Merv Griffin News

Catalina Bar & Grill will present "A Birthday Tribute To Billie Holiday" starring Billie Holiday's pianist Corky Hale and singer Freda Payne, with Special Guest, singer Tricia Tahara for One Night Only!!! The performance will be presented on Wednesday, April 25, 2012 at 8:30 p.m. at Catalina Bar & Grill; 6725 West Sunset Boulevard (just east of North Highland Avenue); Los Angeles, CA 90028. There is $20 Cover Charge. Valet Parking is available.

Nashville's Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC) will play host this summer to the world premiere of The Nutty Professor, a new musical comedy directed by the King of Comedy himself, Jerry Lewis. The Broadway at TPAC Special Event will run from July 24 to August 19 in TPAC's James K. Polk Theater. Featuring music by Oscar, Emmy, Tony and Pulitzer Prize winner Marvin Hamlisch (A Chorus Line) and a book and lyrics by three-time Tony Award winner Rupert Holmes (The Mystery of Edwin Drood), The Nutty Professor is based on the classic 1963 film in which Lewis starred and co-wrote.

Nashville's Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC) will play host this summer to the world premiere of The Nutty Professor, a new musical comedy directed by the King of Comedy himself, Jerry Lewis. The Broadway at TPAC Special Event will run from July 24 to August 19 in TPAC's James K. Polk Theater. Featuring music by Oscar, Emmy, Tony and Pulitzer Prize winner Marvin Hamlisch (A Chorus Line) and a book and lyrics by three-time Tony Award winner Rupert Holmes (The Mystery of Edwin Drood), The Nutty Professor is based on the classic 1963 film in which Lewis starred and co-wrote.

Today the Academy of Country Music is announcing the winners of awards that will not be televised during the live telecast of the 47th ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS, telecast LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 1, 2012 at 8:00 PM live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network, due to time constraints.

Catalina Bar & Grill will present "A Birthday Tribute To Billie Holiday" starring Billie Holiday's pianist Corky Hale and singer Freda Payne, with Special Guest, singer Tricia Tahara for One Night Only!!! The performance will be presented on Wednesday, April 25, 2012 at 8:30 p.m. at Catalina Bar & Grill; 6725 West Sunset Boulevard (just east of North Highland Avenue); Los Angeles, CA 90028. There is $20 Cover Charge. Valet Parking is available.

Martin Markinson and Jeff Tick are pleased to announce that Monday, March 12th marks the 100th anniversary of the Little/Helen Hayes Theatre (240 West 44th Street), which opened on March 12, 1912 with John Galsworthy's play THE PIGEON. The theatre is currently home to the smash hit musical Rock of Ages. A private centennial celebration at the theatre is confirmed for Thursday, May 24, 2012. Owners and employees gathered after Monday's performance of ROCK OF AGES to celebrate the theatre's great accomplishment. Broadway World brings you photos below.

Renowned Las Vegas entertainers The Scintas return to the Suncoast Showroom, March 10 and 11, each evening at 7:30 p.m.

Irish-American actor/author/former candidate for NY governor Malachy McCourt is scheduled to perform a one-night, one-man show at South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC) called LOVING LIFE AND LAUGHING AT DEATH. The performace is Friday March 9th at 8:00pm at SOPAC, 1 SOPAC Way, South Orange, NJ. Tickets are $35.

As we remember Davy Jones, who went from Broadway supporting player to nationally known pop idol and then returned to the musical stage as an above-the-title star, we look forward to seeing Ricky Martin accomplish the same feat.

The April 2012 at the B. B. King Blues Club and Grill, NYC, has been announced, featuring Melanie and Oleta Adams.

SHATNER'S WORLD: WE JUST LIVE IN IT opened tonight, February 16, at the Music Box Theatre. The show takes audiences on a voyage through Shatner's life and career, from Shakespearean stage actor to internationally known icon and raconteur, known as much for his unique persona as for his expansive body of work on television and film. BroadwayWorld will keep you updated below as reviews come in.

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. 'Show Boat' and 'South Pacific' in the Loop, the Grammys, Whitney Houston's showtune connections, 'Charlie Brown,' 'Pippin' and more....

