Quick Takes: Larry King hits the stage

Former talk-show host Larry King is not done talking.

King, who retired last year after 25 years at CNN, will be taking the stage in seven communities to talk about his storied career in a one-man show.

The 77-year-old will offer theatergoers an inside look at his life and let them ask questions of the Emmy Award winner when “Larry King: Stand Up” kicks off April 14 in Connecticut.

The show will then make stops in Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, New Jersey and Nevada, ending June 11 at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas.

—Associated Press

Spain’s woes hit opera season

Spain’s economic crisis has forced Barcelona’s Liceu opera house to delay the opening of its 2011-12 season by a month and could lead to temporary layoffs at the famous theater, a spokeswoman said Tuesday.

The Liceu said cuts in subsidies by the Spanish Culture Ministry and the regional government of Catalonia have reduced its 2011-12 budget to $66 million, down $14 million from two years ago.

The Liceu said that, despite the changes, it will stage 119 shows in 2011-12, just five fewer than the current season.

—Associated Press

Playhouse aims for a comic start

Having taken charge again of its second stage, the Carrie Hamilton Theatre, after six years in which it was assigned to the Furious Theatre Co., the Pasadena Playhouse’s opening gambit is a proven, mainstream comic commodity.

“‘Til Death Do Us Part: Late Nite Catechism 3” inaugurates the new era for the 75-seat space, with a run March 3 to April 3; it’s the latest in Maripat Donovan’s series of solo comedy turns as the redoubtable nun Sister.

The show, which is heavy on audience interaction, was given its premiere nearly two years ago at the Laguna Playhouse, where Donovan has become a regular; “Catechism 3” also had a recent two-week run at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts. She launched the franchise in Chicago in 1993, and since 1999 it has played regularly to Southern California audiences in assorted venues — including previously at the Pasadena Playhouse.

—Mike Boehm

Grammy winner facing jail time

Nine days after winning a Grammy in L.A., reggae singer Buju Banton was convicted in Tampa, Fla., on Tuesday of conspiring to set up a cocaine deal in 2009.

A federal jury deliberated for 11 hours over two days on the fate of Banton, who on Feb. 13 won a reggae album Grammy for “Before the Dawn.” He was found guilty of three of four charges, and his attorney said he’s facing at least 15 years in prison.

The 37-year-old Banton, whose given name is Mark Myrie, remains wildly popular in Jamaica, and the trial — his second over the drug accusations — was packed with supporters that included other well-known reggae artists. The first trial ended in a mistrial last year after the jury deadlocked.

Defense attorney David Markus said he plans to appeal the conviction and will file a motion to try to get Banton out of jail on bond in the meantime. A sentencing date has not been set.

—Associated Press

Garth Brooks a Songwriters pick

Country kingpin Garth Brooks, Oklahoma rocker Leon Russell and New Orleans R&B godfather Allen Toussaint are among the 2011 inductees for the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

They’ll be welcomed in at a June 16 ceremony in New York City along with John Bettis and the team of Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly, whose songs became hits in the hands of Michael Jackson, Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, Whitney Houston and many others.

Toussaint’s compositions over nearly six decades have been recorded by artists including Paul McCartney, Elvis Costello, the Rolling Stones, Glen Campbell, the Pointer Sisters, Irma Thomas and Lee Dorsey.

Previous inductees include Elton John and Bernie Taupin, Kris Kristofferson, Bruce Springsteen, Dolly Parton, Van Morrison, Leonard Cohen and James Brown.

—Randy Lewis

Finally

Reality renewals: NBC renewed three reality series for the 2011-12 season: “The Biggest Loser,” “The Sing-Off” and “Who Do You Think You Are?”

Book find: Dozens of Thomas Jefferson’s books, some including handwritten notes from the nation’s third president, have been found in the rare books collection at Washington University in St. Louis. They’ve been there since 1880.