Berry Gordy News

Chris Isaacson and the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center's Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center proudly present the premiere of Jennifer Leigh Warren in "DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER: the songs of Dame Shirley Bassey," which will make its Los Angeles debut on June 16 at The Renberg Theatre, 1125 N. McCadden Place in Hollywood, with acclaimed Director Richard Jay-Alexander (Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler 'Kiss My Brass' Tour, Bernadette Peters) at the helm.

Chris Isaacson and the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center's Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center proudly present the premiere of Jennifer Leigh Warren in 'DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER: the songs of Dame Shirley Bassey,' which will make its Los Angeles debut on June 16 at The Renberg Theatre, 1125 N. McCadden Place in Hollywood, with acclaimed Director Richard Jay-Alexander (Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler 'Kiss My Brass' Tour, Bernadette Peters) at the helm.

A.R.T. American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) will present The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess, opening the A.R.T.'s 2011-2 season on August 117 at the Loeb Drama Center. The Gershwin's Porgy and Bess, by George Gershwin, DuBose and Dorothy Heyward, and Ira Gershwin, is adapted by Suzan-Lori Parks and Diedre Murray, and directed by A.R.T. Artistic Director Diane Paulus.

The Temptations - Otis Williams, Bruce Williamson, Terry Weeks, Ron Tyson and Joe Herndon - bring classic Motown back to The Orleans Showroom, April 1, 2 and 3, each evening at 8 p.m.

THE PRESIDENT: Good evening, everybody. Please have a seat. Tonight we continue one of my favorite traditions here at the White House by celebrating the music that's at the heart of the American story. And as we come to the end of Black History Month, I can't think of a better way to do it than by honoring the legendary sound of Motown. (Applause.)

The Temptations - Otis Williams, Bruce Williamson, Terry Weeks, Ron Tyson and Joe Herndon - bring classic Motown back to The Orleans Showroom, April 1, 2 and 3, each evening at 8 p.m.

The Recording Academy® announced its Special Merit Awards recipients and this year's group includes: Julie Andrews, Roy Haynes, Juilliard String Quartet, The Kingston Trio, Dolly Parton, Ramones, and George Beverly Shea as Lifetime Achievement Award honorees.

Clive Davis and The Recording Academy will continue the tradition of the annual Pre-GRAMMYGala, and this year's event will take place on Saturday, Feb. 12, 2011 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., the evening before the 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards.

The legendary singer, songwriter, and record producer, Smokey Robinson will be featured at the 81st Anniversary Snowball Gala at the St. George Theatre on Saturday, January 22nd.

Clive Davis and The Recording Academy will continue the tradition of the annual Pre-GRAMMYGala, and this year's event will take place on Saturday, Feb. 12, 2011 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., the evening before the 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards.

The legendary singer, songwriter, and record producer, Smokey Robinson will be featured at the 81st Anniversary Snowball Gala at the St. George Theatre on Saturday, January 22nd.

The Recording Academy® announced its Special Merit Awards recipients today, and this year's group includes: Julie Andrews, Roy Haynes, Juilliard String Quartet, The Kingston Trio, Dolly Parton, Ramones, and George Beverly Shea as Lifetime Achievement Award honorees; Al Bell, Wilma Cozart Fine and Bruce Lundvall as Trustees Award honorees; and Roger Linn and Waves Audio as Technical GRAMMY Award® honorees. The special invitation-only ceremony will be held during GRAMMY® Week on Saturday, Feb. 12, 2011, and a formal acknowledgment will be made during the 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards telecast, which will be held at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2011, and broadcast live at 8 p.m. ET/PT on the CBS Television Network.

Executive Producer Lou Spisto today announced that the Globe will present a one-night-only benefit performance of Celebrity Autobiography: In Their Own Words, the award-winning comedy sensation in which superstar memoirs are acted out live on stage.

Hailed by New York Times as a "classically trained diva who can stretch from Broadway pop-soul to Opera", N'Kenge was recently seen in the Broadway Musical "Sondheim on Sondheim" as the standby for Vanessa Williams, Leslie Kritzer and Erin Mackey which was directed by James Lapine at the Roundabout Theater's Studio 54.

Hailed by New York Times as a "classically trained diva who can stretch from Broadway pop-soul to Opera", N'Kenge was recently seen in the Broadway Musical "Sondheim on Sondheim" as the standby for Vanessa Williams, Leslie Kritzer and Erin Mackey which was directed by James Lapine at the Roundabout Theater's Studio 54.

A recent article from SoundSpike.com discusses seven jukebox musicals that are 'trapped in theatrical limbo.' These shows at one point in time seemed full of Broadway potential, but since, have all but disappeared.

Freda Payne returns to the Iridium Nov 12-14 doing her tribute Ella and now Lena. Born in Detroit, Michigan, Freda grew up listening to Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday, which inspired her growing interest in music. While still in school, she began her musical career by singing radio commercial jingles. It was then that her polished voice first caught the attention of music executives and other artists. She was wooed with offers of contracts from the likes of Berry Gordy and Duke Ellington, but her mother wanted her to finish school first. After she did, the legendary Pearl Bailey gave Freda her first professional job and this paved the way for her to share the stage with other legends such as Lionel Hampton, Sammy Davis Jr., Billy Eckstine, Quincy ]ones, Bill Cosby and many others. Freda toured with Quincy Jones during his big band era, performing at the world famous Apollo in New York and the Regal in Chicago, among others, and soon after, recorded her first album When The Lights Go Down for Impulse Records.

Freda Payne returns to the Iridium Nov 12-14 doing her tribute Ella and now Lena. Born in Detroit, Michigan, Freda grew up listening to Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday, which inspired her growing interest in music. While still in school, she began her musical career by singing radio commercial jingles. It was then that her polished voice first caught the attention of music executives and other artists. She was wooed with offers of contracts from the likes of Berry Gordy and Duke Ellington, but her mother wanted her to finish school first. After she did, the legendary Pearl Bailey gave Freda her first professional job and this paved the way for her to share the stage with other legends such as Lionel Hampton, Sammy Davis Jr., Billy Eckstine, Quincy ]ones, Bill Cosby and many others. Freda toured with Quincy Jones during his big band era, performing at the world famous Apollo in New York and the Regal in Chicago, among others, and soon after, recorded her first album When The Lights Go Down for Impulse Records.

Chris Isaacson in association with UPRIGHT CABARET announced the world premiere of Jennifer Leigh Warren starring in 'LITTLE WOMAN/BIG VOICE: The Songs of Dame Shirley Bassey,' which will make its Los Angeles debut in Spring 2011. Acclaimed Director Richard Jay-Alexander (Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler 'Kiss My Brass' Tour, Bernadette Peters) is at the helm.

Executive Producer Lou Spisto today announced that the Globe will present a one-night-only benefit performance of Celebrity Autobiography: In Their Own Words, the award-winning comedy sensation in which superstar memoirs are acted out live on stage.