I. Fell News

Executive Chef Mark Cooper of Cooper's Seafood House in Scranton, Pennsylvania is in our 'Chef Spotlight.'

From tonight, June 11, through June 21, 2015, Houston Ballet will present John Cranko's staging of The Taming of the Shrew, a masterful choreographic depiction of Shakespeare's perpetually battling lovers, Petruchio and Katherina, and of Petruchio's determination to bend the feisty, independent-spirited and tempestuous Katherina to his will. Incorporating a stunning array of dramatic moods, virtuoso dancing and vivid characterization, The Taming of the Shrew conveys like no other ballet Shakespeare's wit, brilliant comic invention and sharp understanding of human character. Houston Ballet will give seven performances of The Taming of the Shrew at Wortham Theater Center in downtown Houston.

Following a sold-out winter tour and the 10th Anniversary Season of ABC's hit show Dancing with the Stars, Dancing with the Stars: Live!  is going back on the road giving fans the opportunity to see their favorite stars dance live in their hometowns, visiting over 40 cities across America.  Season 20 Dancing with the Stars champion Rumer Willis will join the cast of dancing professionals in 25 cities across the US.  The fans that helped lead Willis to her Mirrorball victory will have an opportunity to see her perform live this summer with the DWTS professional dancers at The Venetian Theatre July 3 & 5. Tickets are on sale now at http://www.venetian.com/entertainment/shows/dancing-with-the-stars-perfect-10-tour.html.

Florida Studio Theatre's Summer Mainstage Season kicks off with the wayward, witty world of Inspired Lunacy, the Tour de Force production of The Hound of the Baskervilles, and the funny and heart-warming play, Over the River and Through the Woods. The Summer Cabaret Season will consist of the eclectic musical stylings of Six Guitars, by Chase Padgett and Jay Hopkins, the boot-tapping songs from Kings of Country, by Eric Scott Anthony, and the hip-swinging, hand-jiving sounds of The Swingaroos, by Kimberly Hawkey & Assaf Gleizner.

Season 20 "Dancing with the Stars" champion Rumer Willis will join the cast of dancing professionals in 25 cities across the US.

HOUSTON, TEXAS - From June 11-21, 2015, Houston Ballet will present John Cranko's staging of The Taming of the Shrew, a masterful choreographic depiction of Shakespeare's perpetually battling lovers, Petruchio and Katherina, and of Petruchio's determination to bend the feisty, independent-spirited and tempestuous Katherina to his will. Incorporating a stunning array of dramatic moods, virtuoso dancing and vivid characterization, The Taming of the Shrewconveys like no other ballet Shakespeare's wit, brilliant comic invention and sharp understanding of human character.  Houston Ballet will give seven performances of The Taming of the Shrewat Wortham Theater Center in downtown Houston. Tickets may be purchased by calling 713 227 2787 or by visiting www.houstonballet.org.

From June 11-21, 2015, Houston Ballet will present John Cranko's staging of The Taming of the Shrew, a masterful choreographic depiction of Shakespeare's perpetually battling lovers, Petruchio and Katherina, and of Petruchio's determination to bend the feisty, independent-spirited and tempestuous Katherina to his will.

As part of BroadwayWorld's expansive coverage of the 69th Annual Tony Awards, we are providing the full text of all of the 2015 Tony Award acceptance speeches; from the emotional to the bizarre, and everything in between. Keep up with all of the winners' speeches on our continuously updated list.

Four (4) of their AWESOME Hot Sauces are nominated for this year's WORLD Hot Sauce Awards. The 34 year old Original Recipe is competing for world's best "Medium" hot sauce. Sgt. Pepper is in the running for best "Louisiana-style" sauce. HummZinger with garbanzo beans is going after world's best "Hot" hot sauce, and Venom aims to take home the honors for best "Pepper Blend." Befitting of such a World Contest, this one takes place in Louisiana, the birthplace of the most time-tested style of hot sauce known today.

Welcome to THE FRIDAY SIX: Q&As with your favorite Broadway stars. Want to know what hooked them to a career in the theater? Their dream roles? Their Broadway crushes? Read on! In this week's edition, we caught up with Ashley Park, who stars as 'Tuptim' in The King and I, currently playing at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre.

Abingdon Theatre Company -- which has produced 85 new plays since 1994 -- concludes its 22nd Season with the world premiere of MALLORCA by two-time Emmy nominee Sheldon Bull ('Newhart'), with previews set to begin tonight, May 29, prior to an official press opening on June 7, in Abingdon Theatre Arts Complex's Dorothy Strelsin Theatre (312 West 36th Street). Donald Brenner (March Madness) directs this award-winning comedy set in New York City and Spain.

MIDLOTHIAN, Ill.

