Ella Fitzgerald News

Start 'em young! The Metropolitan Room ramps up its popular Kiddie Kabaret series this spring and summer as the prestigious Flatiron District nighspot stages weekend training sessions and shows for youngsters and teens interested in live entertainment.

The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel will welcome back Tony Award-Winner Lea Salonga to the Cafe Carlyle for her highly anticipated three-week engagement. Her new program, 'Back to Before,' is a nostalgic repertoire in which she revisits her life as a New Yorker and pays tribute to her favorite ladies-most notably Ella Fitzgerald and her idol, Barbra Streisand. 'Back to Before' will be making its debut at the Cafe Carlyle. Ms. Salonga's engagement at the Cafe Carlyle will run from May 21st to June 8th.

City Winery Chicago, one of the city's newest music venues and philanthropic supporter of music education, will host and sponsor a special concert to benefit its West Loop neighbor, Merit School of Music. On June 24 The Three Ellas, a veteran female vocal jazz trio, and 11-year-old newcomer Mae Ya Carter Ryan, will perform a brilliant jazz repertoire. All net proceeds from the event will subsidize Merit's music education programs.

Continuing its nearly 7 year reign as the most critically acclaimed, award-winning supper club of its kind in the greater Los Angeles area dedicated to presenting the best of Broadway performers and nightclub artists in concert, Sterling's Upstairs at The Federal welcomes Broadway's Terri White Sunday, May 19, direct from her critically acclaimed cabaret concert in the Barbara Cook Spotlight Series at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts' in Washington, D.C.

Renowned jazz vocalist and recording artist Antoinette Montague (antoinettemontague.com) will perform at The NY Baha'i Center in Manhattan (53East 11th Street) tonight, May 14, at 8 PM and 9:30 PM. She will be supported on piano by Danny Mixon, on bass by Lyle Atkinson and on drums by George Grey.

Renowned jazz vocalist and recording artist Antoinette Montague (antoinettemontague.com) will perform at The NY Baha'i Center in Manhattan (53East 11th Street) on Tuesday, May 14, at 8 PM and 9:30 PM. She will be supported on piano by Danny Mixon, on bass by Lyle Atkinson and on drums by George Grey.

Joe's Pub at the Public Theater has announced its lineup for May 6-12, featuring: Ripe Time Benefit, NYU Tisch, CMA Songwriters Series, Julia Haltigan, Stephane Wrembel, The Fat Man's Daughter, Rabbit & The Hare, Magos Herrera & Sofia Rei, The N'Harmonics, Terry Radigan and Blake Pfeil.

Hot off the success of 2012?s Time after Time: The Songs of Jule Styne, Theo Ubique tackles renowned composer-lyricist Cole Porter's vast and enormously entertaining catalog. Porter's sophisticated music and notoriously witty lyrics come alive in unique Theo Ubique style under the direction of 4-time Jeff-award winning director Fred Anzevino, with new arrangements by music director Aaron Benham and choreography by David Heimann.

Caron New York a regional office of Caron Treatment Centers - will honor business leader Juliana Terian and music legend Paul Williams at its annual gala on Wednesday, May 15 th. The event will be hosted by respected journalist and TV host Anderson Cooper.

Indie rock band Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside – http://sallieford.com/site - will headline at the Americana Music & Art Festival in Florence, Colorado, Aug. 23-25.

The Cleveland Orchestra concludes its acclaimed 2012-13 Celebrity Series on Saturday, May 18, when Patti Austin performs with the Orchestra in a concert that pays homage to the revered jazz classics of Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington. The program includes Fats Waller's 'Honeysuckle Rose,' Sam Coslow's 'You'll Have to Swing It (Mr. Paganini),' and selections by Duke Ellington.

The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel, welcomes award-winning trumpeter/vocalist/composer, Bria Skonberg, for its new 'Second Act, A Late Night Series of Fun and Entertainment' at the Cafe Carlyle on April 11-12, 25-26, and May 23-24. Ms. Skonberg's show, Brass and Belles, is a tribute to the historic horn and female vocal pairings of greats like Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, Anita O'Day and Roy Eldridge, and more. She is joined by Dalton Ridenhour at the piano, Darrian Douglas on drums, and Sean Cronin on upright bass and vocals. Check out photos from her concert below!

Being a student of history is enlightening. You can learn about so many new things that may, or may not, be of interest .I felt that way about Esmeralda. I've heard about it. I know there's an Esmeralda variation that's sometimes done at competitions. But it's gone beneath my radar. So, with a great deal of trepidation, I went to see the Ballet in Cinema from Emerging Pictures film on April 22. After watching the performance, transmitted from the Bolshoi Ballet, in what is billed as a new production, I can understand the reason for the ballet's infrequent showings.

The Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) in collaboration with Producer Eva Price and the Broadway revival of the Tony Award winning musical Annie announced a new collaboration to raise awareness and funds for arts education programs for underserved students throughout New York City.

CONCERT TO END BULLYING, a benefit performance featuring the nation's premier vocal group and stage and screen star Taye Diggs - best known for his roles on ABC-TV's 'Private Practice' and on Broadway and feature film versions of Rent - will take place tonight, April 20, 2013 at The Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco.

The Yale Whiffenpoofs, the nation's premier vocal group and stage and screen star Darren Criss - best known for his role on the Fox TV hit GLEE - will headline a concert to benefit P.S. Arts, which helps bring arts education to underserved public schools. Presented by the Association of Yale Alumni and the Yale Whiffenpoofs Alumni Association the evening will take place tonight, April 14, 2013 at 5:00 PM at The Broad Stage in Santa Monica. The Yale Whiffenpoofs and special guest Darren Criss will perform a cappella and choral renditions of American jazz classics, contemporary pop hits, and more.

Up and coming female artist Aja will open for Christopher Williams at B.B. King located at 237 West 42nd Street in NYC, Thursday, April 11th at 8PM. Recently signed to Christopher Williams' (CEO) Independent Record Label, HezLIght Music Entertainment, Aja brings a unique style to her artfully written lyrics and powerful songs. Combining her gift of storytelling with hip hop beats, rock guitars, and sprinklings of jazz undertones, Aja's sound will leave you wanting more.

The Los Angeles County Arts Commission announced the 2013 John Anson Ford Theatres summer season. It marks the 20-year anniversary of the Ford Partnership Program, which nurtures locally-based artists, arts organizations and community, celebrating and reflecting on stage the diversity of the people of Los Angeles County. The Ford summer season opens June 7 and runs through October 12. Full schedule detailed below. Tickets can be purchased at FordTheatres.org or by calling (323) 461-3673.

The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel, will welcome award-winning trumpeter/vocalist/composer, Bria Skonberg, for its new "Second Act, A Late Night Series of Fun and Entertainment" at the Cafe Carlyle on April 11-12, 25-26, and May 23-24. Ms. Skonberg's show, Brass and Belles, is a tribute to the historic horn and female vocal pairings of greats like Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, Anita O'Day and Roy Eldridge, and more. She will be joined by Dalton Ridenhour at the piano, Darrian Douglas on drums, and Sean Cronin on upright bass and vocals.