Latest news with #TheGreatAmericanSongbook
Daily Mirror
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Glastonbury Festival fans surprised with secret set from iconic DJ and his son
Glastonbury Festival 2025 fans were over the moon with Fatboy Slim's secret set, with his son Woody Cook joining him on stage Glastonbury Festival 2025 fans were over the moon as Fatboy Slim took to the stage to perform a secret set. The iconic DJ performed to just a few dozen people, with Fatboy Slim, real name Norman Cook, bringing on his son Woody - who he shares with radio star Zoe Ball. The 61-year-old DJ brought the energy to the small stage while his son Woody, 24, acted as the hype man and danced and bounced around. Fans were delighted by the set and took to the video shared on Instagram to compliment the father-son duo, with one person writing on Woody's page: "Well done lads." "You have no idea how much we love you Norman. Yes was on the beach in Brighton over 20 years ago. LEGEND," another huge fan commented. One said: "What an amazing thing for father and son to do!!" and another questioned: "Why is it not on iplayer?" The 24-year-old son of Fatboy Slim and Zoe Ball recently discussed his family in an interview with OK! Last month, he revealed he's ready to give back to his 'heroic' mum and dad as he discussed following in his parents' footsteps. When asked about DJing, he said: "It's beautiful. They say when you love what you do, you never work a day in your life. I've always been a storyteller and I never originally wanted to be a DJ, but I loved making music so much. Turns out, DJing is just like telling stories, through sound." Woody also doesn't mind people comparing him to his parents as he praised the "heroic people". He said: "I can't tell you who I'd be without my parents. "They gave me the best education ever from them. More than anything, my parents are heroic people. They are the most generous, loving, kind, hard-working people on Earth, and that's what they've given me. "I feel like I owe it all to that. It doesn't matter who they are in their day-to-day life, they are amazing human beings." It was a hectic weekend at Glastonbury as Sunday kicked off with Glastonbury bosses slamming Bob Vylan's 'Death to IDF' chants on stage, declaring the punk rap duo had "crossed the line". It comes as police confirmed that they are investigating the footage. On Sunday afternoon, Rod Stewart performed in the Legends slot after fellow singer Kate Nash lashed out at the legend on Saturday evening. The rocker earned rave reviews but errors in his set included introducing special guest Lulu before realising she would be joining him on stage later. He made some surprise comments back in 2023 about retiring, where he said: "I'm not retiring. But I want to move on. I had great success with The Great American Songbook, all-American standards, and I've just done a swing album with Jools Holland, which is going to come out next year, so I want to go in that direction. I just want to leave all the rock 'n' roll stuff behind — for a while, maybe."
Irish Daily Mirror
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Rod Stewart suffers awkward moment on Glastonbury stage as guest doesn't appear
Sunday is upon us at Glastonbury after an eventful weekend of music and mayhem. But the drama isn't over, with Glastonbury bosses this morning slamming Bob Vylan's 'Death to IDF' chants on stage, declaring the punk rap duo had "crossed the line". It comes as police confirmed yesterday that they are investigating the footage. Tonight, Rod Stewart is set to perform in the legends spot, with final headliner Olivia Rodrigo bringing an end to the festival. It comes at an awkward time for Rod after fellow singer Kate Nash lashed out at the legend on Saturday evening. He made some surprise comments back in 2023 about retiring, where he said: "I'm not retiring. But I want to move on. I had great success with The Great American Songbook, all-American standards, and I've just done a swing album with Jools Holland, which is going to come out next year, so I want to go in that direction. I just want to leave all the rock 'n' roll stuff behind — for a while, maybe." Nile has worked with many artists over the years and namedropped just a few as he reeled off some of their biggest hits. Diana Ross, David Bowie and Daft Punk were all mentioned as Nile and Chic sang I'm Coming Out and Upside Down. Of course, Nile Rodgers and Chic have opened with their song Le Freak. Even the security are all getting involved, as they dance to the song in their bright blue polo shirts. Nile then segues into Everybody Dance, their 1977 hit. Nile Rodgers and Chic will be next on the Pyramid Stage, with their set beginning in just over 10 minutes time. The group have been performing around the UK as of late and are heading to Glastonbury this afternoon for what promises to be an exciting set ahead! Sir Rod Stewart made sure to roll back the years to his adoring Glastonbury crowd on Sunday, but he had to let his backing singers take over midway through his set Straight after entertaining with his rendition of