Tori Leiber

Twenty five vocalists will perform and compete in the Annual Shana Farr Cabaret Competition to be held on Sunday, May 3rd on an outdoor stage at Broadway and 93rd Street.

Tajikistan will soon have a national theater. President Emomali Rahmon's office has announced its intent to build the largest theater in central Asia. This project is expected to cost around $100 million, a large expense for the poorest country of the former Soviet Union.

Three Cat Productions presents the world premiere production of the CHICAGO IS! A HOMETOWN MUSICAL REVIEW at the Chicago Park District's Berger Park Coach House Theater at 6205 N. Sheridan Road (Edgewater by Granville el stop on Red Line).

Selected from almost 300 submissions, the three new musicals that will be developed at the 2015 National Theater Music Conference have been anounced. The conference will hold public staged readings June 28-29 and July 2 and 4.

The Menier Chocolate Factory has announced the UK premiere of WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT? BACHARACH REIMAGINED. Burt Bacharach's celebrated songbook is given an exciting new interpretation with Kyle Riabko's thrillingly original musical arrangement.

Rollie Tussing returns to The Mix Studio Theater with Connor Dodson and Todd Albright on April 11 at 8pm, to play and sing and have a generally great time. The Mix is at 8 N. Washington Street, Ypsilanti, MI 48197. All seats are $10, available at www.emergentarts.com.

As part of its 2014-2015 Performing Arts Season, Japan Society presents Yokohama Rosa, the second theater production within the Society-wide series Stories from the War, marking the 70th Anniversary of the end of WWII. This represents the North American premiere of this one-woman play conceived by and featuring legendary actress Michiko Godai, which is performed annually in Yokohama on the anniversary of the end of WWII in Japan. Yokohama Rosa is written by the late Giho Sugiyama (1932-2004) and directed by Ichiro Onishi. This production plays two performances only at Japan Society (333 East 47th Street): Saturday, April 25 at 7:30pm and Sunday, April 26 at 2:30pm.

The national tour of the new musical comedy BULLETS OVER BROADWAY, written by Woody Allen and based on the screenplay by Allen and Douglas McGrath for the 1994 film, will launch in Cleveland, OH at Playhouse Square with performances beginning October 6, 2015.

According to The Stranger, Dwayne Clark, a first-time playwright, had a sold-out opening at the premiere of his play SEVEN WAYS TO GET THERE last weekend. The play about Clark's personal experiences with group therapy, was cowritten by Bryan Willis and directed by John Langs.

At last night's 87th Academy Awards, Lady Gaga stole the show with an impressive performance honoring the 50th anniversary of THE SOUND OF MUSIC. She sang a medley of songs from the movie including 'The Sound of Music,' 'My Favorite Things,' 'Edelweiss' and 'Climb Ev'ry Mountain' and received a standing ovation.

Ali MacGraw and Ryan O'Neal will star in the upcoming national tour of LOVE LETTERS, celebrated playwright A.R. Gurney's enduring romance about first loves and second chances. Following a critically-acclaimed Broadway run, the national tour of Gregory Mosher's production will launch in Summer 2015, visiting Los Angeles, Detroit, Boston, Dallas, Baltimore and others to be announced. Full list of cities, dates and ticket on-sale information will be announced at a later time.

Internationally acclaimed director, Trevor Nunn will direct drama school students in a production of TWO GENTLEMAN OF VERONA. The play will open at The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation Theatre on April 30 and run until May 12.

On February 16, Manhattan Concert Productions brought the Drama Desk and Tony Award-winning score of PARADE back to Lincoln Center. PARADE was brought to life for one night only at Avery Fisher Hall. Three-time Tony Award winner and original composer Jason Robert Brown conducted a star-studded cast and full chorus, joined by Olivier Award nominee Gary Griffin as director, and Tom Murray as music supervisor.

Christian Campbell and America Olivio, stars of stage and screen, teamed up with the Broadway Dreams Foundation and Grace Winery for an East vs. West Coast wine-video challenge. The result is a hilarious Great Gatsby-inspired video series entitled The Great Grapesta.

Michael M. Kaiser, founder and chairman of the DeVos Institute of Arts Management at the University of Maryland, is the author of 'Curtains?: The Future of the Arts in America,' published by Brandeis University Press.

According to The Moscow Times, Vladimir Zeldin, the world's oldest stage actor at 100 years old, celebrated his centenary Tuesday at the Russian Army Theater with a special gala performance.

Glamorous names and faces will walk a short red carpet to take the stage at the 5th Annual Joey Awards Ceremony on March 8th, 8pm at the Laurie Beechman Theater.

As BroadwayWorld reported last week, Brandy Clark along with Grammy Award-winner Shane McAnally have written the score for the highly anticipated new musical Moonshine: That Hee Haw Musical. Lovingly (and loosely) inspired by the classic TV series, it will get its eagerly awaited World Premiere this fall at Dallas Theater Center. Below, watch as Clark performs 'Hold My Hand' with Dwight Yoakam from last night's 57th Annual Grammy Awards!

What do a Broadway-or-bust diva, an avant-garde performance artist, a dancer starting too late, and a hapless jack of all trades have in common? Find out in the new webseries, This Is Art, a satirical love letter to the postgraduate misadventures of undiscovered artists living in NYC.

Producers of the anticipated new Broadway musical Finding Neverland just announced the opening of the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre box office (205 West 46th Street) today, February 9 at 10am. For tickets and more information, please visit www.FindingNeverlandTheMusical.com.