Patti LaBelle News

The opulent, newly restored Emerson Colonial, the historic crown jewel among Boston's glittering theatrical houses, is the perfect setting for the equally opulent but imperfect stage adaptation of Baz Luhrmann's anachronistic 2001 movie musical MOULIN ROUGE. Originally opened in 1900, the ornately adorned gilt and red velvet theater is now celebrating its grand re-opening with a glitzy, gaudy pre-Broadway tryout of a mash-up of 1900 Bohemian Paris and a contemporary jukebox of pop rock, techno, disco and punk music. The result is a whirling dervish of sights and sounds designed more for effect than affect. The audience, obviously familiar with and adoring of the original movie, rapturously cheers on cue. But for those seeking a more nostalgic emotional connection to the material, this MOULIN ROUGE may seem more rock concert than musical theater.

The following acts are performing at City Winery Chicago (1200 W. Randolph St) throughout the month.

Two-time Emmy Award winning composer, lyricist, conductor, pianist, and producer Glen Roven, has passed away at the age of 60.

VIDEO: OWN Releases the Highly Anticipated Season Three Trailer for Hit Megachurch Drama GREENLEAF

In season three of “Greenleaf,” all the turbulent forces that Grace's (Merle Dandridge) return to Memphis unleashed threaten to destroy not just the church her family built, but the family itself. Fallout from last season's shocking revelation of Bishop's (Keith David) infidelities with Lady Mae's (Lynn Whitfield) sister, as well as reverberations from his current dalliance with that insidious Jezebel, Rochelle Cross (LeToya Luckett) lead to all-out war in the Greenleaf home, setting the Bishop and Lady Mae on a collision course that, unless God or Grace intervenes, can only end one way: divorce. In the wake of the marital mayhem, Lady Mae rushes to reconnect with Maxine Patterson (Patti LaBelle), an old friend and now a world-famous Christian motivational speaker, in an attempt to reclaim her forsaken call to preach and thus do what no First Lady has done before — survive as the sole head pastor of a megachurch after a major rift between its founding couple. Grace, meanwhile, works undercover in the company of Rochelle, hoping to discover Rochelle's motives and true identity before the Bishop is swept away on a raging river of vanity and desire. Across town at Triumph, Jacob (Lamman Rucker) and Kerissa (Kim Hawthorne) try not to make the same mistakes Bishop and Lady Mae made as they work to build their own evangelical empire and manage parenting their teenage daughter Zora (Lovie Simone), but the roots of sin delve deep and old habits die hard. Sophia's (Desiree Ross) faith is tested when an unforeseen medical issue arises; Charity (Deborah Joy Winans) struggles to make peace with Kevin (Tye White) and find her place in the world; and Grace works to keep an abused woman from death row for the crime of defending her own life. Meanwhile, Darius (Rick Fox) finds himself in conflict due to being entangled in an increasingly strained relationship with Grace.

With a record-high 130 sellout performances, DPAC (Durham Performing Arts Center) closed its successful 2017/2018 season after entertaining almost 490,000 guests.

Back by popular demand, recording artist Karine Hannah teams with Jersey Boys favorite Michael Longoria for the return of her powerhouse Streisand tribute, KARINE HANNAH SINGS STREISAND AGAIN! at Feinstein's/54 Below in New York City on Wednesday, September 26th. Longoria will join Hannah for the duets portion of the tribute show.

Today, renowned producer, composer and pianist, Jamar Jones released his debut album, Fatherless Child.  The album marks the award-winning musician's first solo release after having served as musical director, producer and arranger to some of the music industry's biggest artists includingBoyz II Men, Jill Scott, Musiq Soulchild, Kanye West, Angie Stone, Fantasia, Jamie Foxx, Richard Smallwood, Vickie Winans and Patti LaBelle.

Critically acclaimed singer/songwriter and five-time Grammy Award winner Michael McDonald is set for the October 12 release of Season of Peace: The Christmas Collection on BMG. The album compiles McDonald's most beloved Christmas recordings including “White Christmas/Winter Wonderland” (feat. Jonny Lang), “Oh Holy Night,” “Christmas on the Bayou” and “Children Go Where I Send Thee” (feat. Twinkie Clark), as well as a new version of “Winter Wonderland” featuring special guest Jake Shimabukuro. The album art hails from an original painting by McDonald himself; see below for a complete track list.

