Ira Gershwin News

As part of their "In Performance at the White House" series, the President and First Lady will host a concert in the East Room honoring singer-songwriter Carole King, who will be awarded the 2013 Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. President Obama will present the award as he did when the Library of Congress honored Stevie Wonder (2009), Sir Paul McCartney (2010), and the songwriting team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David (2012). The program will include performances by King, as well as Gloria Estefan, Billy Joel, Jesse McCartney, Emeli Sande, James Taylor and Trisha Yearwood.

BuySoundtrax Records is proud to announce the release of Music From the Films of Ridley Scott, available digitally on May 14th and, in stores and from www.buysoundtrax.com on May 27, 2013.

Camp Broadway and CAP 21: America's Musical Theatre Conservatory & Theatre Company in partnership with The Broadway Education Alliance presents the 3rd annual Gershwin Awards to celebrate outstanding achievement in musical theater performance by students attending public and private high schools throughout the New York City Metropolitan Area.

New subscriptions to the 2013-2014 Broadway Across America - Arizona season at ASU Gammage in Tempe go on sale May 13. It will be a Broadway extravaganza with a seven-show series and three special engagements. The top touring market has done it again bringing some of the biggest Broadway hits to town including EVITA, THE GERSHWINS' PORGY & BESS, PETER AND THE STARCATCHER, ONCE as well as the long awaited return of JERSEY BOYS and DISNEY'S THE LION KING.

Tony nominated actress Jessie Mueller, currently starring in the Tony Award-winning musical comedy Nice Work If You Can Get It, appeared on NBC's 'Today' this morning, May 9th in the 10:00 a.m. hour as part of Kathie Lee and Hoda's 'Everyone Has a Story' segment. Mueller sang 'For You', co-written by Lee for 7-year-old AJ Kelm, who is battling a rare form of epilepsy, and his mother. Click below to watch! Mueller's performance begins around the 4-minute mark.

Tony nominated actress Jessie Mueller, currently starring in the Tony Award-winning musical comedy NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT, will appear on NBC's 'Today' tomorrow, Thursday, May 9th in the 10:00 a.m. hour as part of Kathie Lee and Hoda's 'Everyone Has a Story' segment. NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT, featuring music and lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin and a book by two-time Tony Award-winner Joe DiPietro, is directed and choreographed by three-time Tony Award-winner Kathleen Marshall. The production is playing at Broadway's Imperial Theatre (249 West 45th Street) through Saturday, June 15.

Christine Baranski, Kelli Barrett, Walter Bobbie, Jeremy Cohen, Dalton Harrod, Randy Skinner, Shonn Wiley, Karen Ziemba,New York City Ballet Principaldancer Joaquin De Luz and American Ballet Theatre principal dancer Irina Dvorovenko will star in Rodgers and Hart's On Your Toes, the final Encores! presentation of the 2012-13 New York City Center season.

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, written by Christopher Durang, today won the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award (NYDCC) for Best Play of the 2012-2013 season. Matilda received the award for Best Musical. The selections were made at the 78th annual voting meeting of the organization today at the offices of Time Out New York in Manhattan.

North Coast Repertory Theatre presents THE ODD COUPLE by Neil Simon, directed by Andrew Barnicle. The show runs now through May 12, 2013, after a one-week extension!

Art of Time Ensemble closes their 2012/13 season on a high note, welcoming world renowned jazz singer Madeleine Peyroux to the Enwave Theatre stage on May 31 and June 1. In Songbook 7, Peyroux steps outside her comfort zone to perform twelve handpicked songs from her favourite artists, including Billy Joel, Elvis Presley and George and Ira Gershwin. Due to the popularity of the concert, a new block of tickets for the almost sold-out performances was released Tuesday, April 30.

The National Tour of THE GERSHWINS' PORGY AND BESS, winner of the 2012 Tony Award for Best Musical Revival, will launch at San Francisco's Golden Gate Theatre this November. The tour, accompanied by a 23-piece orchestra, will begin performances Sunday, Nov. 10 with an official opening on Wednesday, Nov. 13. The national tour will travel to more than 20 cities in its first season in addition to San Francisco, including Los Angeles (Ahmanson Theatre), Seattle (5th Avenue Theatre), Dallas (Winspear Opera House), West Palm Beach, Tampa, Naples, Greenville, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Buffalo, East Lansing, St. Paul, Des Moines, Las Vegas, Tempe and Charlotte, with additional cities to be announced in the coming days.

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. 'Oklahoma!' opens, a new 'Porgy,' a one-night 'Tommy,' improvised Sondheim, Darren Criss, 'The Jungle Book' has been cast, two new revues, my Tony perspective and more!

THE LOWER EAST SIDE FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS (LES) celebrates its 18th year of bringing together -- in one location, over three days -- more than 100 performing arts organizations, local and international celebrities, independent artists, poets, playwrights, musicians, puppeteers, film makers and many others, all of whom reside, work or have their roots in the culturally diverse Lower East Side. Once again this year, New York City's most diverse FREE 3-day, indoor and outdoor cultural celebration will take place on Memorial Day Weekend, from Friday, May 24 through Sunday, May 26, at Theater for the New City (155 1st Avenue, between E. 9th and 10th Sts.) in Manhattan.

The producers of the Tony Award-winning musical comedy NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT have announced that the Broadway production will play its final performance on Saturday, June 15, 2013after 27 previews and 478 regular performances at the Imperial Theatre (249 West 45th Street). The production began performances on March 29, 2012 and opened on Apr 24, 2012. A national tour will be launched in the 2014-2015 season.

The Muhlenberg Summer Music Theatre festival at Muhlenberg College announces the lineup for its 2013 summer season - the 33rd in the festival's history. The season will feature "Crazy for You," the musical based on the music of George and Ira Gershwin; Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Jesus Christ Superstar"; and Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty's "Seussical," the Dr. Seuss musical for young audiences.

The Players Guild of Leonia presents Crazy for You, featuring book by Ken Ludwig and music and lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin. The production is directed by Chris Watson and runs now through April 28, 2013. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

The hit musical comedy Nice Work If You Can Get It welcomed Tony Award nominee Jessie Mueller, John Treacy Egan and Conrad John Schuck to the production on March 29th, in the roles of Billie Bendix, Chief Berry and Senator Max Evergreen. Check out photos of the actors in action below!