Francis Scott News

Come enjoy a fun afternoon of 10-minute plays, all set in one of Baltimore's historic harbors. Performed as staged-readings, the pieces cover everything from Francis Scott Key to William Donald Schaefer. This is the third collection of Baltimore-themed plays developed by this local group of award-winning playwrights.

The Library of Congress is preparing for the 2013 National Book Festival on the National Mall in Washington D.C., this weekend, Sept 21-22. This annual celebration of American literature and culture is expected to draw tens of thousands of visitors per day from across the capital region and beyond, boasting an attendance record of over 200,000 in 2011. The number of authors, illustrators, and poets as presenters has doubled since that time to over 100.

The Library of Congress is preparing for the 2013 National Book Festival on the National Mall in Washington D.C., Sept 21-22. This annual celebration of American literature and culture is expected to draw tens of thousands of visitors per day from across the capital region and beyond, boasting an attendance record of over 200,000 in 2011. The number of authors, illustrators, and poets as presenters has doubled since that time to over 100.

This summer, the Utah Symphony will present four programs to the public in its Summer Community Concert Series. Each concert will be held in a beautiful venue in northern Utah: Sundance Resort in Sundance, Thanksgiving Point at the Waterfall in Lehi, Browning Fine Arts Center at Weber State University and Snowbasin Resort in Huntsville.

This summer, the Utah Symphony will present four programs to the public in its Summer Community Concert Series. Each concert will be held in a beautiful venue in northern Utah: Sundance Resort in Sundance, Thanksgiving Point at the Waterfall in Lehi, Browning Fine Arts Center at Weber State University and Snowbasin Resort in Huntsville.

America's history will come to life in Baltimore this summer with three historic commemorations marking important moments in the creation of our nation's identity: the Bicentennial of the War of 1812 and birth of 'The Star-Spangled Banner,' a tribute to Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad, and the continuation of the 150 th anniversary of the Civil War.

On last night's THE COLBERT REPORT on Comedy Central, host Stephen Colbert tackled the brewing controversy over Beyonce's 'Lip-Gate.' Check it out below!

The hilarious holiday musical sequel to the record-breaking FOREVER PLAID, PLAID TIDINGS, entertains Theatre at the Center audiences November 15 through December 23 at 1040 Ridge Road, Munster. Theatre at the Center Artistic Director William Pullinsi will direct the production starring Rod Thomas as "Francis", Scott Stratton as "Smudge", Frank J. Paul as "Jinx" and Jonathan Wagner as "Sparky". CBS Chicago's own Bill Kurtis also lends his celebrity voice for a special part in the production. Check out highlights of the show below.

The hilarious holiday musical sequel to the record-breaking FOREVER PLAID, PLAID TIDINGS, entertains Theatre at the Center audiences November 15 through December 23 at 1040 Ridge Road, Munster. The press performance will be November 18 at 7 p.m. Stuffed with such "Plaid-erized" Christmas standards as "Mr. Santa," "Let It Snow" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," PLAID TIDINGS is one holiday treat that is truly heaven-sent. Theatre at the Center Artistic Director William Pullinsi will direct the production starring Rod Thomas as "Francis", Scott Stratton as "Smudge", Frank J. Paul as "Jinx" and Jonathan Wagner as "Sparky". CBS Chicago's own Bill Kurtis also lends his celebrity voice for a special part in the production.

The hilarious holiday musical sequel to the record-breaking FOREVER PLAID, PLAID TIDINGS, will play for Theatre at the Center audiences tonight, November 15 through December 23 at 1040 Ridge Road, Munster. The press performance will be November 18 at 7 p.m. Stuffed with such "Plaid-erized" Christmas standards as "Mr. Santa," "Let It Snow" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," PLAID TIDINGS is described as 'one holiday treat that is truly heaven-sent.' Theatre at the Center Artistic Director William Pullinsi will direct the production starring Rod Thomas as "Francis", Scott Stratton as "Smudge", Frank J. Paul as "Jinx" and Jonathan Wagner as "Sparky". CBS Chicago's own Bill Kurtis also lends his celebrity voice for a special part in the production.

