entertainment - "music"

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) Associate Artistic Director Gary Griffin returns to CST to stage Peter Shaffer's award-winning drama Amadeus, and brings us into the tumultuous lives of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his obsessively jealous rival, Viennese court composer Antonio Salieri. Overcome with envy of Mozart's divinely inspired music, Salieri believes God has bestowed genius upon an 'unmannered fool' and sets out to destroy his rival and take revenge upon an uncaring God. The original Broadway production received five Tony Awards, including Best Play, and its subsequent film adaptation garnered eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

Signature Theatre is pleased to announce complete casting for the opening show of its 2008-2009 season, ACE. With music by Richard Oberacker and book and lyrics by Robert Taylor and Richard Oberacker, ACE will be directed by Signature's Artistic Director Eric Schaeffer with choreography by Karma Camp. Set just after WWII, ACE is an epic story of a young boy's search to come to terms with his past and unlock his future. A tale of triumph, humor, and heart as seen through a child's eyes, ACE magically explores the heroic lives and unforeseen legacies of the men and women of America's Greatest Generation.

Marc Yu, a 9-year-old musical prodigy, began learning the piano at age 2 and was playing Beethoven by 3. He says he practices up to eight hours a day. 'You don't want a Beethoven piece to sound like somebody else,' he says. 'That's disrespectful to the composer.'

The Classical Theater of Harlem (CTH) will present their critically acclaimed production of AIN'T SUPPOSED TO DIE A NATURAL DEATH outdoors in city parks throughout new york City. This will be the first time that Melvin Van Peebles' landmark musical will be performed in Brooklyn and the Bronx.

Pittsburgh CLO and Nederlander Presentations Inc. are proud to announce the creation of The National High School Musical Theater Awards, celebrating outstanding student performances in high school musical productions across the United States.

ABBA members and 'Mama Mia' executive producers Benny Andersson and Bj rn Ulvaeus are having the time of their lives with the film adaptation of the hugely successful musical 'Mamma Mia.'

As part of its free 'Summer Block Party' entertainment series, Universal CityWalk is partnering with the blockbuster musical WICKED to present 'Wannabe Wicked,' a competitive performance series that will award an aspiring performer with a walk-on appearance in the Los Angeles production.

John Meeks has been playing and recording for 15 years, but his new Three Song Demo is the pre-release EP to his first full-length album, due out this Fall. It isn't as if Meeks has spent more than a decade trying to come up with some complex musical formula. In fact, what is so compelling about Meeks' music is his simple, straightforward approach. The three acoustic, country-twinged songs are free of artifice, aren't overly produced or orchestrated, and sound effortless.

Lin-Manuel Miranda and the cast of In The Heights sent a special musical good luck to the cast of [title of show] on their opening. Click HERE to see the video on You Tube.

A veteran folk and children's artist whose discography often reflects her parenthood, the Austin, Tex., singer-songwriter graced a special Mother's Day performance with new music and songs from her latest album.