Pete Townshend News

New York Theatre Workshop (NYTW) has announced that its 2014 Spring Gala will honor Tony Award-winning director Des McAnuff and President of The Dodgers Michael David. Both are founding partners of Dodger Properties, which is responsible for over 150 productions of some of the most successful theatre on Broadway (56 Tony Awards), Off-Broadway and internationally. The gala will take place on Monday, May 12 at The Grand Ballroom of The Plaza Hotel, beginning at 6:30pm.

Tony Award-winning TOMMY composer/lyricist and rock icon Pete Townshend has penned an original song for use on hit FX espionage series THE AMERICANS and the tune is set to premiere on the show tonight.

Tony Award-winning TOMMY composer/lyricist and rock icon Pete Townshend has penned an original song for use on hit FX espionage series THE AMERICANS with the tune set to premiere on this week's episode and a preview of the track is now available to hear.

On the heels of its critically acclaimed world premier new musical ERNEST SHACKLETON LOVES ME by Valerie Vigoda, Brendan Millburn and Tony winner Joe DiPietro and directed by Obie Winner Lisa Peterson, Seattle's Balagan Theatre Company announces its 2014/15 season. Balagan's upcoming season reflects the past, present, and future of the new American musical and continues its mission in bringing exciting cutting edge theatre to a new generation of theatre goers.

Fresh off their second annual appearance at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, TX – in a showcase at the Gingerman, presented by Blurt Magazine – The Split Squad will be playing a series of East Coast tour dates to promote the release of their debut album, Now Hear This, which will have its official U.S. release on vinyl today, April 15, 2014.

Fresh off their second annual appearance at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, TX – in a showcase at the Gingerman, presented by Blurt Magazine – The Split Squad will be playing a series of East Coast tour dates to promote the release of their debut album, Now Hear This, which will have its official U.S. release on vinyl on April 15, 2014.

I love the Short North Stage for several reasons. First, they have boldly devoted themselves to resuscitating the nearly flatlined Short North theater scene, saving an iconic historic theater in the process. Second, more often than not, they embrace the eccentric, edgy flavor that makes the Short North remarkable, rather than conforming to traditional theater fare. That's where "The Who's Tommy" gets it right- it is edgy, fierce, and at times, electric. The rock opera, which premiered in 1983 with lyrics and music by The Who's Pete Townshend is a virtually dialogue free story of a 4 year old boy who becomes essentially catatonic after witnessing his presumed dead father kill his mother's lover upon returning unexpectedly from WWII. Young Tommy (played by an adorably wide-eyed, but obviously inexperienced Christian Giannone) becomes an accidental sensation once he discovers his talent for pinball.

Tony Award-winning TOMMY composer/lyricist and rock icon Pete Townshend has penned an original song for use on hit FX espionage series THE AMERICANS and the tune is set to premiere on the show later this month according to a new interview.

Legendary rock icon Pete Townshend will make his first foray into television with an original song for the hit FX drama series The Americans

Award-winning theater and cabaret performers Eric Michael Gillett (Sweet Smell of Success, The Frogs, Kiss Me, Kate), Carolyn Montgomery-Forant (MAC/Bistro/Nightlife Awards), Sidney Myer (MAC/Bistro/Mabel Mercer Award-winner,Grandma Sylvia's Funeral) & Drama Desk nominee Jay Rogers (Whoop-Dee-Doo, When Pigs Fly) joined forces to present an evening of sly songs with titillating tunes & lascivious lyrics from the present to days of yore. Sondheim, Flanders & Swann, Coward & Porter mixed with just a dash of Tom Lehrer & even Pete Townshend, Dirty Little Songs was performed with a wink & a nudge by four of cabaret's funniest & most prolific performers. Check out photos from the special performance below!

A special new Lovestream concert is now available online to celebrate the release of Sherie Rene Scott, All Will Be Well - The Piece of Meat Studio Sessions. The new Sh-K-Boom Records album is now available as a digital exclusive on iTunes, Amazon and wherever digital music is sold.

The original cast recording for Sherie Rene Scott's unique one-woman show PIECE OF MEAT titled ALL WILL BE WELL: THE PIECE OF MEAT STUDIO SESSIONS is now available for pre-order.

