Liza's Back - Liza Minnelli is to return to the London Palladium later this year as part of a series of one-off shows. An Intimate Evening with Liza Minnelli will include a 90-minute on-stage interview as well as featuring Minnelli performing alongside her long-time musical director and pianist Billy Stritch. The evening will also include an audience question and answer session. The show will take place on 20 September, marking Minnelli's fifth engagement at the venue. She will then visit City Hall in Sheffield (22) and the Clyde Auditorium in Glasgow (24).
Minnelli said, "I'm always so excited to return to Britain, which I've considered to be a second home for many years. I have so many friends there and I look forward to being back again for these special intimate evenings. Whenever I do concerts people always say they want to hear about me growing up, being on Broadway, in the movies, the people I've met and worked with, so this will give me a chance to share a lot more of those stories."
Pure Imagination - A musical revue celebrating songwriter Leslie Bricusse will be staged in London later this year. Pure Imagination - The Songs of Leslie Bricusse will run at the St James Theatre for four weeks from 24 September. The show - which will feature songs including Feeling Good, Goldfinger and Talk to the Animals - will be directed by Christopher Renshaw, and is produced by Danielle Tarento. Michael England will be musical director.
Property News - Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch is up for sale, according to reports. The property that once served as the late pop star's home is being listed at $100m (£65.2m), according to The Wall Street Journal. The ranch, which has faced an uncertain future since Jackson's death in 2009, contains a train station, six-bedroom house and 50-seat cinema. The listing agents told the newspaper they will be carrying out "extensive prequalification" of potential buyers before showing them around. Jacko paid $19.5m (£12.7m) for the property back in 1988 and renamed it Neverland after Peter Pan's island dwelling.
Blues In Heaven - US President Barack Obama hailed singer and guitarist BB King a "legend" and "the king of blues" as the entertainer's body was laid to rest in his hometown in Mississippi. Some 500 people gathered for the funeral service held at Bell Grove Missionary Baptist Church, which sits in a field off BB King Road in Indianola. Many waved hand-held fans with a black-and-white photo of the smiling Blues pioneer - who influenced generations of entertainers - hugging his black electric guitar, Lucille.
Politician Bennie Thompson and a friend of King read out a letter sent by Mr Obama, which said, "The blues has lost its king and American has lost a legend. No one worked harder than B.B. No one did more to spread the gospel of the blues. He gets stuck in your head, he gets you moving, he gets you doing the things you probably shouldn't do - but will always be glad you did. BB may be gone but that thrill will be with us forever. And there's going to be one killer blues session in heaven t
