Sting News

Gary Naylor enjoys an old-fashioned horror story for Hallowe'en

The 1st Annual Bob Stewart Tuba Competition, created by The Duke Ellington Center for the Arts, will be held today, October 20, 2012 from 12 Noon to 5 PM as part of The 37th Annual 52nd Street Duke Ellington Jazz Festival. The competition has been created to provide enhanced exposure to the many dynamic tuba players who perform in improvisational music ensembles in and around the New York area. The five groups chosen for the competition perform in a wide range of genres from traditional and contemporary Jazz to Blues, hip-hop, funk rock and world music.

Following critically acclaimed engagements in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States, DREAMWORKS' HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON LIVE SPECTACULAR continues to wow audiences across the US, setting a new standard for live entertainment.

BROOKLYN CASTLE tells the stories of five members of the chess team at a below-the-poverty-line inner city junior high school that has won more national championships than any other in the country.

Beginning this month, the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) will celebrate the iconic work and enduring legacy of composer Kurt Weill with an unprecedented series of events. Opening on Friday, Oct. 19, and running through Tuesday, March 12, CCM's Kurt Weill Festival will incorporate the renowned theatre composer into a broad range of both public performances and classroom exercises.

Katy Perry and Jodi DiPiazza sang 'Firework' at the Beacon Theater in New York as part of NIGHT OF TOO MANY STARS: America Comes Together for Autism Programs. Hosted by Jon Stewart, the program will raise money for autism programs, schools, and services all over the country. Tune-in for the world premiere on Sunday, October 21 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on Comedy Central and get a sneak peek at Perry's special performance below!

Today we are talking to one of Broadway's biggest homegrown stars who has appeared in the original New York productions of many memorable modern-day classics, among them THE WHO'S TOMMY, AIDA, THE LAST FIVE YEARS and DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS, in additions to highly-regarded turns in the first replacement cast of RENT, the Tommy Tune/Jeff Calhoun revival of GREASE, the Off-Broadway curiosity DEBBIE DOES DALLAS, the first (and only) LA mounting of Randy Newman's FAUST, as well as her starring role in the recent Lincoln Center Theater's production of WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN, and, of course, her own rapturously-received, award-winning solo showpiece, EVERYDAY RAPTURE - the convivially mesmerizing, one-of-a-kind Sherie Rene Scott. Discussing the major transitions in her life, including her transformation from ingenue to leading lady to solo performer, Scott illustrates a unique and varied career as well as opens up about the themes, songs, stories, experiences and encounters that formed the basis for her new solo piece premiering at 54 Below this week, PIECE OF MEAT. Additionally, Scott touches upon her work as the co-owner of the revolutionary Sh-K-Boom Records with her husband, Kurt Deutsch, as well as her own album work over the years, in addition to stories related to the recording of many of their most celebrated titles and the composers whose work is prominently featured on their releases - Tom Kitt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Michael John LaChiusa and many more included. All of that, plus Mennonites, music and meat - and much, much more!

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler auction off the chance to be best friends with them for the night at the Comedy Central charity special, 'Night Of Too Many Stars: America Comes Together For Autism Programs.' Check it out below!

A star-studded line-up of performers will join host Jon Stewart during COMEDY CENTRAL's biennial autism benefit, 'Night of Too Many Stars: America Comes Together for Autism Programs' (#2ManyStars). This year's charity special features taped segments from the Beacon Theatre in New York City, including a helium debate between Chris Matthews and Bill O'Reilly, surprise appearances from Sting, Louis CK and Ben Stiller and the inspiring and moving duet of 'Firework' between Katy Perry and 11-year old Jodi DiPiazza . The show will also include additional live wrap-arounds hosted by Stewart from 'The Daily Show' studio, including a celebrity phone bank, which allows viewers to call in during the show to donate while speaking and, for the first time, video chatting with additional comedic heavyweights. 'Night of Too Many Stars: America Comes Together for Autism Programs' premieres on COMEDY CENTRAL on Sunday, October 21 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, NJ presented a tribute to A Chorus Line composer Marvin Hamlisch at the official opening of the show on Sunday, October 7th 2012. Kelly Bishop joined director Mitzi Hamilton and over 50 of A Chorus Line cast members from Broadway. Directly following the curtain call, A Chorus Line Broadway alumni joined the Paper Mill Playhouse cast on stage as they reprised a section of the 'Finale' in tribute to Mr. Hamlisch. Watch the full event below!

