Aretha Franklin News

Aretha Franklin, The Queen of Soul, who passed away on August 16th, will be celebrated in story and song at Feinstein's/54 Below on Sunday, October 7th, at 9:30pm, in a concert directed and produced by Robert W. Schneider.

New York New Works Theater Festival and Theatre Row proudly present the Off-Broadway premiere of THE CULTURE OF NOW, an epic mixed-media play featuring an international ensemble in a one night only performance September 20 at 8:30 p.m. After the much anticipated sold out opening night at Manhattan's Dixon Place on September 8, this production was added as a special presentation to this year's New York New Works Theatre Festival taking place at Theatre Row's Acorn Theatre.

City Winery Chicago, 1200 W. Randolph Street, announces a special holiday show with “American Idol” winner Kris Allen and more. The following shows go on sale to the public on Thursday, September 20 at noon. All tickets will be available at citywinery.com/chicago.

Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, a dynamic hub for the lively arts and vital community resource, presents a dozen classical, jazz and contemporary music programs featuring some of the era's most compelling musical artists during the 2018/2019 season. World premieres, programs with thought-provoking social commentary and timeless iconic works are among the offerings.

In association with RCA Inspiration, Chew Entertainment, helmed by music power couple Ray Chew and Vivian Scott Chew, presents the Voice Your Inspiration contest, to discover the next great artist that will be a voice of inspiration.  Open nationwide to musicians who can be a solo act, duo, or small band ensemble, artist submissions are under way, to audition by submitting videos to https://www.VoiceYourInspiration.org.  Seeking artists whose work can showcase their spirit of what keeps them inspired on their daily journey to greatness, artists can submit their auditions on the Voice Your Inspiration site until October 15th, or perform at live auditions being held in New York City at SIR Studios on Tuesday September 18th, from 3 pm – 11 pm.

On Saturday, The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development presented the Six Degrees to Tennessee Roots Jam to kick-off Tennessee Music Pathways, a statewide program designed to guide visitors to musical points of interest through an online travel-planning experience featuring hundreds of landmarks and attractions.

Brainfeeder is proud to release Resistance - a 2018 Funk odyssey by keyboard maestro, vocalist, composer, producer, arranger and astraltraveller Brandon Coleman. A regular fixture in the Kamasi Washington band, wylin' out on the keys or wielding his keytar, he is introduced onstage at gigs as “Professor Boogie” by his longtime friend and collaborator. Resistance represents a new chapter in the Funk dynasty that spans George Clinton / Parliament Funkadelic and Zapp through to Dr. Dre, DJ Quik and Dam Funk as the Los Angeles resident salutes his musical heroes - Herbie Hancock, Peter Frampton, Roger Troutman - and honours their ethos of freedom and experimentation in his search for Funk's future. Resistance, featuring an all-star cast of guests including Kamasi Washington, Miguel Atwood Ferguson, Ronald Bruner Jr, Patrice Quinn, Techdizzle, and more, is out now and streaming everywhere.

Like a comet that burns far too brightly to last, Janis Joplin exploded onto the music scene in 1967 and, almost overnight, became the Queen of Rock 'n' Roll. Davies carries on and mimics the unmistakable raspy voice filled with raw emotion and tinged with Southern Comfort to a tee, her stage presence making it easy to see what made Joplin a must-see headliner from Monterey to Woodstock and beyond even to this day, so many years after her too-soon passing at the age of 27. After listening to Davies' sharing of Janis' life, it is easy to think the rock legend died from not only from drugs and alcohol but from her lonely co-dependent longing for a man to share her life, equaling her love of the spotlight and adoration received from a live audience, which she could never find. Davies' renditions of Joplin favorites, including “Summertime,” “Piece of My Heart,” “Cry Baby,” and “Me and Bobby McGee” among others, ignite the stage and audiences alike with a passion no man in her life could ever match.

On Saturday, The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development presented the Six Degrees to Tennessee Roots Jam to kick-off Tennessee Music Pathways, a statewide program designed to guide visitors to musical points of interest through an online travel-planning experience featuring hundreds of landmarks and attractions.

La Mirada Theatre For The Performing Arts presents Mary Bridget Davies, Broadway's original "Janis" starring in her Tony nominated performance A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN, with choreography by Patricia Wilcox, musical direction by Brent Crayon, and created, written & directed by Randy Johnson. A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN will preview on Friday, September 14, 2018 (with a press opening on Saturday, September 15 at 8pm) and runs through Sunday, October 7, 2018 at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Blvd in La Mirada.

Choreographer RANARDO-DOMEICO GRAYS, founder/artistic director of VISIONS Contemporary Ballet, will present his Company in Healing Works II, Saturday, November 10th at The Theatre at the Riverside Church, entrance 91 Claremont Avenue.

“Wherever You Sleep,” the latest single from rising LA-based band Bay Ledges—led by singer, songwriter and producer Zach Hurd—debuts today. The Wild Honey Pie hails, “With a psychedelic disco feel singer, songwriter and producer Zach Hurd creates a track that will get you moving.” The song will be part of the band's forthcoming EP, coming in November. Listen here!

Hot out of London, celebrated singer, songwriter and Broadway star, Shoshana Bean, will debut at The 1919 Lounge with her fresh take on big band, jazz, and soul. In this intimate evening Bean will share songs from her newest chart-topping album, Spectrum. Inspired largely by Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin, and Barbra Streisand, Bean will weave through haunting originals, new workings of contemporary hits and beloved classics.

Aretha Franklin, The Queen of Soul, who passed away on August 16th, will be celebrated in story and song at Feinstein's/54 Below on Sunday, October 7th, at 9:30pm, in a concert directed and produced by Robert W. Schneider.

On November 15, 1949, in Hollywood, California, an up-and-coming young actress met a handsome movie star for dinner -- a blind date that changed history.

On November 15, 1949, in Hollywood, California, an up-and-coming young actress met a handsome movie star for dinner -- a blind date that changed history.

Young fans and their families are in store for adventure on the creature trail when the world-famous Kratt Brothers bring their all-new stage adventure Wild Kratts LIVE 2.0: Activate Creature Power! to The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts on Saturday, April 6 at 1 pm and 4:30 pm. Tickets are on sale now to members and go on sale to the public on Friday, September 21 at 10 am.

Internationally acclaimed Garth Fagan Dance returns to The Joyce Theater with two vibrant world premieres and three stirring revivals from the company's rich archive.  For close to half a century, Garth Fagan - the Tony, Olivier and Bessie award-winning choreographer of The Lion King - has created an innovative signature technique that seamlessly blends the gravity of modern dance, the speed and precision of ballet and the energy and physicality of Afro-Caribbean rhythms and movements.

Enjoy an entire weekend of films created for, by and about the LGBTQ+ community when qFLIX Worcester: New England's LGBTQ+ Film Festival returns to The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts, Thursday, October 11 through Sunday, October 15. Tickets are on sale now.

Concluding the 60th Anniversary season at the Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival (FLMTF) is Beehive - The 60s Musical. The show runs September 21 through October 6 at the Merry-Go-Round Playhouse in Emerson Park.