Jerome Kern News

With a gorgeous, epic score by Richard Rodgers and a groundbreaking for its time book by Oscar Hammerstein II, Rodgers & Hammerstein's Allegro opened in 1947 to the highest advance in Broadway history

Hennepin Theatre Trust presents An Evening with Tony Bennett and his Quintet at 8 p.m. today, May 6, 2016 at the Trust's historic State Theatre (805 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis). Tickets for the multi-Grammy Award-winning crooner go on sale at 11 a.m. today, Jan. 22, 2016.

The Broadway at Birdland concert series presented singer Iris Williams, who returned to the historic stage with "An Encore Evening with Iris Williams" on Monday, May 2.  The concert celebrated the Great American Songbook, concentrating on songs performed by Edith Piaf, and written by Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, Duke Ellington, Henry Mancini and the Gershwins.

The new musical RILLA OF GREEN GABLES, which features songs by Irving Berlin and Jerome Kern, premiered last year to glowing audience reviews and has recently released an original cast album. The show received first runner-up in the Best Original/New Work category of the reader-selected BroadwayWorld Salt Lake City Awards.

92Y'S Lyrics & Lyricists will host I HAVE CONFIDENCE: RODGERS AFTER HAMMERSTEIN, with Ted Chapin, Artistic Director, Writer & Host, Joseph Thalken, Music Director, and Lorin Latarro, Stage Director & Choreographer. Scheduled to perform at the event are Ben Crawford, T. Oliver Reid, Betsy Wolfe, Karen Ziemba and guest artist  Larry Pine. The event will be held Saturday, May 21 at 8pm; Sunday, May 22 at 2pm and 7pm; and Monday, May 23 at 2pm and 7:30pm.

Lauren Stanford portrays Helen Morgan in More Than You Know on May 22nd and June 5th, 2016 at 7:00pm at The Triad, 158 W 72nd Street.

Mañana el Teatro Real de Madrid acogera el concierto del baritono britanico Simon Keenlyside. 'Blue skies: Songlines to American Music' incluira un repertorio lleno de clasicos del jazz y swing, que sirvieron como punto de partida para grandes musicales de Broadway y Hollywood.

Daniel Evans' Sheffield Crucible production of Show Boat has now transferred to the West End with opening night last night (Monday 25 April 2016) at the New London Theatre.    

Birdland Jazz Club has announced its lineup for May 2-May 8, featuring Ann Hampton Callaway, Daniel Reichard, Iris Williams, and more!

Rebecca Trehearn, Julie in SHOW BOAT, performs 'Bill' from the show!

Tony Bennett's given name, Benedetto, means 'blessed' in Italian!

When Tuesday night the formidable Chita Rivera opens her debut Cafe Carlyle show, An Evening of My Favorite Songs, with "I Won't Dance" (Jerome Kern/Dorothy Fields/Jimmy McHugh), it's like watching a thoroughbred nose the racing gate. There's too little space on the small stage to do much more than shimmy, twirl, and display Bob Fosse-like arm moves; the performer exudes an urge to cut loose. At the ripe age of we-all-aspire-to-that-kind-of-unquenchable-joie-de-vivre, she shoots off sparks.

In 1965, my sisters and I auditioned for summer stock productions of Annie Get Your Gun, Gypsy and Finian's Rainbow being done at The Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto. In true Baby June fashion, I belted out ..

I hear music, mighty fine music . . . Host Michael Feinstein sings with pristine bass accompaniment, as Musical Director Tedd Firth's Big Band filters in musician by musician. The sweetest sounds I ever heard . . . he continues as a light saxophone joins syncopated rhythm. Then whomp! All 17 players swing. Rarely have I heard sound design so perfectly balanced, appropriately favoring vocals. Feinstein remains smooth and easy riding the wave. 'You may wonder about the role of jazz in popular song . . . ' our host begins at the start of Jazz at Lincoln Center's first of three segments of the Jazz & Popular Song Series in the Appel Room. At a time when popular songs came and went with alacrity, jazz artists meeting for improvisational jam sessions needed pieces they all knew. Thus jazz mined popular music creating an intersection of the two art forms. Aided and abetted by four very different featured guests, Feinstein illuminates by example, not narrative.

As previously announced, Barbara Cook's anticipated autobiography, BARBARA COOK: THEN AND NOW, will be released by HarperCollins Publishers on June 28, and you can check out the cover art on Amazon (and left) now!

Birdland Jazz Club has announced its May 2016 schedule, featuring: BOSSABRASIL, Ann Hampton Callaway, Iris Williams, Laura Osnes, Eliane Elias, Bill Charlap Trio, Arturo O'Farrill Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, Birdland Big Band, Jim Caruso's Cast Party, and more. Scroll down for details!

Daniel Evans' sell-out Sheffield Crucible production of Show Boat has transferred to the West End and is now in previews, with press night on Monday 25 April 2016.  Show Boat is booking at the New London Theatre to 7 January 2017.  BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

On Tuesday April 12 I eagerly returned to Rockwell Table and Stage for the third time to see An Evening of Classic Broadway. The show comes to Rockwell for one evening every couple of months. Why do I keep coming back? Produced by Dianne Fraser and musically directed by extraordinarily talented Brad Ellis ... and with a bevy of great singers on board, it's guaranteed fun, extra high on entertainment, and it incorporates Broadway standards both classic and contemporary. If that isn't enough, the structure is laid back and spontaneous, allowing one to sit back, relax and just savor the sounds.

With its continuing success both nationwide and here in Chicago, the smash hit Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin is extending its return to the Royal George Theatre, 1641 N. Halsted St. Chicago, until Sunday, May 22, 2016. The Chicago presentation will immediately be followed by a special One-Night-Only New York Presentation at The Town Hall on June 6, 2016, broadcast internationally by the WFMT Radio Network with the entire Berlin family in attendance.

Olympia Entertainment announces a one night performance by Tony Bennett, the 18 time Grammy Award-winning musician whose music spans over six decades, at the Fox Theatre on Friday, August 12 at 8 p.m.