James Brown News

GRAMMY award-nominated and Songwriters Hall Of Fame Inductee, Gordon Lightfoot performs his '50 Years on the Carefree Highway Tour' at The Colonial Theatre tonight, November 8 at 8pm.

Movin' Melvin Brown: The Last of the Great Song and Dance Men! Flamboyant, entertaining and back for more, Movin' Melvin Brown returns to Austin with a brand new show and The Ray Charles Sound Band. Performing R&B, Jazz, Country, Soul classics and original tunes, his vocal range is incredible. Oozing charisma, versatility, talent and sheer joy, Movin' Melvin turns classic entertainment into an electrifying performance. The genius of Ray Charles and Sammy Davis Jr. come together through Movin' Melvin's greatness. He combines their songs, dance, comedy sketches and improvisational ability in a "must-see" show filled with singing, dancing, tap, comedy, mime, and robotics that demonstrates why Melvin has shared the stage with such luminaries as BB King, Stevie Wonder, James Brown and Smokey Robinson. He has also appeared in several movies with Willie Nelson.

Ghostlight Records will release Beautiful Dreamer, the debut solo album from rising Broadway and vocal star DONNA VIVINO, in stores and via online outlets December 10, 2013. Beautiful Dreamer weaves 13 diverse songs into a thematically-cohesive collection from Broadway, Hollywood and Tin Pan Alley. Jerry Vivino - the veteran New York musician and longtime member of the Conan O'Brien house band - leads the disc's all-star jazz quartet and serves as producer. Taking a break from performing on Broadway in the smash hit Wicked, Donna will star Off Broadway inStars of David - a new song cycle celebrating Jewish identity, based on the bestselling book, with original music by the theater's top songwriters - fromNovember 13 to December 15. To pre-order Beautiful Dreamer, please visit www.sh-k-boom.com/donnavivino-beautifuldreamer.html.

Variety writes that Julianne Moore has signed on to star in the upcoming film adaptation of Lisa Genova's novel STILL ALICE. The movie is set to start filming early next year, directed by Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland (The Last of Robin Hood).

The Apollo Theater's presentation of James Brown: Get on the Good Foot, a Celebration in Dance on Friday October 25, 2013 was an astounding array of funk and fine art, with a familiar bass line that riveted throughout the souls of the audience. The show included tap dancing, breakdancing, modern dance, fine lines, bright colors, afros, funky gyrations and, at moments, sacred translations.

The Hollywood Reporter writes that Dan Aykroyd and Jill Scott are set to join Chadwick Boseman in GET ON UP, the upcoming James Brown biopic directed by Tate Taylor (The Help).

'Give the people what they came for' James Brown said in reference to his shows, and it seemed that the Apollo set out to do just that on the opening night of 'James Brown - Get on the Good Goot' dance celebration concert in Harlem.

GRAMMY award-nominated and Songwriters Hall Of Fame Inductee, Gordon Lightfoot performs his '50 Years on the Carefree Highway Tour' at The Colonial Theatre on Friday, November 8 at 8pm.

Ellis will portray Brown's 'longtime friend and musical collaborator' Bobby Byrd in the film, which also stars Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer.

Nationally prominent performers with Illinois roots will kick off the March on Springfield for Marriage Equality today, Oct. 22 with a free one-hour concert live near the steps of the Illinois State Capitol. The diverse entertainment bill includes reality TV stars from 'The Voice,' 'American Idol,' and 'America's Got Talent;' a national poetry slam winner; a world champion & MVP quarterback who is also a pre-Grammy nominee; and a 2013 Trans 100 honoree fighting violence against transgender people.

The inaugural edition of Hudson Valley Dance Festival transformed the Historic Catskill Point into a world-class arts venue on October 12, 2013, producing a captivating evening of dance for an enthusiastic, standing-room-only audience.

The Marsh announces that Don Reed's autobiographical journey CAN YOU DIG IT? The '60s - Back Down East 14th will extend its run at The Marsh Berkeley through December 15, 2013. From the Beatles to the Black Panthers, James Brown to The Jerk, and MLK to JFK to the KKK - CAN YOU DIG IT? The '60s - Back Down East 14th offers a view of the 1960s through the eyes of an awkward kid who's just trying to fit in. Reed, an Oakland-born comedian, is currently the opening act/warm-up comedian for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. The third installment in Reed's hilarious coming-of-age trilogy, CAN YOU DIG IT? performs Saturdays at 8:30pm and Sundays at 7pm in the The Marsh Berkeley Theater Stage, 2120 Allston Way, Berkeley. For tickets, the public may visit www.themarsh.org or call 415-282-3055 between 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday.

The Old Globe is currently presenting The Last Goodbye, a new musical fusing Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet with the incendiary songs of the legendary singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley. Conceived and adapted by Michael Kimmel and directed by two-time Tony Award nominee Alex Timbers , the rock musical might be eventually heading to Broadway.

Eight-time GRAMMY nominee Dave Koz is now back in the States, where he's sitting in with the band on 'The Arsenio Hall Show' tonight, October 15.

Yesterday's shots come from WICKED's resident Elphaba, Lindsay Mendez, and her 'green team,' plus Broadway's CINDERELLA, MATILDA, and The Old Globe's THE LAST GOODBYE; plus SIPs from TUTS Underground's LIZZIE, the national tours of EVITA and ONCE, and more!

Eight-time GRAMMY nominee Dave Koz always celebrates the holidays in a big way, entertaining thousands of his closest friends in a jaunt that takes him from coast to coast. In what has become an annual holiday PlayhouseSquare visit, Dave Koz and Friends Christmas Tour 2013 performs December 6 at 7:30 pm in the Palace Theatre.

The enduring music of Burt Bacharach is given new life as musician and actor Kyle Riabko (Spring Awakening, Hair) performs his unique, soulful arrangements of the Bacharach songbook with an eclectic group of young musicians and performers. Steven Hoggett, whose choreography has been featured in such diverse works as Once, Peter and the Starcatcher, andBlack Watch, returns to NYTW, this time as director. What's It All About? is a re-introduction to the timeless music of Bacharach through the eyes and ears of a new generation.

Rollingstone.com reports that Tony Award winner Cyndi Lauper is among this year's nominees for the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

The Old Globe presents The Last Goodbye, a new musical fusing Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet with the incendiary songs of the legendary singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley. Conceived and adapted by Michael Kimmel, the rock musical is directed by two-time Tony Award nominee Alex Timbers (Peter and the Starcatcher, Bloody BloodyAndrew Jackson). Choreography is by Emmy Award nominee Sonya Tayeh ('So You Think You Can Dance'), and orchestrations, music direction and arrangements are by Kris Kukul. The Last Goodbye will run on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in the Old Globe Theatre, part of the Globe's Conrad Prebys Theatre Center, now through Nov. 3, 2013. Check out the opening night photos below!