Michelle Obama News

teve Silver's Beach Blanket Babylon, the world's longest running musical revue in history, will hold a post-performance talkback and Q&A session with the cast, crew and artistic team from the show on Friday, April 1, 2011. Jan Wahl - San Francisco's favorite show biz critic - will be on-hand to moderate. The talkback provides audience members the rare opportunity to get an inside look at what it takes to put on the world's longest running musical revue. Tickets for this performance range in price from $25 - 130 and are available by phone at 415-421-4222, at the Beach Blanket Babylon Box Office (678 Green Street, San Francisco) or online at beachblanketbabylon.com.

Cellist Alisa Weilerstein will perform Shostakovich's Cello Concerto No. 1 with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra in 15 North American cities in March and April 2011.

Tony Award-winning vocalist Idina Menzel will perform one night only with the Nashville Symphony on Tuesday, June 7, at 8 p.m

For this week's FLASH FRIDAY we have a host of Harry Connick, Jr.-related clips, including a special look at his new CD/DVD and Blu-Ray ON BROADWAY, which is available now and currently showing on PBS Great Performances. From New Orleans jazz done with Broadway flair in clips featuring material from his stage musical THOU SHALT NOT, to trailers for the stupendous film version of Tracy Letts's Off-Broadway play BUG, directed by William Friedkin, that he co-stars in with Ashley Judd and Michael Shannon, to COPYCAT co-starring Sigourney Weaver to some fun music videos and soundtrack contributions and much, much more inside! Plus, check out Harry's appearances on THE COLBERT REPORT and TODAY from earlier this week if you missed them live!

Yesterday, President Barack Obama will present the National Medal of Arts to eight recipients for their outstanding achievements and support of the arts. (Ten medalists were announced; however two are not able to attend the ceremony. Their medals will be presented at another time.) The medals will be presented by the president in the East Room ceremony at the White House. Mrs. Michelle Obama will also be in attendance. The National Medal of Arts is a White House initiative managed by the National Endowment for the Arts. Each year, the NEA organizes and oversees the National Medal of Arts nomination process and notifies the artists of their selection to receive a medal, the nation's highest honor for artistic excellence.

The National Medal of Arts is awarded to individuals or organizations who 'are deserving of special recognition by reason of their outstanding contributions to the excellence, growth, support and availability of the arts in the United States.' Named a National Historic Landmark in 2003, Jacob's Pillow is the first dance presenting organization to receive a National Medal of Arts.

Tomorrow, President Barack Obama will present the National Medal of Arts to eight recipients for their outstanding achievements and support of the arts. (Ten medalists were announced; however two are not able to attend the ceremony. Their medals will be presented at another time.) The medals will be presented by the president in the East Room ceremony at the White House. Mrs. Michelle Obama will also be in attendance. The National Medal of Arts is a White House initiative managed by the National Endowment for the Arts. Each year, the NEA organizes and oversees the National Medal of Arts nomination process and notifies the artists of their selection to receive a medal, the nation's highest honor for artistic excellence.

FELA!, the landmark Broadway musical, which won three Tony Awards (Broadway's highest honor) including Best Choreography (Bill T. Jones), is coming to Lagos from April 20th to 25th.

The First Lady of the United States, Mrs. Michelle Obama, will make a special taped appearance at Cartoon Network's upcoming Hall of Game Awards (HallofGame.com); it was announced today by Stuart Snyder, President/COO for Turner's Animation, Young Adults & Kids Media Group. As national spokesperson and co-founder of the Let's Move! initiative, Mrs. Obama will appear onscreen to announce a set of schools that have most successfully created healthier school environments through the promotion of nutrition and physical activity through the USDA HealthierUS School Challenge. The announcement comes this week as the First Lady also celebrates the one-year anniversary of Let's Move!

Following the release of the highly anticipated 3-D documentary Never Say Never, Madame Tussauds today announced that Grammy-nominated POP/R&B singing-sensation Justin Bieber will be the next celebrity to be immortalized in wax. Bieber's figure will make its world debut this March at three Madame Tussauds attractions-New York, London and Amsterdam.

