President Obama News

On last night's episode of Fox's AMERICAN IDOL, finalist Elise Testone chose to sing the classic Al Green song 'Let's Stay Together', a tune that President Obama recently sang at a fundraising event at Harlem's famed Apollo Theater. The show's producers decided to show a split-screen duet featuring the 28-year old New Jersey contestant and the President crooning the number.

Recently, noted DREAMGIRLS composer Henry Krieger was generous enough to take a comprehensive look back at his many accomplishments onstage and onscreen with me, turning back the pages of time and sharing memories of DREAMGIRLS, both on Broadway and in Hollywood, THE TAP DANCE KID, SIDE SHOW, KEPT, ROMANTIC POETRY and beyond, as well as discuss many aspects of his exciting new family-friendly musical opening next week at the New Victory Theater, LUCKY DUCK. Over the course of our compelling conversation, Krieger also revealed new details about the forthcoming 2014 production of SIDE SHOW, to be directed by DREAMGIRLS film director and TWILIGHT: BREAKING DAWN helmer Bill Condon - to premiere first at the La Jolla Playhouse and then at the Kennedy Center, as it makes its way towards Broadway - as well as first news on a musical collaboration with lyricist David Yazbek based on the life of television evangelist Tammy Faye Bakker set to star Tony and Emmy-winning Broadway and GLEE standout Kristin Chenoweth. DREAMGIRLS to LUCKY DUCK and much, much more awaits!

In the spring of 2012 the New-York Historical Society will present New York Cool, a free concert series highlighting musical history makers, past and present.

Ravinia Festival President and CEO Welz Kauffman announced the festival's 2012 season, which offers more than 100 separate events exemplifying most musical genres, including the 77th residency of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. The summer boasts a variety of music's legends from Philip Glass to James Taylor, along with 43 debuts, including Glee and Wicked star Idina Menzel, reggae master Jimmy Cliff, classic rocker Santana, Grammy-and-Oscar sensation Esperanza Spalding, and Musical America's "conductor of the year" Jaap van Zweden. Ravinia Music Director James Conlon celebrates the 35th anniversary of his own festival debut as his contract is extended through 2014.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, conservative newsmaker Andrew Breitbart will posthumously star in two upcoming films, 'Hating Breitbart' and 'Occupy Unmasked'. Breitbart died suddenly on March 1st.

Last month, President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama hosted a night of blues music as part of the PBS 'In Performance at the White House' series. See Gary Clark, Jr. performing 'Catfish Blues' below!

This Monday, March 5th at 7 PM, Socrates in the City will present a very special debate featuring noted author and Christian apologist Dinesh D'Souza and self-proclaimed agnostic Bart D. Ehrman at The New York Society for Ethical Culture, 2 West 64th Street (at Central Park West). Titled GOD, SUFFERING & EVIL, the event will be hosted by bestselling author and Founder of Socrates in the City, Eric Metaxas. Just last month, Metaxas was the keynote speaker at the 2012 National Prayer Breakfast for President Obama and the First Lady. Past speakers at that annual event have included such varied and distinguished luminaries as Mother Teresa, Bono and Tony Blair. Among the VIPs set to attend GOD, SUFFERING & EVIL include legendary TV talk show host Dick Cavett, and Mark St. Germain with Carolyn Rossi Copeland, author and producer respectively for Off-Broadway's smash hit play Freud's Last Session.

This Monday, March 5th at 7 PM, Socrates in the City will present a very special debate featuring noted author and Christian apologist Dinesh D'Souza and self-proclaimed agnostic Bart D. Ehrman at The New York Society for Ethical Culture, 2 West 64th Street (at Central Park West). Titled GOD, SUFFERING & EVIL, the event will be hosted by bestselling author and Founder of Socrates in the City, Eric Metaxas. Just last month, Metaxas was the keynote speaker at the 2012 National Prayer Breakfast for President Obama and the First Lady. Past speakers at that annual event have included such varied and distinguished luminaries as Mother Teresa, Bono and Tony Blair. Among the VIPs set to attend GOD, SUFFERING & EVIL include legendary TV talk show host Dick Cavett, and Mark St. Germain with Carolyn Rossi Copeland, author and producer respectively for Off-Broadway's smash hit play Freud's Last Session.

Following last year's sold-out inaugural season, Dance Under the Influence returns with a schedule packed with groundbreaking newcomers and icons of contemporary dance.

Garth Brooks has performed to sold-out crowds and rave reviews inside the intimate Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas since December 2009. Tickets for the highly anticipated concerts will be available for purchase through June 2012. Tickets are $225 plus tax and service charge and are available exclusively at Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-877-65-GARTH. For more information visit www.wynnlasvegas.com.

On last night's LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON on NBC, Fallon and his guest, Brian Williams 'slow-jammed the news' as they explained President Obama's position on super PAC's and corporate favoritism. Rapped Fallon, 'When corporations pay for favors, they expect you to put out... policies that they like.'

David Hallberg, Principal Dancer with American Ballet Theatre and the first American star to join the fabled Bolshoi Ballet, will join Damian Woetzel in an informal discussion on Monday, February 27 at 6:30 pm, as part of New York City Center's Studio 5 Series.

Artes de la Rosa will host the World Premiere Screening of It is Rocket Science in Presidio at the 2nd Annual Rose Marine Latino Film Festival. The film will screen on Saturday, February 25th at 7:00 p.m. Directed by Academy and Emmy Award winner Nigel Noble, the film is a short documentary of a Texasborder town physics teacher and her students' unprecedented success in national science and rocketry competitions. Students featured in the film, from the Presidio Rocketry Team, were recently invited to the White House where they participated in the 2nd White House Science Fair this past Tuesday. There, they met President Obama and invited him to the Premiere of the film documenting their journey at Rose Marine Latino Film Festival. A copy of the film was then presented to the Commander-in-Chief. Director Nigel Noble and students from the team will be in attendance at the screening of the film Saturday the 25th.

As first reported in the Hollywood Reporter, media queen Oprah Winfrey is considering a return to the big screen in Lee Daniel's film THE BUTLER. The film will tell the story of Eugene Allen, an African-American who served as a butler in the White House through eight presidential administrations from 1952 - 1986.

President Barack Obama's proposed budget includes an increase in National Endowment for the Arts funding.

Indiana University Jacobs School of Music professor of piano André Watts will receive the 2011 National Medal of Arts, the highest award given to artists and art patrons by the United States government.

The Town Hall (123 West 43 Street) has signed Award-winning Jazz singer Marilyn Maye, Tony Award winner, Ben Davis (Baz Luhrmann's La Boheme), Dameka Hayes, Audelco Award Nominee for It Ain't Nothing But The Blues and Jessie Mueller, who made her Broadway debut in On a Clear Day…, to perform in THE BROADWAY MUSICALS OF 1946 on Monday, February 13, 2012 at 8pm.

Will Barnet will be awarded the 2011 National Medal of Arts in a White House ceremony hosted by President Obama in the East Room on Monday, February 13th, at 1:45 pm. The event will stream live at http://www.whitehouse.gov/Live.