Jerome Kern News

The Laguna Playhouse Executive and Artistic Directors, Karen Wood and Ann E. Wareham are thrilled to present the Orange County premiere of HERSHEY FELDER AS IRVING BERLIN, written and performed by Hershey Felder and directed by Trevor Hay.

Opera Exposures, the not-for-profit opera company founded in 2004 by Edna Greenwich, will celebrate the end of its tenth year with a holiday concert on Sunday, December 21, 2014, at 3 PM at the same venue where it all began for the company in February 2004 - St. Marks Church in the Bowery, 131 East Tenth Street at Second Avenue in Manhattan.

Lyrics & Lyricists gets going on the opening show of its 45th season with "A Good Thing Going: The Stephen Sondheim and Harold Prince Collaboration" on January 10, 11 and 12. Artistic director David Loud, himself a frequent Sondheim collaborator, explores the 1970-1981 partnership behind the groundbreaking musicals Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Pacific Overtures, Sweeney Todd and Merrily We Roll Along - with cast members Kate Baldwin, Heidi Blickenstaff, Liz Callaway, James Clow, Jason Danieley, and Alan H. Green.

Today we salute one of Broadway's most influential artists in honor of his birthday this week, the one and only Ira Gershwin!

As a kid, I loved all things Annie. I wasn't yet born when the show premiered on Broadway, but was introduced to it - like many were in the 80s - through the cast recording and the initial movie version. I'm no longer a little kid, but I have to admit I was pretty excited to see Andrea McArdle - the original red-headed orphan who I had previously only heard on an audio recording - in her solo cabaret performance at Kennedy Center last week as part of the Barbara Cook's Spotlight Series. The series features some of the best performers that Broadway has to offer and Ms. McArdle is certainly deserving of her place within that elite group for her long career in musical theatre.

Tennessee Shakespeare Company announced today that three-time Tony Award nominee Rebecca Luker will headline its Sixth Annual Valentine's Gala performed at Germantown Performing Arts Center on February 14, 2015.

Happy Birthday, Ira Gershwin! A lyricist, Gershwin collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs of the 20th century. With George he wrote more than a dozen Broadway shows, featuring songs such as 'I Got Rhythm', 'Embraceable You', 'The Man I Love' and 'Someone to Watch Over Me'. He was also responsible, along with DuBose Heyward, for the libretto to George's opera Porgy and Bess. The success the brothers had with their collaborative works has often overshadowed the creative role that Ira played. However, his mastery of songwriting continued after the early death of George. He wrote additional hit songs with composers Jerome Kern ('Long Ago (and Far Away)'), Kurt Weill and Harold Arlen.

The Minty Organization for the Performing Arts, the non-profit which oversees The Minty Awards, has announced honorees for the Second Minty Awards Dinner Gala to be held Thursday, January 15 at 7pm at Nicotra's Ballroom, The Hilton Garden Inn.

Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin is now on-stage in the Gil Cates Theater at the Geffen Playhouse. The director is Trevor Hay, who collaborated with the performer and playwright on An American Story, Abe Lincoln's Piano, Hershey Felder as Franz Liszt and The Pianist of Willesden Lane.

Los Angeles favorite Hershey Felder returns to the Geffen Playhouse in Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin. The production is directed by Trevor Hay, who has collaborated with the performer and creator on An American Story, Abe Lincoln's Piano, Hershey Felder as Franz Liszt and The Pianist of Willesden Lane. Previews for Irving Berlin began on November 11, the press opening will be tonight, November 19 and the production is currently scheduled to close on December 21, 2014.

American Dance Machine for the 21st Century (ADM21) will present 15 show-stopping musical theater dance numbers performed by stars from the musical theater and dance worlds during its Joyce Theater debut today, November 11-16, announced Nikki Feirt Atkins, Founder and Executive Artistic Director and Margo Sappington, Artistic Director. All performances will feature live music and will be directed by Margo Sappington with musical direction by Eugene Gwozdz.

