Billie Holiday News

Flying Elephant Productions is pleased to conclude its inaugural season with the Chicago premiere of DEFACING MICHAEL JACKSON, Aurin Squire's racially-charged comedy about adolescence, sexual discovery and the conflict between community and culture.

Milwaukee Repertory Theater is pleased to announce the complete cast and creative teams for the 2018/19 Season fall shows including Songs for Nobodies, Guards at the Taj, The All Night Strut!, and Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley.

The Playwrights Realm (Katherine Kovner, Founding Artistic Director; Roberta Pereira, Producing Director) kicks off its 2018-2019 season with the world premiere of Jonathan Payne's The Revolving Cycles Truly and Steadily Roll'd, directed by Awoye Timpo (Sept. 7-Oct. 6, at The Duke on 42nd Street, a New 42nd Street project). Having fostered the careers of breakout playwrights such as Sarah DeLappe (Pulitzer Prize finalist The Wolves), Lauren Yee (The Hatmaker's Wife), Jen Silverman(Crane Story, The Moors), Mfoniso Udofia (Sojourners), and Donja R. Love(Sugar in Our Wounds), The Realm continues to spotlight new playwrights setting the tone for the future of American theatre. This world premiere marks the first full production from the mordantly funny and unsparing voice of Jonathan Payne.

Jewish Women's Theatre's (JWT) will present music legend Corky Hale in her first interview about her new book, Corky Hale UNCORKED! Music, Marriage and Making a Difference, at Bagels & Bestsellers on Sunday, July 29 from 10 am to noon.

Announced today, arts PR executive and cultural strategist Fatima Jones will join the legendary Apollo Theater as the Senior Director of Public Relations and Communications to lead their communications and social media team. Starting on July 9, Jones will work closely with the organization's leadership team, raising awareness and buzz for the legendary theater's range of artistic and community programs.

Hosted by actress, singer, author, activist and Tony Award nominee Sheryl Lee Ralph, Freedom - The Jazz Groove Special celebrates America's core values and their expression in American jazz. Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Miles Davis, Diana Krall and many other artists tell the story of American freedom in the exuberant, utterly unique language of jazz. It's an indispensable, insightful and tuneful contribution to the July Fourth holiday.

A new CD, which saw some of Melbourne's top young classical and jazz musicians coming together for an ambitious recording project staged at St Andrews Anglican Church, Brighton is now on sale online.

Birdland will kick-off their great week of programming with Django Reinhardt NY Festival: Django Festival Allstars, Carol Sloane, Ronny Whyte, and more!

WRITE ACT REP announces PREZ The Lester Young Story, a solo show written by playwright Willard Manus, continues in Los Angeles, as part of a Spring and Summer Festival Series at Write Act Rep's Brickhouse Theatre called THREE BY WILL IN REP.  The Series includes two World Premiere's along with the extension of the acclaimed  PREZ, which chronicles the unique life of jazzman Lester Young, featuring Leslie A. Jones.  The intimate drama is produced by John Lant and Tamra Pica, and will be directed by Daniel E. Keough.  The show is moving to a new night and extending, beginning April 27th 2018, through June 29, 2018.  All performances for PREZ will now be on FRIDAYS at 8PM, through as part of the three production Series, 'THREE BY WILL IN REP'.

National Alliance for Musical Theatre (Betsy King Militello, Executive Director) is thrilled to announce the line-up of new musicals for their 30th Annual FESTIVAL OF NEW MUSICALS, which takes place on Thursday, October 25 and Friday, October 26, 2018 at New World Stages (340 West 50th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues). The Festival events will kick off on Monday, October 22 with Thank You, 30!, a gala event to celebrate the 30th Annual Festival.

The first installation of the Contemporary Dance Series, curated by Tiffany Rea-Fisher (which runs Fridays from June 22-July 20 at 6pm) kicked-off with a strong start on the debut evening with performances from Harlem School of the Arts, AThomasProject, Eryc Taylor Dance and Graham 2.

Vineyard Theatre Artistic Directors Douglas Aibel and Sarah Stern have announced the upcoming 2018-2019 Season.

The eighth and final production of Mosaic Theater Company's upcoming fourth season will be Twisted Melodies, a critically acclaimed one-man show about the life and music of troubled genius Donny Hathaway performed by the multi-talented Kelvin Roston Junior. Twisted Melodies is being produced by Baltimore Center Stage and Congo Square Theatre Company in association with The Apollo Theater and Mosaic in a unique three-city co-production.

City Winery Chicago, 1200 W. Randolph Street, announces Puerto Rican singer/songwriter Pedro Capó, Grammy nominee Darrell Scott and more. The following shows go on sale to the public on Thursday, June 28 at noon. All tickets will be available at citywinery.com/chicago.

Echo Prize-Winning Jazz Singer Lucia Cadotsch Returns to NYC for an Encore Sound It Out Show with Her Berlin-Based Speak Low Trio Featuring Saxophonist Otis Sandsjo and Bassist Petter Eldh

Flying Elephant Productions is pleased to announce casting for its Chicago premiere of DEFACING MICHAEL JACKSON, Aurin Squire's racially-charged comedy about adolescence, sexual discovery and the conflict between community and culture, directed by Alexis J. Roston.

The Apollo Theater today announced that it will bring to its iconic stage two new performances that continue its commitment to articulating and projecting the African American narrative through arts and culture.  In October 2018, The Apollo will celebrate the 50th anniversary of "Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud," the Godfather of Soul James Brown's seminal Black Power anthem, with the premiere of Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud at 50 under the musical direction of six-time GRAMMY®- Award-winner Christian McBride.  In May of 2019, in a co-production between The Apollo, Baltimore Center Stage, and Mosaic Theater, Kelvin Roston Jr. will pay homage to Donny Hathaway in the New York premiere of the one man play Twisted Melodies.  Tickets for both productions will go on sale July 1st.

Arcola Theatre has announced the 17-strong line up of productions in this year's Grimeborn Opera Festival.

Birdland will kick-off their exciting month of programming with Veronica Swift and the Emmet Cohen Trio, Django Reinhardt Festival Allstars, Tommy Igoe Sextet, Birdland Big Band, John Pizzarelli, Polly Gibbons, Carol Sloane, Memo Acevedo, Ronny Whyte, Jim Caruso's Cast Party, and more!

Motown legend Diana Ross kiiiiiicked off the Hollywood Bowl's 2018 summer season with polish, pizzazz, and professionalism. Performing for approximately an hour post-intermission, Ms. Ross had the Hollywood Bowl audience in her very capable hands; and, more frequently than not, dancing in their seats. With 50+ years performing in the public eye, Ms. Ross effortlessly commands the stage with her wit, her charm, her flowing costumes, and very vibrant vocal pipes.