Do Ya Think I'm Sexy, Rod told the crowd: "The girls are going to do a song for you while I change my shirt." He swiftly made an exit leaving fans surprised. Read more here. Rod was due to finish at 5.15pm but he kept going a little over his time. "We have got to get off the stage soon, we are done," he tells the crowd before singing hit track Sailing. He also thanked all his celebrity guests. After that awkward moment, Lulu has appeared to sing with Rod. The pair headed out to see the crowd as they sang with one another, with Rod even stopping to help Lulu walking down the stairs. They sang Hot Legs together. Rod is now in a green suit as he welcomes Ronnie Wood and Lulu onto the stage. However, things turned a bit awkward when Rod stopped and said 'oh Lulu is coming on in a bit' as Ronnie grabbed his guitar and played for the huge Glastonbury crowd. As Rod promised, Mick arrived on stage for a duet of If You Don't Know Me By Now. Rod and Mick sang the hit song together, with Mick looking very casual in his dark blue t-shirt and light blue washed jeans compared to Rod's bright pink suit. Rod has decided to take a quick break to change his shirt. "The girls are going to do a song for you while a change my shirt," he told fans in the crowd as the band broke into a rendition of Lady Marmalade. Rod soon returned to the stage in a full pink suit. There was an emotional tribute to Christine McVie as Rod projected her face on the big screen at Glastonbury. He also teased there would be special guests on later before revealing that Ronnie Wood, Mick Hucknall & Lulu would be joining him in the final half an hour or so of his set. Rod made a bit of an error with his opening for Maggie May, coming in too early. But that didn't stop fans from singing along to Rod. With the biggest reaction so far, Rod's track Maggie May had the whole of the huge Glastonbury crowd singing along. Rod continued to thank fans for coming to his set and said he was really enjoying himself. He told fans: "There's been a lot of the Middle East recently quite rightly so. I want to draw your attention to Ukraine," before performing Love Train. He regularly pays tribute to Ukraine in his sets. The star - who has housed refugees from the country in the UK - usually dedicates his 1991 anti-war song Rhythm of My Heart to Ukraine but chose a different song today. After finishing his first song, Rod told the crowd that music brings us together. "Enjoy yourselves ladies and gentlemen, music brings us together, " he told the huge crowd. Yes, really! Rod Stewart has arrived on stage to huge cheers from the packed out crowd at the Pyramid Stage. He opened his set with Tonight I'm Yours. Rod wore a black jacket emblazoned with gold for his headline set as women danced in the background with red sequin dresses. Sir Rod Stewart will soon be gracing the Pyramid Stage. His comments back in 2023 about retiring had fans stunned. He said: "I'm not retiring. But I want to move on. I had great success with The Great American Songbook, all-American standards, and I've just done a swing album with Jools Holland, which is going to come out next year, so I want to go in that direction. "I just want to leave all the rock 'n' roll stuff behind — for a while, maybe." Singer Kate Nash lashed out at a number of people on Saturday evening in a series of brutal jabs. Among those she let rip at included JK Rowling, Rod Stewart, Denise Welch, Keir Starmer and Nigel Farage - an eclectic bunch! The Foundations hitmaker, who was headlining the Left Field tent at Glastonbury Festival on Saturday night, appeared to slam Harry Potter author Rowling on stage. She told the audience: "The loudest feminist voice in the UK is currently transphobic and that is something that I take very f****** personally, as a feminist and a feminist with trans friends in my life, trans people that I love and that are very important to me. "Dismantling systems of oppression lies at the very core of feminism, so transphobia is not f****** feminist. And just because you're a f******* millionaire and a f****** bully with an army of trolls on the f****** internet. "I don't give a f*** mate. I don't give a s*** about the hundreds, if not thousands of comments, that I've been receiving from trolls since I penned my essay, released it into a song. It's called Germ." Laying into music bosses next - and Denise Welch, who was at the festival supporting her son Matty Healy's band The 1975 - Kate continued: "The music industry doesn't know what to do with me. They tried to get rid of me, but they didn't. There is a record executive sweating their t*** off with Matt Healy's mum. "They're scared of me. I like that. But I was made of mother f****** Bricks. But they didn't believe me. I even gave them a second warning a few years later when I told them 'Do not underestimate the girl'. Is it my fault they didn't believe me? "I'm not going to give my third warning. It's too late for that. I'm taking my bricks and I'm throwing them through the f****** window.' Launching into her song D***head, she said: "F*** Rod Stewart. This one [Why You Being A D****head