Cricket World Cup

Cricket fans from around the world are converging on the West Indies for the 2007 Cricket World Cup.

The tournament, which takes place every four years, will begin warm up matches on March 5 with competitive play running from March 13 to the final rounds at the end of April. The last Cricket World Cup was held in South Africa in 2003 when Australia won the cup. With matches scheduled on islands across the West Indies, spectators are booking hotel packages to follow their teams throughout the Cricket World Cup.

Howard Katz

The American premiere of the dark drama Howard Katz opens today off-Broadway at the Laura Pels Theatre.

Renowned actor Alfred Molina will star in the title role of the Roundabout Theatre Company presentation. Molina has appeared in numerous films and stage productions including Fiddler on the Roof. Doug Hughes, who won a Tony Award for his work on the drama Doubt, will direct the New York production of Howard Katz. The play follows the downward spiral of a talent agent whose life takes a turn for the worse.

The Fray Tour

Multiplatinum piano rock band, The Fray, has announced six weeks of amphitheatre tour dates for the summer.

The group will begin the tour on June 11 in Minneapolis and continue through until August 5 in Morrison, Colorado. Various bands opening for the tour include Gomez, Mae, OK Go and Eisley. The Fray is currently touring Europe with a handful of Canadian dates coming up in March and two gigs in Las Vegas with the Dave Matthews Band. The band's 2005 debut album, How to Save a Life, has been certified double platinum.

Spring is in Swing

Spring training has begun in Major League Baseball giving teams a month to warm up before the regular season.

As players dust off their bats and gloves, fans will be watching spring training games across the country to try and predict who will be the best of 2007. Regular season games begin on Sunday, April 1 with defending World Series champions, the St. Louis Cardinals, hosting the New York Mets. Also playing on opening day will be the Oakland Athletics on home turf against the San Francisco Giants.

Idol Onstage

American Idol winner Fantasia Barrino will join the cast of The Color Purple on Broadway this spring.

Barrino will take on the role of Celie in the hit Broadway production in late April. She won the third season of American Idol when she defeated Diana DeGarmo, who has also appeared on Broadway in the comedy Hairspray. Idol alumni who have also stepped onstage include Constantine Maroulis, who performed in the musical adaptation of The Wedding Singer, and Frenchie Davie, who had a role in Rent.