Michelle Obama News

The star of 'The Jesus Rolls,' John Turturro, recounts how Michelle Obama once told him he's been there from the beginning of her and Barack's relationship since he starred in the first movie they saw together: 'Do The Right Thing.'

The Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan's ReelAbilities Film Festival: New York, announces its full lineup of films for its 12th annual festival, which will run March 31 through April 6. Tickets go on sale March 4, and can be purchased at ny.reelabilities.org. View the festival trailer here: https://bit.ly/2wwjG8B

In celebration of Beethoven's 250th anniversary, Chamber Music San Francisco presents world-acclaimed cellist Alisa Weilerstein, along with Israeli pianist Inon Barnatan, performing all five of Beethoven's imaginative Cello Sonatas. Weilerstein is applauded for her impassioned performance style, breathtaking technique, and commitment to new music, while Barnatan is known for balancing expressiveness with astonishing technical abilities.

Lana Condor reveals the personal cause that led to a trip to Vietnam with Michelle Obama, chats about To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You and teases when to expect the final movie in the hit trilogy.

SHOWTIME has given a series order to the first season of the hour-long drama FIRST LADIES, starring and executive produced by Oscar, Emmy and Tony® winner Viola Davis, who will play former first lady Michelle Obama. Produced by SHOWTIME and Lionsgate Television, the series will also be executive produced by Julius Tennon, Oscar winner Cathy Schulman (Crash, Five Feet Apart), Jeff Gaspin (Rhythm + Flow, L.A.'s Finest), Brad Kaplan (Mr. Church) and author Aaron Cooley (Four Seats: A Thriller of the Supreme Court), who created the series and will write. The announcement was made today by Jana Winograde, President of Entertainment, Showtime Networks Inc.

Following five-weeks of exceptional performances in New York City, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will continue its “Ailey Revealed” season during a 21-city North American tour which kicks off during Black History Month. The 2020 engagement opens on February 4th at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. with a gala to benefit Ailey's D.C. programs, including the creation of new works, Arts-In-Education activities, and scholarships to talented young area dancers to attend The Ailey School in New York. Other major cities throughout the tour include Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Berkeley, Seattle, Houston, and Boston, culminating with a Mother's Day performance in Newark on May 10th.

Christone 'Kingfish' Ingram, the head-turning 20-year-old blues guitarist and vocalist from Clarksdale, Mississippi, will perform live at the Brooklyn Bowl in Brooklyn on Thursday, February 27, 2020. Ingram is embarking on his second headlining tour, “Fish Grease 2: A Juke Joint Tour,” traveling across North America and Canada this winter. In addition to his headlining dates, he will also open shows for Buddy Guy and Vampire Weekend. His debut on Alligator Records, Kingfish, received a Grammy Award nomination, and was declared the #1 Best Blues Album Of 2019 by tastemaker UK music magazine MOJO. NPR Music included Kingfish in their list of Best Debut Albums of 2019. Ingram recently received five 2020 Blues Music Award nominations including nods for Album Of The Year, Best Emerging Artist Album and Contemporary Blues Male Artist Of The Year. The 41st Annual Blues Music Awards will be presented by the Blues Foundation in Memphis on May 7, 2020. With his eye-popping guitar playing and his reach-out-and-grab-you-by-the-collar vocals, Kingfish delivers each song with unmatched passion and precision. NPR Music calls him a “rising blues prodigy…a torchbearer.” Concert information is as follows:

Ellen was surprised with a special video message from her friend, former First Lady Michelle Obama! Plus, Ellen showed a preview of “Mazed and Confused,” from the new episode of “Game of Games.”

The GRAMMY AWARDS Premiere Ceremony took place at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday, January 26, from 12:30-3:30 p.m. PT. Preceding the 62nd Annual GRAMMY AWARDS telecast, the Premiere Ceremony was hosted by two-time GRAMMY winner and current nominee Imogen Heap and featured a number of performances by current GRAMMY nominees. Performers included classical violinist Nicola Benedetti, jazz legend Chick Corea, folk music supergroup I'm With Her, West African sensation Angélique Kidjo and Best New Artist nominee Yola.