Sh-K-Boom Records will present the new album from Tony Award-nominee Sherie Rene Scott, All Will Be Well - The Piece of Meat Studio Sessions, as a digital exclusive today, March 25.

Coming up this week, 54 BELOW, the performance venue located just below the legendary Studio 54 at 254 West 54th Street, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz and beyond:

Award-winning rhythm and blues singer Bettye LaVette performs songs from her 50 year career, including selections from her latest album, Thankful N' Thoughtful, tonight, March 21 at 10:00 p.m. in Zankel Hall.

Award-winning theater and cabaret performers Eric Michael Gillett (Sweet Smell of Success, The Frogs, Kiss Me, Kate), Carolyn Montgomery-Forant(MAC/Bistro/Nightlife Awards), Sidney Myer (MAC/Bistro/Mabel Mercer Award-winner,Grandma Sylvia's Funeral) & Drama Desk nominee Jay Rogers (Whoop-Dee-Doo, When Pigs Fly) join forces to present an evening of sly songs with titillating tunes & lascivious lyrics from the present to days of yore. Sondheim, Flanders & Swann, Coward & Porter mixed with just a dash of Tom Lehrer & even Pete Townshend, performed with a wink & a nudge by four of cabaret's funniest & most prolific performers.

The original cast recording for Sherie Rene Scott's unique one-woman show PIECE OF MEAT titled ALL WILL BE WELL: THE PIECE OF MEAT STUDIO SESSIONS is now available for pre-order.

A fascinating and revealing documentary tracing the creation and subsequent success of internationally adored rock band The Who's rock opera TOMMY titled THE WHO'S SENSATION: THE STORY OF TOMMY is now available on DVD and Blu-ray.

The Split Squad is headed to their second annual appearance at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, TX, later this month. The Split Squad will kick off their Spring tour in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware on March 7th and wrap up on April 28th in Longbranch, New Jersey, sharing bills with legendary NYC-based rockers The Fleshtones. Confirmed dates and venues for the Spring 2014 tour are: 3/07/14 Dogfish Head Brewery, Rehoboth Beach DE - with The Fleshtones 3/08/14 Stage on Herr, Harrisburg PA - with The Fleshtones 3/13/14 Yard Dog Art Gallery, Austin TX 3/14/14 The Gingerman, Austin TX - Blurt Magazine/Dogfish Head SXSW Showcase 4/24/14 IOTA, Arlington VA 4/25/14 The Bowery Electric, New York NY 4/26/14 Cafe Nine, New Haven CT 4/28/14 Brighton Bar, Longbranch NJ Formed in 2011, The Split Squad is the the brainchild of bassist/singer Michael Giblin, of the PA-based powerpop band Parallax Project, who assembled a team of veteran musicians he had worked with over the years on tours and various recording projects. The other members of The Split Squad are: Drummer Clem Burke, a founding member of Blondie, and a 2006 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee. Burke is also a highly sought-after session musician who has worked with Pete Townshend, Bob Dylan, Iggy Pop and Joan Jett, among many others. Guitarist Eddie Mun?oz of L.A.'s legendary powerpop outfit The Plimsouls (whose single 'A Million Miles Away' charted on the Billboard Hot 100) and more recently Magic Christian and Parallax Project, with Giblin. Guitarist Keith Streng, founding member of seminal rockers The Fleshtones, longtime fixtures of the New York garage-rock scene that grew from the famed Manhattan music club CBGB. Keyboardist Josh Kantor, of The Baseball Project, and Boston-based folk-rock band Jim's Big Ego, who also serves as the organist for the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Featuring 12 original tracks plus a cover of The Small Faces' 'Sorry She's Mine,' Now Hear This is the unmistakeable product of its members common roots in the classic powerpop, punk, glam and garage rock of the '70s and '80s. The album was produced by Seattle music icon Scott McCaughey, best known as a founding member of cult faves The Young Fresh Fellows and the Minus 5. Adding to the star power on The Split Squad's debut are guest appearances by McCaughey, Peter Buck (R.E.M.), Hugo Burnham (Gang of Four), and Mike Gent (The Figgs). Now Hear This was recorded in the summer of 2012, at Woolly Mammoth Studios in Waltham, MA. For more information, please visit the band's official website at www.thesplitsquad.com and their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/TheSplitSquad.