Scott Simon News

Paper Mill Playhouse concludes its 75th Anniversary Season with America's favorite musical, Grease. With book, music and lyrics by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey, Grease will be directed by Daniel Goldstein with original choreography by JoAnn M. Hunter. Additional songs are by John Farrar, Barry Gibb, Scott Simon and Louis St. Louis. Grease will play the Millburn, New Jersey, theater from May 28 through June 29, 2014. The official press opening night is Sunday, June 1, at 7:00pm. Paper Mill Playhouse's 75th Anniversary Season is proudly sponsored by Investors Bank.

Emerson College will award four honorary degrees during the College's 134th Commencement ceremonies on Sunday, May 11, at the Agganis Arena at Boston University, 925 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston. The ceremony will be streamed live at emerson.edu/stream.

From June 4 to June 8, two iconic New York City institutions join to celebrate an ever evolving medium that was born more than 100 years ago-radio.

Never content to rest on their laurels, Sha Na Na just released Sha Na Na Greaser High School Hop, which features 25 signature songs that create an instant high school hop dance party. 'The Bop', 'The Twist', 'The Stroll', 'The Hand Jive', 'The Monkey', 'The Jerk', 'The Cha Cha' and even 'The Hokey Pokey' are among the great dances of the '50s and '60s celebrated in this collection. Also included are songs they sang in the movie Grease ('Sandy', 'Rock & Roll is Here to Stay'), The Sha Na Na TV Show ('Rock & Roll Hall of Fame', 'You Can't Sit Down') and at Woodstock ('At The Hop').

Since releasing their sixth critically acclaimed full length 'The Take Off and Landing of Everything' last week, the Manchester five-piece has made an impressive Billboard Chart debut by entering at #1 on the Heatseekers Chart and reaching their highest ever Top 200 chart positioning in the U.S, entering at #109 and currently sitting at #83 in week two.

CBS Sports broadcaster Verne Lundquist will receive the Vin Scully Lifetime Achievement Award in Sports Broadcasting from WFUV Radio (

After a competitive jury process, Fourth Arts Block (FABnyc) has selected five finalists for the inaugural FABLES Public Art project. FABLES is a public art series produced by FABnyc to explore the Lower East Side's living cultural heritage, rich historical legacies, and current issues in public storytelling through visual art. The five finalist artist/teams are: Lexi Bella, Tamara Gayer, Theresa Loong & Laura Nova, Levan Mindiashvili, Miguel Trelles & Juan Fernando Morales-Nazario. Semi-finalists also included Paul Brainard, Scott Simon, Greg Spielberg & Rich Tu, and Margaret Inga Wiatrowski.

In a Doo-Wop and Rock & Roll interactive party extravaganza, Sha Na Na will celebrate the 45th Anniversary of their performance at Woodstock and the 35th Anniversary of their role in the mega hit movie Grease at The Ridgefield Playhouse on Friday, April 25, at 8 p.m. They will perform songs they sang at Woodstock where they got their big start 45 years ago, in the movie Grease 35 years ago, on The Sha Na Na TV show as well as music from their world-wide concert tour stops. Sha Na Na was cast in Grease as 'Johnny Casino and the Gamblers' and performed six songs on the movie soundtrack. The smash hit ballad 'Sandy', sung by John Travolta, was co-written by Sha Na Na's piano man, Screamin' Scott Simon. Sha Na Na hits include 'Blue Moon', 'We Go Together', 'You're the One That I Want', 'Hopelessly Devoted to You' and many more. An AllShows.com VIP Party Pass ($25 addt'l per person), which includes a pre-show cocktail party 6:30 - 7:15 p.m. with open bar, hors-d'oeuvre and priority parking, is available for this show by calling the box office (203-438-5795). This event is part of the Xfinity Rock Series.

Kokandy Productions' premiere all-musical season kicks off with the Marvin Hamlisch/Craig Carnelia/John Guare noir SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS, running now through February 2, 2014 at Theater Wit. BroadwayWorld has a look at the opening night festivities below!

According to The Hollywood Reporter, FOX has nabbed the rights to Agatha Christie's MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS and will welcome Ridley Scott, Simon Kinberg and Mark Gordon as producers. The team is now on the hunt for writers.

Finally, audiences in major U.S. cities will have an opportunity to experience singer / pianist Anna von Hausswolff's striking and deeply felt music live.

By popular demand, the Hollywood Bowl is once again transformed into the world's largest movie theater for the GreaseSing-A-Long tonight, July 13, 2013. The show, hosted by Didi Conn ('Frenchy'), will feature the Paramount Pictures film, complete with subtitles so the whole audience can sing along.

By popular demand, the Hollywood Bowl is once again transformed into the world's largest movie theater for the GreaseSing-A-Long Saturday, July 13, 2013. The show, hosted by Didi Conn ("Frenchy"), will feature the Paramount Pictures film, complete with subtitles so the whole audience can sing along.

Bold beats and folk icons, hand-crafted delicacies and gorgeous produce, unexpected art installations and an old-school working waterfront. Clearwater's Great Hudson River Revival, also simply and affectionately known as the Clearwater Festival (today, June 15-16, 2013; clearwaterfestival.org), unites major musical figures and green activism, building a creative community in one of the most scenic spots on the Hudson River.

Bold beats and folk icons, hand-crafted delicacies and gorgeous produce, unexpected art installations and an old-school working waterfront. Clearwater's Great Hudson River Revival, also simply and affectionately known as the Clearwater Festival (June 15-16, 2013; clearwaterfestival.org), unites major musical figures and green activism, building a creative community in one of the most scenic spots on the Hudson River.

Hop in Greased Lightning and cruise down the Berlin Turnpike!

The legendary musical group Sha Na Na kicks off Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston's fall concert season with a rollicking afternoon of classic Doo Wop and 1950s rock 'n' roll today, September 22 at 2 p.m. in the Robinson Theatre, 617 Lexington Street, Waltham.

Today, September 16, WEEKEND TODAY will celebrate its 25th Anniversary by looking back at the broadcast's dynamic history.

WNET is pleased to announce the renewal through June 30, 2013 of its national weekly newsmagazine, NEED TO KNOW. The series - with Jeff Greenfield, Maria Hinojosa, Scott Simon, and Ray Suarez -- is part of PBS's news and public affairs programming and is broadcast during primetime on Fridays nationwide, with repeats over the weekend in some markets. (Check local listings.)