Sting News

I was just a little more than a year into my new side career as a cabaret show reviewer when I first saw a Karen Oberlin show. It was Valentine's Day night 2012 and Oberlin—with guitarist Sean Harkness and guest violinist Aaron Weinstein—would be performing her romance-laced set, Stringing Along With Love, at the Metropolitan Room. At the time, all I knew about Oberlin was that she was considered among New York's best female cabaret singers, and I hadn't researched her performing history pre-show. About a third of the way into her set I leaned over to my wife (it was Valentine's Day after all) and whispered, “You know, she has a real Doris Day quality in her voice and in the way she delivers some lyrics.” This immediately ratcheted up my appreciation for Oberlin since there are four passions I inherited from my Dad—baseball, reading the morning papers, sports writing and Doris Day (well, also Sophia Loren, but that's for another column). Since Dad had grown up during the prime of the Big Band Era of the 1940s, I heard the sultry sounds of a young Doris Day singing songs like “Sentimental Journey” on the family stereo more than a few times. Once I saw Day's strikingly adorable blondness on a record cover and her rocking body in one of her films, I knew what Dad was talking about. As popular, famous, and near iconic as Doris Day became, in my book, as a singer and screen beauty she's always been vastly underrated. Little did I know that Karen Oberlin had been doing a Doris Day tribute show so since 2001 at places like Firebird, Iridium, and the late Danny's Skylight Room, and produced a CD, Secret Love: The Music of Doris Day, in 2002. Karen Oberlin had instantly become my secret love.

On Site Opera, which has garnered acclaim for immersive, site-specific productions, will perform Rameau's one-act Pygmalion in two unusual-and unusually apt-venues this summer, just before the 250th anniversary of the composer's death: Madame Tussauds New York, on June 17, and Lifestyle-Trimco Showroom, on June 20 & 21.

Smuin Ballet closes its 20th Anniversary Season with two World Premieres and a Michael Smuin Classic, touring the Bay Area today, May 2 - June 7, 2014 in the XXcentric Spring Dance Series.

Shining a spotlight on one of the greatest actors alive, today we celebrate the stunning stage and screen career of actor, director and patron of the arts Kevin Spacey.

Last night I had the particular privilege of discussing the intricacies and intrigue of William Shakespeare's legendary history play RICHARD III with one of the greatest actors of our age and a true patron of the arts - two-time Academy Award winner Kevin Spacey. Discussing the finer points of his characterization of the hunchback antihero, Spacey paints a vivid portrait of his experiences in reteaming with his AMERICAN BEAUTY collaborator, director Sam Mendes, on bringing a truly 21st century take on the classic play to the stage - and then bringing the production all the way from the hallowed ground of Spacey's own The Old Vic in London, to the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York City to a whirlwind worldwide tour spanning the globe. NOW, a compelling new documentary following the project from rehearsal through to opening night and ensuing world tour is set to be released next month and is highlighted by the fly-on-the-wall intimacy and access it provides viewers, as well as offering copious performance footage of Spacey and company in action onstage. Additionally, Spacey and I address and analyze the undeniable connections between RICHARD III and his super-successful Netflix dramatic series HOUSE OF CARDS, touching upon not only the dramatic parallels, but the lucky sequence of events that made the entire endeavor possible in the first place. After all, Frank Underwood is the modern Richard III in many ways - bloodlust, ambition, ego, humor and darkness included; but, also, the humanity. Plus, Spacey expresses his enthusiasm for starting work on Season Three of the series now that they have been granted Maryland filming tax breaks once again, which was holding up production until this week. Besides all of that, Spacey also clues us in on his future endeavors of interest, mentioning his spate of recent musical performances and his desire to pursue a musical role once again sometime soon following his acclaimed turn as Bobby Darin in musical biopic BEYOND THE SEA. FOLLIES, perhaps?! A wide-ranging conversation with a stage and screen mega-star like none other awaits in today's special spotlight.