Irish-American actor/author/former candidate for NY governor Malachy McCourt is scheduled to perform a one-night, one-man show at South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC) called LOVING LIFE AND LAUGHING AT DEATH. The performace is Friday March 9th at 8:00pm at SOPAC, 1 SOPAC Way, South Orange, NJ. Tickets are $35.

At last night's Grammy Awards, musicians and singers marked the loss of one of the music industry's greatest entertainers of all time, Whitney Houston, who died Saturday night in her hotel room at the Beverly Hills Hilton. One of the evening's most stirring moments came as Jennifer Hudson, who has called the late singer an inspiration and one of her biggest idols, performed Houston's signature song, 'I Will Always Love You.'

The entire entertainment world is reeling. We have lost one of our most iconic pop, R&B and soundtrack performers this evening - as well as a formidable movie star in her own right - Whitney Houston was just reported dead at the age of 48. Having had one of the most successful and most multimedia of careers of any multi-hyphenate star in recent memory, Houston scored multiple Grammys and racked up countless nominations over the course of her multi-decade recording career, yet her most notable contributions to the world of music reside in her outstanding soundtrack work - most of all, the songs for the film in which she made the transition into feature film leading lady, 1992's THE BODYGUARD. The biggest hit from THE BODYGUARD's blockbuster soundtrack was undoubtedly Houston's rendition of a Dolly Parton song originally recorded in 1974 and later made famous by Parton in the feature film version of the Broadway hit THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS, "I Will Always Love You". In addition to Houston's sensational work on that mega-selling soundtrack - one of the Top 5 best-selling soundtracks of all time - she also provided her dramatic and vocal skills to the multi-platinum soundtracks to THE PREACHER'S WIFE and WAITING TO EXHALE, both films which she also starred in to much box office success. An Oscar-winning duet with Mariah Carey, "When You Believe" by WICKED's Stephen Schwartz from THE PRINCE OF EGYPT is yet another diadem in Houston's triple crown of accomplishments in the realms of music, film and television - having dominated all. Theatre fans may know Houston best for her incomparable portrayal of the Fairy Godmother in the incredibly successful 1997 ABC TV adaptation of Rodgers & Hammerstein's CINDERELLA starring Brandy and produced by Craig Zadan and Neil Meron. In addition to Houston's contributions to THE BODYGUARD, THE PREACHER'S WIFE, WAITING TO EXHALE, THE PRINCE OF EGYPT and CINDERELLA, Houston also rose to fame early in her career for her rendition of "Home" from THE WIZ on THE Merv Griffin SHOW, as well as made a mark with a Cissy Houston duet on the CHESS international smash, "I Know Him So Well" on her second hit album. The last project Houston was working on prior to her death on Saturday night was the feature film musical SPARKLE, co-starring AMERICAN IDOL winner and Broadway standout Jordin Sparks. SPARKLE reportedly completed production of principal photography and soundtrack sessions, though it is not clear when the musical remake will now be released in light of Houston's unexpected death. No matter the circumstances of her life and death, Whitney Houston most surely left a legacy that will never be forgotten by those that adored her for her vast multitude of talents and many notable accomplishments in all areas of entertainment.

Teaming up to sing their chart topping hits, Jay Black, former lead singer of Jay and The Americans, and Gary Puckett, former lead singer of the 60's rock group, The Union Gap, come to The St. George Theatre on Saturday, February 18th.

4TH WALL THEATRE continues its 15th anniversary season with THE STORY OF MY LIFE. This endearing show boasts music and lyrics by Neil Bartram and a book by Brian Hill. The show received four Drama Desk Award nominations in 2009, including Outstanding Musical.

Renowned Las Vegas entertainers The Scintas return to the Suncoast Showroom, March 10 and 11, each evening at 7:30 p.m.

4TH WALL THEATRE continues its 15th anniversary season with THE STORY OF MY LIFE. This endearing show boasts music and lyrics by Neil Bartram and a book by Brian Hill. The show received four Drama Desk Award nominations in 2009, including Outstanding Musical.