Buddy Guy and Jonny Lang will perform at the Fox Theatre on Wednesday, February 27 at 8 p.m.

Robert Redford , renowned actor, film director, environmentalist, and founder of the Sundance Film Festival, will join the 2012 Houston Cinema Arts Festival (HCAF) to participate in a 90-minute conversation at Sundance Cinemas Houston on two facets of his multi-faceted career -- his creative work as film director and as Founder and President of the Sundance Institute.

Z2 Entertainment will present The Wailers perform "Survival" at the Fox Theatre on Friday, December 28th. Tickets go on sale Friday, October 19th for $26.00 in advance and $28.00 day of show.

Simply to recite a list of the recently deceased Marvin Hamlisch's awards--three Oscars in 1973 for The Way We Were and The Sting; a Tony and Pulitzer Prize for A Chorus Line; three Emmys, two Golden Globes, four ASCAP awards, and a Grammy is enough the inspire awe. But as host Bruce Kimmel reminds us during the fabulous 26th Kritzerland Show at Sterling's Upstairs at the Federal in NoHo on October 7, he had his share of flops too like The Goodbye Girl, or Jean Seberg. But even a flop show can have some beautiful songs in it, and Kimmel includes a number of these among the twenty selections offered.

BROOKLYN CASTLE tells the stories of five members of the chess team at a below-the-poverty-line inner city junior high school that has won more national championships than any other in the country.

Tony Bennett and his wife Susan Benedetto, hosted a gala event for Exploring the Arts tonight which raised over $1.2M for arts education in NYC public high schools. 17-time Grammy winner Sting opened the evening with a performance followed by gala host Katie Couric, who conducted an on stage interview with students supported by Exploring the Arts programs. The evening was capped by a performance by 17-time Grammy winner Tony Bennett.

Tonight in New York, British music entrepreneur Simon Fuller was honoured in front of an audience of 5,000 music fans at the historic Radio City Music Hall at a star-studded benefit concert to mark the 25th year of the Children's Health Fund. At the concert, Simon Fuller, the CEO of XIX Entertainment and creator of 'American Idol', received the Founders' Award to acknowledge his role as Creator and Executive Producer of 'Idol Gives Back', a record-breaking TV telethon that has raised $185 million for good causes since 2007.

Last week The Star leaked news that David Mirvish woudl be demolishing The Princess of Wales to build condominiums with architect Frank Gehry. The theatre community was stunned, and many people are left wondering what this means for Toronto. Perhaps the real reason we should be angry however, is not because we're losing a theatre, but rather because of what this decision says about our commercial theatre industry as a whole. Toronto deserves better, and we have to choose not to settle for anything less than the very best.

The 1st Annual Bob Stewart Tuba Competition, created by The Duke Ellington Center for the Arts, will be held on Saturday, October 20, 2012 from 12 Noon to 5 PM as part of The 37th Annual 52nd Street Duke Ellington Jazz Festival. The competition has been created to provide enhanced exposure to the many dynamic tuba players who perform in improvisational music ensembles in and around the New York area. The five groups chosen for the competition perform in a wide range of genres from traditional and contemporary Jazz to Blues, hip-hop, funk rock and world music.

For four and a half decades, the music of Inti-Illimani has intoxicated audiences around the world. Performing on more than 30 wind, string and percussion instruments, they are a veritable institution, a cultural icon of their native Chile. With over 40 recordings to their name, Inti-Illimani has appeared on stage with Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Peter Gabriel, Tracey Chapman, Youssou'n'Dour, Mercedes Sosa, Wynton Marsalis, and others.