Elton John News

The Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) will present itsfourteenth annual All-City Musical, AIDA to crown the District's 2012-13 series of All-City Arts Programming. The production features the talents of over fifty CMSD students from across the District and will take place on the stage of the Ohio Theatre at PlayhouseSquare,May 31 - June 2, 2013. Tony Sias, Director of Arts Education for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, co-directs the production with Kimberly Brown. Aida, which features music by Elton John and lyrics by Tim Rice, is based on the book by Linda Woolverton, Robert Falls and David Henry Hwang. It was originally directed on Broadway by Robert Falls and originally produced by Disney Theatrical Productions. The CMSD All-City Musical production is produced through special arrangement with Music Theater International (www.mtishows.com).

The 2013 Billboard Music Awards will be honoring Madonna with the Top Touring Artist Award for her 2012 MDNA tour. Madonna will take the stage to accept the prestigious award which recognizes the highest grossing concert touring act of the year.

The Muny announced principal casting for the fifth show of its fantastic 95th season, Les Miserables. Broadway veterans Hugh Panaro and Norm Lewis make their Muny debuts starring as Jean Valjean and Javert, respectively. Also starring is Michael McCormick as Thenardier. The production is directed by Richard Jay-Alexander, who served as the associate director and executive producer of the original Broadway, touring and Canadian companies of Les Miserables.

Singer, concert pianist, and composer Oksana Grigorieva is taking her artistic talent in a new direction. On June 4 she will be releasing nationwide an EP titled Love to Dance that will include several new original tracks as well as a remix. In advance of the EP release she will be releasing her first single titled 'Party' today, May 7.

Bayou City Theatrics is continuing their inaugural season with Houston's first locally produced professional staging of Elton John and Tim Rice's AIDA. The musical, with a book by Linda Woolverton, Robert Falls, and David Henry Hwang, was originally produced on Broadway by Disney Theatrical Productions, and ran on there from March 23, 2000 to September 5, 2004 for a total of 1,852 performances. The successes of the Broadway production lead to two national tours. The 2002-2003 equity tour served as a duplicate of the Broadway staging; however, David Henry Hwang revised the book for the 2006-2007 non-equity second national tour, creating a show that was a bit darker by removing some of the campy comedy from the character of Amneris. Having seen both tours, it seems that the version licensed by Music Theatre International is the same book used by the Broadway version.

2013 BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS announce more star-studded acts to their already loaded performers list, including Jennifer Lopez, Chris Brown, Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne, Ed Sheeran, David Guetta, Ne-Yo, Akon and Icona Pop.

Universal Stage Productions, Working Title Films, Old Vic Productions and NETworks Presentations, LLC announced today, in association with Time for Fun (T4F), that the North American Tour of Billy Elliot the Musical will travel to South America for a limited three-week engagement from Friday, August 2, to Sunday, August 18, at Credicard Hall in São Paulo, Brazil. Based on the international smash-hit film and featuring music by Elton John, book and lyrics by Lee Hall, direction by Stephen Daldry and choreography by Peter Darling Billy Elliot the Musical has earned critical acclaim around the world and was the winner of ten 2009 Tony Awards including Best Musical.

Since 2007, Alex Ko, who performed in the title role of Billy in Billy Elliot the Musical on Broadway, has been involved in various charities. His most recent work has been serving as the spokesperson for Broadway Kids Care, founded by Lou and Kelly Gonda. Broadway Kids Care is an organization to bring together children from current and past Broadway shows while allowing them the opportunity to perform community service. After leaving the title role in Billy Elliot, Alex began to write his inspirational story and has just released his book, Alex Ko: From Iowa to Broadway, My Billy Elliot Story through HarperCollins.

The Hartford Gay Men's Chorus will sing-in the spring with 'Life Is Gay, and So Are They!' - a tribute to gay poets, composers, icons, idols and anthems, including such songs as 'Being Alive' by Stephen Sondheim, 'Stomp Your Foot' by Aaron Copland, 'Born This Way' by Lady Gaga, and 'A Stopwatch and Ordinance Map' by Samuel Barber.

Tony Award winner Tonya Pinkins (Caroline, or Change, Play On!, Jelly's Last Jam, 'All My Children') has joined the lineup for the May 27 edition of The Pop Show, part of the Broadway at Birdland series at Birdland Jazz Club. The 7pm concert will feature songs from the Elton John catalog.

When you're a cabaret reviewer on the evening show prowl between Monday night and Saturday evening (although not every night, thank goodness), you'd like to think that the God of Cabaret would make Sunday a day of rest. No such luck, since the weekend allows clubs to book shows as early as brunch time. I learned this again early this month when I felt compelled to attend three shows starring charming female singers-Corinna Sowers-Adler at Stage 72 (the Triad), Eva Kantor at the Laurie Beechman, and Lianne Marie Dobbs at the Metropolitan Room. I didn't break my personal Sunday record of four shows in one day set in late January (yes, I should be committed), but there was a two-hour break in this mix so it still turned out to be an 8-hour cabaret extravaganza. (Thank you, oh God of Cabaret, for press comps!) While it would have been sweet for the musical marathon to have been a clean sweep of excellent shows, as Meat Loaf might croon, 'Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad.'

Jen Gapay of Thirsty Girl Productions (the producer of The NY Burlesque Festival) and Daniel Nardicio, NYC's 'Willy Wonka of Queer New York (Next Magazine), present The 2nd Annual New York Boylesque Festival, today, April 26th & the 27th 2013.

Adding to the previously announced, star-studded roster of talent performing at the 2013 Billboard Music Awards, Pitbull, Christina Aguilera, Selena Gomez, The Band Perry, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and Kacey Musgraves are also slated to grace the stage.

The first national tour of Priscilla Queen of the Desert The Musical is coming to the Music Hall at Fair Park in Dallas from Tuesday, May 14 through Sunday, May 26, presented by Dallas Summer Musicals.

Straight No Chaser has announced details for their upcoming 'Under The Influence North American Tour' that will bring the acclaimed a cappella group back to the Fox Theatre on Sunday, December 1 at 7 p.m. The tour will be in support of the upcoming release of the group's eagerly awaited new album, UNDER THE INFLUENCE, set to arrive in stores on May 7th.

Today BroadwayWorld is thrilled to present an exclusive world premiere first listen to a sensational duet from the new album UNDER THE INFLUENCE, Straight No Chaser and Elton John's 'Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me'.