Debbie Allen News

On the next episode of ABC's SCANDAL titled "Flesh and Blood", a security breach calls for an all hands on deck situation at OPA.

From a field of 12 local high school students, Jonah Gould, Mykaela Sterris and LeafRickard have been selected as the winners of the 2014 August Wilson Monologue Competition Los Angeles Regional finals. Contestants this year featured high school students from nine Southern California cities, who performed in the regional finals at the Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum, Tuesday night, March 11, 2014. The top three student performers received scholarships and the opportunity to perform again in New York City. The August Wilson Monologue Competition is presented by the Center Theatre Group Affiliates, a volunteer organization that supports Center Theatre Group's education and community partnerships programs.

Smokey Joe's Cafe-The Songs of Leiber and Stoller transports audiences to the golden age of rock, rhythm and blues this spring at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater. Director Randy Johnson returns to Arena Stage following the success of A Night with Janis Joplin (which enjoyed two runs at Arena Stage followed by a subsequent run on Broadway) to helm this Grammy Award-winning tribute to legendary songwriting duo Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, which originally opened on Broadway in 1995 and became the longest running musical revue, topping 2,000 performances. Bursting with hit tunes including 'Hound Dog,' 'Jailhouse Rock,' 'Stand by Me,' 'Love Potion #9' and 'On Broadway,' Smokey Joe's Cafe showcases choreography by Parker Esse (Arena Stage's The Music Man, Oklahoma!) and music direction by Victor Simonson (Center Stage's A Civil War Christmas, Arena Stage's 3 Mo' Divas) and runs April 25-June 8, 2014 in the Fichandler Stage.

The Billie Holiday Theatre continues its 42nd Season Generations United with the World Premiere of Maid's Door by Writers Guild Award winner and Emmy Award nominee Cheryl L. Davis; the show will be directed by the Theatre's Artistic Director Jackie Alexander. Opening Night will be Thursday, March 6; and the show will run through Sunday, March 30. Performances are Thursday-Saturday at 8pm with matinees on Saturday at 3pm and Sunday at 4pm. All tickets are $25 and can be purchased online at www.thebillieholiday.org or by calling the box office at 718-636-0918 or 0919. A discounted rate of $15 is available for Children 15 and younger, Seniors, and Students with a valid ID.

South Bend Civic Theatre commemorates the 75th anniversary of the classic movie "The Wizard of Oz" by presenting The Wiz, with music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls and book by William F. Brown. Winner of 7 Tony Awards, this original take of the journey of Dorothy through the Land of Oz will entertain and delight audience members of all ages.

In celebration of Oscars Sunday, BroadwayWorld.com's Linda Lenzi is inviting readers to step back with her 20 years ago, to the 1994 Oscars.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Oscar winner Terrence Howard has signed on to star in Lee Daniels and Danny Strong's upcoming hip-hop drama pilot EMPIRE for Fox.

Woodie King, Jr.'s New Federal Theatre's 44th anniversary will culminate with a special Gala at the BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center (199 Chambers Street) on Sunday evening March 16th. This special event saluting NFT, for over 40 years a seminal force in Black Theater, will be hosted by Danny Glover and Debbi Morgan. Honorary Chairmen are Harry Belafonte and Hon. Mayor David N. Dinkins. The celebration will kick off at 4pm, and feature performances from Daniel Beaty, Impact Repertory Theater (Academy Award Nominee, 'Raise It Up' from the film August Rush), Chuck Jackson, and Valerie Simpson.

Woodie King, Jr.'s New Federal Theatre will celebrate its 44th anniversary with a special fundraising campaign, 'Love For New Federal Theatre.' Celebrity participants and supporters of NFT themselves, including Phylicia Rashad, Spike Lee, Alicia Keys, Melba Moore, Marla Gibbs, Robert Hooks, Roscoe Orman, Ruby Dee, Avery Brooks, Glynn Turman, Kene Holiday, Chadwick Boseman, Petri Hawkins Byrd, Impotep Gary Byrd, Debbie Allen, Lynn Whitfield, Lamman Rucker, John Amos, Robert Townsend, Leslie Uggams, Ted Lange, Andre DeShields, Mike Tyson and Danny Glover, among others, will fans will have the opportunity to order a limited number of personalized Valentine's Day messages. These celebrity messages will be available for purchase on a first come, first served basis.

Due to popular demand, Houston Ballet has added another screening of the acclaimed new documentary Houston Ballet: Breaking Boundaries on Monday, February 10 at 6:00 pm at Houston Ballet Center for Dance.