For] goes out to Keir Starmer, JK Rowling, Rod Stewart and Nigel f****** Farage.' Last week Rod announced his support for Farage in an interview with the Times. The Libertines were struck with technical issues this afternoon on the Pyramid set, sparking frustration from upset fans. For the first five minutes of the set, festival goers were treated to blank screens, meaning that most of the crowd were unable to see anything. A source told the Mirror: "It was so annoying - the screen was completely black for the first two songs so we couldn't see anything! They sounded really good though." Glastonbury bosses have issued guidance to festival goers on the likely busiest crowds today. Rod Stewart's Pyramid set at 5.45pm and Maccabees' Park performance at 10.15pm are cited as the most likely to attract big audiences. While other potentially busy shows today include Sub Focus at IICON (12.30am) and Marc Rebillet at Shangri-La Stage at 2am. The festival has warned that late-night areas will be popular again tonight, with organisers set to divert crowds at times to clear space. At tented venues, festival goers should expect a one in, one out policy. Loose Women star Penny Lancaster appeared to be having a ball ahead of Rod Stewart's Glastonbury set this eveninng. The 54-year-old happily mingled with friends as she took photos with fans dressed up as her husband with his iconic hairdo. She was later spotted with pal Davina McCall, who stood out in an eye-catching red dress next to husband Michael Douglas. Over the course of two and a half hours, the crowds at Bob Vylan and Kneecap's performances became a snarling cess-pit of hate, the Mirror's Tom Bryant recalls after Saturday's chaos. Glastonbury bosses had warned that morning that they may have to close off access to the West Holts area because of over-crowding. But as soon as Bob Vylan's set began, it became obvious that his act was exactly the aperitif that the febrile crowd craved. But given the levels of controversy it could easily have been the main course. 'We are live on the BBC, so we have to be careful what we say,' said Vylan. But being careful was not on the agenda as he began a spine-tingling chant calling for the murder of the Israel Defence Force. The face of the old lady next to me is contorted with rage as she chants along. Vylan then launches into a rant decrying the music industry figures who had written to Glastonbury bosses calling for Kneecap to be banned including his former 'bald headed c***' of a boss. 'Name him, name him,' menacingly chant the crowd back. The BBC has addressed airing the moment performer Bobby Vylan, of punk rap dup Bob Vylan, chanted "Death to the IDF" to a crowd at Glastonbury on Saturday. The scenes aired live on BBCiPlayer, leaving many viewers upset over the footage as Health Secretary Wes Streeting branded it "appalling". A BBC spokesperson has since responded to the incident in a statement. They told the Mirror: 'Some of the comments made during Bob Vylan's set were deeply offensive. During this live stream on iPlayer, which reflected what was happening on stage, a warning was issued on screen about the very strong and discriminatory language. We have no plans to make the performance available on demand.' Glastonbury Festival said it is 'appalled' by the actions of rap punk duo Bob Vylan on stage on Saturday, saying it "crossed a line". It comes as footage of the set is assessed by police. Performer Bobby Vylan led crowds on the festival's West Holts Stage in chants of 'Death, death to the IDF' on Saturday, before a member of Irish rap trio Kneecap suggested fans 'start a riot' at his bandmate's forthcoming court appearance. A joint Instagram post from Glastonbury and Emily Eavis said: 'As a festival, we stand against all forms of war and terrorism. 'We will always believe in – and actively campaign for – hope, unity, peace and love. 'With almost 4,000 performances at Glastonbury 2025, there will inevitably be artists and speakers appearing on our stages whose views we do not share, and a performer's presence here should never be seen as a tacit endorsement of their opinions and beliefs. 'However, we are appalled by the statements made from the West Holts stage by Bob Vylan yesterday. 'Their chants very much crossed a line and we are urgently reminding everyone involved in the production of the Festival that there is no place at Glastonbury for antisemitism, hate speech or incitement to violence.' Olivia Rodrigo has blasted trolls as she gets ready to send out Glastonbury with a bang this evening as they final headlining act. Asked about how some of her exes and other pals have reacted to being mentioned in her songs, she said: 'Most people have been pretty cool. I just feel like that's a personal thing. It's just like this person to person one on one things. 'Songs are just songs. Lots of the times I write something and it's kind of like an amalgamation of lots of different people. Or I write a lot of songs that are of fantasy sometimes too. 'It's important for me to kind of keep my personal life private. I think I will dive as deep as I can into my songs, but I kind of just don't love talking about it. 