‘Ruined’ and ‘Fela!’ get the top Lucille Lortel prizes for off-Broadway’s best

September 30th, 2009 LA TOYA and JERMAINE JACKSON took to the stage at the Music Of Black Origin (MOBO) Awards on Wednesday (30Sep09) to pay tribute to their late brother MICHAEL. The pair was invited to honour the tragic King of Pop at the ceremony in Glasgow, Scotland, with Jermaine performing in memory of the Thriller icon.

September 22nd, 2009 JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE's first Emmy Awards were almost ruined by his girlfriend JESSICA BIEL's cold. Biel had to give up the opportunity to join the SexyBack hitmaker at the big show in Los Angeles on Sunday night (20Sep09) because she was sick - and Timberlake brought her cold with him.

September 13th, 2009 JAY-Z and WILL SMITH are among the investors in a new musical about the life of revered African world music star FELA KUTI. The stars have given Bill T.

September 8th, 2009 Jordan Roth takes over B'way's Jujamcyn TheatersNEW YORK — Broadway's Jujamcyn Theaters has a new president. Jordan Roth will now head the organization that owns and operates five Broadway theaters.

August 26th, 2009 B'way's 'West Side Story' has a minor lyric changeNEW YORK — It's back to the original English for some of the lyrics in the hit Broadway revival of "West Side Story." Two of show's songs, "A Boy Like That" and "I Feel Pretty," had been sung in Spanish in the current production, which opened in March at the Palace Theatre. Now both numbers, which feature lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, will be performed mostly in English.

August 11th, 2009 LADY GAGA is "delighted" to be battling it out with BEYONCE at this year's (09) MTV Video Music Awards - and is determined to snatch the top prizes from the CRAZY IN LOVE hitmaker. The pop stars landed a massive nine nominations each and will both compete for Video of The Year and Best Female Video prizes at the 13 September (09) event in New York.

August 7th, 2009 "I got engaged the night before we wrapped JULIE AND JULIA. It was funny because I was actually running lines from the script in my head while we were taking this romantic carriage ride in Central Park.

July 22nd, 2009 Cast and dates set for B'way's 'Finian's Rainbow'NEW YORK — Will "Finian's Rainbow" find its pot of gold on Broadway? A revival of the satiric musical fantasy about an Irish immigrant, his feisty daughter and a leprechaun who follows them to America will open Oct. 29 at the St.

July 9th, 2009 Michael McKean set for B'way's 'Superior Donuts'NEW YORK — Tracy Letts' new play, "Superior Donuts," has found its Broadway leading man — Michael McKean. Producer Jeffrey Richards says the actor will reprise the role of a doughnut shop owner he played in the show's world premiere last summer at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre.

June 21st, 2009 US soprano, Ukrainian pianist win $50KLOS ANGELES — An American soprano singer and a Ukrainian pianist have won top honors at a competition that combines elements of "American Idol" and classical music. Leah Crocetto, a 29-year-old first-year fellow with the San Francisco opera, won the $50,000 first prize in the vocal portion of the third annual Jose Iturbi International Music Competition at the University of California, Los Angeles.

June 12th, 2009 'Fela!' makes the move from off-B'way to BroadwayNEW YORK — "Fela!" — one of off-Broadway's big hits last summer — is coming to Broadway. The musical, based on the life of African composer and activist Fela Anikulapo Kuti, will open Nov.

June 4th, 2009 British naturalist wins prestigious Spanish prizeMADRID — British naturalist Sir David Attenborough won Spain's prestigious Prince of Asturias social sciences prize Thursday for his "great contributions to the defense of life and conservation of our planet." Attenborough, 82, is best known for his nature documentaries on the British Broadcasting Corp. television. The Prince of Asturias foundation said Attenborough's talents "allowed him to approach the study of the earth and living creatures with a creative and innovative combination of skills." "I am greatly honored," Attenborough said in a statement.

June 3rd, 2009 Broadway's 3 Billys win 2009 Astaire AwardsNEW YORK — Broadway's three Billy Elliots have danced off with Astaire Awards. David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik (COE'-wall-ick) and Kiril (KA'-reel) Kulish (COO'-lish) will share the prize for best male dancer on Broadway for their performances as the title character in "Billy Elliot." Peter Darling, also of "Billy Elliot," received the award for best Broadway choreographer.

May 13th, 2009 Tveit and Bernstine named 2009 Derwent winnersNEW YORK — Aaron Tveit (TUH'-vate) of "Next to Normal" and Quincy Tyler Bernstine of "Ruined" are winners of the 2009 Clarence Derwent Awards, given each year to the most promising performers on the New York stage. In "Next to Normal," Tviet plays the son of a woman dealing with bipolar disorder, while Bernstine portrays a young prostitute in Lynn Nottage's Pulitzer Prize-winning play "Ruined." The winners were announced by Actors' Equity Foundation, which administers the prizes.

May 5th, 2009 Critics name 'Ruined' best playNEW YORK — "Ruined," Lynn Nottage's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama set against the backdrop of an African civil war, has been named best play of the season by the New York Drama Critics' Circle. "Billy Elliot," the story of a British coal miner's son and his dreams of becoming a dancer, was picked as best musical.