Ari Afsar, who was the original Eliza Hamilton in Chicago's production of Hamilton, has released the first song from the upcoming musical Jeannette, which she created and is the composer and lyricist for. Check out the new music video to see Ari alongside Musicality, perform 'We Won't Sleep,' which she wrote with Nathan Fertig!

Comedian Maz Jobrani brings his stand-up tour to The Den Theatre for three performances only April 16 - 18, 2020 on The Den's Heath Main Stage, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago. Tehran Von Ghasri opens. Tickets ($35 general admission, $45 - $65 VIP seating) are currently available at www.thedentheatre.com, in person at the The Den box office or by calling (773) 697-3830. Ages 18+.

The Muny announced today the directors, choreographers and music directors for its 2020 season, which opens June 15 with Kander and Ebb's internationally-acclaimed Chicago. Among the talented list are a mix of Muny favorites and newcomers. In addition to casting, a comprehensive list of design teams for each production will be released later this spring. Telsey + Company is the official casting partner for Muny.

Mental health is the foundation of healthy relationships, personal and emotional well-being and positive connections to society. But one in five adults suffers from mental illness and they, and the people who care about them, have important stories to tell. Mapping of the Mind, a new salon show from Jewish Women's Theatre (JWT), will bring these stories to life and just might change the way we think about mental health forever.

According to Forbes, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child writer J.K. Rowling has topped the list of highest-paid authors of 2019, at $92 million pretax.

It's Christmas on Broadway and to celebrate we've decided to do some metaphorical gifting to all of our favorite Broadway characters.

In Vietnam to raise awareness about the importance of educating young girls, former first lady Michelle Obama sits down with TODAY's Jenna Bush Hager to talk about her plans for 2020, Barack Obama's process for writing his post-presidential book and the importance of voting.

Today, YouTube creator and actress Liza Koshy joined Michelle Obama, Julia Roberts, Lana Condor, and Ngô Thanh Vân (Veronica Ngo), and the TODAY show's Jenna Bush Hager on a visit to a school in Vietnam as part of the Obama Foundation's Girls Opportunity Alliance, which promotes adolescent girls education around the world. This trip will be documented as part of a new YouTube Original special, “Creators for Change with Michelle Obama: Girls' Education.” The group met with girls benefiting from an education program of Room to Read, a nonprofit organization working with the Girls Opportunity Alliance to support adolescent girls education in Vietnam. YouTube will also send creators to India and Namibia to profile other girls education efforts supported by the Girls Opportunity Alliance and share the stories of adolescent girls around the world who are overcoming adversity to pursue their education.  

The Second City's 'She the People' is back at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company. The jokes and social commentary have been updated to address current events, as well as keep some evergreen topics fresh and remind us how upsetting it is that some things are considered evergreen. But, above all, 'She the People' is a call to action. It's a reminder that women's experiences matter, and women's voices matter.

Eric Alexandrakis was nominated for a Grammy last week in the Best Spoken Word category. The record is called ' I.V. Catatonia: 20 Years As A Two-Time Cancer Survivor. ' Eric is a classically trained musician who went through cancer, twice. This album highlights his struggles, ups & downs, and was made to bring hope to others going through the same thing.

After yet another summer of record participation, Side by Side with the Chicago Philharmonic will perform for the third time at South Shore Cultural Center on December 1 2019 for a holiday community concert with guest conductor Emanuele Andrizzi. The program, presented as a part of the Chicago Park District's Night Out in the Parks initiative, invites students and community members to play alongside professional Chicago Philharmonic musicians in a series of free, public concerts in Chicago's beautiful parks. Joining the orchestra and community members for this special holiday concert will be members of the Hyde Park Youth Symphony, bringing together diverse young musicians from the South side of Chicago.