Billy Joel News

Broadway, television, and film acting veteran Brian d'Arcy James admitted he was pumped to finally perform a show of the 1980s pop songs he loves. The two-time Tony Award-nominee made a seemingly effortless transition from the Broadway stage to a nightclub stage, proving to be an energetic, engaging, enthusiastic, and effervescent concert performer with on-stage charisma and self-deprecation to spare during his first solo concert show at the new 54 Below nightclub.

American Pop Anthology, in association with Scott Prisand (Broadway's Rock of Ages), announced today that they will present the new musical production BOY FROM NEW YORK CITY written and directed by Tony Award-nominee Floyd Mutrux (Broadway's Million Dollar Quartet and Baby It's You!) and choreographed by Birgitte Mutrux (Broadway's Baby It's You!). Performances begin September 20, 2012 for an eight-week run at The Coast Playhouse (8325 Santa Monica Boulevard) in West Hollywood.

Tonight, Tuesday, June 26, Tony Award nominee Brian d'Arcy James launches his New York City solo concert debut with his show "Under The Influence" at 54 Below. New York knows him from Broadway's Time Stands Still, Next to Normal, Shrek, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, The Apple Tree, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Titanic, among others; television audiences know him from NBC's "Smash" and HBO's Game Change, but now 54 Below audiences will have a chance to see him in his brand new musical offering during its inaugural month.

The stars of the upcoming revival of JEKYLL & HYDE, Tony Award nominee Constantine Maroulis (Rock of Ages) and Grammy Award Nominee Deborah Cox (Aida), will host the 4th annual National High School Musical Theater Awards tonight, June 25th at 7:30pm at Broadway's Minskoff Theatre (200 W 45th St). The show will feature 60 of America's most talented young musical theater performers vying for the "Jimmy Award" for Best Performance by an Actress and Best Performance by an Actor. Winners will be awarded college scholarships and other prizes will be announced live.

In a follow-up to Part 1 of our in-depth with Brian d'Arcy James, one of Broadway's favorite leading men for nearly two decades, Brian gets candid about his theatrical career, including TITANIC, SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS, NEXT TO NORMAL, SHREK, and more. For all of Brian's fans, the star will be taking the stage at the new cabaret venue, 54 Below on June 26, 2012, in his first New York City solo concert appearance. For all of Brian's fans, the star will be taking the stage at the new cabaret venue, 54 Below on June 26, 2012, in his first New York City solo concert appearance. This week-long engagement runs through June 30, 2012. CLICK HERE to re-visit Brian's thoughts on his new concert act and click below to follow him through his celebrated career!

The RRazz Room, San Francisco's premier nightclub, will welcome four time Grammy nominee Oleta Adams back to the Bay Area in her new show "Get Here." Since the runaway success of her 1990 debut Platinum album Circle of One, and the hit single 'Get Here' (a Brenda Russell composition), Oleta Adams has inspired a growing legion of fans in the U.S. and Europe with journeys of the heart via songs that draw deeply from her roots in gospel, while crossing effortlessly into the realms of soul, R&B, urban, and popular music.

Easton's State Theatre has announced its 2012-13 season- on sale to State Theatre Members Wed, August 1 (Box Office window at 453 Northampton Street opens at 6 AM; Online Ticketing and Phone lines open at Noon). Tickets will go on sale to the Public August 15th at 10 AM. Limit 6 tickets per Member per performance during Members Only sales. Membership to the Non-Profit State Theatre starts at $75, lasts one year and is tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

Former Jersey Boys Chicago cast member, John Michael Coppola, will be "workin' his way back" to the New York tri-state area this July with his solo concert, A JERSEY VOICE: Sinatra to Springsteen...And Everyone In Between. Featuring song selections from the 1940s through present day, the set list includes songs made popular by such artists as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen and of course, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.

Feinstein's at Loews Regency will continue its Spring 2012 season with the return engagement of pop music legend Peter Asher and his multimedia show "A Musical Memoir of the 60s and Beyond" from tonight, June 19 through June 23. When the program made its New York debut at Feinstein's last year, it played to packed houses and critical acclaim. The two-time Grammy Award winner for "Producer of the Year" first rose to international acclaim through the global smash 'World Without Love' as one half of the British Invasion duo Peter & Gordon, Peter moved effortlessly to Music Executive with The Beatles' Apple Records, then famously to producer and manager, handling the careers of James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt and a host of others. Among his more recent projects is the upcoming Dreamworks movie Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted. In addition to producing the soundtrack, he performs the film's only original song "Love Always Comes As A Surprise," co-written with Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics, which he will also perform at Feinstein's.

Sharron Matthews is a beloved star of Toronto's cabaret and theatre scene, and she's about to embark on a world tour that will take her to Scotland, England, NYC and South Africa! She took a few minutes to talk to BWW about what cabaret means to her, why she's going around the world and what she's doing for Toronto before she leaves.

