Jason Mraz News

The Give a Damn Campaign, a project of Cyndi Lauper's True Colors Fund, has released its latest video during National Runaway Prevention Month to raise awareness about homeless gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth

On Monday, November 8th, the VH1 Save The Music Foundation honored Julie Andrews along with Grammy® Award Winners John Legend, John Mayer and The ASCAP Foundation. Paul Williams, legendary songwriter and President of The ASCAP Foundation, accepted on behalf of The Foundation. Additionally, Natasha Bedingfield, a member of the VH1 Save The Music Alumni Ambassador Group, performed and the program for the evening, presented by LG Mobile Phones celebrated music as a universal language that shapes our life stories with a special tribute to the 45th Anniversary of Rodgers & Hammerstein's The Sound of Music by Kristin Chenoweth. The festivities were hosted by Broadway veteran and 30 Rock star Cheyenne Jackson. In the video below, Andrews answers some questions about her legendary appearance in The Sound of Music.

JERSEY BOYS, the Tony, Olivier and Grammy Award-winning international hit musical, has raised $43,521 to benefit New York Public Schools through the VH1 Save The Music Foundation.

On Monday, November 8th, the VH1 Save The Music Foundation honored Julie Andrews along with Grammy® Award Winners John Legend, John Mayer and The ASCAP Foundation. Paul Williams, legendary songwriter and President of The ASCAP Foundation, accepted on behalf of The Foundation. Additionally, Natasha Bedingfield, a member of the VH1 Save The Music Alumni Ambassador Group, performed and the program for the evening, presented by LG Mobile Phones celebrated music as a universal language that shapes our life stories with a special tribute to the 45th Anniversary of Rodgers & Hammerstein's The Sound of Music by Kristin Chenoweth. The festivities were hosted by Broadway veteran and 30 Rock star Cheyenne Jackson. Click below for some clips from the evening's read carpet, courtesy of Dana Saltzman.

On Monday, November 8th, the VH1 Save The Music Foundation honored Julie Andrews along with Grammy® Award Winners John Legend, John Mayer and The ASCAP Foundation. Paul Williams, legendary songwriter and President of The ASCAP Foundation, accepted on behalf of The Foundation. Additionally, Natasha Bedingfield, a member of the VH1 Save The Music Alumni Ambassador Group, performed and the program for the evening, presented by LG Mobile Phones celebrated music as a universal language that shapes our life stories with a special tribute to the 45th Anniversary of Rodgers & Hammerstein's The Sound of Music by Kristin Chenoweth. The festivities were hosted by Broadway veteran and 30 Rock star Cheyenne Jackson.

On Monday, November 8th, the VH1 Save The Music Foundation will honor Julie Andrews along with Grammy® Award Winners John Legend, John Mayer and The ASCAP Foundation. Paul Williams, legendary songwriter and President of The ASCAP Foundation, will accept on behalf of The Foundation. Additionally, Natasha Bedingfield, a member of the VH1 Save The Music Alumni Ambassador Group, is scheduled to perform and the program for the evening, presented by LG Mobile Phones, will celebrate music as a universal language that shapes our life stories and include a special tribute to the 45th Anniversary of Rodgers & Hammerstein's The Sound of Music by Kristin Chenoweth. The festivities will be hosted by Broadway veteran and 30 Rock star Cheyenne Jackson.

On Monday, November 8th, the VH1 Save The Music Foundation will honor Julie Andrews along with Grammy® Award Winners John Legend, John Mayer and The ASCAP Foundation. Paul Williams, legendary songwriter and President of The ASCAP Foundation, will accept on behalf of The Foundation. Additionally, Natasha Bedingfield, a member of the VH1 Save The Music Alumni Ambassador Group, is scheduled to perform and the program for the evening, presented by LG Mobile Phones, will celebrate music as a universal language that shapes our life stories and include a special tribute to the 45th Anniversary of Rodgers & Hammerstein's The Sound of Music by Kristin Chenoweth. The festivities will be hosted by Broadway veteran and 30 Rock star Cheyenne Jackson.

Mon. Oct. 25, 8:00pm 97.3 KBCO & Westword present INGRID MICHAELSON

This week we are taking a listen to the soundtrack for the forthcoming ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW homage ala GLEE with a rundown of the second season of the hit Golden Globe-winning musical dramedy series and how it stacks up to last season. Additionally, we take a peek at one of the most famous musicals numbers from the cult classic score - 'Time Warp' featuring all of the central Glee club cast-members of the show, among them Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, Dianna Agron and Chris Colfer. The soundtrack also contains a special appearance by John Stamos - late of Broadway's recent BYE BYE BIRDIE, and the other Roundabout revivals of NINE and CABARET - who sings the song made famous by a then unknown Meat Loaf in 1975 who will be making an appearance himself on the episode when it airs October 26th on Fox. So, come up to the lab and see what's on the slab a whole week early as we take a peak at the soundtrack and some special video clips from THE ROCKY HORROR GLEE SHOW.

MICHAEL FEINSTEIN, the five-time Grammy Award nominated, platinum-selling singer and pianist, will celebrate the release his new CD Fly Me To The Moon - featuring guitar legend JOE NEGRI - with a special in-store performance and CD signing at the Lincoln Center Barnes and Noble on Monday, October 18.

MICHAEL FEINSTEIN, the five-time Grammy Award nominated, platinum-selling singer and pianist, will celebrate the release his new CD Fly Me To The Moon - featuring guitar legend JOE NEGRI - with a special in-store performance and CD signing at the Lincoln Center Barnes and Noble on Monday, October 18.

