Elton John News

In addition to the Tony Award for Best Musical, Billy Elliot the Musical received the award for Best Direction of a Musical (Stephen Daldry); Best Book of a Musical (Lee Hall); Best Choreography (Peter Darling); Best Orchestrations (Martin Koch); Best Scenic Design of a Musical (Ian MacNeil); Best Lighting Design of a Musical (Rick Fisher); Best Sound Design of a Musical (Paul Arditti); Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical (David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik, Kiril Kulish); Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical (Gregory Jbara).

Blues, Gospel, Reggae and Afro-pop will fill the Ordway's Music Theater when the Playing for Change band brings its musical message of peace to Saint Paul on February 12.

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust and PNC Broadway Across America-Pittsburgh announce that NETworks Presentations, LLC will bring the multi-award-winning Billy Elliot the Musical to Pittsburgh's Benedum Center from January 31 through February 12, 2012.

Disney Theatrical Productions, Broadway Across America and the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County announced today that tickets for the long-awaited production of THE LION KING will go on sale to the public on Saturday, February 11. Tickets will be available for purchase in person at the box office starting at 8 a.m., online at www.arshtcenter.org and by phone at 11 a.m.

Artist and philanthropist Paul McCartney will be honored as the 2012 MusiCares Person of the Year at a special event celebrating his exceptional artistic achievements as well as his philanthropic work.

According to Billboard, Broadway favorite and GLEE star Matthew Morrison will soon release his second solo album with Adam Levine's 222 Records. Morrison's first album, which featured the talents of Gwyneth Paltrow, Elton John, and more, was released last summer. No release date has been announced.

59E59 Theaters (Elysabeth Kleinhans, Artistic Director; Peter Tear, Executive Producer) welcomes Project Y Theatre Company with the world premiere of the anti-musical LOVESICK or THINGS THAT DON'T HAPPEN, written by Lia Romeo, with music and lyrics by Tony Biancosino, musical direction by Jon Spurney, and conceived and directed by Michole Biancosino.

The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts announced today its 2012-2013 Broadway Series.

Happy Birthday Sherie Rene Scott! On Broadway Scott has starred as Christine in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, garnering nominations for a Tony Award, a Drama Desk Award and an Outer Critics Circle Award; Amneris in Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida (2000), for which she won the Clarence Derwent Award and was a Drama League Honoree; Sally in Tommy (1993); Marty in Grease (1995-96); Maureen in Rent (1997); and originated the role of Ursula in The Little Mermaid (2007). In 2010 Scott starred in the critically acclaimed production Everyday Rapture, which Scott wrote with co-author Dick Scanlan. She most recently starred as Pepa in the musical adaptation of Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.

Disney Theatrical Productions, Broadway Across America and the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County announced today that tickets for the long-awaited production of THE LION KING will go on sale to the public on Saturday, February 11. Tickets will be available for purchase in person at the box office starting at 8 a.m., online at www.arshtcenter.org and by phone at 11 a.m.

In addition to the Tony Award for Best Musical, Billy Elliot the Musical received the award for Best Direction of a Musical (Stephen Daldry); Best Book of a Musical (Lee Hall); Best Choreography (Peter Darling); Best Orchestrations (Martin Koch); Best Scenic Design of a Musical (Ian MacNeil); Best Lighting Design of a Musical (Rick Fisher); Best Sound Design of a Musical (Paul Arditti); Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical (David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik, Kiril Kulish); Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical (Gregory Jbara).

Pepperdine University Center for the Arts presents a solo concert by pianist and singer Bruce Hornsby, who has built one of the most diverse and adventurous careers in contemporary music, at Pepperdine's Smothers Theatre at 8 p.m. on Friday, March 2.

New addition Marc Ribot's Really the Blues closes out an all-star February at The Iridium, leading into a March full of guitar heroes. Check out the highlights, including members of The Allman Brothers Band and New Riders of the Purple Sage, plus Andy Timmons, Stanley Jordan, and more.

Coinciding with National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (Feb. 7), Greater Than AIDS is debuting new public service ads (PSAs), coordinated social media posts and other messages from popular Black television and film actors, directors, producers, and others in Hollywood about the devastating effect of HIV/AIDS in the Black community.

Michael Orland, composer, is set to be the 2012 guest artist at Ben Vereen's Broadway Theatre Project this summer.

Elton John and Tim Rice's AIDA will open at the Manatee Players on February 23 and play through March 11.

According to The Telegraph, the London musical THE LION KING will be embarking on its first national tour beginning August of 2012.