'That's the boundary for me. It helps me feel healthy and good about my job and my privacy. I never think about a song coming out when I'm writing it. I'm always just trying to process the emotion and diving as deep as I can. And it's not until it's finished and produced where I'm really like, 'oh, how is this going to be in the world? How are people going to listen to this and interpret it?' 'But I try to keep the songwriting process very insular and just about me and the song.' Fatboy Slim will be performing today at 4pm at The Luna Bar under alias Sunday Service. The DJ just confirmed the news on Instagram accompanied by photos of his Saturday set. He wrote to excited fans: "A glorious Saturday afternoon at @glastofest Genosys. *Just announced* I'm back in Shangri La at 4pm today at Luna for a Kid-friendly Sunday session set." Health Secretary Wes Streeting has warned that the BBC and Glastonbury have "questions to answer" after chants of "death to the IDF" were made on stage at the festival. The Labour MP branded the scenes - which aired on the BBC - "appalling" and a "pretty shameless publicity stunt". It comes after rapper Bobby Vylan, of rap punk duo Bob Vylan, on Saturday led crowds on the festival's West Holts Stage in chants of: "Free, free Palestine" and: "Death, death to the IDF", before a member of Irish rap trio Kneecap suggested fans "start a riot" outside his bandmate's upcoming court appearance. 'I thought it's appalling, to be honest, and I think the BBC and Glastonbury have got questions to answer about how we saw such a spectacle on our screens,' he told Sky News' Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips. 'But I also think it's a pretty shameless publicity stunt, which I don't really want to give too much indulgence to for that reason.' He said what people should be talking about in the context of Israel and Gaza is the humanitarian catastrophe and the fact that Israeli settlers attacked a Christian village this week. He added: 'The fact that we saw that chant at a music festival, when there were Israelis at a similar music festival who were kidnapped, murdered, raped, and in some cases still held captive, whether it's a Palestinian or an Israeli, whether it's a Christian, a Jew or a Muslim, all life is precious. 'All life is sacred. And I find it pretty revolting we've got to a state in this conflict where you're supposed to sort of cheer on one side or the other like it's a football team.' Asked if the BBC should have cut the live feed, he said the broadcaster has questions to answer, but that he did not know what the editorial and operational 'challenges' are of taking such action. The Israeli embassy has spoken out about chants of "death to the IDF" at Glastonbury, saying that it is "deeply disturbed" by the scenes. Police are investigating the incident after a member of Bob Vylan was seen shouting out the phrase to the crowd, with videos of the moment circulating on the internet. They had been performing on stage ahead of Irish act Kneecap, whose member Mo Chara as recently in court after brandishing a Hezbolla flag on stage during a gig. A statement from the embassy read: "The Embassy of Israel in the United Kingdom is deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastonbury Festival." They continued to say that such slogans "advocate for the dismantling of the State of Israel", adding: "When such messages are delivered before tens of thousands of festivalgoers and met with applause, it raises serious concerns about the normalisation of extremist language and the glorification of violence." Police continue to examine videos of comments made by acts Bob Vylan and Kneecap at Glastonbury as the festival enters its third day. Rapper Bobby Vylan, of rap punk duo Bob Vylan, on Saturday led crowds on the festival's West Holts Stage in chants of: "Free, free Palestine" and: "Death, death to the IDF", before a member of Irish rap trio Kneecap suggested fans "start a riot" outside his bandmate's upcoming court appearance. According to BBC weather Glastonbury will consist of sunny intervals with light winds and reach highs of 27C. The pollen and UV levels are both seet to be high. 12pm-1pm - sunny intervals and light winds with highs of 23C 1pm-2pm - sunny intervals and light winds with highs of 24C 2pm-3pm - sunny intervals and light winds with highs of 25C 3pm-4pm - sunny intervals and light winds with highs of 26C 4pm-5pm - sunny and light winds with highs of 27C 5pm-6pm -sunny and light winds with highs of 26C 6pm-7pm - sunny and light winds with highs of 25C 7pm-8pm - sunny and light winds with highs of 24C 8pm-9pm - sunny and light winds with highs of 23C 9pm-10pm - sunny and light winds with highs of 21C 10pm-11pm - a clear sky and light winds with highs of 19C 11pm-12am - a clear sky and light winds with highs of 18C Festival-goers at Glastonbury will be basking in the glorious sunshine today, but organisers have urged attendees to '"be safe in the heat" and issued some important safety guidance surrounding consumption of alcohol. Read the full story here.
