T Loving News

UP Comedy Club is known for bringing the best stand-up comedy talent in the country to Chicago. The remainder of this fall's line-up features many of the best known names in comedy today, including Ian Bagg, Maz Jobrani, D.L. Hughley, Christopher Titus, Todd Barry, Kyle Kinane and Loni Love. Each show includes a feature stand-up comic and a local emcee that hosts the evening. In addition to this all-star line-up, UP Comedy Club also presents Porchlight Music Theatre's BEST MUSICAL! A Completely Improvised Musical Comedy, running October 2 - November 6, 2013.

UP Comedy Club is known for bringing the best stand-up comedy talent in the country to Chicago. The remainder of this fall's line-up features many of the best known names in comedy today, including Ian Bagg, Maz Jobrani, D.L. Hughley, Christopher Titus, Todd Barry Kyle Kinaneand Loni Love. Each show includes a feature stand-up comic and a local emcee that hosts the evening. In addition to this all-star line-up, UP Comedy Club also presents Porchlight Music Theatre's BEST MUSICAL! A Completely Improvised Musical Comedy, running October 2 - November 6, 2013.

In the shadow of 9/11, the late New York poet, playwright, songwriter and educator SEKOU SUNDIATA spent three years traveling through the U.S. gathering perspectives from ordinary Americans to create what would be his last theater work, "the 51st (dream) state." He sought to understand how he and others felt about being American during a time of terrorism and war and what future we could imagine and make possible.

Though art about art has been all over Austin as of late, there's always room for one more production provided it's as good as this. Museum is a bold, laugh-out-loud farce that lovingly mocks the pretentiousness often found in both modern art and those who claim to love and understand it.

In Ashley Love's first book of poetry, "Tainted Elegance: In The Key of Love," she shares the life lessons she's learned through stories of love and heartbreak. Ashley uses the experiences of her tainted past to guide women into an amazing future. Her three cherished children have helped mold her into the person she is now, and it's fair to say that even though her past may be tainted, there is only success her horizon. Ashley has managed to stay untainted by raising her children as a single working mother. In "Tainted Elegance," Ashley faces her past with no regrets by acknowledging it and embracing what is to come in the future. She shares with her readers how to keep what cannot be undone from corrupting who they will become. Tainted Elegance is sure to give readers the courage to overcome their past. It is filled with poetry that is true to the heart and was written to inspire others going through the same life turmoil as Ashley has gone through. Its focus is not only on love between two people, but loving yourself. The first installment of many to come, Tainted Elegance is available now in e-book form from Smashwords and Amazon. The paperback will release on February 14, 2014.

Penobscot Theatre Company has announced the cast and design team for its holiday production of Cinderella: A New Telling of an Old Tale (December 5 - December 29th). Tickets go on sale to the public, Tuesday, October 1st at noon.

The legendary, awarding winning Negro Ensemble Company celebrates 45 years of excellence with the benefit production The Monkey on My Back! (An Intimate Evening with Debbi Morgan) on the Irene Diamond Stage at The Perishing Square Theater, 480 West 42nd Street, New York. Debbi Morgan, best known for her 30 year tenure in the role of Angie Hubbard in the daytime soap opera 'All My Children,' writes and stars in this hard hitting dramedy. 'We are ecstatic to have our friend Debbi at the NEC.' exclaims Charles Weldon, NEC Artistic Director. 'We have watched her meteoric rise to stardom and this dynamite production is as equally stellar.'

When Lynnea Benson stages 'Hamlet' with Frog and Peach Theatre Company, it'll be as a face-off between Scandinavian cultures. Bloodthirsty old Scandinavia confronts sleek, modern Scandinavia in a beautifully costumed, paranoid thriller that lets 'Hamlet' live up to its reputation as Shakespeare's most suspenseful play. The production will be October 17 to November 10 at West End Theater, 263 West 86th Street.

It's America's favorite neurotic, psychotic, alcoholic couple! Not Taylor and Burton, though granted both appeared as George and Martha in 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?' Their spirit is alive and well as this Edward Albee classic runs on the Spotlighters Theatre's diminutive stage, now through Oct. 6th.

Fountain Hills Theater presents its 2013-14 seasons for its three venues, Mainstage, Mainstage Too and Youth Theater.

