Sam Cooke News

London is never short of theatre temptations, whether splashy West End shows, epic dramas or bold fringe offerings. From Amadeus and a starry Stoppard revival to exciting new musicals, here are some of this month's most eye-catching openings. Don't forget to check back for BroadwayWorld's reviews…

Delicately observed and fearlessly told, good dog chronicles Britain's multi-cultural communities and the everyday injustices that drive people to take back control. Because in the end, everyone who's good gets what they deserve. Don't they?

25 February 1964: 22-year-old Cassius Clay has just won the world heavyweight boxing title. Instead of hitting the town, he chooses to celebrate in a Miami hotel room with three close friends - activist Malcolm X, singer Sam Cooke and American football star Jim Brown. 

The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts is excited to present a special one-night-only performance of A Darlene Love Christmas - Love for the Holidays on Wednesday, Nov. 30 in the Ordway Concert Hall. Tickets, which are on sale now, start at $38 and can be purchased online at www.ordway.org, by phone at 651-224-4222 or in person at the Ordway ticket office.

Lake Worth Playhouse has announced its 2016-17 season. Scroll down for details!

Bay Street Theater & Sag Harbor Center for the Arts is pleased to announce that Joe Lauro will be hosting an ALL NEW LEGENDS OF ROCK film on Thursday, September 29 at 8 pm. This version is a celebration of the diversity and passion that is AMERICAN MUSIC. Rare film clips of the 'Best of the Best' featuring Sam Cooke, Staple Singers, Beach Boys, Etta James, B.B. King, Janis Joplin, Bill Monroe, Willie Nelson, Ben Goodman, Billie Holiday, Jerry Garcia, Louis Armstrong, Bob Dylan and many more will be presented by film maker Joe Lauro in celebration of the upcoming 3rd Annual SAG HARBOR AMERICAN MUSIC FESTIVAL. Tickets are $15 and available online at www.baystreet.org or by calling the Bay Street Theater Box Office at 631-725-9500, open Tuesday through Saturday 11 am to 5 pm.

The Broadway at Birdland concert series presented Trent Armand Kendall and the band, Brass Illusion (under the direction of Marty Ash), in 'This Crazy Love' on the historic stage on August 29. BroadwayWorld has photos from the concert below!

Laguna Playhouse Artistic Director Ann E. Wareham is thrilled to announce ROCKAPELLA with their latest show HITS LIKE YOU NEVER HEARD.

Carla Cooke is a singer, songwriter and daughter of soul legend Sam Cooke. Her diverse style embraces Gospel, R&B, Soul and Pop and her live performance has been described as raw, emotional and charismatic.

Veteran Broadway actor Stu James (Benny in RENT, national tour of The Color Purple) will reprise the role of black entrepreneur and music mogul John Dolphin when last season's smash hit musical RECORDED IN HOLLYWOOD gets an all-new production at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. Previews began July 8, with the press opening was held on July 16. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

The name of the game in show biz is never to settle for greatness, but rather to go that extra mile and make it better. Such is the case with Recorded in Hollywood. In its transferal from a smaller Hollywood space to the Kirk Douglas Theatre,  the show provides a book by Matt Donnelly and Jamelle Dolphin that opens up even more than before to tell the true story of record producer John Dolphin. The story takes place from 1948 to 1958 in South Central, Los Angeles, when blacks were arrested for the slightest infractions of the law. Since I did not see the initial production, I am basing my opinions on this newer version. It is slick, a very slick show with a dynamic, triple threat ensemble headed by Stu James, directed superbly by Denise Dowse and choreographed to the max by Cassie Crump. The bad feature is that it only runs through August 7.

Carla Cooke is a singer, songwriter and daughter of soul legend Sam Cooke. Her diverse style embraces Gospel, R&B, Soul and Pop and her live performance has been described as raw, emotional and charismatic.

Laguna Playhouse Artistic Director Ann E. Wareham is thrilled to announce ROCKAPELLA with their latest show HITS LIKE YOU NEVER HEARD. Comments Wareham, 'I've been looking for an opportunity to bring these guys to Laguna Playhouse ever since I arrived.  Summer in Laguna Beach is the perfect time. They've been called 'Impressive' and 'Pure Entertainment'.  I call them 'Perfection!'. As fathers of the modern a cappella sound, ROCKAPELLA has long been known for groundbreaking original music, and inventive takes on familiar favorites. Now they've created an entire show of classic, massive hits from Elvis, Macklemore, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Pharrell Williams, The Temptations, Michael Jackson, Johnny Cash, Earth Wind & Fire, Prince, Sam Cooke, and many more.  ROCKAPELLA -HITS LIKE YOU NEVER HEARD will begin performances on Wednesday, August 10 and will run through Sunday, August 28, 2016 at the Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road in Laguna Beach.                                                                                   

New autumn season of plays in Covent Garden to run alongside the Donmar Shakespeare Trilogy at King's Cross.

Just weeks after Muhammad Ali's death on June 3, The Daily Mail writes that Sope Dirisu will portray the iconic boxer in Kemp Powers's play ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI at the Donmar Warehouse this autumn.

We sat down with Jamelle Dolphin and Lou Spisto, producers of the returning RECORDED IN HOLLYWOOD as they prepare for the upcoming run at the Kirk Douglas Theater in Culver City. Both men talk about going deeper into John Dolphin's character and adding new material to create the perfect show, which begins previews July 8.

Feinstein's at the Nikko is about to become aca-awesome as it celebrates the unaccompanied human voice with the Feinstein's at the Nikko A Cappella Series. With not an instrument in sight, the Feinstein's at the Nikko A Cappella Series will feature some of the San Francisco Bay Area's best and brightest a cappella groups. With the popularity of two-time Grammy Award winning a cappella group Pentatonix and the success of the blockbuster hit "Pitch Perfect 2," now is the time to get immersed in the world of a cappella. Tickets are available now by calling 866.663.1063 or visiting www.feinsteinsatthenikko.com.

Veteran Broadway actor Stu James (Benny in RENT, national tour of The Color Purple) will reprise the role of black entrepreneur and music mogul John Dolphin when last season's smash hit musical Recorded in Hollywood gets an all-new production at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. Previews begin July 8, with the press opening set for July 16.

The hunger Americans feel for change is palpable, and no artist voices this urgency better than San Francisco-based Pete Kronowitt, a seasoned singer/songwriter who is releasing his fourth full-length album, A Lone Voice.

Austin-based indie rockers SHARKS IN THE DEEP END are gearing up for a month long tour in support of their new full-length album Killin' Machine