Sister Act, the classic 1992 musical comedy starring Whoopi Goldberg, is the latest film to receive the ‘live cinema’ treatment with the ‘Sister Act Live Choir’, UK Tour presented by Amacoast Cinema. Film fans have been clamouring for pop-ups and live cinema experiences in recent years, as audiences look for new, innovative ways to enjoy the films they know and films that will turn into instant classics. Sister Act fans from across the UK will be immersed in a fresh new cinematic, musical experience. Recently some of the iconic original cast members reunited for an incredible choir performance to celebrate the film’s 25^th year anniversary and it’s fitting that the tour kicks off in the celebratory year.

Sister Act Live Choir will boast a full-piece choir and band, as they accompany the onscreen nuns with live performances of songs from the film’s original soundtrack. “We are delighted to be touring this powerful and uplifting live cinema experience” says founder, Dele Aro. The show has had two successful, sold out runs in London in Autumn 2016 and April 2017. Dele added “We were delighted to see the shows connect such a large diverse group of people, to share in a unique experience and create new memories around a much-loved film”.

Sister Act tells the hilarious story of Vegas lounge singer Deloris Van Cartier (played by Whoopi Goldberg), who after witnessing a murder at the hands of her boyfriend has to enter witness protection to avoid a similar fate. She turns to the one place that she hopes he will never look - a Convent! Disguised as a nun Deloris woefully tries to adopt her new lifestyle and after several false starts, she finally finds her voice at the heart of the church choir.

“Whether you’re a Sister Act fan or not, the soundtrack is amazing and the nuns sing with so much soul. I Will Follow Him is my favourite song, it has what I call the ‘feels’…” says show Choir Director, Lovedale Harrison. Sister Act Live Choir includes live performances of original film soundtrack favourites such as ‘Hail Holy Queen’, ‘My Guy (My God)’ and ‘I Will Follow Him’. Creative Director Kandi Aro adds, “There’s nothing quite like live entertainment. Adding this element to Sister Act really does provide a novel and memorable way to experience this cult film”.

Sister Act Live Choir will feature the Uplifted Voices choir for the show, who have featured on BBC Gospel Proms, and provided backing choirs for the live shows on ITV’s The Voice, Britain’s Got Talent, and The X Factor shows. One of the lead signers from Uplifted Voices’ is the super talented Diamantina, who was born in Germany of Kosovan parents. From refugee to rising star, Diamantina has found her strength and confidence in music and performance, and Sister Act Live Choir has enabled her to share her talents with a much wider audience. She says, “We’re reliving Sister Act in an energetic way I’ve never seen done before.” There will also be special guest performances from Britain’s Got Talent Semi-finalist’s ‘Gospel Singers Incognito’ (GSI) and Byron Gold’s ‘Gold Vocal Collective (GVC).

The story of a legendary singer-songwriter and activist comes to life in the critically-acclaimed ‘Nina – A Story About Me And Nina Simone’ at Birmingham Repertory Theatre.

Celebrating the singer-songwriter’s political passion and musical genius, Nina – A Story About Me And Nina Simone,’ is a searing mix of storytelling and songs. Starring the Olivier award-nominated, Josette Bushell-Mingo, and accompanied by a live band, the show draws together tales from the life of Nina Simone and Josette’s own extraordinary career.

Nina Simone was one of the most extraordinary artists of the twentieth century. She was the consummate musical storyteller who used her remarkable talent to create a legacy of liberation, empowerment, and love through her work. Touching upon the 1960s civil rights movement, the show draws into parallel the struggles of the civil rights movement today and questions how far we’ve really come.

Having played to packed out audiences at London’s Young Vic and at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival the show now comes to Birmingham as part of a UK tour. Some of Nina Simone’s best-loved songs such as ‘Feeling Good,’ ‘I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free’ and ‘I Loves You Porg’y combine with a clear provocation in this production directed by Dritëro Kasapi who said: “The music of Nina Simone is really iconic. She was a true pioneer, and a virtuoso musical storyteller. Josette lays her heart on the line in this production, just like Nina did performance after performance.”

