The Beach Boys News

On Stage at Kingsborough just announced its Spring 2015 season of Award-Winning performances from internationally-renowned artists in exclusive Brooklyn engagements.

Orange County—Jan. 7, 2015—Pacific Symphony invites all people of Orange County to share their voice and contribute to a new composition for “OC in Unison,” a project created to engage the community in music creation. Guided by the vision of Music Director Carl St.Clair, the Symphony has chosen Composer-in-Residence Narong Prangcharoen to write this new anthem for the county, which is scheduled to premiere on the Opening Night concerts of the 2015-16 season, with a culminating event taking place on Sunday, Oct. 4. Prangcharoen has already begun studying the county and discovering how the region has grown from an area of sprawling orange groves into a thriving cultural community of 34 different cities. He has been inspired by the range of scenery, but has been most influenced by the people he's met and the experiences they've had living here. Prangcharoen is now looking to more people to inspire the heart and spirit of the piece, and invites all residents to share their Orange County narrative.

The Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performance Arts invites entertainment fans to kick off 2015 with international artists and attractions from every discipline from rock to pop to classical music, from Broadway to Hollywood.

Menopause the Musical brings a hilarious celebration of women and the change to the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall on January 5. This comical musical parody set to classic tunes from the '60s, '70's and '80's will have you cheering and dancing in the aisles!

Today we are talking to an instantly recognizable stage stalwart who has lit up Broadway and beyond for more than three decades since her debut in William Finn's IN TROUSERS - the one and only Mary Testa. Discussing all aspects of her exemplary new album created in collaboration with acclaimed orchestrator Michael Starobin, HAVE FAITH, Testa imparts the impetus behind the concept album and outlines what motivated the wildly eclectic song choices included on the release - ranging from the Beach Boys, Prince and Aerosmith to Michael John LaChiusa, William Finn, Jill Sobule and many more. Furthermore, Testa eloquently describes the fascinating and compelling theme upon which the album is based - the journey of a soul through life; ostensibly a search for faith - and relates the sonic experience to her own spiritual pursuits. Additionally, Testa clues us in on what we can expect from her upcoming promotional concert appearances alongside Starobin in support of the album, as well, kicking off with a concert at Barnes & Noble next week along with a series of shows at the Laurie Beechman Theater. Reflecting on the various ways in which she has seen the theatre transform over the course of her career thus far, Testa also sheds some light on many of her most celebrated roles to date, including IN TROUSERS, THE RINK, XANADU, 42nd STREET, MARIE CHRISTINE, SEE WHAT I WANNA SEE, QUEEN OF THE MIST, GUYS & DOLLS, A NEW BRAIN, A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM, LUCKY STIFF, CHICAGO, WICKED and more. All of that, playing Barbara Bush in FIRST DAUGHTER SUITE and much, much more with one of Broadway's most reliably entertaining and endlessly inventive regulars.

South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC, 1 SOPAC Way, South Orange, NJ) has announced its upcoming events for January 2015. Details below!

Mannheim Steamroller will present the best the holiday has to offer this season. The group will perform live for two performances only at Omaha's Orpheum Theater tonight and tomorrow, December 22 and 23, 2014 at 7:30 p.m.

MARY TESTA -- the two time Tony Award nominated singer and actress -- and MICHAEL STAROBIN, the Tony Award winning orchestrator and arranger will perform four concerts in January to promote their new album Have Faith from Ghostlight Records.

Today we are revisiting the very best theatre-related items released in 2014 in honor of the holiday shopping season being upon us.

MARY TESTA - the two time Tony Award nominated singer and actress - and MICHAEL STAROBIN, the Tony Award winning orchestrator and arranger will perform four concerts in January to promote their new album Have Faith from Ghostlight Records. Fresh off her recent starring role on Broadway in Wicked, Mary will perform a special CD release engagement at The Laurie Beechman Theater at The West Bank Cafe January 4-5,11-12, 2015 at 7:00 PM. Music Director Michael Starobin, will join her on piano with Alisa Horn on cello. Since being released earlier this month, Have Faith was called "stunning" by Playbill, "beautifully hypnotizing" by BroadwayWorld and "a sensational CD debut, terrific from first cut to last" by the Connecticut Post. For tickets, please visit www.lauriebeechmantheatre.com. To order the album, please visit www.sh-k-boom.com/havefaith.

Well, nearly three months after Adam Levine, Gwen Stefani, Pharrell Williams, and Blake Shelton first hit their 'I Want You' buttons on Season 7 of THE VOICE, we have made it to the finale. 70 artists auditioned for the coaches, 48 were chosen for a team, 20 sang for America's vote, and now only four remain with the hope of being crowned this season's champion. Chris Jamison, Craig Wayne Boyd, Matt McAndrew, and the Wild Card-winning Damien will sing tonight.

Brian Wilson , co-founder of the Beach Boys, will be performing hits from his illustrious award-winning career, as well as selections from his new album 'No Pier Pressure' during a special concert at 8pm tonight, Dec. 12 at The Venetian Las Vegas. Tickets are currently on sale.

Indian Ranch in Webster, MA announced that Phil Vassar will return to the lakeside concert venue on Sunday, July 19th at 2PM. As a singer/songwriter, Phil has hit the Top 5 seven times with songs like “Carlene,” “Last Day of My Life” and “American Child” and topped the charts with “In A Real Love” and the perennial favorite “Just Another Day in Paradise.” The show will go on-sale Monday, December 15th at 10AM.

Having seen Mary Testa in a cabaret concert in Houston, I feel I had an idea of what to expect from her and Michael Starobin's album HAVE FAITH. While I expected it to be eccentrically eclectic and haunting, nothing could have prepared me for how it was beautifully hypnotizing and simultaneously so unlike anything I've ever heard before. The unique album utilizes well-known pop songs (hits from The Beach Boys to Alanis Morissette) and songs written by William Finn and Michael John LaChiusa to explore thoughts on faith and doubt in ways that are equally alluring and unexpected.

Ghostlight Records has announced the release of the new CD from MARY TESTA - the two time Tony Award nominated singer and actress currently starring in Wicked on Broadway - and MICHAEL STAROBIN, the Tony Award winning orchestrator and arranger. The album will be available in stores and via online outlets today, December 2, 2014. Mary and Michael will perform a special CD release engagement at The Laurie Beechman Theater at The West Bank Cafe January 4-5,11-12, 2015 at 7:00 PM. For tickets, please visit www.lauriebeechmantheatre.com.

Mannheim Steamroller will present the best the holiday has to offer this season. The group will perform live for one performance only in Providence at the Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) today, November 28 at 7:30P.

BroadwayWorld.com's Richie Ridge was on hand at PETER PAN's press day where he talked to the stars and creative team about how they are putting together this live TV event. Here, Richie talks to the producers, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron.

Mannheim Steamroller will present the best the holiday has to offer this season. The group will perform live for two shows (2 p.m. and 8 p.m.) only at the Fox Theatre today, November 22. Tickets range from $40-$100 and are on sale now at www.FoxTheatre.org, by calling 855-285-8499, or at the Fox Theatre ticket office.

Velocity and Discovery Channel announced today 36 hours of live, world premiere coverage of the 44th annual BARRETT-JACKSON SCOTTSDALE AUCTION beginning Tuesday, January 13

Greil Marcus has been a big-time rock critic for over forty years. I've been reading him for the last thirty-five....I've learned to take the good with the bad.