Paul Williams News

The ASCAP Foundation announces that Grammy- and Tony Award-winning jazz legend Dee Dee Bridgewater will be honored with The ASCAP Foundation Champion Award at The ASCAP Foundation Honors Celebration on Thursday, December 14. The annual, invitation-only event takes place at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City.

Beyond Fest, the highest-attended genre film festival in the US, is excited to announce its full slate of 2017 programming featuring 32 events and 23 West Coast premieres of cinematic excess. Co-presented by Shudder, Beyond Fest returns to Hollywood's famed Egyptian Theatre

Due to an overwhelming demand, Berkeley Rep has announced that the world premiere musical of Ain't Too Proud-The Life and Times of The Temptations will extend for two additional weeks. Originally scheduled to close on October 8, the popular musical will now run through Sunday, October 22.

La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts & Mccoy Rigby Entertainment present the first show of its 2017-2018 season, and the 40th anniversary of the iconic theatre with American Idol's Frenchie Davis starring in AIN'T MISBEHAVIN', with music by Thomas 'Fats' Waller, conceived by Richard Maltby, Jr. and Murray Horwitz, musical direction by Christopher Troy, choreography by Jeffrey Polk and directed & staged by Ken Page - an original cast member of the 1978 Broadway premiere!

Renowned jazz chanteuse Monique diMattina and Pam Wachira, one of Australia's most talented and dynamic singer/songwriter are among the acclaimed performers joining Arts Centre Melbourne's Jazz High Tea series from August - December.

Berkeley Repertory Theatre today announced the full casting and creative team for the world premiere of AIN'T TOO PROUD-THE TEMPTATIONS MUSICAL. The musical stage production will be directed by Tony Award winner Des McAnuff. Berkeley Rep presents the show by special arrangement with Ira Pittelman and Tom Hulce (American Idiot, Spring Awakening).

The New York Post has reported that a brand-new musical, based on the lives and career of motown legends, The Temptations, titled, 'Ain't Too Proud - The Temptations' held a staged reading was held in New York last week

La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts has announced its 40th Anniversary season of shows - 40 YEARS OF PHENOMENAL!

Everyone's favorite TV family will be singing and dancing their way across the stage this summer when Happy Days - The Musical opens at The Way Off Broadway Dinner Theatre, the area's only year-round producing theatre.

Screen and stage composing legend Stephen Schwartz was honored with the prestigious ASCAP Founders Award and celebrated with multiple live performances. Check out photos below!

Kitchen Dog Theater continues its 26th season of theater with the area premiere of Trevor by Nick Jones. Inspired by true events,?Trevor?is a subversive comedy about fame, success, and the lies we tell ourselves to keep people from taking away an erratic, 200-pound chimpanzee. At the center of this hilarious and heart-wrenching play are two individuals fighting against a world unable to understand their love: Trevor, a chimpanzee who once performed in commercials with the likes of Morgan Fairchild, and his owner Sandra, who swears he would never hurt a fly...at least not on purpose. KDT Co-Artistic Director Tina Parker directs this hilarious and heartbreaking exploration of family, flawed communication, and humanity. 

Since first achieving fame as a teen pop sensation in the 1950s, Neil Sedaka has kept America singing for six decades. He brings the timeless hits of his storied career to Heinz Hall to perform with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra during the PNC Pops weekend May 12-14.

Award-winning songwriters and composers from various music genres will be in Washington, DC tomorrow, April 26, to meet with elected officials as part of the annual American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers (ASCAP) “Stand with Songwriters” Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill.

Leaders in entertainment, business, philanthropy, and the arts will gather at the 2nd Annual Big Sunday Gala on Thursday evening, April 27th to celebrate three distinguished honorees – Zazi Pope, Kara Corwin and Tichenor & Thorp Architects.

La Mirada Theatre For The Performing Arts & Mccoy Rigby Entertainment present the fifth show of its 2016-2017 season, Davis Gaines starring in his Ovation award-winning role as Don Quixote in MAN OF LA MANCHA, with book by Dale Wasserman, lyrics by Joe Darion, music by Mitch Leigh, musical direction by Jeff Rizzo, choreography by Patti Colombo and directed by Glenn Casale.

On Tuesday, April 25, The ASCAP Foundation and The Library of Congress will jointly present the ninth annual “We Write the Songs” event at the historic Coolidge Auditorium in The Library of Congress in Washington, DC.

ASCAP, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, announces that it will honor legendary musician Stevie Wonder with its inaugural “Key of Life” Award at this year's ASCAP “I Create Music” EXPO in Los Angeles, April 13 – 15, where he will also appear in a keynote “I Create Music” session.

Just as death knells and obituaries are beginning to appear in the press for cabaret in Los Angeles (usually by inexperienced journalists in their 20s who seem to think that entertainment is restricted to their computers, IPads and IPhones), proof to the contrary arrives in the form of one Charles Busch in "THAT GIRL/ THAT BOY" at Rockwell stage and table on March 13th and 14th . With sold out and standing room only crowds, not to mention multiple standing ovations, clearly cabaret's heart was beating strong and proud.

Powerful, poignant and timely as ever, La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts & McCoy Rigby Entertainment present the fourth show of its 2016-2017 season, the most acclaimed musical of all time, WEST SIDE STORY, book by Arthur Laurents, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, music by Leonard Bernstein with musical direction by Brent Crayon, choreography by John Todd and directed by Ovation award-winner Richard Israel.