Summer sizzles in primetime with the premiere of the tenth season of Food Network Star, as 12 finalists compete for the coveted title on Sunday, June 1st

Bergen Performing Arts Center located at 30 North Van Brunt Street in Englewood, New Jersey is proud to offer a $15 ticket discount for The Wailers presented by WFUV with special guest Makua Wednesday, May 7th 2014 at 8pm. Offer is valid now through May 6th, 2014 at 11:59pm. Be sure to receive your discount by using promo code WAILERS at www.ticketmaster.com or Box Office at 201.227.1030. Offer good while supplies last. Restrictions apply. Cannot be combined with any other promotional offers. Offer is not retroactive to previously purchased tickets. Offer may be modified and can be revoked at any time. Additional fees and charges apply.

Harvey Fierstein, Best Play for Casa Valentina

Trying to describe the music of Venice, the band created by and consisting of members of the Lennon Sisters family, is a little like trying to describe a perfect sunset or the feeling of first love. It transcends words -- you just know it's great. They will be at The Grove one night only - on May 18th at 6 pm.

We're talking to this year's nominees ALL day from BWW's Tony Awards 'war room' - keep checking back for live updates!

Violinist Jennifer Koh, known for her commanding, laser-focused performances and commitment to new repertoire, plays the New York premiere of Jennifer Higdon's The Singing Rooms, a large scale work for violin, chorus and orchestra with the New York Choral Society and Orchestra conducted by David Hayes at Carnegie Hall's Stern Auditorium tonight, April 29, 2014 at 8:00 p.m.

GRAMMY Award-winning band Kings Of Leon recently announced stops for the third leg of its 2014 MECHANICAL BULL TOUR which includes a stop at the MGM Grand Garden Arena Saturday, Sept. 27.

Siberian-born baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky, one of the world's most magnetic performers, returns to LA Opera on May 22 for a recital with his frequent collaborator, pianist Ivari Ilja.

Siberian-born baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky, one of the world's most magnetic performers, returns to LA Opera on May 22 for a recital with his frequent collaborator, pianist Ivari Ilja.

This weekend, April 25, 26 and 27, one of the contemporary music world's most innovative and exciting figures heads back to Houston. With his uniquely expressive sound and soaring musical imagination, superstar Chris Botti will rejoin the Houston Symphony to perform some of his favorite tunes along with music from his newest CD, Impressions.

On April 23, 2014 Italian rocker Zucchero played to a sold out show at The Theatre at Madison Square Garden. The show also included special guests Sting, Chris Botti, Sam Moore ( of Sam and Dave) Fher (of Mana), Elisa, Jovanotti, Fiorella Mannoia, Andrea Grimmelli and Irene Fornaciari.

It was a little bit country and a little bit rock n' roll as the American Idol Top 6 each performed twice on the Idol stage!

On April 25, 26 and 27, one of the contemporary music world's most innovative and exciting figures heads back to Houston. With his uniquely expressive sound and soaring musical imagination, superstar Chris Botti will rejoin the Houston Symphony to perform some of his favorite tunes along with music from his newest CD, Impressions.

On this week's Top-6 edition of AMERICAN IDOL Season XIII, we were “treated” to not one, but two, songs by each competitor. The theme, “A Little Bit Country, a Little Bit Rock 'n' Roll” gave the contestants an opportunity to channel their inner Donnys and Maries. Speaking of the beloved Osmond sibs, nothing about them screams either Country or Rock 'n Roll to me. But I digress; in most cases tonight, the double your pleasure set-up resulted in an extra helping of awesome, but (as is expected from this season) there was one singer whose combined performances resulted in confusion with a side of frustration.

Tuesday night (April 22, 2014) ABSINTHE's "Green Fairy" Melody Sweets took the stage at Harrah's Las Vegas alongside the cast of the smash-hit musical MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET for a sizzling encore performance of Janis Martin's "My Boy Elvis."