Aretha Franklin News

Now in its sixth season, the Lone Tree Arts Center (LTAC) has established a reputation for presenting outstanding and engaging professional performances for audiences reaching far beyond its south metro Denver location. 60,000 people a year attend performances at the Arts Center, with ticket sales topping $1 million annually. At a private subscriber event on Friday evening, Executive Director Lisa Rigsby Peterson announced LTAC's offerings for the 2016-17 season.

On Today, April 13 at 8:00 p.m. at the fashion-forward Soho shoe boutique Fiorentini + Baker, Soldier Kane will play live (Soldier on violin and banjo, Kane on guitar and drums) in front of projections of Art Kane's groundbreaking photographs to celebrate the release of their new CD Soldier Kane on Mulatta Records as well as the success of the recently released Art Kane book from Reel Art Press.

The Madison Square Garden Company and The Bowery Presents announced today that the "Queen of Soul," Aretha Franklin, will take the Radio City Music Hall stage on Friday, September 23 at 8:00PM. Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Saturday, April 16 at 10:00AM.

LIVE ANOTHER DAY, a new documentary feature film from Argos Pictures about the bailout of the US auto industry, will make its world premiere on Saturday, April 23, at the 2016 Myrtle Beach International Film Festival.

With its continuing success both nationwide and here in Chicago, the smash hit Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin is extending its return to the Royal George Theatre, 1641 N. Halsted St. Chicago, until Sunday, May 22, 2016. The Chicago presentation will immediately be followed by a special One-Night-Only New York Presentation at The Town Hall on June 6, 2016, broadcast internationally by the WFMT Radio Network with the entire Berlin family in attendance.

Master vocalist and Symphony Siren Diva N'Kenge (Motown: The Musical and Sondheim and Sondheim) is coming to Sarasota, FL for the first time debuting with conductor Jack Everly at the Sarasota Symphony for the exciting The Beat Goes On show, Friday - Saturday, April 15 - April 16, 2016 (8:00pm).

On Saturday & Sunday at 1:00 p.m. (April 30th and May 1st,) Grammy award winning saxophonist, Kenny G will present a clinic and performance Roy's Place, located to Kennelly Keys Music in Lynnwood

Continuing to break all box office records during its National Tour, the smash hit Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin is returning to Chicago for a limited, four-week engagement starting Thursday, April 7, 2016 in Felder's Chicago theatrical home, the Royal George Theatre, 1641 N. Halsted Street, Chicago. The show will run through Sunday, May 8, 2016 with a press opening on Sunday, April 10 at 2:00 p.m. The Chicago presentation will immediately be followed by a special One-Night-Only New York Presentation at The Town Hall on June 6, 2016, broadcast internationally by the WFMT Radio Network with the entire Berlin family in attendance.

Plaid Flag Music is excited to announce Texas native Kree Harrison's release of her debut album in mid-2016 with the first single 'This Old Thing' currently available on iTunes and streaming services.

Legendary rock band, the Grateful Dead, comes back to the big screen for the 6th annual event, “Grateful Dead Meet-Up at the Movies 2016,” presented by Fathom Events and Rhino Entertainment on Wednesday, May 11

Newark Celebration 350 (NC 350) is proud to present Newark's local hometown heroes and International recording artists Faith Evans, Naughty by Nature, Cissy Houston and India who are set to headline the Founders Weekend Festival Celebrating 350 Years of Newark's arts, culture and community as one of America's great historical cities.

I'll admit to only a passing familiarity with Janis Joplin before I saw the current show at the 5th Avenue Theatre, “A Night with Janis Joplin”, in that I knew who she was but was hard pressed to come up with any of her songs. Of course, after seeing the show I found I knew more of her stuff than I thought, I just didn't know it was her. And while Kacee Clanton as Janis is quite a sight to see not to mention the other incredible women she has up there with her, the show as a whole doesn't know what it wants to be. Is it a biography, a rock concert, a history of blues? Who can say? But what I can say is that the connecting dialog attempting some kind of through line for the show was at best boring and at worst forced and embarrassing.

As adept as he is on the drums - and make no mistake about it, Danny Young is headbangingly assertive and confident on the aforementioned drum kit - it might surprise you to know that at the ripe old age of eight, he actually started out as a singer in his family's quartet. And, to top it all off, he got his start in the business of show as a boy soprano.

Women of the World unite for Milwaukee Rep's poetic, powerful world premiere titled Sirens of Song featuring the musical history through a women's perspective sung through familiar melodies of the 20th century. While the music begins in December 1901 with the Daughters of Freedom, the Stackner Cabaret provides the ultimate setting for Scenic Designer Scott Davis' abandoned clothing shop filled with manikins dressed in period costumes-all surrounded by a grand, gilt broken picture frame where these three actors make their Rep debuts. A revue written by Kevin Ramsey and his niece Pearl Ramsey, the two collaborators weave world events through a century worth of popular music. Woo a women's heart at Milwaukee Rep's poetic, powerful world premiere titled Sirens of Song featuring  history tuned to a women's perspective and sung through familiar melodies of the 20th century. While the music begins in December 1901 with the 'Daughters of Freedom', the Stackner Cabaret provides the ultimate setting for Scenic Designer Scott Davis' abandoned clothing shop filled with manikins dressed in period costumes-all surrounded by a grand, gilt fragmented picture frame where these three actresses open their Rep debuts. A  world premiere revue written by Kevin Ramsey and his niece Pearl Ramsey, the two collaborators weave world events through a century worth of popular music.

Jennifer Saran is a North American alt-pop/adult contemporary artist, songwriter and vocalist based in Hong Kong. Her new full-length album Walk With Me was recorded and produced entirely at Tarpan Studios in San Rafael, California

While the title of the show is A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN, other divas take the stage in the latest production at the Ordway, too, Imagine getting to see Aretha Franklin on stage. Or Nina Simone. These queens of music may not be in this show, but Q. Smith will portray them and other characters who were part of the life of Janis Joplin.

The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts will present the Midwest premiere of A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN to the St. Paul stage March 29-April 3 as part of a 34-city North American tour.

The 5th Avenue Theatre presents the critically-acclaimed Broadway musical, A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN, beginning tonight, March 25, in Seattle.

I was pretty excited to see this show, I do not usually look anything up about a show if I do not know a whole lot about it; I like to go in completely blind. But a minute into this show I started to panic, I knew nothing about Janis Joplin. I guess I should have known from the title what I was in for, but I expected it to be a play where I would learn about her (a la Jersey Boys style), but this was a rock concert, so I started to feel like I would not be able to do a good job reviewing this show. I mean I'm a 90's baby. The first album I ever bought was a two-disc compilation of Britney Spears and 'N SYNC songs, followed by Spiceworld. So what would I know about a 60's rock and roll singer with a love for the blues?

The story and music of America's Composer come to life on stage when The Town Hall presents HERSHEY FELDER AS IRVING BERLIN, a new play with music written and performed by award-winning actor and musician Hershey Felder (Broadway's George Gershwin Alone, Maestro Bernstein). Directed by Trevor Hay, HERSHEY FELDER AS IRVING BERLIN plays one night only, Monday, June 6 at 8PM at The Town Hall (123 West 43rd Street).