Children's book author Anita Turnage understands the importance of sharing nature with children. Animals and nature are the perfect medium through which to gently teach important lessons and about the world we live in. In this endearing tale filled with vivid and colorful illustrations by Kim Sponaugle, a little boy named Haden, who loves to catch bugs, shares exciting adventures with Nana T in her garden. One day, while on hands and knees, they come face to face with a tiny little tree frog. Hops begins to visit daily and Haden's fascination grows as he learns about frogs, what they eat and where they live in the winter time. 'Hops' is based on the escapades of a very real tree frog in author Anita Turnage's backyard. 'I'm an avid gardener and I fell head over heels in love with this little tree frog,' said Turnage. 'After several weeks of him following me around the yard and house, and my grandson becoming really excited about our little visitor, I decided to write down the different adventures my grandson and I were having together with our tree frog friend.' Recently 'Hops' won the Conversations Award for the Best Regional Book of the Year (2015), the Loewenherz-Creative Award for Best Children's Picture Book and the Reader Views Kids Award for Best Children's Picture Book of the Year (2015). 'I'm very excited and still in shock Hops won so many awards,' said Turnage. 'My head has been spinning since receiving the news.' The criteria for each award is chosen from the first place winners in both fiction and nonfiction, and 'Hops' placed first in each award category, honoring the this cute children's picture book with many gold seals. 'I'm really humbled that so many readers found value in my story,' said Turnage. 'However, I really feel I need to share these awards with all those who helped make this book possible, those who supported me through this process, and of course, with my fans as it was a team effort.' Author Anita Turnage feels writing and reading is something that brings everyone together. She loves sharing ideas and the different events she experiences with her grandchildren while out in nature. She does give a lot of credit to her grandson who was such an enjoyable creative mind to work with as she penned the different events with their little tree frog, Hops. Halo International Publisher, Lisa Umina said, 'Anita is an amazing author and her stories are always full of fun and adventure. Hops is a delightful story that inspires children to explore their natural world, something many caregivers feel is important as children are easily drawn indoors by technology. Hops helps get children and adults alike sharing adventures with Nana T and Haden in their garden during reading time.' Readers can find 'Hops' in the Halo Publishing bookstore (http://www.halopublishing.com) or at any online bookstore such as Amazon and B&N. Available both in Hardback and eBook. Biography: Anita Turnage, 'Nana T,' lives in the Carolinas with her husband, Ralph, 'Pop', and English Setter, Izzie. She retired from corporate life after 27 years and is now a full time wife, mother, grandmother and gardener. The days she savors the most are those spent with her grandchildren. As a gift to her grandchildren, 'Nana T' takes pen in hand to recount delightful adventures she shared with them. To learn more about 'Nana T's' stories of adventure, visit http://www.nanaTtales.com Hops by Anita Turnage, illustrations by Kim Sponaugle, publisher Halo Publishing, Int., ISBN: 978-1612442266, Price: $16.95 Press & Media Contact: Lisa M. Umina, Publisher Halo Publishing International 1100 NW Loop 410, Suite 700-176 San Antonio, TX 78213 - USA +1 877-705-9647 contact@halopublishing.com http://www.halopublishing.com

BroadwayWorld San Francisco spoke with the confident, outgoing Ashley Edler, who plays Grace Farrell in a new non-equity touring production of Annie, coming to San Francisco June 3-14. On the phone, Ashley displayed contagious excitement about the show. Read our interview to see how that translates on stage, learn how Ashley enjoyed working with director Martin Charnin and get a few sneak peaks behind the curtain with the kids and Sandy.

L. Frank Baum's beloved classic story of Dorothy and her friends in the land of Oz gets a reboot-literally-in a video game setting. OZ 2.5, a world premiere by Catherine Trieschmann, wraps up the Theatre for Young Audiences season at South Coast Repertory, today, May 22-June 7, on the Julianne Argyros stage. The production is directed by Shelley Butler.

Screen Actors Guild Foundation and Broadway World have partnered for filmed Conversations Q&A series to recognize and celebrate the vibrant theatre community in New York City and the union actors who aspire to have a career on the stage and screen. The most recent conversation featured the company of the 12-time Tony nominated An American in Paris of (Christopher Wheeldon, Craig Lucas, Leanne Cope, Max von Essen, Veanne Cox, Brandon Uranowitz and producer Stuart Oken) moderated by BroadwayWorld's Richard Ridge, discussing how things are going at the Palace Theatre, how they used their time in Paris to their advantage, and so much more. Find out how each of the cast and crew members became involved with the production below and check out the full interview here!

Tonight, 12 May 2015, the multi award-winning smash hit Billy Elliot the Musical celebrates ten years in the West End.  The musical received its world premiere at the Victoria Palace Theatre in March 2005 with the gala opening night taking place exactly 10 years ago today.   To coincide with the 10th birthday celebrations, Billy Elliot the Musical today announces an extension to the West End run, releasing over 600,000 tickets for sale, taking booking through to 17 December 2016.  In addition, the first UK and Ireland tour of Billy Elliot the Musical is also announced today, opening at the Theatre Royal Plymouth in February 2016.  Further tour dates and booking details will be announced shortly.

Country music legend Philip Claypool just released a new single along with a video, titled 'Three More Beers'.

The Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, New York Live Arts' Resident Dance Company, today announced the launch of a new partnership with Loyola Marymount University (LMU). The partnership with the Los Angeles based university marks the first of its kind, adding to the Company's existing collegiate education programs. Spanning a total of four years, the partnership will bring the Company's works and their pedagogical and performative philosophy to LMU's campus and the Los Angeles area.