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Two countries, three generations, 22 turbulent years?and a dynamic soundtrack ranging from Syd Barrett to The Plastic People of the Universe to U2?are at the heart of Rock ?n? Roll, a sweeping and passionate drama about love, music and revolution from Academy Award and four-time Tony Award-winner Tom Stoppard. For the play?s Chicago premiere at Goodman Theatre, Artistic Director Robert Falls taps director Charles Newell, whose reputation for directing acclaimed Stoppard productions precedes him. Newell?s cast of 12 is led by Stephen Yoakam and Chicago favorites Timothy Edward Kane and Mary Beth Fisher, who explore the unique intersection of politics and art against the background of John Culbert?s rock concert-inspired set design?complete with a floor resembling the cover art of Barrett?s solo album, Madcap Laughs. Rock ?n? Roll will be performed in the Albert Theatre May 2 ? June 7, 2009. Tickets are $25 ? $75. A complete performance schedule including dates, times and ticket prices a

Carol Mayo Jenkins, a veteran actress who has starred on Broadway and is remembered as English teacher Elizabeth Sherwood in the award-winning television series Fame, returns to Petaluma to star the upcoming Cinnabar Theater production of Collected Stories.

Obie-Award winning Clubbed Thumb proudly presents Summerworks 2009, their 14th annual festival of new plays, from June 3 to 27, 2009, at the Ohio Theatre, located at 66 Wooster Street (between Spring & Broome) in Soho, NY.

London Evening Standard owner Alexander Lebedev delays pay to 120 staff on his Russian newspaper Novaya GazetaThe billionaire tycoon and London Evening Standard owner, Alexander Lebedev, has been unable to pay journalists on his Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta after temporarily running out of money.Lebedev said he was delaying payment to 120 journalists on the award-winning Russian title for 'a week' because of problems with his German budget airline Blue Wings. Last month Germany's aviation authority withdrew the airline's licence, claiming it had 'business' difficulties.Today Lebedev said his current financial troubles were temporary. He said he had negotiated the delayed payment with his Russian journalists, who have not been paid for the past month. British journalists working on the Evening Standard would receive their salaries as usual, he said.'This has nothing to do with the Evening Standard. With the Standard everything is pre-paid. It's a closed deal,' Lebedev told the Guardi

London Evening Standard owner Alexander Lebedev delays pay to 120 staff on his Russian newspaper Novaya GazetaThe billionaire tycoon and London Evening Standard owner, Alexander Lebedev, has been unable to pay journalists on his Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta after temporarily running out of money.Lebedev said he was delaying payment to 120 journalists on the award-winning Russian title for 'a week' because of problems with his German budget airline Blue Wings. Last month Germany's aviation authority withdrew the airline's licence, claiming it had 'business' difficulties.Today Lebedev said his current financial troubles were temporary. He said he had negotiated the delayed payment with his Russian journalists, who have not been paid for the past month. British journalists working on the Evening Standard would receive their salaries as usual, he said.'This has nothing to do with the Evening Standard. With the Standard everything is pre-paid. It's a closed deal,' Lebedev told the Guardi

Orlando Jones will play The Wiz, and Tony Award-winning actress LaChanze will play Glinda, the good witch, in the Encores! Summer Stars production of The Wiz, starring Ashanti, June 12 ? July 5 at new york City Center. Glinda?s sister-witches will include Tichina Arnold as Evillene and Dawnn Lewis as Addaperle. Easing down the road with Ashanti?s Dorothy will be Joshua Henry as the Tinman, James Monroe Iglehart as the Lion and Christian White as the Scarecrow.

Bass John Relyea has been named the recipient of the fourth annual Beverly Sills Artist Award for young singers at the Metropolitan Opera. The $50,000 award, the largest of its kind in the United States, is designated for extraordinarily gifted singers between the ages of 25 and 40 who have already appeared in featured solo roles with the Met.

Beth Falcone and Kait Kerrigan have received the 19th Annual Kleban Award. In honor of Edward Kleban, this award is given annually to both a librettist and a lyricist. The award is in the amount of $100,000 to each recipient.

The celebrated Jewish philanthropist Ernest W. Michel will be honored at Town Hall, 123 West 43rd Street, on Monday, June 8, 2009 at 7:30pm, in a gala concert presented by the Drama Desk Award-winning National Yiddish Theatre - Folksbiene. Folksbiene's musical celebration, entitled 'Fun Dor Tsu Dor - From Generation to Generation,' brings together a multi-generational cast of stars from both the Yiddish and mainstream theatre worlds.

The novelist Cormac McCarthy has won the PEN/Saul Bellow Award.