific themes by weaving a variety of stories and poems together into a literary tapestry. David Fenner, Monique Gaffney, Catalina Maynard, Veronica Murphy and Walter Ritter will perform in The Windy City, Stories From and About Chicago. A complimentary pre-show reception starts at 6:15pm with a 7:00pm curtain.

Rivendell Theatre Ensemble (RTE), Chicago's only Equity theatre dedicated to producing new work with women at the core, in association with Brian Nitzkin, announces the extension of the world premiere production of Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood, adapted for the stage by Jennifer Blackmer, and directed by RTE Co-Founder Karen Kessler.

Sarasota Opera's 4th Annual Taste of Downtown Fundraiser Supports Sarasota Youth Opera

Sarasota Opera is the recipient of an $8,000 grant for the commissioning of composer Rachel J. Peters for the creation of Rootabaga Country, Sarasota Youth Opera's sixth world premiere scheduled to be performed on November 11 and 12, 2017. The grant is provided by OPERA America's Opera Grants for Female Composers program, supported by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.

OPERA America, the national service organization for opera and the nation's leading champion for American opera, is pleased to announce the latest recipients of Commissioning Grants from the Opera Grants for Female Composers program, made possible through the generosity of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.

Closing of Annie and Opening of The Little Mermaid!

World premieres, new productions, and exciting artist debuts will make the 59th season at Sarasota Opera a season not to miss. Highlights of the upcoming year include the return of Giuseppe Verdi, the 6th Sarasota Youth Opera world premiere, and operas by composers such as Vincenzo Bellini and Eugen D'Albert whose operas have not been heard on our stage.