High Society - Maria Friedman will direct a revival of High Society, as part of the Old Vic's 2015 season. The musical adaptation of the 1956 film will be performed in the round, and will have a four-month run at the theatre from 30 April until 22 August 22. Friedman said, "To stage High Society in the round at the Old Vic is a hugely exciting project providing the perfect immersive environment for a sparkling musical celebration of wedding day shenanigans. I am really looking forward to transporting audiences into the glamorous heart of this world and hope they enjoy the party."
Half Time Entertainment - Katy Perry is to headline the NFL Super Bowl half-time show next February. The show is the most-watched musical event of the year, with a record 115m viewers in the US watching this year's half-time show. Perry is currently on her Prismatic world tour in Australia where she has expressed her views on the local paparazzi, calling them "perverted and disgusting".
Off The Road - Cher has cancelled the remainder of her Dressed to Kill tour after doctors advised she needed more time to recover from an ongoing viral infection. The singer said she was "devastated". "Nothing like this has ever happened to me," she lamented, in a statement. "I sincerely hope that we can come back again next year and finish what we started."
On The Beach - Author Ali Smith has been named as the guest director of the 2015 Brighton Festival. Smith, whose novel How to Be Both was shortlisted for the 2014 Man Booker Prize, will be responsible for shaping the festival's three-week programme, which includes theatre, music, dance, circus and visual arts and runs from 2-24 May with the programme to be announced in February.
Shipping News - Sting is to join the cast of his Broadway musical The Last Ship next month. The singer will play the role of foreman Jackie White - replacing Jimmy Nail - in the semi-autobiographical story about a prodigal son who returns home to Tyneside. He will appear for eight shows a week from 9 December until 10 January. It is thought Sting is appearing in the show - for which he wrote the music and lyrics - to help boost ticket sales which have flagged recently. The $15m (£9.3m) show opened on 26 October to mixed reviews.
School Play - A new £8m arts centre has been proposed for Tiverton in Devon, including a theatre that could seat up to 500 people. The centre, planned by Tiverton High School as part of an expansion of its campus, would be able to host medium-scale touring companies, as well as community and educational theatre. Jon Sowden, the school's partnership director who worked as a manager in West End theatres, said, "Part of our mission at the school is, of course, making the young people feel good about themselves, but that really is predicated upon the whole community feeling good about itself. So providing good things for the community is really central to our mission here."
Final Notes - Monty Python's Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life has become the most popular tune to play at a UK funeral. A study by a chain of funeral directors found the 1979 Life of Brian song had overtaken Frank Sinatra's My Way as the preferred choice of music. David Collingwood, of The Co-operative Funeralcare, suggested the findings represented "a generational shift in attitudes towards funerals". Hymns The Lord Is My Shep