Josette Bushell-Mingo OBE added: “When I began the artistic process for Nina – A Story About Me And Nina Simone, I thought that the piece was going to be about my relationship with Nina. I have found that it is much more than that. The production is about our relationship to each other, through the prism of Blackness.”

Nina – A Story About Me And Nina Simone will be at The REP from 6 – 10 March

British soul legend, Seal, brought the glamour of old Hollywood to the present, alongside his classic hits, as his ‘Standards’ album tour mixed the old school classics like ‘Luck Be A Lady Tonight’ and ‘I Put A Spell On You,’ with his own ‘Killer’ and ‘Kiss From A Rose.’

Backed by a well-oiled big band, the multi-award winning star’s signature, velvety warm vocals brought

Symphony Hall Birmingham to life with further classics made popular by Frank Sinatra - such as ‘I’ve Got You Under My Skin’ and ‘It Was A Very Good Year,’ Ella Fitzgerald (‘I’m Beginning to See The Light’) and Nina Simone’s ‘I Put A Spell on You.’

In a career spanning three decades, racking up over 30 million records sales worldwide and a string of Grammy, Brit and Ivor Novello awards along the way, Seal continues to shine as one of the world’s brightest music stars.

The 55-year-old singer/songwriter presenting a 90-minute show packed with beautiful covers and timeless hits, from the second he kicked off the set – to the very end with every classic song sang with stunning power and devotion to the cause.

From the overely enthused response from the staunchly supporting crowd, the icon then moved on to his catalogue of hits, beginning with 1994 favourite ‘Kiss From A Rose’ while strumming along on an acoustic guitar

The highlight of the night then came when he climbed down from the stage to sing among the crowd, performing tremendous renditions of ‘Killer’ and ‘Fly Like An Eagle,’ which sent his fans wild. He danced with some and hugged by others as he freely posed for pictures - but was basically mobbed by others who more or less clung to him as he moved around the hall.

The great man love getting close-up to his followers, showing his down-to-earth, compassionate nature and great a sense of humour.

Ending the show with yet another class - ‘Crazy’ - the star danced around the stage and ended what was an already brilliant show with a bang, before encouraging the crowd to applaud his talented band.

An impeccably clean sound throughout, Seal’s performance at the Symphony Hall was more than ‘Standard.’

Fresh from her hugely successful debut show ‘What Would Beyoncé Do?!’, star of Comic Relief and Live at The Apollo, Luisa Omelan will bring the cream of UK stand-up talent to Birmingham this February for a one-off comedy bonanza with 100% of all proceeds donated to Helena’s Hospice Foundation.

Featuring a phenomenal line up of some of the best comics in the country, Dead Funny, will see ten of the brightest stars in UK stand-up unite for a 2-hour comedy extravaganza featuring guest appearances by Sara Pascoe, Mo Gilligan, Tom Allen, Ellie Taylor, Iain Stirling, Dan Nightingale, Tez Ilyas, Jen Brister, Suzi Ruffell and Aaron Twitchen.

In October 2017, Luisa had a full UK tour booked in the diary, which was expected to be her signature ‘party with jokes in’ style of comedy. However, in July of 2017, Luisa sadly lost her mother to a short but extremely brutal battle with cancer. Luisa still wanted to take the stage and honour the tour dates, so instead, she opted to talk about her mother’s journey with raw, unrelenting emotion; culminating in a huge emotional performance of ‘Luisa: Live’ at the O2 Shepherds Bush Empire – receiving praise from the likes of BBC commissioner Shane Allen, and Dawn French.

During this tour, Luisa received donations from audience members to kick start a charity in her dearly beloved mum’s name. And so, Helena’s Hospice Foundation was born. The foundation helps hospices around the UK by buying things that are not a priority on their budget but make a world of difference to those people experiencing end-of-life care; such as baths, family and guest beds, Sky TV, vending machines, beauty treatments etc.