Everything goes right in this amazing production of one of the quirkiest shows of all time.

Porchlight Music Theatre's Mainstage 2018 - 2019 season launches with Gypsy, A Musical Fable, October 12 - November 25, at The Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn Street, with book by Arthur Laurents, music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.  Porchlight Music Theatre's Gypsy stars E. Faye Butler as "Rose," is directed by Michael Weber, music directed by David Fiorello and choreographed/associate directed by Chris Carter.

Porchlight Music Theatre's Mainstage 2018 - 2019 season launches with Gypsy, A Musical Fable, October 12 - November 25, at The Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn Street, with book by Arthur Laurents, music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.

Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG) announces new entertainment offerings that will arrive at the newly refurbished Emerson Colonial Theatre this fall following this summer's world premiere pre-Broadway engagement of Moulin Rouge! The Musical.

BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.), the global leader in rights management, is proud to announce that multiplatinum superstar Janet Jackson will be named a BMI Icon at the 2018 BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards.  The event will be held Thursday, August 30th at The Woodruff Arts Center's Symphony Hall in Atlanta and will be hosted by BMI President & CEO Mike O'Neill and BMI Vice President Creative (Atlanta), Catherine Brewton.

Ballets with a Twist sizzles on the Long Island shore in Cocktail Hour: The Show at the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center (76 Main Street), on Saturday, August 25, at 8pm. The engagement will feature the company's own B-Twist Orchestra, a collection of internationally acclaimed musicians, performing the production's score live. Throughout the evening, a special selection of cocktails and mocktails complementing the program will be available in the lobby.

Robert Bannon to star in a one man Musical Revue at the Triad Theater on July 15th . The show entitled 'Unfinished Business' will be a Pop and Broadway Revue that will span ages and genres. The show will address the story and lessons of a 5th grade teacher from NJ and his journey back to the stage.

Critically acclaimed singer/songwriter and five-time Grammy Award winner Michael McDonald is on tour throughout North America this summer. Confirmed dates include two nights at Los Angeles' Hollywood Bowl with Kenny Loggins and Christopher Cross as well as performances at New York's South Street Seaport, Washington, DC's Filene Center at Wolf Trap with Peter Cetera, St. Louis' Loufest, the Cityfolk Festival inOttawa and more. See below for a list of dates.

The Recording Academy will honor its 2018 Special Merit Awards recipients with 'GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends®,' an awards ceremony and live tribute concert on Saturday, July 14, 2018, at Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. This year's Lifetime Achievement Award honorees are Hal Blaine, Neil Diamond, Emmylou Harris, Louis Jordan, the Meters, Queen, and Tina Turner. Additional Special Merit Awards honorees to be celebrated include Bill Graham, Seymour Stein, and John Williams, who are this year's Trustees Award honorees, and Tony Agnello and Richard Factor, who are the Technical GRAMMY Award recipients. Also being honored is Melissa Salguero, this year's recipient of the Music Educator Award. Led by GRAMMY®-nominated industry icon Greg Phillinganes as musical director, the tribute concert will feature rare performances by honorees and never-seen renditions by those they've inspired. Currently scheduled to appear are eight-time GRAMMY winner Herb Alpert, who will honor Blaine; past GRAMMY nominee Micky Dolenz, who will be honoring Diamond; GRAMMY winner Sammy Hagar, who will pay tribute to Graham; 13-time GRAMMY winner and Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Harris; past GRAMMY nominee Ledisi, who will salute Jordan; and three-time GRAMMY winner Trisha Yearwood, who will pay tribute to Harris. Presenters for the evening include actress Angela Bassett and GRAMMY winner Henry Rollins. Additional performers and presenters will be announced shortly. Tickets for the event will be on sale via Ticketmasterbeginning today. 

On June 14th, NBC's Clash of Choirs alumna Liimu McGill will perform her 90-minute one-woman show, MomStar: From Madhouse to Malibu, at the VooDoo Lounge in Denver. Liimu, who is also the executive producer and star of YouTube reality series The Making of a MomStar, will bring her camera crew along as well to document the process and include it as part of an upcoming episode of the reality show.

Season Three of OWN's Hit Megachurch Drama GREENLEAF Set For Two-Night Premiere This August