John F Kennedy News

Following the critical acclaim and record-breaking attendance of Festival 2014, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival opens its 2015 season in June.

May 26, 2015 - (Becket, MA) Following the critical acclaim and record-breaking attendance of Festival 2014, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival opens its 2015 season in June. Highlights of Festival 2015 include Three Acts, Two Dancers, One Radio Host, a special dance and radio stage production starring Ira Glass, host of This American Life; the return of Nederlands Dans Theater 2; the world premiere of American Ballet Theatre principal dancer Daniil Simkin's INTENSIO; Cuban contemporary ensemble Malpaso Dance Company, performing with GRAMMY Award-winning pianist and composer Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble; and the launch of Martha Graham Dance Company's 90th Anniversary, including a world premiere by eminent choreographer Mats Ek. 

Bryan A. Stevenson, founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) in Montgomery, Alabama, will receive an honorary degree from the College of the Holy Cross and address this year's graduates during the College's Commencement ceremonies today, May 22 at 10:30 a.m. on the campus.

Opera Colorado today announced the appointment of Ari Pelto as the first Music Director in its history and the extension of Greg Carpenter's role as General Director through 2018. Pelto fills an important new role at the Company—partnering with Carpenter to further Opera Colorado's mission, increase and diversify its programming and repertory, build the national scope of its Young Artists program, and further extend the Company's reach through engagements in venues outside of the traditional opera house. Pelto will serve as Music Director designee beginning July 1, 2015 and take the helm as Music Director beginning July 1, 2016.

Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key Administration posts.

On Sunday May 17 at Catalina Jazz Club renowned actress/singer Michele Lee made her Los Angeles cabaret debut. Why has it taken this long? She takes her one-woman show Catch the Light on the road regularly and recently played 54 Below in NYC, but has never played a club in her hometown of LA. Well, it's high time, and the packed house agreed as the four-piece orchestra played the Beatles' 'Michelle, my belle...' as Lee was introduced to thunderous applause. She made her way through the audience singing the powerhouse 'Feeling Good', and with a combination of incredible drive and energy, an uber strong vocal style and sheer sauciness and personal sass, Lee's conquest of the room was guaranteed. Looking fabulous in black satin and sequins, she next essayed 'Nobody Does It Like Me' from her Broadway hit Seesaw. In the show she playe

Even after 50 years, Americans still question who shot JFK and why. Investigative reporter and author Hillel Levin reveals the most persuasive proof to date - and sheds light on the Windy City's pivotal connection - in the world premiere of ASSASSINATION THEATER: Chicago's Role in the Crime of The Century, directed by Kevin Christopher Fox. Levin's theatrical investigation into nation's most infamous crime plays August 11 - November 7, 2015 at the Museum of Broadcast Communications, 360 N. State St. in Chicago. Casting will be announced shortly. Tickets are currently available at assassinationtheater.com or by calling (800) 838-3006. The press opening is Tuesday, August 18 at 8 pm.

Orlando Repertory Theatre (The REP), in partnership with UCF, is proud to announce its 2015 - 2016 Season! The REP is Orlando's premiere professional theatre for families and young audiences, and has staged recent box-office hits such as Shrek The Musical and A Christmas Story The Musical and completed a run for 13,000+ 8th grade students of The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.

Director John Benitz, who has been with the show since making its world premiere at Chapman University where he teaches, graciously answered a few questions over email about the project, and how it came to the Kennedy Center, what draws him to the material, and what experience the show will offer to Kennedy Center audiences.

Several important events in the life of the American Boychoir School will occur over one exciting weekend in mid-May.

Natalie Portman will take on the role of Jackie Kennedy in JACKIE, an upcoming film which centers on 'the first four days in Jackie Kennedy's life after the assassination of her husband'

The finale of Washington National Opera's season, Cinderella, is an enchanting and vibrant retelling of a classic fairy tale with an imaginative twist.

28 MARCHANT AVENUE, a new play examining five summers at The Kennedy Family's Hyannis Port compound, receives its world premiere production this month at New York City's Clarion Theatre. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast onstage below!

In its 23rd incarnation, the Kennedy Center Spring Gala was a triumph. This year's edition of the Gala — titled “It Don't Mean a Thing…” — paid homage to the big-band music, extraordinary tunes, and iconic dancing of the Swing Era.

This June, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival presents Three Acts, Two Dancers, One Radio Host, a special pre-Festival performance starring Ira Glass, the host and executive producer of the famed public radio program This American Life. 'The Tina Fey of dance' (Sarah Kaufman, The Washington Post) Monica Bill Barnes and fellow dancer and collaborator Anna Bass perform with Glass, bringing the unlikely art forms of talk radio and dance together for a production that is 'unapologetically human and refreshingly relatable' (Brian Schaefer, The New York Times). This limited engagement will be presented in the Ted Shawn Theatre for two performances only, June 13 at 8pm and June 14 at 2pm.

JetBlue Airways (NASDAQ: JBLU), the largest airline operating to the Caribbean, today announced its continued expansion in the region as it filed an intent to serve Antigua's V.C. Bird International Airport (ANU) three times weekly from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), with the aim to launch service on November 5, subject to receipt of government operating authority. Additionally, the airline will add seasonal weekly service from Boston's Logan International Airport (BOS) to Barbados' Grantley Adams International Airport (BGI), which will launch November 7, subject to receipt of government operating authority.

America Now:  Pilobolus and Portraiture Friday, May 22 | 7 to 10 p.m. | Kogod Courtyard INNOVATION has been at the heart of American ideals since the Declaration of Independence. America Now, a new Smithsonian series, highlights innovation in art, history, and culture. See performances and join workshops by acclaimed dance group Pilobolus. View Bo Gehring's innovative portraits of the modern dance group on huge screens, and sit for your own video portrait by Bo Gehring and share it on social media. This event is free and is made possible by the generous support of the Robert and Arlene Kogod Foundation.

Cleveland Play House's 99th season will draw to a close with an equal dose of hilarity and heart with the world premiere production of Fairfield.

The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County has named Elizabeth 'Liz' Wallace as vice president of programming.

Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival announces today that Andrea Sholler, former Associate Director of The Tow Foundation and Executive Director of Dance Theater Workshop, will join the organization as General Manager. Sholler will assume the position on May 18, 2015, returning to the institution where she began her career from 1983 to 1985 as the Pillow's first Development Associate. Jacob's Pillow, located in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts, is a National Historic Landmark, National Medal of Arts recipient, and home to America's longest running dance festival.