Thanks to the exquisitely crafted and wonderfully creative Outside Paradise, a new play written by Bill Feehely and given an opulent world premiere production from Actors Bridge Ensemble, the story of these two tragic figures is brought to life onstage.

Baltimore Choral Arts salutes the 1812 Anniversary and our national anthem, and presents the Baltimore premiere of Ysaye Barnwell's Fortune's Bones: The Manumission Requiem, tonight, November 3, at 8 pm in Goucher College's Kraushaar Auditorium.

On Sunday, November 4 at 2pm, the Maryland Historical Society (MdHS) will host an 1812 Fashion Show. 'This is a new way of looking at history,' says emcee Vince Vaise, Chief of Interpretation with the National Park Service at Fort McHenry. 'Fashion puts an emphasis not on dates and objects, but rather, on people.'

The hilarious holiday musical sequel to the record-breaking FOREVER PLAID, PLAID TIDINGS, entertains Theatre at the Center audiences November 15 through December 23 at 1040 Ridge Road, Munster. The press performance will be November 18 at 7 p.m. Stuffed with such "Plaid-erized" Christmas standards as "Mr. Santa," "Let It Snow" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," PLAID TIDINGS is one holiday treat that is truly heaven-sent. Theatre at the Center Artistic Director William Pullinsi will direct the production starring Rod Thomas as "Francis", Scott Stratton as "Smudge", Frank J. Paul as "Jinx" and Jonathan Wagner as "Sparky". CBS Chicago's own Bill Kurtis also lends his celebrity voice for a special part in the production.

The hilarious holiday musical sequel to the record-breaking FOREVER PLAID, PLAID TIDINGS, will play for Theatre at the Center audiences November 15 through December 23 at 1040 Ridge Road, Munster. The press performance will be November 18 at 7 p.m. Stuffed with such "Plaid-erized" Christmas standards as "Mr. Santa," "Let It Snow" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," PLAID TIDINGS is described as 'one holiday treat that is truly heaven-sent.' Theatre at the Center Artistic Director William Pullinsi will direct the production starring Rod Thomas as "Francis", Scott Stratton as "Smudge", Frank J. Paul as "Jinx" and Jonathan Wagner as "Sparky". CBS Chicago's own Bill Kurtis also lends his celebrity voice for a special part in the production.

Baltimore Choral Arts salutes the 1812 Anniversary and our national anthem, and presents the Baltimore premiere of Ysaye Barnwell's Fortune's Bones: The Manumission Requiem, on Saturday, November 3, at 8 pm in Goucher College's Kraushaar Auditorium.

President Obama issued a proclamation today making this month, October 2012, National Arts and Humanities Month. Read it below!

A key moment in American history is coming to life in Detroit next week. The U.S. Navy, Marines and Coast Guards are joining with civilian groups to commemorate the Bicentennial of the War of 1812 in a series of special events in Detroit September 4-10, 2012. The War of 1812 set into motion forces that made the United States a global maritime superpower, and also inspired Francis Scott Key to pen the U.S. national anthem, "The Star Spangled Banner."

Hello, everybody. Please have a seat. Welcome to the White House. I am going to be brief, because on a night like tonight my job is to get out of the way and let the professionals do their job.

A unique album featuring great poems recited by great voices-- from Jim Broadbent, Helena Bonham Carter, Ruby Dee, and Amber Rose Johnson to James Earl Jones , Garrison Keillor, Terence Stamp and Meryl Streep--and set to classical music arrives just in time for April's National Poetry Month. Words For You (Mighty Village/Universal/UMe), released April 12, 2011, brings together the emotional words of the likes of Shakespeare, Walt Whitman, Edgar Allen Poe and Maya Angelou with the powerful music of classical giants such as Chopin, Debussy, Grieg and Mahler as well as others.