Los Angeles favorite Hershey Felder returns to the Geffen Playhouse in Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin. The production is directed by Trevor Hay, who has collaborated with the performer and creator on An American Story, Abe Lincoln's Piano, Hershey Felder as Franz Liszt and The Pianist of Willesden Lane. Previews for Irving Berlin begin tonight, November 11, the press opening will be on November 19 and the production is currently scheduled to close on December 21, 2014.

When ASCAP Award-winning writer/director Chip Deffaa's "The Irving Berlin Ragtime Revue" opens November 9th at the 13th Street Repertory Theater (50 W. 13th Street, NYC), it will include some Berlin rarities and rediscoveries unheard in a century, including some never-recorded Berlin numbers.

Today we are talking to a world famous triple-threat star of stage and screen who first shot to fame in the 1980s as the first African American Miss America and found considerable success as a recording artist and actress thereafter, the divine Vanessa Williams. Sharing sage wisdom from her life and career as well as reflecting on many of her most popular properties to date, Williams reveals some of her many secrets to success while also looking ahead to next month's hotly anticipated all-star concert presentation of legendary Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein musical SHOW BOAT, co-starring Julian Ovenden, Norm Lewis, Jane Alexander and many more along with the New York Philharmonic under the direction of Ted Sperling. Also, Williams shares her enthusiasm for setting out to create new renditions of some of SHOW BOAT's most noted selections, including 'Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man Of Mine'. Additionally, Williams opens up about her multiple musical theatre endeavors highlighting the work of Stephen Sondheim, including the Tony Award-winning 2002 Best Revival production of INTO THE WOODS and the recent original revue SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM. Plus, Williams details her ongoing participation in THE TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL, after having starred in the well-received Broadway production last season and now finishing up headlining the Los Angeles production before bringing the drama to Boston. All of that, KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN memories, saving Audra McDonald's wedding day and much, much more with one of Broadway's brightest stars!

Soprano Nicole Cabell and mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato star as the ill-fated lovers Giulietta and Romeo in Vincenzo Bellini's bel canto opera I Capuleti e i Montecchi (The Capulets and the Montagues) in San Francisco Opera's new video release in partnership with EuroArts Music International. Cabell and DiDonato are joined by Albanian tenor Samir Pirgu (Tebaldo), American bass-baritone Eric Owens (Capellio) and Chinese baritone Ao Li (Lorenzo).

Encores! Celebrates Rodgers and Hammerstein and Hart, New York City Center's annual Gala tonight, October 27, 2014, will feature the music and lyrics of Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II, and Lorenz Hart, sung by some of Broadway's finest talent, includingKate Baldwin, Kelli O'Hara, Laura Osnes, Steven Pasquale, and Paulo Szot, and with dance performances by Irina Dvorovenko, Chase Finlay, Jared Grimes, and Lauren Lovette.

Los Angeles favorite Hershey Felder returns to the Geffen Playhouse in Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin. The production is directed by Trevor Hay, who has collaborated with the performer and creator on An American Story, Abe Lincoln's Piano, Hershey Felder as Franz Liszt and The Pianist of Willesden Lane. Previews for Irving Berlin begin on November 11, the press opening will be on November 19 and the production is currently scheduled to close on December 21, 2014.

When ASCAP Award-winning playwright/director Chip Deffaa's 'The Irving Berlin Ragtime Revue' has its world premiere at the 13th Street Repertory Theater on November 9th, it will be the second new show about Berlin to play the theater this year.

American Dance Machine for the 21st Century (ADM21) will present 15 show-stopping musical theater dance numbers performed by stars from the musical theater and dance worlds during its Joyce Theater debut November 11-16, today announced Nikki Feirt Atkins, Founder and Executive Artistic Director and Margo Sappington, Artistic Director. All performances will feature live music and will be directed by Margo Sappington with musical direction by Eugene Gwozdz.

Enjoy an evening of pure musical entertainment with the man who has been dubbed, 'The Ambassador of America's Songbook,' when Michael Feinstein comes to Concord's Capitol Center on Friday, November 21, at 7:30pm. As a performer, Michael Feinstein is simply unsurpassed, with multi-platinum selling albums, five Grammy nominations, and two Emmy nominations.