Pair up Gleeks, its duet time! This week, the Glee Clubbers pair up to peform duets of their choice to win a free dinner on Mr. Schuester at popular eatery, Breadstixs. At first, usual duet partners Rachel and Finn seem poised to take the competition with their rendition of Don't Go Breaking My Heart, but Rachel begins to feel remorse for always winning and wants to help new Glee Club member, Sam, and Quinn to win to make them feel better about their current situations in life.

MORGAN KARR is happy to welcome guest artists Catherine Brookman (Hair), Brian Gallagher, John Arthur Greene (West Side Story) and Trapper Felides (Broadway vocal coach and music director) to MORGAN KARR AT JOE'S PUB.

This week, in collusion with the premiere of BroadwayWorld's new intensive songwriting discussion series Modern Music Masters, comes a stirring collection of stunning clips from the various live performances - and many, many covers - that have made singer/songwriters Nellie McKay and Jason Mraz known to fans around the globe! We take a look at some of McKay and Mraz's best live performances as well as cast a glance at how their work has been used in other media - in films (RUMOR HAS IT), on television (AMERICAN IDOL, WEEDS) and in live performance - as well as take a look at next week's GLEE cover of the Grammy-winning Mraz-penned duet 'Lucky' which will be performed on the show by Dianna Agron and new cast member Chord Overstreet! Be sure to pick up McKay's HOME, SWEET, MOBILE HOME and Mraz's LIFE IS GOOD EP which were released in stores and on iTunes earlier this week! Be sure to pick both of them up - and check out the Modern Music Masters interviews and Sound Off reviews while you're at it! After all, BroadwayWorld is the world's number one source for all the most cutting-edge live music news, theatre news and GLEE news!

Since I started writing theatre reviews a few years back one of the most interesting things that's occurred has been the opportunity to watch performers grow and take risks. A little over a year and a half ago I had the chance to cover Ben Nordstrom's first cabaret performance at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and I thought he did a solid job, but I could tell he was still finding his way as a solo performer. However, if his concert at the Sheldon this past Tuesday (10/5/2010) is any indication, he's really coming into his own as a solo singer who can engage and captivate a crowd with both his voice and personality

This week, in conjunction with BroadwayWorld's new songwriter discussion series Modern Music Masters that premiered on Monday, we are taking a listen to two new releases from the astonishingly accomplished first two artists selected to participate in the songwriting celebration series: the winsome, witty wordplay and guileless wacky charm of Nellie McKay, and the wordy gravitas and overall commitment to excellence of Jason Mraz. With Nellie McKay's new studio album of original material - HOME, SWEET, MOBILE HOME - she reveals many new sides and angles to her versatile and varied sound that has previously been firmly established by her notable prior releases. On Jason Mraz's LIFE IS GOOD EP the fans around the world are treated to a handful of newly-written material performed in the hypnotic and energetic style Mraz is so famous for in his live concert events - one of the few artists who are even better live than in the studio and whose voice sounds even more impressive (high praise indeed). Both of these performers have what it takes to perform a song with the utmost conviction, and their songwriting ability alone would warrant much praise, but it is the fact that they can hold an audience's rapt attention so seemingly effortlessly only magnifies their appeal to connoisseurs of the crème de la crème of singer-songwriters who write to the best of their abilities. These are two of the very, very best songwriters around. Two true masters. With them in the world writing music and performing it, life is much, much more than merely good! It's great... or it very well could be genius.

MORGAN KARR is happy to welcome guest artists Catherine Brookman (Hair), Brian Gallagher, John Arthur Greene (West Side Story) and Trapper Felides (Broadway vocal coach and music director) to MORGAN KARR AT JOE'S PUB.

Today we continue the brand new BroadwayWorld in-depth songwriting discussion series Modern Music Masters with one of the most successful solo artists of the last ten years - holding the record for the longest-lasting single on the Billboard charts ever thanks to his hit song 'I'm Yours', which soon may very well be heard on GLEE - the lyrically smart, mentally acute and musically savvy Jason Mraz. In this comprehensive conversation we discuss the songwriting process in extreme detail, focusing on some of his more theatrical songs and influences, as well as shedding some light on his beginnings in the school choir/glee club and what musical theatre training has meant to him in preparation for a long career in performance and music. Additionally, we discuss both the physical and psychological sides of his process in performing around the world and creating new work constantly while doing so. His brand new EP - LIFE IS GOOD - hits stores today and this is the first interview he has given in which he discusses the new songs on the album and what recording the various live shows the tracks were taken from was like to experience firsthand on this spellbinding series of sold-out arena shows. This is his most thorough conversation in print to date so it is a special honor and privilege to present his masterful talent to those that already know and love his work, and perhaps a few who are new to his musical and lyrical abilities. Thus: BroadwayWorld presents the self-proclaimed Mr.AZ from A to Z.

The Give a Damn Campaign (www.wegiveadamn.org), a project of Cyndi Lauper's True Colors Fund, has released its newest public service announcement focusing on hate crimes based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Ricky Martin, Elton John, Idina Menzel, Rachael Harris and Wanda Sykes speak out about the need to bring an end to these senseless acts of violence and intimidation. The PSA saw its world premiere last night on CNN's Larry King Live during an episode featuring the topic of anti-gay bullying.

Today we begin a new comprehensive academic music discussion series on BroadwayWorld in which I speak to the most cutting-edge artists in the recording industry, on Broadway and in Hollywood about their influences and experiences in the industry with an emphatic emphasis on the songwriting process itself and what drives and inspires it. While these discussions may be on occasion only tangentially theatre-related, the insights provided by the various participants is a demonstrative way in which to illuminate perhaps the most mysterious of all the arts: music. Peering into the psyche of the composer and lyricist, we may begin to understand what the craft of composition and lyric-writing is all about and why musical theatre tends to attract the most talented and innovative songwriters, both in the twentieth-century and today (as this column proves).