Janis Joplin News

?Oscar® nominee Queen Latifah ("Chicago") stars as legendary blues singer Bessie Smith in the HBO Films drama BESSIE, directed by acclaimed filmmaker Dee Rees ("Pariah") from a screenplay by Dee Rees and Christopher Cleveland & Bettina Gilois.

Joan Jett, Green Day, Bill Withers and Ringo Starr are among the performer inductees when the exclusive HBO special 2015 ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME INDUCTION CEREMONY debuts SATURDAY, MAY 30 (8:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT). This year's ceremony featured an exciting array of guests, including Dave Grohl, Miley Cyrus, Zac Brown, Tom Morello, John Mayer, Jimmie Vaughan, Karen O, Nick Zinner, Beck, John Legend, Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney.

Singer/songwriter/actor Billy Lewis Jr. has recently returned from filming the entire sixth and final season of Glee, and is ready to celebrate being back in NYC with his first live performance of 2015.

This May, StarVista Entertainment/Time Life will bring home audiences front row seats for THE BEST OF THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW

Tony Yazbeck, nominated for a 2015 Tony Award for his leading role in the musical-comedy love letter to New York City ON THE TOWN, will reprise the role of 'Gabey' in select cities on the 2016-2017 national tour.  ON THE TOWN is nominated for four 2015 Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Musical, Best Performance By a Leading Actor in a Musical (Tony Yazbeck), Best Choreography (Joshua Bergasse), and Best Direction of a Musical (John Rando).

= Producers Kevin McCollum, Doug Morris and Berry Gordy have announced that First National Tour of MOTOWN THE MUSICAL will celebrate its one year anniversary on May 8, 2015.

Glee star Billy Lewis Jr., Adam Kantor (Rent, The Last 5 Years), Emily Padgett (Side Show, pictured), Amma Osei (Rock of Ages), Ryann Redmond (Bring it On, If/Then), Heather Brorsen (Avenue Q) and Ashley Loren (Jekyll & Hyde) will join G'Day Broadway! The Music of Matthew Lee Robinson at The Metropolitan Room (34 West 22nd Street) tonight, April 29th at 7pm.

Penobscot Theatre Company has announced to the general public what subscribers have known for a while: Janis Joplin is returning to rock the Bangor Opera House through a special tribute show capping the theatre's 41st season. A Piece of Her Heart: A Tribute to Janis Joplin will run for four performances only, June 4-7.

The Tony Awards Administration Committee has announced this year's recipient for the Regional Theatre Tony Award is Cleveland Play House in Cleveland, OH.

Glee star Billy Lewis Jr., Adam Kantor (Rent, The Last 5 Years), Emily Padgett (Side Show, pictured), Amma Osei (Rock of Ages), Ryann Redmond (Bring it On, If/Then), Heather Brorsen (Avenue Q) and Ashley Loren (Jekyll & Hyde) will join G'Day Broadway! The Music of Matthew Lee Robinson at The Metropolitan Room (34 West 22nd Street) on Wednesday April 29th at 7pm.

The Kropotkins, named after the Russian anarchist Peter Kropotkin, create music that hearkens back to the timeless artistry of American roots music and North Mississippi rhythm & blues and fife and drum.

The new musical comedy Something Rotten!, directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon, Aladdin), with music and lyrics by Grammy Award winner Wayne Kirkpatrick and Golden Globe Award nominee Karey Kirkpatrick and a book by Karey Kirkpatrick and best-selling author John O'Farrell, officially opens on Broadway tonight, April 22, 2015 at the St. James Theatre (246 West 44th Street). Scroll down to learn more about the company and watch interviews with the cast!

Tonight, April 18, 2015 at 9:30PM, vocalist, songwriter and actress Bridget Barkan shines a light on the community of strangers that inspires her music and art with her new alt-cabaret variety show Dear Stranger, I Love You at Joe's Pub at The Public (425 Lafayette, NYC).

?Oscar® nominee Queen Latifah (“Chicago”) stars as legendary blues singer Bessie Smith in the HBO Films drama BESSIE, directed by acclaimed filmmaker Dee Rees (“Pariah”) from a screenplay by Dee Rees and Christopher Cleveland & Bettina Gilois.

Triumph of the Wild's forthcoming sophomore studio album We Come With The Dust will be available on CD and digital formats today, April 14th.

The 13th Street Repertory Theater will honor the woman widely considered to be the world's greatest blues singer by making Sunday, April 19th, 'Bessie Smith Day.' The theater will be offering free admission to its new hit show, 'Mad About the Boy' (which includes a tribute to Smith) to anyone who can sing a chorus of a song recorded by Smith. ASCAP award-winning playwright/director Chip Deffaa, who's created and produced 'Mad About the Boy,' will also award prizes to those who do the best job of singing Smith's songs. Deffaa--who profiled Smith in the book 'Harlem Speaks: A Living History of the Harlem Renaissance' (Sourcebooks, Inc.) and has lectured on her (most recently at the University of Idaho)--will be the judge, assisted by members of his theater company.

The Pasadena Playhouse announces the return engagement of A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN with Mary Bridget Davies, following her Tony Award nominated Broadway run. The acclaimed musical will perform July 21 - August 16, 2015 with the official press night on Wednesday, July 22, 2015. Tickets for A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN are now on sale to the public.

Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables) and Emily Blunt (Into the Woods) went head to head on last night's LIP SYNC BATTLE on Spike TV.

Below, get a sneak peek as the 'Into the Woods' star channels legendary blues singer Janis Joplin on tonight's show!