Daily Mirror
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Rod Stewart's surprising retirement confession ahead of Glastonbury Legends set
Music legend Sir Rod Stewart, who is set to headline Glastonbury Festival's Pyramid stage this weekend for the Legends set, made a shock revelation about retiring from music Glastonbury 2025 has officially kicked off and music lovers around the world are in a frenzy to catch their favourite artists. Considered to be the holy grail of music festivals in the UK, this year's Glasto is choc-a-bloc with music acts and massive headliners. One of the most eagerly anticipated headliners during this year's festival is none other than rock legend Sir Rod Stewart. All set to dazzle the crowd on Sunday, June 29, the rock icon will be closing the five-day musical bonanza, much to the excitement of fans. The 80-year-old rockstar, who last graced the Pyramid Stage 23 years ago, was confirmed as this year's Legend's slot headliner for the iconic musical festival that takes place in the hallowed grounds of Worthy Farm in Somerset. Stewart is making history as the first artist to have both headlined Glastonbury and received the legends billing, having previously shared top billing at the festival in 2002 with Coldplay and Stereophonics. Sir Rod is stepping into the shoes of music greats like Elton John, Dolly Parton, Barry Gibb, Shania Twain, and Kylie Minogue who have previously shouldered the Legends mantle. But his journey to the prime spot at the festival hasn't come without its fair share of headline-grabbing moments. Back in 2023, the singer had made a shocking statement about retiring which catapulted fans of the icon into despair. During an interview alongside Boy George whilst promoting their then-upcoming tour together, Stewart had told the BBC: "I'm not retiring. But I want to move on. I had great success with The Great American Songbook, all-American standards, and I've just done a swing album with Jools Holland, which is going to come out next year, so I want to go in that direction." He added: 'I just want to leave all the rock 'n' roll stuff behind — for a while, maybe.' However, soon after the interview made headlines, the legend took to social media platform X (previously Twitter) and clarified his statements, saying: 'I shall never retire! I was put on this earth to be a singer and will keep doing so for as long as the good lord lets me.' He continued in a series of tweets: 'During recent interviews, I've mentioned my newest passion is big band/swing music, and when we wrap this greatest hits tour, it's something I'm very eager to share with you.' 'I could never turn my back on the songs that I've written and sung over the last six decades. They are like my children. I created them and I love them. I'll always come back to them, just like I did after The Great American Songbook series, which, I shall boastfully add, sold 26 million albums!" The rocker concluded by writing: 'I look forward to seeing you on the road with all the hits, and I can't wait to introduce you to my new swing album next year.' However in 2024, the singer had once again hinted at hanging up the microphone, at least when it came to his massive world tours. In an Instagram post, Rod wrote: 'This will be the end of large-scale world tours for me, but I have no desire to retire. I love what I do and I do what I love. I'm fit, have a full head of hair and can run 100 metres in 18 seconds at the jolly old age of 79.' He continued: 'I'd like to move onto a Great American Songbook, Swing Fever tour the year after next - smaller venues and more intimacy. But then again, I may not. The ambiguous Sir Rod Stewart.' But it seems all's well that ends well, as Sir Rod soldiered on and is now set to give fans the performance of a lifetime at Glasto 2025. On the topic of leading the line-up this year, the rocker expressed his excitement in a statement, saying he's "proud, ready and more than able to pleasure and titillate my friends at Glastonbury". The Maggie May singer jumped at the chance to play the prestigious teatime slot, often reserved for music's elite, after being approached by Emily and Michael Eavis. However, Sir Rod has revealed that accepting this coveted spot comes with a hefty financial implication. Taking to the airwaves on talkSPORT Breakfast earlier this year, the music icon disclosed that agreeing to perform at Glastonbury's legendary slot will set him back a cool $300,000 (£237,780). When quizzed about how quickly he accepted the offer, he replied: "Immediately. It's a great honour." He then confessed: "It's going to cost me a fortune to do it - $300,0000. I've got to bring all my band back from America, of course Glastonbury don't pay for that. But I don't care if it cost me $1 million, I would have done it. This is a great honour. It really is the greatest honour." In another appearance, this time on the Sidetracked podcast, Sir Rod shared: 'Believe it or not, my kids, three of them, all bought their own tickets, because Glastonbury give nothing away. Nothing. Everybody asks me for tickets. All the time. Everywhere. People just come out of the woodwork. 'Oh, you haven't spoken to me for 25 years. Any chance I could have a ticket?'". But it's not just the cash that's causing the rock royalty a headache. Sir Rod Stewart is taking no chances with his health as he gears up for his iconic stint at Glastonbury. Having battled multiple severe health issues previously — including thyroid and prostate cancer — the celebrated musician is taking drastic steps to ensure he's in prime condition for his big performance. Having recently come down with the flu, concerns were raised among followers of the UK superstar about his highly anticipated performance at the festival. Showing his commitment to the slot, Sir Rod went on vocal rest during his One Last Time tour and even cancelled four of his Las Vegas residency shows.