More than 25 years ago, retired music executive Joe Smith accomplished a Herculean feat-he got more than 200 celebrated singers, musicians and industry icons to talk about their lives, music, experiences and contemporaries. The Library of Congress announced today that Smith has donated this treasure trove of unedited sound recordings to the nation's library. The list of noted artists and executives is a veritable who's who in the music industry. They include Artie Shaw, Woody Herman, Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, Barbra Streisand, Little Richard, Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Elton John, Paul Simon, David Bowie, Billy Joel, Sting, Tony Bennett, Joan Baez, James Taylor, Dick Clark, Tina Turner, Tom Jones, B. B. King, Quincy Jones, David Geffen, Mickey Hart, Harry Belafonte and many others. All types of popular music are represented-from rock 'n' roll, jazz, rhythm & blues and pop to big-band, heavy metal, folk and country-western.

"Stand By Me," the song written by Leiber & Stoller and Ben E. King will receive the Towering Song Award at the 2012 Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF) Gala Event to be held at the Marriott Marquee Hotel in New York City tonight, June 14, 2012, Songwriters Hall of Fame Chairman, Jimmy Webb, announced. Mike Stoller will accept the award along with Ben E. King, who will also be honored with the Towering Performance Award for his performance on the Leiber & Stoller produced recording of "Stand By Me."

Bay Street Theatre is busy planning for the annual ROCK THE DOCK! SUMMER BENEFIT BASH on Saturday, July 21 with the water view location on the Long Wharf in Sag Harbor. Tickets are available online at www.baystreet.org or by calling Jessica Lemire at 631-725-0818 ext. 129.

The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly will be joined by Indianapolis audience favorite Michael Cavanaugh to perform a new pops show titled Michael Cavanaugh: Rock Singers & Songwriters in the final concert weekend of the ISO's 2011-2012 Printing Partners Pops Series season tonight and Saturday, June 8 and 9, at the Hilbert Circle Theatre and Sunday, June 10, at The Palladium at the Center for Performing Arts in Carmel, Ind.

The stars of the upcoming revival of JEKYLL & HYDE, Tony Award nominee Constantine Maroulis (Rock of Ages) and Grammy Award Nominee Deborah Cox (Aida), will host the 4th annual National High School Musical Theater Awards on Monday, June 25th at 7:30pm at Broadway's Minskoff Theatre (200 W 45th St). The show will feature 60 of America's most talented young musical theater performers vying for the "Jimmy Award" for Best Performance by an Actress and Best Performance by an Actor. Winners will be awarded college scholarships and other prizes will be announced live.

And the best of Long Island theatre this summer is...

Today we are talking to the Tony Award-nominated Best Featured Actor In A Musical who has set Broadway ablaze with his much-talked-about portrayal of Judas in Des McAnuff's spectacular revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's seminal rock opera, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR - the electric and charismatic Josh Young. Tracing his journey with the Biblically-themed musical from the hallowed grounds of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Canada - where he first made his mark on the theatre world with his acting of another iconic Lloyd Webber/Rice anti-hero, Che in EVITA; as well as THE GRAPES OF WRATH - all the way to La Jolla in California, and, now, to eight performances a week on the Great White Way, Young shares his overflowing enthusiasm for the theatrical form and details his life as a performer; a veritable dream come true for the self-proclaimed Broadway baby. In addition to all about his perspective on Judas and his thoughts on the daring and innovative SUPERSTAR, Young also describes working with Tony-winning director Des McAnuff and how his training at the Royal Shakespeare Festival has prepared him for the rigors of a Broadway hit. Plus, Young looks back on past performances and his favorite roles to date as well as shines a light on some of the parts he would consider taking on in the future, both near and far. Plus, Young reacts to his Tony Award nomination, fills us in on genesis of the many new lyrics for the heavenly SUPERSTAR revival, shares thoughts on GLEE, SMASH and much, much more!

New Line Theatre closes its 21st season with HIGH FIDELITY, playing now through June 23, 2012. With a script by award-winning playwright David Lindsay-Abaire (Rabbit Hole, Good People), music by Tom Kitt (Pulitzer Prize-winning composer of Next to Normal), and lyrics by Amanda Green (Bring It On, Hands on a Hardbody), HIGH FIDELITY explores America's new Lost Generation and the music they live their lives to. Check out photos of the cast performing on stage in St. Louis below!

Sinatra songbook gets stretched further than a Tharp dancer's hamstring in COME FLY AWAY.

New Line Theatre will close its 21st season May 31-June 23, 2012, with HIGH FIDELITY. Tickets are on sale now through Metrotix, 314-534-1111. View photos below!