Billie Holiday News

The Count Basie Orchestra and All That Music Productions, LLC, is pleased to announce the appointment of Scotty Barnhart as the new Director of The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra. He follows Thad Jones, Frank Foster, Grover Mitchell, Bill Hughes, and Dennis Mackrel in leading one of the greatest and most important jazz orchestras in history. Founded in 1935 by pianist William James Basie (1904-1984), the orchestra still tours the world today and is presently ending a two-week tour in Japan. The orchestra has released hundreds of recordings, won every respected jazz poll in the world at least once, has appeared in movies, television shows and commercials, Presidential Inaugurals, and has won 18 Grammy Awards, the most for any jazz orchestra. Many of its former members are some of the most important soloists, vocalists, composers, and arrangers in jazz history. That list includes Lester Young, Billie Holiday, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Jo Jones, Frank Foster, Frank Wess, Thad Jones, Joe Williams, Sonny Payne, Snooky Young, Al Grey, John Clayton, Dennis Mackrel and others.

Parmigiani Fleurier presents the 22nd annual JAZZ LOFT PARTY to benefit The Jazz Foundation of America. A Tribute to Claude Nobs, the celebration will include music, food and drink on Saturday, October 19, 2013, from 7 p.m. to midnight in NYC.

THE LEGENDS SERIES is returning to Bay Street Theatre tonight, September 20 at 8 pm. Film maker and archivist Joe Lauro will host his all new show, LEGENDS OF ROCK VOLUME 5 featuring amazing rare footage of some of the undisputed legends of American music.

THE LIGHTNING CHILD by Che Walker and Arthur Darvill runs now through 12 October 2013 as Shakespeare's Globe's first-ever musical. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in the photos below!

The Harris Center for the Arts at Folsom Lake College is always adding new shows-always. Since the 2013-14 Season of Performing Arts was announced over the summer, a stunning array of new performances have been added to the mix.

Kenny Leon and True Colors Theatre Company have announced their upcoming production of George C. Wolfe's Spunk, an adaptation of three short stories by Zora Neale Hurston directed by Hilda Willis. Spunk will run from today, September 17 - October 13, 2013 at the 14th Street Playhouse located at 173 14th Street, Atlanta, GA.

For the fifth year in a row Horse Trade Theater Group will present The Fire This Time Festival (TFTT), providing a platform for talented early-career playwrights of African and African-American descent to explore new voices, styles, and challenging new directions for 21st century performing arts in order to move beyond common misconceptions of what's possible in 'black theater.'

Franca Masu, una de las mejores voces de Italia (www.francamasu.com), Sabado 19 de Octubre 21:30 hs, Teatro SHA, Sarmiento 2255 C.A.B.A.

The BEAT Festival second annual lineup announcement took place this summer, featuring Stephen Shelley, BEAT Festival Artistic Director, countertenor Nicholas Tamagna, who sang at the event, and members of the Brooklyn 63 team. Scroll down for photos and the festival lineup!

The Chicago Cabaret Professionals will be pulling out all the stops as it proudly celebrates its fifteenth year of bringing live musical enjoyment by Chicago's favorite cabaret performers and fans on October 20 at Park West Theatre. The annual Gold Coast Award will be presented to popular entertainer Daryl Nitz and a special recognition award will be presented to Davenport's Cabaret and Piano Bar.

HIGHLIGHTS THIS WEEK: Matilda wants their Honey, Remembering David Frost, West End goes bare, and La Toya Jackson joins NEWSical!

Five world premiere plays and three new adaptations seen first by Chicago audiences received Jeff nominations by the Jeff Awards Committee and are among the 166 nominations in 36 categories announced for Chicago Equity theatrical productions opened between August 1, 2012 and July 31, 2013.

The curtain will rise for preview performances for the new Billie Holiday musical Lady Day starring Tony and multiple Grammy Award-winner Dee Dee Bridgewater on Thursday, September 19th (7PM) at the Little Shubert Theatre (422 West 42nd Street, between 9th and 10th Avenues). Written and directed by Stephen Stahl, the musical will make its New York debut having been produced at the Theatre de Boulogne-Billancourt and Theatre du Gymnase Marie Bell in Paris as well as The Donmar Warehouse and The Piccadilly Theatre in London, where it received critical praise and garnered an Olivier "Best Actress in a Musical" Award nomination for Ms. Bridgewater. Produced by Misty Road Productions (Thomas Gentile) the show is slated to open on Thursday, October 3rd (6:30PM). Check out a first look at Bridgewater as Holiday below!

This Fall will bring with it ten new Broadway plays and five new Broadway musicals, and yet there is even more on the way for Off-Broadway, including: ALL THE FACES OF THE MOON, ARGUENDO, THE OLD FRIENDS, FETCH CLAY MAKE MAN, BIKE AMERICA, NATURAL AFFECTION, FUN HOME, BAD JEWS, LADY DAY, ANTHEM, GRASSES OF A THOUSAND COLORS, THE PATRON SAINT OF SEA MONSTERS, THE JACKSONIAN, HOW I LEARNED WHAT I LEARNED, CHERI, DOMESTICATED, LIES MY FATHER TOLD ME, THE (CURIOUS CASE OF THE) WATSON INTELLIGENCE, and THE COMMONS OF PENSACOLA.

After a sold out performance at Don't Tell Mama, Artistic Pride Productions announces and extension of its cabaret performance, The Piano Has Been Drinking (Not me), at The Underground Lounge. The Piano Has Been Drinking explores the association between artists and their vices.

Fall is quickly approaching, which means that Broadway will soon be blowing up with brand new productions. Soul Doctor and First Date already opened over the summer, but five upcoming musicals will also be eligible for Best Musical Tony nominations next year, including: Big Fish, A Night with Janis Joplin, After Midnight, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. Get the scoop on all five incoming musicals below!

The National Jazz Museum in Harlem has added a slew of new events with Jonathan Batiste. Below you will find the entire calendar of events for September with three new Jazz Is:Now! additions. The museum is also happy to announce that Greg Thomas will host next Tuesday's 'Words on Bird' event accompanied by pianst Chris Pattishall.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK: Chenoweth takes over LA, Shakespeare is back on Broadway, VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA ANS SPIKE takes a final bow, and so much more!

Don't miss an exclusive Jazz and Broadway experience when WBGO Jazz 88.3 FM joins forces with The Actors Fund to host a special benefit performance of Lady Day, the new musical about Billie Holiday starring Tony and multiple Grammy Award winner Dee Dee Bridgewater on Tuesday, September 24, at 7:00 pm at the Little Shubert Theatre, 422 West 42nd Street (between 9th & 10th Avenues) in New York City. Tickets for Lady Day are on sale now.

Chicago Children's Theatre (CCT) is kicking off Season 8: Grow with a delightful new production of A Year with Frog and Toad, the Tony-nominated musical based on the Frog and Toad books by Arnold Lobel, directed by Henry Godinez, resident artist at the Goodman. Performances start October 9, 2013 at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn St., Chicago. Press opening is Friday, October 11 at 7 p.m. Performances run through November 24. Single tickets start at $25 and are on sale now at chicagochildrenstheatre.org or by calling the Chicago Children's Theatre box office, (872) 222-9555.