Michelle Obama News

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.

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

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.

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.  

Today global media leader Oprah Winfrey revealed details of her upcoming tour with WW (Weight Watchers Reimagined), including special guests for all nine arena shows.  Oprah will sit down for an intimate one-on-one conversation with Lady Gaga in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, Tina Fey in St. Paul, MN, Amy Schumer in Charlotte, NC, Dwayne Johnson in Atlanta, GA, Michelle Obama in Brooklyn, NY, Tracee Ellis Ross in Dallas, TX, Kate Hudson in San Francisco, CA, Jennifer Lopez in Los Angeles, CA and Gayle King in Denver, CO.  Tickets are on sale now at ticketmaster.com. 

 Lin-Manuel Miranda stopped by TODAY on Tuesday to talk about the new HBO series he co-stars in, His Dark Materials.

Today's top stories: A Bright Room Called Day opens at The Public, and more!

'19: The Musical' is the brainchild of Through the 4th Wall co-founders, Jennifer Schwed and Doug Bradshaw. Both DC natives, Schwed and Bradshaw conceived the idea of a musical about the passage of the 19th Amendment in 2016, and, along with Composer Charlie Barnett, have been overseeing workshops and concert performances for the last two years. Now, the team is preparing for the premiere of the full production, to be staged at the National Museum of Women in the Arts November 25-27.

Lin-Manuel Miranda received the Portrait of a Nation Prize from the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery this weekend. The prize was presented to Miranda by former First Lady, Michelle Obama.

Today's top stories: Slava's Snowshow officially opens tonight, and more!

Kerry Washington was a guest on Monday night's episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live where she talks about what it was like shooting the movie American Son for Netflix after performing it on Broadway for four months. Washington also spoke about having Michelle Obama come to see the show!

Ellen DeGeneres is arriving on NBC primetime with a brand-new three-night holiday extravaganza, “Ellen's Greatest Night of Giveaways,” airing each night from 8-9 p.m. ET/PT on Dec. 10, 11 and 12.