Lauryn Hill News

The Apollo Theater and Manhattan School of Music announced today that actor Roger Guenveur Smith and singer-songwriter and musician Meshell Ndegeocello have been added to the cast of Ask Your Mama, a multimedia symphonic work based on Langston Hughes' epic poem.

Talented actress Sheryl Lee Ralph spoke about returning to her Broadway roots on tonight's episode of SMASH.

With movie fans gearing up for the 85th annual Oscars telecast on Sunday, February 24, WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE will present an entire week of movie-themed trivia questions on 'Millionaire's Countdown To The OSCARS,' airing today, February 18-22, 2013.

With movie fans gearing up for the 85th annual Oscars telecast on Sunday, February 24, WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE will present an entire week of movie-themed trivia questions on "Millionaire's Countdown To The OSCARS," airing February 18-22, 2013.

Paper Mill Playhouse has announced a wide array of classes and performance opportunities for adults. There is still time to sign up for the diverse adult class Theatre School offerings.

Spoleto Festival USA General Director Nigel Redden today announced that Grammy Award-winner Angelique Kidjo and popular indie-rock duo Johnnyswim have been added to the recently-released program of the Charleston, South Carolina-based performing arts festival, scheduled for May 24 - June 9, 2013. Tickets to these and all other Festival performances are available now at spoletousa.org or by phone at 843.579.3100.

Yoshi's Jazz Club & Japanese Restaurant on Fillmore Street just added the following concerts at its world-renowned San Francisco venue: Hurricane Relief Benefit & Election Results feat. Foxtails Brigade, Jacques Ibula, Tad Worku and more with 100 percent of proceeds to American Red Cross Disaster Relief for Hurricane Sandy (TONIGHT, 11/6) and Ferenc Nemeth Triumph Band feat. Bob Sheppard, Lionel Loueke & Daniel Szabo (Tue, 12/18).

Yoshi's Jazz Club & Japanese Restaurant on Fillmore Street just added the following concerts at its world-renowned San Francisco venue: Hurricane Relief Benefit & Election Results feat. Foxtails Brigade, Jacques Ibula, Tad Worku and more with 100 percent of proceeds to American Red Cross Disaster Relief for Hurricane Sandy (Tue, 11/6) and Ferenc Nemeth Triumph Band feat. Bob Sheppard, Lionel Loueke & Daniel Szabo (Tue, 12/18).

Poet/performance artist Davida Singer mixes it up with jazz/klezmer artists Frank London (trumpet) and Daniel Kelly (keyboard) to perform excerpts from her new collection Port of Call (Plain View Press, 2012). Written with a strong feminist voice, the book follows the journey of a woman at the turn of the 3rd millennium, where personal experiences morph into a lyrical meditation on space and time, and where loss, rebirth, and unsettled relationships mirror global shifts. The event will take place at Bluestockings Bookstore, located at 172 Allen Street (NYC), tonight, September 21, 7-9 p.m. It will be followed by a book signing. For more information, visit: www.davidasinger.com or www.bluestockings.com/events, or call 212.777.602.

GoGo Morrow will release her debut first single, entitled "HD", on soundcloud thursday, september 20th, 2012. The single "HD" will be available for purchase september 27th, 2012 on itunes.

Singer Wyclef Jean wrote a revealing new memoir and no topic was off limits on The Wendy Williams Show.

Poet/performance artist Davida Singer mixes it up with jazz/klezmer artists Frank London (trumpet) and Daniel Kelly (keyboard) to perform excerpts from her new collection Port of Call (Plain View Press, 2012). Written with a strong feminist voice, the book follows the journey of a woman at the turn of the 3rd millennium, where personal experiences morph into a lyrical meditation on space and time, and where loss, rebirth, and unsettled relationships mirror global shifts. The event will take place at Bluestockings Bookstore, located at 172 Allen Street (NYC), on Friday, September 21, 7-9 p.m. It will be followed by a book signing. For more information, visit: www.davidasinger.com or www.bluestockings.com/events, or call 212.777.602.

In a blazing Labor Day finale to Rite of Summer's 2012 season, Todd Reynolds, 'New York's reigning Jazz and Classical Violinist' (The New Yorker), and fiddle-player of choice for avant-gardists everywhere, has assembled a stellar cast of characters to explore the vortex where bluegrass, electronica, minimalism and classical music swirl. Featuring music of glass harmonica virtuoso Jonny Rodgers, avant-bluegrass guitarist Jordan Tice (The Jordan Tice Trio), and the singular percussionist Mathias Kunzli, currently on tour with Regina Spektor. This will take place on Colonels' Row tonight, September 3rd.

This week at Joe's Pub, August 27 through September 2, look out for Sasha Allen, Ryan Raftery, Jared Evan, Veronica Klaus, Tori Scott, Annie and the Beekeepers, The Snow / C. Gibbs, Kate Douglas and the Imaginary Menagerie, Julia Haltigan / Rusty Belle and Saul Williams. More details below!

Nicoletto is in riding some serious creative momentum, and will be performing at Le Poisson Rouge with Kat Solar tonight, August 23rd.

In a blazing Labor Day finale to Rite of Summer's 2012 season, Todd Reynolds, 'New York's reigning Jazz and Classical Violinist' (The New Yorker), and fiddle-player of choice for avant-gardists everywhere, has assembled a stellar cast of characters to explore the vortex where bluegrass, electronica, minimalism and classical music swirl. Featuring music of glass harmonica virtuoso Jonny Rodgers, avant-bluegrass guitarist Jordan Tice (The Jordan Tice Trio), and the singular percussionist Mathias Kunzli, currently on tour with Regina Spektor. This will take place on Colonels' Row on Monday, September 3rd.

Nicoletto is in riding some serious creative momentum, and will be performing at Le Poisson Rouge with Kat Solar on August 23rd.

John Legend will make his Sarasota premiere, opening the Van Wezel season, Fri. Oct. 19, 2012 @ 8 PM. Powerhouse Anita Baker makes her appearance Sun. Nov. 18, 2012 @ 7 PM. Tickets go ON SALE this Friday, August 17 at 10 AM.

Today we are taking a look at four sparkling new Blu-ray editions of well-regarded films from the Disney vault by focusing on three titles that are also currently running on Broadway in screen-to-stage adaptations at this very moment - EVITA, NEWSIES and SISTER ACT. The current trend of adapting hit films into musicals for the stage has sporadically proven that some stage adaptations can even be more entertaining onstage, while some recent movie musicals have one-upped their stage roots in a way a few Golden Age adaptations also managed to do. Such is the case with EVITA, NEWSIES, SISTER ACT and SISTER ACT 2 (the latter two both acting as inspiration for the Broadway SISTER ACT musical) - all available for the first time on Blu-ray and each certainly justifying consideration for inclusion in your library if only because each is regarded as a modern-day classic - of sorts - in its own unique and special way. And, without these films, we would never have the current versions of the shows now running on Broadway based upon them (even in the case of a classic like EVITA, whose stage version may have come first, but, as seen and heard in the hit Elena Roger/Ricky Martin/Michael Cerveris revival, now includes the film addition, "You Must Love Me"). Whatever the medium, all of these winning entities offer an entertaining way to beat the heat and celebrate the start of summer in style - with some tunes, old and new, you are not soon to forget.