A New York City police sergeant tries to intentionally lose some money by backing a Broadway show, The Rhinestone Girl, that is sure to fail. When it becomes a hit, an investigation into police corruption is launched. The police sergeant’s wife saves the day by donating the profits from the show to the city’s depleated treasury.
International opera sensation Danielle de Niese is taking on a new role today, becoming an 'IRC Voice' to help the International Rescue Committee raise awareness of the needs of refugees and people who have been displaced by conflict, religious persecution or political oppression around the world. Danielle is the latest talent to become an 'IRC Voice,' joining a group of young, prominent artists including Morena Baccarin, Rashida Jones, John Legend, and Piper Perabo, who have all committed to do their part to speak up on behalf of some of the world's most vulnerable.
The 18th Long Island Al Jolson Festival coming up on August 16 is a whole-day affair featuring film presentations, lectures, memorabilia displays and sales, and a performance--'The Heart of Al Jolson'--by singer and Staten Island native Tony Babino (photo below), who can sing Jolson songs like, well, you ain't heard nothin' yet. The other day, like clockwork, I received my yearly invitation to attend from Oceanside, LI resident Jan Hernstat, who for the past 10 years has been the President of the 62-year-old International Al Jolson Society (which was formed in early 1950, a few months before Jolson died), an organization with a worldwide membership hovering around 1,000. I am proud to say that for 30 years, I've been one of them. I'm even prouder to say that I've been an Al Jolson fanatic for much longer. Here's my story about how it happened.
The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) has announced the full lineup of productions, concerts, readings and special events for its 11th annual festival. This year's Festival will begin July 7th and continue through July 27th.
Mesa Arts Center today announced its 2014-2015 Performing Live Season, which begins with Lyle Lovett & His Large Band on July 24, and includes performances with Tony Bennett, MythBusters, Bill Cosby, Joshua Bell, Evil Dead the Musical, Molly Ringwald, and many more. The shows unveiled today are in addition to the six series packages announced on May 1, including Broadway on Center, Classical, Dance, Jazz, National Geographic Live, and Spoken World.
Now through June 1, 2014 Houston Ballet offers up a mixed repertory program showcasing works by three of the twentieth century's greatest choreographers entitled Modern Masters. The program features the company premiere of Jir?i? Kylia?n's comic and delightful Sechs Ta?nze (Six Dances), along with revivals of his playful and sexy work Petite Mort, William Forsythe's explosive In the middle, somewhat elevated and George Balanchine's complex and inventive The Four Temperaments. Houston Ballet will give six performances of the program in the Brown Theater at Wortham Theater Center.
From today, May 22 - June 1, 2014, Houston Ballet offers up a mixed repertory program showcasing works by three of the twentieth century's greatest choreographers entitled Modern Masters.
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.
From May 22 - June 1, 2014 Houston Ballet offers up a mixed repertory program showcasing works by three of the twentieth century's greatest choreographers entitled Modern Masters. The program features the company premiere of Jir?i? Kylia?n's comic and delightful Sechs Ta?nze (Six Dances), along with revivals of his playful and sexy work Petite Mort, William Forsythe's explosive In the middle, somewhat elevated and George Balanchine's complex and inventive The Four Temperaments. Houston Ballet will give six performances of the program in the Brown Theater at Wortham Theater Center. Tickets start at $19, and may be purchased at www.houstonballet.org or by calling Houston Ballet box office at 713-227-2787, or 1-800-828-2787.
From May 22 - June 1, 2014, Houston Ballet offers up a mixed repertory program showcasing works by three of the twentieth century's greatest choreographers entitled Modern Masters. The program features the company premiere of Ji?i Kylian's comic and delightful Sechs Tanze (Six Dances), along with revivals of his playful and sexy work Petite Mort, William Forsythe's explosive In the middle, somewhat elevated and George Balanchine's complex and inventive The Four Temperaments. Houston Ballet will give six performances of the program in the Brown Theater at Wortham Theater Center. Tickets start at $19, and may be purchased at www.houstonballet.org or by calling Houston Ballet box office at 713-227-2787, or1-800-828-2787.
The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts presents The Trumpet of the Swan, A Novel Symphony for Actors and Orchestra, adapted by Pulitzer Prize-winner Marsha Norman from E.B. White's timeless children's novel, with music by Tony Award-winning composer, Jason Robert Brown. Norman and Brown are also currently represented on Broadway with the new musical adaptation of The Bridges of Madison County.
