Nova Payton News

THE MUSIC OF US: FROM THEN TO NOW on 3/13 celebrated America's 250 years in music. The trio of phenomenal guest singers - Max Clayton, Nova Payton and Ephraim Sykes brought down the house at the famed venue. Bravo!

Check out photos from The New York Pops' concert, The Music of US: From Then To Now on Friday, March 13 at 8 p.m. in Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall.

Elizabeth Marks has been appointed to the Board of Directors for The New York Pops, effective January 13, 2026. This strategic addition aims to enhance the organization's leadership as it continues to present exceptional musical performances.

Carnegie Hall will launch United in Sound: America at 250 in January 2026, a six-month festival celebrating the evolution of American music across genres and generations.

The New York Pops has appointed Candace Carroll and Nadine Wong to its Board of Directors. Learn more about the changes being made to the organization here!

The New York Pops has revealed its 2025-2026 season of performances in Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall, featuring Mandy Gonzalez, Megan Hilty and more. See the full lineup and learn how to purchase tickets.

Each night of Norm Lewis's SUMMERTIME show at 54 Below was a different kind of magic and, lucky me, living so nearby, I was able to capture all the award-winning guests and high-profile friends. So, here for Norm Lewis, who brought summer early to all of us at 54 Below, is a scrapbook of his seven nights and special guests, both on stage and off.

This reviewer left the theater this night with the phenomenal music still humming in my head. The show continues its run on June 7, 8, 10, 11, 12 and 13 at 54 Below with different guests each night, including Marc Shaiman, Alice Ripley, Will Swenson, Seth Rudetsky, Brian Stokes Mitchell and Nova Payton and Kimberly Akimbo’s Olivia Hardy.

Next week 54 BELOW will present some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz, and beyond. See who is performing and learn how to purchase tickets.

Join Norm Lewis for a spectacular summer show featuring special guests Melba Moore, Stephen Schwartz, Brian Stokes Mitchell, and more at 54 Below.

The Princeton Festival, running from June 7-22, opens with GRAMMY-winning soprano Angel Blue performing her favorite arias.

What did our critic think of RENT IN CONCERT at The Kennedy Center?

On Monday, February 20th, The Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture, The Lion King, and Garth Fagan Dance celebrated the show's Tony, Olivier, and Helpmann Award-winning choreographer and founder of Garth Fagan Dance, Garth Fagan, the longest-running Black choreographer in Broadway history. 

Top stories include additional dates and complete casting for the tour of Into The Woods, a new tour from Patti LuPone, and more! Plus, check out photos and video footage of Jinkx Monsoon taking her first Broadway bows in Chicago!

Performing classics from The Wiz, The Color Purple, Company, Porgy & Bess, Ain’t Misbehavin’ and more, the cast will feature Corbin Bleu, Nikki Renée Daniels, Tiffany Mann, Nova Payton, Stephanie Mills, Norm Lewis, John Manzari, Leah Flynn, Amber Iman, Peppermint, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Ephraim Sykes, E. Clayton Cornelious, and more.

Today, the Ms. Foundation for Women announced the honorees for the 2022 Women of Vision Awards: The Future is Feminist. The annual gala will take place at Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York City on May 17, 2022.

Get ready for an evening of Aretha Franklin, who sold 75 million albums over the course of her outstanding career, winning 18 Grammy Awards, rightfully earning her title as “The Queen of Soul.” Curated by Founder and Music Director Luke S. Frazier, The American Pops Orchestra presents RESPECT: THE MUSIC OF ARETHA FRANKLIN.

Originally Directed on Broadway by James Lapine and Orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick, Into the Woods will be brought to life outdoors on The People's Plaza using ZACH's architecture and natural environment in surprising ways as part of the ZACH360 experience.

The offer applies to the four paid, ticketed programs in Olney Outdoors: Sing Praise! - a series of faith-centered concerts featuring gospel, Jewish, and East Asian traditions; The Andrew A. Isen Cabaret Series; Jazz@Olney; and Theatre for Young Audiences. Those programs include more than 44 individual performances through September 3.

Producers Dale A. Mott of Edgewood (Broadway’s The Lifespan of a Fact and the upcoming Thoughts of a Colored Man) and NEWorks Productions have announced two industry presentations for GRACE, to be held on August 24, 2021, at Alvin Ailey Studios (405 West 55th Street).