First Lady Michelle News

The New York Dance and Performance Awards, The Bessies, New York City’s premier dance awards honoring outstanding creative work in the field, have announced that Virginia Johnson, founding member and former artistic director of Dance Theatre of Harlem, will receive the 2023 Bessie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Dance. 

Sondheim Tribute Revue brings Peregrine Theatre Ensemble to the Provincetown stage once again after a three year hiatus. In Peregrine's opinion, Stephen Sondheim is one of the greatest composers and lyricists of the last 100 years and we are showcasing the brilliance of his artistry and music in a ninety minute, no intermission, give it all you've got extravaganza. This production is not to be missed! 

National Philharmonic (NatPhil) announced its 2023-2024 Season, which includes six classical programs conducted by Music Director Piotr Gajewski, one classical concert led by guest conductor Jeri Lynne Johnson, and two choral performances presented in partnership with The Washington Chorus (TWC) and conducted by TWC Artistic Director Eugene Rogers. All season concerts will be held at The Music Center at Strathmore, the Orchestra’s longstanding home in Montgomery County.

Quintessence Theatre Group, Philadelphia's professional classic theatre, concludes Season XIII: Celebrating the Extraordinary with a world premiere of Paul Oakley Stovall’s Written by Phillis, directed by Cheryl Lynn Bruce. A new play exploring the life and poetry of America’s first published Black poet Phillis Wheatley, Written by Phillis is presented in association with Chicago’s New Classics Collective, opens tonight, May 13. Check out production photos here!

Contemporary jazz-fusion master Kamasi Washington comes to City Winery Boston for a four-show run featuring singer Ami Taf Ra  May 9-11.

Quintessence Theatre Group will conclude Season XIII: Celebrating the Extraordinary with a world premiere of Paul Oakley Stovall’s Written by Phillis, directed by Cheryl Lynn Bruce.

GALA Hispanic Theatre will host its annual Noche de Estrellas benefit event honoring three extraordinary leaders at St. Francis Hall on Monday, May 8th at 6:30 pm.

44 – THE unOFFICIAL, unSANCTIONED OBAMA MUSICAL (As Told Through the Hazy Recollection of Joe Biden) is returning to The Bourbon Room Hollywood this Spring.

Whether it is taking our show on the road to cover the tragedy in Uvalde, former first lady Michelle Obama’s book tour in Philadelphia, Usher’s residency in Las Vegas, or our exclusive interviews with Elizabeth Smart, Jinger Duggar Vuolo and Terrell Owens - we are meeting that goal. There is so much more to come in season five.

College Notes will return to the Lesher Center for the Arts for its fifth year of breathtaking a cappella performances, featuring talented groups from top universities from across the country.

Hennepin Theatre Trust has announced two new members to its board of directors. Gerardo Casahonda, senior director of indirect tax at Thomson Reuters and Trisha Duncan, director of Minnesota community relations for Xcel Energy start their tenure on the board Thursday, Jan. 26. Andrea Mokros, current vice chair of the Trust's board of directors, has been elected to follow Travis Barkve as chair of the board and officially begins her term as chair today.

In fact, “Tamron Hall” scored its highest-rated week in Households since January and its most-watched week in Total Viewers since March 2021 – since the weeks of 1/31/22 and 3/15/21, respectively. “Tamron Hall” built for the 3rd straight week in Total Viewers (+7% - 1.145 million vs. 1.072 million) and stood as the only daytime talk show.

Theater fans will have a chance to see Donna Lynne Champlin sink her teeth into a real role onstage once again for one-night-only: On December 12 she will take to the stage at The Sheen Center, starring as George Bailey in a performance of IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE to benefit The Transport Group.

The tour, Pentatonix: A Christmas Spectacular!, is large-scale multi-city outing with Pentatonix headlining 22 of North America's top arenas. They will visit major markets throughout the continent, promising to be their biggest shows yet! Season 21 winners of The Voice, Girl Named Tom, will open the night as the tour’s special guests.

The candid one-on-one conversation will cover the recent release of Obama’s new book, “The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times,” a follow-up to her critically acclaimed, No. 1 bestselling memoir, “Becoming,” and will go behind the scenes on her return to life on tour. This will be Obama’s second appearance on the show. 

Robin Roberts has aninterview with former first lady Michelle Obama. In the wide-ranging interview, Mrs. Obama talks about her marriage; her husband, former President Barack Obama; the pandemic; coping with low-grade depression stemming, in part, from the pandemic and political division in the country; President Joe Biden; and her new hobby.

Miller Theatre at Columbia University School of the Arts continues its BACH and EARLY MUSIC series with Bach Keyboard Concertos, the final concert in the Simone Dinnerstein-curated Bach series features pianists Simone Dinnerstein, Wael Farouk, Awadagin Pratt with Ensemble Baroklyn, on Thursday, December 8, 8:00 P.M. at Miller Theatre (2960 Broadway at 116th Street. 

For the first time in their career, the three-time GRAMMY® Award-winning and Daytime EMMY® Award-nominated vocal quintet present a global vision unlike anything else in their acclaimed catalog on Holidays Around The World. To bring these twelve tracks to life, they collabsorated with incredible artists from all over the world. Plus, tour dates!

​​​​​​​The Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project at The University of Chicago's Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts and 150 Media Stream present Color in Motion, a dance film featuring Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, on view through November 16, 2022 at 150 N Riverside Plaza, a commercial space that showcases the work of local and international artists, bringing art to everyday life. 

Live Nation and Crown, an imprint of Random House, announced the list of moderators scheduled to appear with former First Lady, Michelle Obama, on her upcoming U.S. book tour in support of The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times.