Debbie Allen and Jenifer Lewis are set to team up for an homage to SUNSET BOULEVARD to be titled 'Ventura Boulevard'. Emmy, Grammy and Tony Award winner Marc Shaiman (Sleepless in Seattle, The American President, Hairspray) will compose the score.

Debbie Allen says that, as a child, Houston's racial divide in the '50s and '60s prevented her from going to her first-choice dance school. Then, after years of applying, 13-year-old Debbie was finally accepted to the Houston Ballet Foundation. Watch as she shares how these experiences made her stronger and pushed her to become the dancer she is today.

Today in 1931, Broadway veteran James Earl Jones was born. He has won Tony awards in 1969 for The Great White Hope and in 1987 for Fences. He has acted in many Shakespearean roles: Othello, King Lear, Oberon in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Abhorson in Measure for Measure, and Claudius in Hamlet. On April 7, 2005, James Earl Jones and Leslie Uggams headed the cast in an African-American Broadway revival version of On Golden Pond, directed by Leonard Foglia and produced by Jeffrey Finn. In February 2008, he starred on Broadway as Big Daddy in a limited-run, all-African-American production of Tennessee Williams's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, directed by Debbie Allen and mounted at the Broadhurst Theatre. In October 2010, Jones returned to the Broadway stage in Alfred Uhry's Driving Miss Daisy along with Vanessa Redgrave at the Golden Theatre. In November 2011, Jones starred in Driving Miss Daisy in London's West End, and on November 12 Jones received his honorary Oscar in front of the audience at the Wyndham's Theatre, which was presented to him by Ben Kingsley.

Debbie Allen says that, as a child, Houston's racial divide in the '50s and '60s prevented her from going to her first-choice dance school. Then, after years of applying, 13-year-old Debbie was finally accepted to the Houston Ballet Foundation. Watch as she shares how these experiences made her stronger and pushed her to become the dancer she is today.

Stars from Mike Tyson, Phylicia Rashad and Alicia Keys to Spike Lee, Danny Glover and Ruby Dee show their love for New York City's acclaimed New Federal Theatre by voicing personalized Valentine's Day messages for fans in this fun, fund-raiser. The "Love for New Federal Theatre" personalized celebrity messages are a $249 donation to the New Federal Theatre and can be purchased from January 12- February 5, 2014 through the website at www.lovefornewfederaltheatre.com.

The nominees for THE 45TH NAACP IMAGE AWARDS were announced today during a live press conference at the TV One presentation to the Television Critics Association during its Winter 2014 Press Tour in Pasadena, CA. David Oyelowo ('Lee Daniels' 'The Butler'), Joe Morton (ABC's 'Scandal'), Keke Palmer (VH1's 'CrazySexyCool'), Bresha Webb (TV One's 'Love That Girl') and Gina Torres (USA's 'Suits') announced the categories and nominees with NAACP Image Awards Committee Chairman, Leonard James and President and CEO of TV One, Alfred Liggins.

The Lake Worth Playhouse jives and wails with a musical tribute to the greats of the jazz era with Ain't Misbehavin,' a musical biography celebrating the life of Thomas 'Fats' Waller with humor and style.

Goldstar, the world's biggest ticket booth, has announced the winner of the 7th Annual Goldstar National Nutcracker Award: Debbie Allen Dance Academy, The Hot Chocolate Nutcracker at Royce Hall at UCLA in Los Angeles, which competed with nearly 60 other productions of The Nutcracker across the country. In addition to receiving "The Nutty" statuette, Debbie Allen Dance Academy, The Hot Chocolate Nutcracker will receive a cash prize to benefit the organization's education programs, as well as the honor of being declared 'the best-loved Nutcracker in the U.S.'

On Saturday, January 11, 2014 the National YoungArts Foundation (YoungArts) will host the organization's first Backyard Ball Performance and Gala to be held at the YoungArts Campus (2100 Biscayne Boulevard). The 2014 Arison Award Honorees are Pritzker Award Winning architect Zaha Hadid and Academy Award Winning singer, dancer, and actress, Rita Moreno. This year's Alumni Honoree is actor, singer and 1997 YoungArts Winner in Theater, Andrew Rannells. The celebratory evening of artistic immersion will bring together prominent artists, community leaders, philanthropists and celebrities to recognize the 2014 YoungArts Winners. The gala is YoungArts' largest annual fundraiser and the culmination of YoungArts' signature program YoungArts Week which provides 171 of the nation's most outstanding young artists in the literary, performing, visual and design arts with life-changing experiences, including master classes, workshops, inter-disciplinary activities, performances and exhibitions.