William David News

Grammy Award winning saxophonist David Sanborn returns to the Blue Note with a new quartet in support of his upcoming CD, Only Everything (Jan. 26, Decca), the 25th recording of his career. Only Everything features special guests such as Joss Stone and James Taylor alongside jazz veterans like organist Joey DeFrancesco, who will be featured in Sanborn's band at the Blue Note from Feb. 9 - 14. Says Sanborn of DeFrancesco, "Joey knows how to get that sound that's so soulful and yet still has a jazz feel." Joining Sanborn and DeFrancesco will be keyboardist Ricky Peterson and drummer Gene Lake.

A day-of-performance lottery for a limited number of orchestra seats will be held daily for WICKED, which will be performing from January 27th to February 14th at the Peace Center.

On January 17, Birdland will host Stage and screen star Caroline O'Connor in concert, The Girl From Oz: An Evening With Caroline O'Connor, at 6pm.

The national tour of WICKED is set to land on the Civic Center's Crouse-Hinds Theater's stage for a three week engagement beginning January 13 to 31.

With music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz (Godspell, Pippin, Academy Award-winner for Pocahontas and The Prince of Egypt) and book by Winnie Holzman ('My So Called Life,' 'Once And Again' and 'thirtysomething'), WICKED, the untold story of the witches of Oz, is directed by two-time Tony Award winner Joe Mantello (Take Me Out, Love! Valour! Compassion!, The Vagina Monologues, 9 to 5) and features musical staging by Tony Award winner Wayne Cilento (Aida, The Who's Tommy, How To Succeed...).

The national tour of WICKED is set to land on the Civic Center's Crouse-Hinds Theater's stage for a three week engagement beginning January 13 to 31.

The thrilling new Broadway production of RAGTIME at the Neil Simon Theatre (250 West 52 Street) and officially opens today, Sunday, November 15, 2009.

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes treated daughter Suri Cruise to evening out at the Ahmanson Theatre to see the LA engagement of the beloved stage musical, MARY POPPINS. This is the second time Suri has seen the world's most famous nanny on stage. Katie brought her to see the smash hit Broadway production in August 2008 during NY rehearsals for her own Broadway debut in Arthur Miller's All My Sons.

After breaking box office records and selling out in record time in 2006 and 2007, the smash-hit musical WICKED returns to the David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts (formerly the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center), February 3-28. Tickets are on sale now.

After an extremely popular debut installment of Ragtime Talk Time, the producers of RAGTIME have announced that On Tuesday, January 5th Michael Kaiser, President of The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, will be the guest.

While the women in Nashville theatre might garner more critical attention, showier roles and sparklier costumes, the men, clearly, are no slouches themselves. Capable and committed, the men who assay roles on Nashville stages are a pretty impressive collection of actors who can take on the most traditional of roles one week, while tackling parts that require them to be more experimental and brave the next. In 2009, Nashville's best actors showed their range while strutting themselves in some of the best productions we've seen in years.

With the strains of 'Auld Lang Syne' mere moments away, minds are apt to be caught up in reflection, remembering the year now ending as a new one awaits just over the horizon. Certainly that's what I've been doing lately, looking back over the past year in Nashville theatre as I pencil in dates in my new 2010 (Here's a question to ponder: Is it 'two thousand ten' or 'twenty ten'...think about it and get back to me) calendar for the shows set to open in the months ahead.

One of Cleveland's most popular musicals, WICKED, will return to PlayhouseSquare November 18 - December 13, 2009 as part of the U.S. Bank Star Performance Series at PlayhouseSquare. Tickets for the return engagement go on sale to the public Friday, August 21.

During the week of Thanksgiving, Wicked set the record for the highest grossing week in Broadway history. Last week, it broke its own record when it took in $2.09 million over the Christmas holiday.

A day-of-performance lottery for a limited number of orchestra seats will be held daily for WICKED, which will be performing from January 6 - 24 at Philadelphia's Academy of Music.

After an extremely popular debut installment of Ragtime Talk Time, the producers of RAGTIME have announced additional upcoming talkbacks. On Tuesday, December 22nd Tony Award® winning playwright Terrence McNally and celebrated Director/Choreographer Marcia Milgrom Dodge will be featured. On Tuesday, January 5th Michael Kaiser, President of The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, will be the guest.

      A great way to celebrate the holiday season in Los Angeles is to spend it with Mary and Bert in the magical "Mary Poppins," which will have a special two-week holiday schedule including a 6:30 p.m. performance on New Year's Eve, Thursday, December 31, 2009, and 2 p.m. matinees on Wednesday, December 23, Thursday, December 24 and Wednesday, December 30. There will be no performances on Christmas and New Year's Day.  As one of the musical's beloved songs says, it'll be a "Jolly Holiday" at the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre.

In the sixth week of a thirteen-week premiere engagement at The Ahmanson Theatre, the North American tour of MARY POPPINS has already achieved the milestone of being Los Angeles' highest grossing theatrical event in 2009.

Cast members of Broadway's acclaimed production of 'Ragtime' visited the set of 'Good Morning America', and gave its hosts a quick lesson in dance moves, Ragtime-style.