St. Petersburg is not only Russia's most beautiful city, but arguably also one of the most sought after destinations in Europe. Now it is challenging Paris and London to become a center for theatrical art.

A crowd of 5,000 people watched a 50 foot high spider come to life in the King's Dock area of Liverpool at 11.30am this morning amongst a backdrop of fire and smoke, before a further 20,000 people witnessed its crawl through The Strand area of the city, accompanied by classical music, until it finally came to rest upon the side of a nearby office building.

This October the State Theatre presents a variety of shows including America's favorite humorist David Sedaris (10/2/08), whose new book When You Are Engulfed in Flames has been topping the book charts; Latin dance and music extravaganza, Venezuela Viva (10/11/08); violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter with the Camerata Salzburg (10/16/08); and the U.S. premiere of Spaghetti Western Orchestra (10/24/08).

Long Wharf Theatre, under the leadership of Artistic Director Gordon Edelstein and Managing Director Joan Channick, is pleased to announce the addition of the Athol Fugard one-act play Valley Song to the 2008-09 season.

Will Rogers, the American folk hero who claimed “I never met a man I didn’t like,” will be celebrated by the Diablo Light Opera Company (DLOC) in a sparkling production of the award-winning Broadway musical that is his life in revue.

Alone in her bland kitchen, consumed by boredom and the dull ache of routine, Shirley Valentine is talking to the walls until she commits the ultimate housewife faux-pas: serving her husband the wrong dinner.

"Is there a world you long to see?", a lyric from Les Miserables' famous march Do You Hear the People Sing, serves as the theme for the 2008-2009 Fulton Theatre Season. This year the Fulton opens the season with the seminal work that set the standard for the modern musical and closes with the most ambitious production in Fulton history! In between, are more laughs, thrills, chills and heart-swelling moments than ever before.

Oprah Winfrey, Scott Sanders and the producing team of the Broadway smash hit THE COLOR PURPLE,The Musical about Love, are proud to announce that Theatre Under The Stars in Houston, TX will host the first North American Touring production of THE COLOR PURPLE for 16 PERFORMANCES, September 16-28, 2008.

Described by Wajdi Mouawad as an exploration of “the questions of origins”, Scorched centers on Jeanne and her twin brother Simon, who are summoned to the office of a notary to hear the last will and testament of their mother, Nawal. They are each handed a letter written by their mother; one is to be delivered to their brother and one to their father.

Set in 1964 in a Bronx Catholic school, Doubt centres around an older nun, Sister Aloysius, who does not approve of teachers offering friendship and compassion over the discipline she feels students need in order to face the harsh world.

Australian gypsy punk cabaret sensations Martin Martini and the Bone Palace Orchestra's unique music mixes funk with junk, circus with rock, and everything from waltz and swing to blues. Each gig is an unpredictable, theatrical experience, littered with Martini's unorthodox and darkly funny tales. Through surreal and mystical lyrics, their songs offer a twisted insight into timeless human conditions and political concerns.

Goodspeed Musicals, the only two time Tony Award winning theatre in the country, announces the cast of Half a Sixpence, a delightful musical comedy which promises to be fun for the whole family. Half a Sixpence will run through September 19, 2008, at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Connecticut.