Bessie Smith

Review: Sultry, Soulful, and Spectacular: BLUES IN THE NIGHT Delivers at Arizona Theatre Company
by Robert Encila-Celdran - Feb 3, 2025

Curated in collaboration with musical director Sy Johnson, acclaimed director Sheldon Epps first staged BLUES IN THE NIGHT in 1980 as a musical revue. The show follows three women and one man, each offering a different take on love and loss. Structured around legendary songs by Bessie Smith, Duke Ellington, Johnny Mercer, et al., it debuted on Broadway in 1982 and earned a Tony Award nomination for Best Musical.

Interview: As Sweet Sue, Tarra Conner Jones knows that SOME LIKE IT HOT at Broadway San Diego
by ErinMarie Reiter - Jan 28, 2025

The new musical “Some Like it Hot’, a new take on the classic movie of the same name, arrives at Broadway San Diego this week in all of its madcap and tap dancing glory.  Tarra Conner Jones plays “Sweet Sue” the loving but no-nonsense lead of an all-girls band who unknowingly has two people in disguise traveling with her as they hide from the mob. Tarra took time between shows to talk about this show and how exciting it is to bring it to San Diego.

BLUES IN THE NIGHT to Open at Arizona Theatre Company in January
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Jan 13, 2025

Arizona Theatre Company will welcome in 2025 with the Tony Award- nominated musical Blues in the Night by Sheldon Epps. Learn more about the production and see how to purchase tickets.

Edward Albee's THE GOAT Reboots The 'From A To Zoo' Staged Reading Series in Teaneck
by Stephi Wild - Jan 6, 2025

In association with The Estate of Edward Albee, Black Box will present a staged reading of Edward Albee's THE GOAT (2002) this month. Learn more about the upcoming performance here!

LES MISERABLES, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, and More Will Come to UK Cinemas This Spring
by Stephi Wild - Jan 6, 2025

The World's Greatest Stage Musicals will return this Spring, arriving in over 500 cinemas nationwide—a must-see for theatre lovers of all kinds. Learn more about the lineup here!

Cast Set for HERO: THE BOY FROM TROY, A NEW MUSICAL ABOUT YOUNG JOHN LEWIS Tour
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Nov 15, 2024

From the same creative team as JABARI DREAMS OF FREEDOM, HERO: THE BOY FROM TROY, book by Nambi E. Kelley with lyrics, composition, and music direction by Joe Plummer, directed by Daniel Carlton, will tour. Learn how to purchase tickets.

Remastered Carpenters Christmas Album Available Now
by Josh Sharpe - Nov 4, 2024

A&M/UMe has released Carpenters’ Christmas Once More, an all-new Christmas collection featuring 16 timeless Carpenters holiday classics personally curated by Richard Carpenter. Listen to it now!

Feature: BroadwayWorld Cabaret Upcoming Show Roundup �" Sept. 16 to Sept. 22, 2024
by Rebecca Kaplan - Sep 16, 2024

Are you trying to plan your entertainment for the week or looking for a fun show to see this weekend? We've got you covered with top picks for jazz, cabaret, comedy, and more! NYC has so many incredible events, but here are a few top picks to consider this week including trans latine performers, a Rodgers & Hammerstein tribute and the JLCO kickoff.

Jennifer Holliday, J'Nai Bridges & Rema Webb to Perform at AMPLIFY 2024 Gala
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Sep 12, 2024

Broadway legend and Tony and Grammy Award winner Jennifer Holliday, and two-time Grammy Award winner J’Nai Bridges, will perform at Houses on the Moon's AMPLIFY 2024 Gala Celebration. Learn how to purchase tickets.

Review: LADY DAY AT EMERSON'S BAR AND GRILL at Mosaic Theater Company
by David Friscic - Sep 10, 2024

The celebrated and now-iconic jazz vocalist and legend Billie Holiday is portrayed as a tormented “just holding on” survivor in playwright Lanie Robertson’s play Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill. The audience is transported back to the feel of this classic bar and grill to the year 1959 where a tired-out “Lady Day” (Billie Holiday) looks back at her life and sings fifteen of her classic songs with three superb jazz accompanists backing her up. The nightclub ambience of Emerson’s Bar and Grill envelops the theater’s patrons as soon as they enter Mosaic Theater Company’s top-notch cabaret setting (scenic designer Nadir Bey’s atmospheric work includes a neon-lit sign, and a stage filled with warmth).

Review: BLUES IN THE NIGHT at The Black Rep
by Steve Callahan - Sep 9, 2024

Ron Himes’ amazing Black Rep company is opening its 48th season with a piece of pure delight.  It’s called Blues in the Night, and it’s a glorious musical revue of the history of that genre.  And such a vastly diverse history that is, with vaudeville songs, deeply moving songs of love and loss, lush and lonely excursions into real jazz, and comic novelty songs that get seriously, hilariously bawdy. 

Interview: Elizabeth Bougerol Learns to Savor Life in APPETITES at Joe's Pub
by Rebecca Kaplan - Sep 3, 2024

Singer Elizabeth Bougerol will be gracing the stage at Joe’s Pub on September 18 and 19 with an all-new solo project, APPETITES. In it, she “examines the hunger that drove her to ditch her midtown cubicle and chase the dream of re-imagining classics by the likes of Billie Holiday, Bessie Smith, and Peggy Lee in a 21st-century context.'

Penguin Rep Presents World Premiere Of THE STEEL MAN
by A.A. Cristi - Aug 30, 2024

Penguin Rep Theatre has announced the world premiere of THE STEEL MAN, a new play by Cary Gitter, directed by Joe Brancato, starting September 6 in Stony Point, New York.

Review: A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN THE MUSICAL, Peacock Theatre
by Franco Milazzo - Aug 29, 2024

Who wouldn’t want to spend a night with Janis Joplin? Despite barely hitting the charts on this side of the pond, the American singer still symbolises the best (and worst) of the Sixties over fifty years before she joined the 27 Club. Not that you would know from this show.

THE STEEL MAN Comes to Penguin Rep Theatre Next Month
by Stephi Wild - Aug 28, 2024

Penguin Rep Theatre, under the leadership of Joe Brancato, founding Artistic Director, and Andrew M. Horn, Executive Director, will present the world premiere of The Steel Man, a new play by Cary Gitter, directed by Mr. Brancato, beginning Friday, September 6, in Stony Point, New York.

A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN Joins Broadway Licensing Catalog
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Aug 27, 2024

Broadway Licensing has added A Night with Janis Joplin to its catalog. Learn more about the show!

Save Up to 68% on A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN at the Peacock Theatre
by Stephi Wild - Aug 19, 2024

Save up to 68% on A Night With Janis Joplin at the Peacock Theatre. Tickets are available from £15!

THE BEST OF BILLIE AND ME FEATURING THOMASINA PETRUS Comes to Artistry Theater and Visual Arts
by Stephi Wild - Aug 5, 2024

Artistry will present a one night only presentation of THE BEST OF BILLIE AND ME featuring Thomasina Petrus on Saturday, August 17th, 2024 at 8:00pm.

Lineup Set For Winter and Spring 2025 at the Dennis C. Moss Cultural Arts Center
by Stephi Wild - Aug 5, 2024

The Dennis C. Moss Cultural Arts Center has announced its winter and spring 2025 lineup, featuring an array of dynamic performances. From dance showcases to musical tributes, the Moss Center continues to offer something for everyone. 

Review: DEVEN GREEN AND HANDSOME NED at CVRep
by Gilmore Rizzo - Jul 13, 2024

Funny, dated, and a bit lackluster; fans went wild.