With Michelle Obama and Sarah Palin occupying opposite camps in the War on Obesity, celebrities extolling the rewards of Jenny Craig, and The Biggest Loser a runaway sensation on reality TV, Pidge Meade changes the game of "thin at any cost" to become the biggest winner in her enlightening one-woman show 40 POUNDS IN 12 WEEKS: A LOVE STORY.

Cartoon Network today announced an all star line-up of icons from the worlds of sports, television, film and music who will be appearing at the first-ever Cartoon Network Hall of Game Awards (HallofGame.com). From the red carpet, to the never-before-seen stunts and surprises on stage, Cartoon Network Hall of Game Awards, which will air Friday, Feb. 25, at 7 p.m. (ET/PT), will be an evening of humor and fun at the most raucous and biggest sports awards show ever presented on television.

The First Lady of the United States, Mrs. Michelle Obama, will make a special taped appearance at Cartoon Network's upcoming Hall of Game Awards (HallofGame.com); it was announced today by Stuart Snyder, President/COO for Turner's Animation, Young Adults & Kids Media Group. As national spokesperson and co-founder of the Let's Move! initiative, Mrs. Obama will appear onscreen to announce a set of schools that have most successfully created healthier school environments through the promotion of nutrition and physical activity through the USDA HealthierUS School Challenge. The announcement comes this week as the First Lady also celebrates the one-year anniversary of Let's Move!

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, one of the world's favorite dance companies, returns to the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County February 17-20, as part of a 24-city U.S. Tour celebrating 50 years of Alvin Ailey's timeless masterpiece, Revelations. Ailey's acclaimed dancers, including Miami natives Amos J. Machanic, Jr. and Jamar Roberts, will move audiences with exciting premieres, dramatic new productions, repertory favorites and classic Revelations.

Lights! Cameras! Action! Ready, or not, the bus chock full of celebrity impersonators is headed to Las Vegas! International Celebrity Images will present The 20th Annual Production of THE REEL AWARDS, an entertaining two and a half-hour tongue in cheek parody, homage, spoof and tribute to the real Academy Awards, as well as the 11th Celebrity Impersonators Convention at the Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, one of the world's favorite dance companies, returns to the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County February 17-20, as part of a 24-city U.S. Tour celebrating 50 years of Alvin Ailey's timeless masterpiece, Revelations. Ailey's acclaimed dancers, including Miami natives Amos J. Machanic, Jr. and Jamar Roberts, will move audiences with exciting premieres, dramatic new productions, repertory favorites and classic Revelations.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, recognized by U.S. Congress as a vital American 'Cultural Ambassador to the World,' will inspire, enlighten and entertain from February through May in 24 North American cities, continuing the celebration of the 50 years of Alvin Ailey's Revelations. The tour will kick off on February 1st at Washington, D.C.'s Kennedy Center, and will continue through May 22nd with visits to Atlanta, GA; Miami, FL; Berkeley, CA; Los Angeles, CA; Philadelphia, PA; Chicago, IL; St. Louis, MO; Newark, NJ; Vancouver & Victoria, Canada and other cities.

The internationally renowned, Grammy Award winning a cappella ensemble, Sweet Honey In The Rock, founded by Bernice Johnson Reagon in 1973 at the D.C. Black Repertory Theater Company, is coming to the Colonial for one performance only on Friday, January 28 at 8pm.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, one of the world's favorite dance companies, returns to the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County February 17-20, as part of a 24-city U.S. Tour celebrating 50 years of Alvin Ailey's timeless masterpiece, Revelations. Ailey's acclaimed dancers, including Miami natives Amos J. Machanic, Jr. and Jamar Roberts, will move audiences with exciting premieres, dramatic new productions, repertory favorites and classic Revelations.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, recognized by U.S. Congress as a vital American 'Cultural Ambassador to the World,' will inspire, enlighten and entertain from February through May in 24 North American cities, continuing the celebration of the 50 years of Alvin Ailey's Revelations. The tour will kick off on February 1st at Washington, D.C.'s Kennedy Center, and will continue through May 22nd with visits to Atlanta, GA; Miami, FL; Berkeley, CA; Los Angeles, CA; Philadelphia, PA; Chicago, IL; St. Louis, MO; Newark, NJ; Vancouver & Victoria, Canada and other cities.