Top billing musicians from Latin America will be helping to further raise the tempo for the fourth annual Aruba Summer Music Festival on June 29 and 30.

This weekend festival on the Dutch Caribbean island offers two nights full of energy and captivating live music and will be hosted at The Harbor Arena, an ideal location in downtown Oranjestad.

Created on 2014 to further extend Aruba's established calendar of annual international musical events and cultural festivals, The Summer Festival has proved a hit with both visitors and locals.

'Aruba Summer Music Festival is a vibrant celebration, highlighting our island's cultural diversity, influential art, and dynamic musical talent,' said Ronella Tjin Asjoe-Croes, CEO of Aruba Tourism Authority (ATA).

'We hope this seasonal extravaganza delights visitors and locals alike, as it encompasses our island's blended heritage and showcases the countless talents and unique artistry influenced by 90-plus nationalities.'

The line-up on Friday, June 29 will include energetic performances by Puerto Rican singer/songwriter, Ozuna, together with the Venezuelan singer and activist, Nacho. Popular local bands Buleria, D'Licious and 'N Fuzion complete the line-up.

For the following, Saturday, night the audience can expect to dance the night away to performances by Dominican merengue singer Eddy Herrera; the respected Venezuelan-born singer-songwriter Felipe Pipe Pelaez; the Grammy-nominated Puerto Rican salsa singer-songwriter Victor Manuelle; and the Colombian Fonseca, whose style embraces traditional music from his home country.

With the lapping Caribbean Sea as a backdrop, each year this rhythmic showcase attracts international visitors and musicians from around the world, enhancing Aruba's economy and highlighting its ever-growing art and multicultural presence.

The acclaimed Tjungu Festival is returning to Ayers Rock Resort on 26-29 April 2018. In its fifth consecutive year, this vibrant celebration of Australian Indigenous culture features music, dance, film, fashion, food, sport and more. This year's festival will include a special focus on Indigenous art and a performance by Australian country music favourite Troy Cassar-Daley.

“Tjungu (pronounced tjoo-ngoo) means coming together in local Anangu language, and the festival brings together the best of traditional and contemporary Indigenous culture, providing a platform for exciting new performers, designers and producers. This year we are pleased to introduce a new art initiative which will shine a spotlight on prominent and emerging Central Australian artists,” said Andrew Williams, Chief Executive Officer of Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia.

Highlights of the four day festival include an Indigenous Fashion Parade featuring top Indigenous model Samantha Harris, and celebrity chef Mark Olive will return to present the “Tastes of Tjungu Desert Dining Experience” under the stars, featuring a contemporary bush foods-inspired menu. Troy Cassar-Daley and rising young star Alice Skye will give a special, not-to-be missed performance. New for 2018 is the Tjungu Collective – an exhibition featuring art works from Central Australian Art Centres, and Tjungu Curates – an opportunity for festival-goers to meet artists and curators from the Art Centres.

The action-packed event also includes a local Anangu Welcome to Country with Inma dance; lively Indigenous art markets; a screening of the hit movie The Sapphires accompanied by the “Our Stories” documentary on Central Australian band on the rise, Apakatjah, who are also the festival's final night concert headliners, and musical performances from pop and soul singer Johanna Campbell and youth drumming group Drum Atweme.

The annual Tjungu Cup, including softball and AFL matches featuring local football teams, will play, supported by AFL hero and Indigenous rights ambassador Nicky Winmar. Guests will also enjoy regular free Indigenous activities including Bush Yarns, Anangu Way Language and Cultural classes, a Bush Food Experience, and an Ecology and Museum Tour of the region's history, geology, flora and fauna.

“Ayers Rock Resort is renowned for offering exceptional Indigenous Tourism experiences for guests and the Tjungu Festival takes this to an even higher level,” said Andrew.