Little Richard News

Today we are talking to the founder and Vice President of Yamaha Entertainment Group who single-handedly spearheaded the incentive to create a one-of-a-kind work of pianistic art for iconic Tony Award-winning rock legend Elton John to utilize in a spectacular new concert experience called THE MILLION DOLLAR PIANO - the passionate and dedicated Chris Gero. Discussing all aspects of the impetus, development, design and actual building and subsequent employment of the technology created to craft the Million Dollar Piano itself, Gero sheds a light on the half-decade-spanning process of bringing the technological and artistic achievement to the stage and outlines Elton John's own participation in the project. Furthermore, Gero opens up about the new software developed for the project and how that has established a whole new avenue of live entertainment via the Yamaha Disklavier. On that note, Gero shares stories detailing his participation with various Disklavier showcase events and the possibilities afforded by the revolutionary new piano tech that will be spotlighted in his new documentary 88 - featuring performances by Elton John, Michael McDonald, Sara Bareilles, Jamie Collum and more. Additionally, Gero offers the 411 on Yamaha's participation in a wide range of specialty events, ranging from the silver piano Alicia Keys played on the Super Bowl to provided keys for Paul McCartney and more, as well as various Elton John charity benefits he has helmed over the years. All of that and much, much more in this behind the scenes look at the modern technical marvel that is Elton John's Million Dollar Piano and the man behind it!

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.

Broadway Records will release Jarrod Spector's 'A Little Help From My Friends: Live At 54 BELOW' digitally and on CD on March 25th, 2014. The CD is available for pre-order at http://amzn.com/B00IP9ZAG2. The CD will be available in advance to those attending Jarrod's upcoming 54 BELOW concerts on March 10th, 23rd and 24th. Spector will be signing CDs at these 54 BELOW performances as well as at his engagement on March 31st at 54 BELOW.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame music legend Lloyd Price, who is developing a Broadway bio show, was honored with the Pioneer of the Arts Awards at the Riant Theatre's Strawberry One-Act Festival 25th Season Launch Party on February 9 at the Bronx Museum of the Arts.

Award-winning Austin singer/songwriter Gina Chavez is back with her sophomore studio album, up.rooted, set for worldwide release today, February 11, 2014.

The music legend himself will star in a new commercial for Chrysler which also air during the broadcast.

http://www.thepersuasions.info/ | Tix: $25 in advance / $28 at the door

Award-winning Austin singer/songwriter Gina Chavez is back with her sophomore studio album, up.rooted, set for worldwide release on February 11, 2014.

The Encore Dinner Theatre has added two shows to their 2014 calendar, RHONDA SHEAR'S NEW YEAR'S EVE PAJAMA PARTY on New Year's Eve and GREASE from January 10th to March 1st.

Tonight , November 23 2013, Pace Presents THE BLACK ROCK COALITION ORCHESTRA'S Deep Roots of Rock and Roll with TOSHI REAGON (Musical and Design Director), featuring Corey Glover, Carl Hancock Rux, CHOCOLATE GENIUS, Nona Hendryx, TAMAR-KALI and more. Curated by LiveSounds.org at The Michael SchimMel Center for the Arts.

Marin Theatre Company, in association with Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, announces the casting of its spring production of August Wilson's Fences, directed by Derrick Sanders. Fences, which won the 1987 Pulitzer Prize and 1987 and 2010 Tony Awards, will feature veteran film and television actor Carl Lumbly as Troy Maxson, Steven Anthony Jones, the artistic director of Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, as Jim Bono and award-winning actor, playwright and director Margo Hall as Rose, as well as Oregon Shakespeare Festival's Eddy Ray Jackson as Cory, Adrian Roberts as Gabriel and Tyee Tilghman as Lyons. MTC's production of Fences will run from April 10 through May 4.

In 1994, The Beatles' Live at the BBC was released to worldwide acclaim - hitting number one in the U.K., number three in the U.S. and selling more than five million copies within six weeks. A new companion to The Beatles' first BBC collection, On Air - Live at the BBC Volume 2, is out as of today, Monday, November 11 in 2CD and 180-gram vinyl packages with a 48-page booklet. On Air's 63 tracks, none of which overlaps with The Beatles' first BBC release, include 37 previously unreleased performances and 23 previously unreleased recordings of in-studio banter and conversation between the band's members and their BBC radio hosts.

On Saturday, November 23 2013, Pace Presents THE BLACK ROCK COALITION ORCHESTRA'S Deep Roots of Rock and Roll with TOSHI REAGON (Musical and Design Director), featuring COREY GLOVER, CARL HANCOCK RUX, CHOCOLATE GENIUS, NONA HENDRYX, TAMAR-KALI and more. Curated by LiveSounds.org at The Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts. Doors at 6:30pm, Show at 7:30pm. Tickets: $35.

Wild Tales is a remarkably intelligent and entertaining book, a must-read for anyone who loves rock and roll.

Nationally prominent performers with Illinois roots will kick off the March on Springfield for Marriage Equality today, Oct. 22 with a free one-hour concert live near the steps of the Illinois State Capitol. The diverse entertainment bill includes reality TV stars from 'The Voice,' 'American Idol,' and 'America's Got Talent;' a national poetry slam winner; a world champion & MVP quarterback who is also a pre-Grammy nominee; and a 2013 Trans 100 honoree fighting violence against transgender people.

THIRTEEN's American Masters Co-Produces Documentary Jimi Hendrix - Hear My Train A Comin' Premiering Tuesday, November 5, 2013 on PBS.

NYLON magazine online is streaming the BEATLES REIMAGINED album starting today (October 4).

Featuring contributions from Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros along with nine up-and-coming U.S. bands across diverse genres, Beatles Reimagined commemorates the 50th anniversary of the recording and release of Beatles tracks from 1963-4, including 'From Me To You,' 'She Loves You' and 'I Saw Her Standing There' which cemented the band's status as rock and roll royalty. Today, October 1, the Beatles Reimagined album will be released on Community Music's 'Community Projects' label with a percentage of the profits going to charities involved with music and youth.