The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts presents The Trumpet of the Swan, A Novel Symphony for Actors and Orchestra, adapted by Marsha Norman from E.B. White's timeless children's novel, with music by composer, Jason Robert Brown. Norman and Brown are also currently represented on Broadway with the new musical adaptation of The Bridges of Madison County. The Trumpet of the Swan, part of the Jack Elliott Family Concert Series, runs for a limited engagement, this weekend, May 2 - 4, 2014 at the Bram Goldsmith Theater.
The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts presents The Trumpet of the Swan, A Novel Symphony for Actors and Orchestra, adapted by Pulitzer Prize-winner Marsha Norman from E.B. White's timeless children's novel, with music by Tony Award-winning composer, Jason Robert Brown. Norman and Brown are also currently represented on Broadway with the new musical adaptation of The Bridges of Madison County.
The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts presents the West Coast premiere of A Coffin in Egypt, a new chamber opera in one act, based on the play, A Coffin in Egypt by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Horton Foote, for three performances only tonight, April 23 and April 25 and 27 in the Bram Goldsmith Theater.
The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts presents The Trumpet of the Swan, A Novel Symphony for Actors and Orchestra, adapted by Marsha Norman from E.B. White's timeless children's novel, with music by composer, Jason Robert Brown. Norman and Brown are also currently represented on Broadway with the new musical adaptation of The Bridges of Madison County. The Trumpet of the Swan, part of the Jack Elliott Family Concert Series, runs for a limited engagement, May 2 - 4, 2014 at the Bram Goldsmith Theater.
Musicals Tonight will present (at The Lion Theatre) Carnival!, The Girl Who Came to Supper, Whoopee, Hazel Flagg and Pardon My English in its 2014-2015 season. Details below!
Performance-only tickets are now on sale to the general public for ACT TWO: A SWELL PARTY WITH MOSS HART AND FRIENDS, An Evening of Songs Sketches, Scenes and More Celebrating the Genius of Moss Hart, Monday April 21 at 8pm at the Vivian Beaumont Theater (150 West 65 Street). Performers scheduled to appear in the entertainment, which will serve as the centerpiece of Lincoln Center Theater's Annual Benefit and which will be directed by Bartlett Sher, are Victoria Clark, Stephen Colbert, David Garrison, Malcolm Gets, Renee Elise Goldsberry, Byron Jennings, Kelli O'Hara, Steven Pasquale, and Lewis J. Stadlen.
The 2014 Tribeca Film Festival (TFF), presented by AT&T, today announced the addition of two feature films, both music documentaries, to its special screenings program
The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts presents the West Coast premiere of A Coffin in Egypt, a new chamber opera in one act, based on the play, A Coffin in Egypt by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Horton Foote, for three performances only April 23, 25 and 27 in the Bram Goldsmith Theater. A Coffin in Egypt stars mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade, one of opera's most beloved figures, whose formidable bravura has won her wide acclaim. Ricky Ian Gordon, the composer, has also composed The Grapes of Wrath, Rappahannock County, and Orpheus and Euridice. Leonard Foglia, librettist and director, directed Master Class on Broadway and Jake Heggie's Opera Last Acts.
Primavera has announced full casting for Jean-Jacques Bernard's seminal 1922 play Martine, which opens on Tuesday, 22 April 2014 for a four-week season. Award-winning film and television star Hannah Murray plays Martine, supported by the iconic Susan Penhaligon as Madame Mervan, Leila Crerar as Jeanne, Chris Porter as Alfred, and Barnaby Sax as Julien.
Spinning Tree Theatre in Kansas City announced their selections for the 2014-2015 season. The new season sees Spinning Tree grow from three shows per season to a fourth show. Two plays and two musicals highlight the season, with three of the productions being Kansas City premieres. The new season marks the first time the theatrical company has produced a local playwright.
Throughout the year Kimmel Center celebrates Philadelphia's diverse artistic traditions. In February, we commemorate Black History Month with a focus on African-American arts and culture through the lenses of musical theater and jazz. This month's highlights include eight performances of Gershwin's Porgy and Bess and three free jazz events.
Following a wildly successful Off Broadway run last Spring, The National Yiddish Theatre - Folksbiene's critically-acclaimed musical production 'The Megile of Itzik Manger' will return to Baruch Performing Arts Center for a two week limited engagement, March 2 - 16.
Throughout the year Kimmel Center celebrates Philadelphia's diverse artistic traditions. In February, we commemorate Black History Month with a focus on African-American arts and culture through the lenses of musical theater and jazz. This month's highlights include eight performances of Gershwin's Porgy and Bess and three free jazz events.
Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal (Louis Robitaille, Artistic Director) will perform at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in the Bram Goldsmith Theater tonight and tomorrow, January 10 and 11, 2014.
Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal (Louis Robitaille, Artistic Director) will perform at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in the Bram Goldsmith Theater on January 10 and 11, 2014.
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