Hot on the heels of 'Good and Evil,' the September installment of his EP-a-month project for 2013, Brooklyn singer-songwriter Avi Fox-Rosen will be performing live with his trio at Pete's Candy Store in Williamsburg tonight, September 12th, at 9pm.

The legendary, awarding winning Negro Ensemble Company celebrates 45 years of excellence with the benefit production The Monkey on My Back! (An Intimate Evening with Debbi Morgan) on the Irene Diamond Stage at The Perishing Square Theater, 480 West 42nd Street, New York. Debbi Morgan, best known for her 30 year tenure in the role of Angie Hubbard in the daytime soap opera 'All My Children,' writes and stars in this hard hitting dramedy. 'We are ecstatic to have our friend Debbi at the NEC.' exclaims Charles Weldon, NEC Artistic Director. 'We have watched her meteoric rise to stardom and this dynamite production is as equally stellar.'

Today we are talking to a supremely talented triple-threat who has carved out an astonishingly impressive career thus far onstage with her string of stupendous performances ranging from her blazing debut in the late-90s revival of THE SOUND OF MUSIC and WONDERFUL TOWN through to SWING!, INTO THE WOODS, NINE, THE WEDDING SINGER and her Tony Award-winning work in the recent revival of GYPSY - the alluring and simply phenomenal Laura Benanti. Touching upon many of her past stage and screen roles and expressing candid insights into many of her most celebrated characters to date, Benanti opens up about the productions and properties which have made her one of the most exciting and in-demand Broadway crossover performers of the 21st century. In addition to all about her many Broadway bows - including her most recent runs in IN THE NEXT ROOM (OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY) and WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN - Benanti also shares thoughts on her multiple TV and film projects, new and old, shedding light on THE PLAYBOY CLUB, GO ON, STARVED, THE BIG C, her current arc on USA's ROYAL PAINS, prior and upcoming film roles and even more. Most importantly, Benanti provides us with all the details on her new live solo album, IN CONSTANT SEARCH OF THE RIGHT KIND OF ATTENTION: LIVE AT 54 BELOW, as well as gives a preview of her series of upcoming concerts at 54 Below in promotion of the sterling new release. Plus, Benanti looks ahead to taking on Shakespeare via the new Public Theater production of THE TEMPEST as well as tackling a particularly operatic part in 2014 (byway of the just-announced THE MOST HAPPY FELLA). All of that, Benanti's recollections of performing a hilarious specialty song at this year's spectacular Tony Awards, as well as roles she would love to play in the future and much, much more!

UP Comedy Club is known for bringing the best stand-up comedy talent in the country to Chicago. This fall's line-up features many of the best known names in comedy today, including Greg Proops, Dave Foley, Tony Rock, Moshe Kasher, Carmen Lynch, Ian Bagg, Maz Jobrani, D.L. Hughley, Christopher Titus, Kyle Kinane and Loni Love. Each show includes a feature stand-up comic and a local emcee that hosts the evening. Additional special events scheduled for September include "Hollywood Said No!" with David Cross, Bob Odenkirk & Brian Posehn, and "Risk! Live" hosted by Kevin Allison. Dinner will be available before and during the show.

Yes, you cancan! Cinnabar Theater in Sonoma County is transformed into one of France's finest nightclubs for "La Cage aux Folles," the exuberant show that's earned 11 Tony Awards including Best Musical. After Cinnabar presents a comedy called "The Pavilion" in September, "La Cage aux Folles" kicks off on Friday, October 18 and sashays across the stage through Sunday, November 3.

A heroine fluent in toddler gibberish is accustomed to her patient Mom understanding her but it is a day with her well-meaning, but clueless Dad and the loss of a beloved toy that are at the center of Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical, running Sept. 6-22 at The Rose Theater. This hilarious musical version of the beloved Caldecott Honor book by Mo Willems (author of the Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus book series) is sure to get the family giggling, but also learning about communication, family responsibility and love.

American Idol veteran Justin Guarini will soon return to Broadway as 'Paris' in the upcoming revival of ROMEO AND JULIET, and according to a recent blog entry, he has come to love his new life in the theatre. Read his full entry below: