Roger Miller News

Hale Centre Theatre's production of BIG RIVER, running through May 11th in Gilbert, AZ, is confirmation that BIG RIVER is among the Great American Musicals.

Dennis Quaid & The Sharks are celebrating Record Store Day by releasing their first-ever album, Out of the Box, on vinyl via Omnivore Records to record stores this Saturday, April 13. Described by Quaid as “a junkyard of American music,' the A-side includes the original title track 'Out of the Box' while the B-side features a rousing cover of Larry Williams' hit 'Slow Down.' 

Global superstar Dennis Quaid is not only an accomplished actor, but he's also a singer-songwriter with hundreds of thousands of miles under his belt as a touring musician.

Opening for it's first time at the Hale Centre Theatre in Gilbert is the acclaimed Broadway musical Big River! Playing April 4th, 2019 through May 11th, 2019. Directed by Tim Dietlein, Choreographed by Cambrian James, with Musical Direction by Elizabeth Spencer. Big River is a musical adventure with book by William Hauptman and music and lyrics by Roger Miller - Yes that Roger Miller. Based on Mark Twain's classic 1884 novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, it features country and bluegrass music styles to keep with the rustic and adventurous setting of the novel.

Adapted for family audiences from the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, BIG RIVER: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn tells the story of Huck and his friend Jim, a slave, as they travel along the mighty Mississippi River. Huck tries to help Jim escape to freedom and reunite with his family.

Take a dollop of Grease, mix in some Pump Boys and Dinettes and add a generous dose of Forever Plaid, and you've got the high-octane fun of Route 66! Roger Bean's Route 66 is a jukebox comedy about a gang of rowdy Chicago service station attendants who take an imaginary road-trip from Chicago to L.A. singing tunes by Willie Nelson, Woody Guthrie, Roger Miller and The Beach Boys, just to name a few. They sing, they dance, and they 'act up' in this fast-paced, dynamic show for the entire family.

Adapted for family audiences from the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, BIG RIVER: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn tells the story of Huck and his friend Jim, a slave, as they travel along the mighty Mississippi River. Huck tries to help Jim escape to freedom and reunite with his family.

The 1985 Broadway season might have been one of the weakest on record for musicals; in fact, only three shows were nominated for Best Musical at the Tony Awards that year. We had an Ellie Greenwich jukebox musical (Leader of the Pack), one of Harold Prince's big budget disasters (Grind), and a musical based on Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Big River). Needless to say, at least in my opinion, Big River won the Tony Award for Best Musical and several other awards in part due to a lack of competition. Despite some catchy songs by Roger “King of the Road” Miller the show suffered, in my opinion anyhow, from there simply being too much of it. William Hauptman's book tried to focus on multiple stories as opposed to having Huck and his relationship with runaway slave Jim be the true heart.

Adventure Theatre MTC (ATMTC), after an extensive search for the most talented young actors in 5 counties across Washington, DC, announces the diverse cast of Huckleberry Finn's Big River. Huckleberry Finn's Big River is a revised version of the Tony Award winning musical Big River. With the support of over 100 consensus organizers (individuals and organizations serving the black community), this version, revised by the original Tony-Award Winning playwright William Hauptman, removes offensive language and expands the role of Jim, now the same age as Huckleberry, while capitalizing on the original music and lyrics by Roger Miller, winner of 11 Grammy Awards.

The Country Music Association presented industry honors at the 2018 CMA Touring Awards last night at Marathon Music Works in Nashville, recognizing Country Music's top touring professionals. Hosted by Jerrod Niemann, the event celebrated 16 industry professionals, including Louis Messina, CEO of Messina Touring Group, who was honored with the CMA Touring Lifetime Achievement Award.

January, 2019 is a big month for Jennifer as the Rent: Live performance is January 27th on Fox and the BroadwayHD streaming of 'A Night with Janis Joplin' began January 19th where Jennifer performs as the 'Blues Singer.'

Adventure Theatre MTC (ATMTC), recent recipient of a Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Play or Musical Adaptation, takes a mighty leap down the Mississippi River with Huckleberry Finn's Big River, revised from Tony Award winning musical Big River, adapted from the classic Mark Twain book. With the support of over 100 consensus organizers (individuals and organizations serving the black community), this revision uses the original music and lyrics by Roger Miller with new arrangements and orchestrations by William Yanesh. Additionally, this revision, expands the role of Jim, now the same age as Huckleberry, and removes offensive language.

With a lift-off from Columbus, Ohio, The Shazzbots, a triple Emmy Award-winning kindie band, powered by their intergalactic rock 'n roll persona and carrying a payload of irresistible, surefire, supersonic hits, proudly announce the March 1, 2019 launch of their much-anticipated third album, LIGHTSPEED!

The Country Music Association will honor the Messina Touring Group's CEO Louis Messina with this year's CMA Touring Lifetime Achievement Award. Messina received the news personally from Country legend George Strait, who made a surprise phone call last Friday morning. Final voting for the CMA Touring Awards, which highlight vital behind-the-scenes members of the touring industry, closes Thursday, Dec. 13. The CMA Touring Awards will take place Monday, Jan. 28 at Nashville's Marathon Music Works. Jerrod Niemann will return to host the ceremony.

Amazon Music continues to spread holiday cheer with a collection of brand-new Amazon Original songs for the holiday season. Available only on Amazon Music, listeners can find new songs from an array of artists across various genres, from alternative band 10 Years, to country and soul with Southern-soul octet St. Paul & The Broken Bones, roots multi-instrumentalist Molly Tuttle, country singer and former Amazon Music Weekly One Abby Anderson, contemporary singer and songwriter Lauren Daigle, and classic country singer/songwriter Joshua Hedley. Additionally, new festive tracks from GRAMMY-nominated R&B/Hip-Hop artist Aloe Blacc and genre-bending 'TrapHouseJazz' entertainer Masego are now available. Listeners can also continue to stream Katy Perry's brand-new Amazon Original holiday track, “Cozy Little Christmas,” already one of the most popular songs since its premiere two weeks ago. 

Colter Wall's highly anticipated new album, Songs of the Plains, is now streaming in full at Vice's Noisey. Listen/share HERE. Of the album, Noisey praises, “…Songs of the Plains is a heartbroken triumph, a statement suggesting that all that's missing is perhaps not forever lost. It's a healthy reminder, because it sure is nice to close your eyes and feel the tall grass of the plains beneath your feet, even if it's just for eleven songs.” Out this Friday, October 12, on Young Mary's Record Co. via Thirty Tigers, Songs of the Plains is now available for pre-order.

Colter Wall's THINKIN ON A WOMAN Premieres Today

Berkshire Theatre Group welcomes The Glen Campbell Xperience, celebrating the life and work of country music legend, Glen Campbell, at The Colonial Theatre on Friday, October 12 at 8pm. Tickets are $25. To honor the life and legacy of Glen Campbell, a portion of the ticket proceeds will benefit the Alzheimer's Foundation.

Adventure Theatre MTC (ATMTC), celebrating the glorious richness of our world by cultivating Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity, seeks eight middle and high school students aged (11 - 18) for the roles of Huckleberry Finn, Jim, Mary Jane, and Alice in Huckleberry Finn's Big River, a world premiere Theatre For Young Audiences co-production with The Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma. In association with Rogers and Hammerstein Theatricals and First Stage, Milwaukee, Huckleberry Finn's Big River is based on the Tony Award Winning musical, Big River by William Hauptman and music and lyrics by Roger Miller. ATMTC will conduct auditions September 24- October 2, 2018, in Washington, DC, Montgomery County, Fairfax County, Prince George's County, and Frederick County. All interested teens should register for an audition timeslot at www.adventuretheatre-mtc.org. All actors will receive compensation for his or her role.

Anyone who has heard Janis Joplin knows her immediately - the give-all intensity, the great songs, and that rawly emotive voice. A Night With Janis Joplin presents an imagined concert, held a week before her untimely death, with the legendary performer joined by some of her most significant influences - from Aretha Franklin to Nina Simone to Bessie Smith to Odetta. "Exhilarating…Remarkable…A joyful ruckus" (Washington Post).