Chicago Tribune
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Of Notoriety: Final weekend for Towle's ‘POTUS,' anniversary free concert at Hard Rock and Bublé salute at TATC
'POTUS' is the term used at times to shorten the title 'President of the United States.' 'POTUS' is also the title of the play continuing performances through this weekend at Towle Theater, 5205 Hohman Ave. in Hammond. The secondary title for this stage comedy written by Selina Fillinger and directed by Anna Maria D'Ortenzio is 'Behind Every Great Dumb*** Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive.' When the president unwittingly spins a PR nightmare into a global crisis, the seven brilliant and beleaguered women he relies upon most risk life, liberty and the pursuit of sanity to keep the commander-in-chief out of trouble. The play is described as 'a bawdy and irreverent look at sex, politics and the women in charge of the man in charge of the free world, with a reminder that global crisis is always just a four-letter word away.' A show disclaimer warns that 'this play opens with a strong expletive and continues with raunchy language throughout.' Performances are 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $24 in advance and $28 at the door and available by calling 219-937-8780 or visit Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana is celebrating its fourth anniversary this month and hosting a free concert by Gym Class Heroes on the Hard Rock Cafe stage at 9 p.m. Saturday, May 10. With three stages and five dining outlets, more than 8 million people have visited Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana since it opened, ranking as Northwest Indiana's No. 1 tourist attraction. 'When we opened our doors back in May of 2021, the people in our area were thrilled to have a place nearby to see all their favorite artists on stage and wonderful dining and gaming experiences,' President of Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana Matt Schuffert said in a release. 'It was truly what the region needed at the exact right time.' Travie McCoy, lead singer of Gym Class Heroes and a celebrated solo artist, is leading his band for the celebration performance. Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana is located at 5400 West 29th Ave. in Gary, IN, directly adjacent to the I80/94 Burr Street Interchange. For more information, call 219-228-2383 or visit Direct from Las Vegas, this Theatre at the Center tribute concert is a must-see for people who appreciate the music of The Great American Songbook. Artists like Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand and Tony Bennett to superstar rock artists Linda Ronstadt and Rod Stewart are all the inspirations for the stylings and vocals of Canadian singer Michael Bublé. Entertainer Michael Ross Nugent pays tribute to Bublé and other greats, backed on stage by a grand piano and his pianist Michael Clark. At age 31, Michael Ross Nugent describes himself as 'a young man with an old soul and love from the great performers of yesterday and today.' The show is at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 10. Tickets are $40 available by calling 219-836-3255 or visit 'Forever Plaid' is one of the most popular and successful small cast cabaret style musicals of recent decades. Four musical hopefuls, Sparky, Smudge, Jinx and Frankie travel the small stage circuit as the crooning group 'The Plaids.' Fearful that the close of the decade of the 1950s means the end of the music and song stylings they so love, they fail to embrace the world of the swinging 1960s. A tragic car accident sends the fellows to heavenly limbo where they are given a chance to live their worldly dream of appearing on Ed Sullivan's popular CBS Sunday night variety show. This jukebox musical stars Josh Bachman as Francis, Phil Dietrich as Sparky, Trey Erny as Jinx and Jason Utesch as Smudge as directed by Patti Shaffner. From calypso beats to Perry Como and 'Three Coins in the Fountain,' audiences enjoy a musical trip down a memory lane of tune favorites. Weekend performances start May 9 with 8 p.m. curtains on Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. matinees on Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets range from $27 to $60 at or 219-548-9137. Now age 93, the greatest American film composer of all time, John Williams, has written some of the most popular, recognizable and critically acclaimed film scores in cinematic history in a career spanning more than six decades. Williams has won 24 Grammy Awards, five Academy Awards and four Golden Globe Awards. In the final concert installment of the Northwest Indiana Orchestra's 2024-25 Season, Williams' work is highlighted for two nights, 7:30 p.m. both May 15 and 16 at Living Hope Church auditorium, 9000 Taft St., in Merrillville. Hear selections from 'Star Wars,' 'Indiana Jones,' Far & Away,' 'The Patriot,' 'Superman' and more in this tribute to an American icon. Tickets start at $45 with a $10 student option. Visit or call 219-836-0525.
