Aretha Franklin News

On November 6 at 7 p.m., The Cannon Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Memphis will once again be filled with Memphis music legends, contemporary up-and-comers and a host of national touring artists who'll descend upon the Bluff City to pay tribute to this year's Memphis Music Hall of Fame Honorees.

On November 3rd, New Jersey Theatre Alliance will present Excellence Awards to two New Brunswick theatres, Crossroads Theatre Company and George Street Playhouse, at 'Curtain Call,' the annual celebration of New Jersey's professional theatres. Each year, New Jersey Theatre Alliance, the service organization for the state's professional theatres, presents Excellence Awards to professional theatres in New Jersey that have shown exemplary achievements in the field. The Alliance will also honor Kessler Foundation with the Star Award for its ongoing support of programs that make theatre accessible to people with disabilities.

Jennifer Holliday is hitting the road in THE COLOR PURPLE.

FLUX Studios announces its 2014 CMJ Music Marathon showcase taking place at Rockwood Music Hall's Rockwood Stage 1 in NYC tonight, October 23rd from 12-4:30p. This year's showcase features Andrea Wood, The Liza Colby Sound, Bridge City Hustle, Jay Stolar, Wakey! Wakey! and Banda Magda.

KEVIN JAMES producer, co-writer, and star of the hit comedies Paul 'Blart: Mall Cop' (2009) and 'Zookeeper' (2011) will bring his hilarious stand-up comedy to The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts tonight, October 23 at 7:30 PM.

Tonight, October 23, the Lincoln Theatre Association will continue Conversations, a free series designed to generate community discussion on a variety of interesting questions surrounding the arts. The second event in the Lincoln Conversations Series will be 'Feeling It: Gospel to Soul.'

The NAMM Foundation has announced that Nathan East, one of the most recorded bass players in the history of music, will be inducted into the NAMM Technical Excellence & Creativity (TEC) Awards Hall of Fame.

FST's Winter Cabaret season begins with four singing sirens in Dancing in the Street with The Prima Donnettes. Developed by FST Artistic Director Richard Hopkins and Jim Prosser, it will begin in the John C. Court Cabaret tonight, October 22, 2014.

After 16 years, the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University welcomes back Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH) to Chicago as part of its 125th Anniversary Season celebration, November 21 - 23, 2014.

DECADES OF DIVAS makes its world premiere ahead of a national tour Saturday, Nov. 8, 2014 at the Count Basie Theatre, 99 Monmouth St., Red Bank, NJ. Show time is 8 p.m. Tickets $59, $39, $29 and $19 on sale NOW at www.countbasietheatre.org or through the box office at (732) 842-9000.

Jennifer Holliday will soon be hitting the road in THE COLOR PURPLE.

Joining Katie Brayben playing the title role in the West End production of Beautiful - The Carole King Musical is Ian McIntosh as song-writer Barry Mann.

Detroit area drummer, songwriter, and producer Drew Schultz entered the music industry at the age of 19, performing with legendary Motown group, the Four Tops, and appearing on stage with countless iconic soul artists, including The Temptations, Aretha Franklin, Martha Reeves, The Dramatics, The Miracles, The Contours, Harold Melvin's Blue Notes, and more. In 2012 he released his debut album, 'Back To Class.'

Tonight, October 17 through Thursday, October 23, BAMcinematek presents the US theatrical premiere run of Manfred Kirchheimer's Stations of the Elevated (1981) in a new restoration.

Music Director and Conductor Michael Krajewski, the nationally recognized Pops conductor who performs with orchestras throughout the country, brings back his innovative programming and lighthearted approach with the 2014-2015 concert season of The Philly POPS. Encore Series, Inc, the presenter of The Philly POPS, is pleased to introduce this exciting series of concerts which begins in October, 2014 with the Era of ABBA, followed by Classic Soul. It continues with a salute to the American Songbook Then and Now and a visit to the movies with Epic Hollywood Soundtracks. The season ends with the Legends of Rock.

Theatre Now New York has announced the ten musicals that will be featured in the 2nd Annual SOUND BITES 10-Minute Musical Theatre Festival to be performed on December 8, 2014 at 7:00PM at the 47th Street Theatre in Manhattan. Tickets go on sale to the public October 27 at www.tnny.com and 855-254-SHOW [7469] and start at just $25.

Simmons College has announced the keynote speakers for its April 2, 2015 premier Simmons Leadership Conference. Focusing on the theme 'Dare to Compete,' the conference features Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin, author and columnist Arianna Huffington, and Cisco Chief Technology and Strategy Officer Padmasree Warrior.

In June 2013, Christina Holmes, a singer/songwriter originally from New Jersey, now based in Rhode Island, was presented with the opportunity to record her debut album with multi-platinum producer Narada Michael Walden after he heard some of her demos and was blown away by her raw talent.

CENTRIC today announced the nominees for SOUL TRAIN AWARDS 2014, which will celebrate and honor R&B's finest and most soulful artists on November 7, 2014 at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.

54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club presents Badia Farha in Lady Sings For You on Saturday November 29, 2014 at 11:30pm. Joined by her 6 piece band, Badia Farha (aka Lady Rose) brings her original songs and R&B Soul + style to 54 Below. Lady Sings For You features original songs from Badia's solo album Still Waiting? Her newly released radio hit Don't Know, a tribute to Carmen McCrae and Aretha Franklin, as well as a bit of Bossa Nova Jazz.