Eric Idle and John DuPrez's NOT THE MESSIAH and More Highlight The Collegiate Chorale's 2014-15 Season

The Collegiate Chorale announces its 2014-15 season: the New York City Premiere of Eric Idle and John DuPrez's Not the Messiah (He's a Very Naughty Boy) at Carnegie Hall, followed by George F. Handel's Susanna at Town Hall, and the US Premiere of Kurt Weill and Franz Werfel's The Road of Promise at Carnegie Hall.

For more information and tickets, visit http://collegiatechorale.org/season-ticket/.

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Not the Messiah (He's a Very Naughty Boy)

December 15-16 2014 at 8pm at Carnegie Hall; tickets $30-145

Featuring Eric Idle, Victoria Clark, Marc Kudisch, Lauren Worsham, and William Ferguson, with the American Symphony Orchestra and Conductor/Director Ted Sperling.

From the creators of the hit Broadway musical Spamalot, Not The Messiah (He's a Very Naughty Boy) is a zany spoof on Handel's Messiah, based on Monty Python's Life of Brian. Described by Eric Idle as "Baroque-N-Roll," Not The Messiah features a lively pastiche of musical styles ranging from pop, country, and Broadway to doo-wop, hip hop, and Greek chorus. Hit songs include "Hail to the Shoe," "We Love Sheep," and the audience favorite and sing-along "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life."

Tickets on sale September 4, 2014.

Susanna

February 3, 2015 at 8pm at Town Hall; tickets $30-95

Featuring Isabel Leonard and Daniela Mack, with the American Symphony Orchestra, Conductor James Bagwell, and Director Ted Sperling.

Bridging the genres of oratorio and ballad opera, Handel's intriguing Susanna originally premiered at Covent Garden in 1749. Based on an apocryphal chapter from the biblical Book of Daniel, Susanna tells the story of a virtuous young woman who is falsely accused of sexual promiscuity by two lecherous elders. Aided by the boy prophet Daniel, the true nature of the elders is exposed and Susanna is proven innocent. Tickets on sale November 6, 2014.

The Road of Promise

May 6, 2015 at 8pm and May 7, 2015 at 7pm at Carnegie Hall; tickets $30-135

Featuring Anthony Dean Griffey, Danny Burstein, and Mark Delavan with the American Symphony Orchestra, and Conductor/Director Ted Sperling.

The Road of Promise is a new concert adaptation of Kurt Weill and Franz Werfel's 1937 epic musical spectacle, The Eternal Road. A dramatic mix of opera, musical theater, and biblical pageant play, The Road of Promise tells the story of a young boy left in the care of a Rabbi and his congregation in the wake of an anti-Jewish pogrom. To calm the boy's fears and help him understand his faith and heritage, the Rabbi recounts ancient biblical tales, and as he does, the stories of Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, Rachel, Moses, Ruth, Saul, and David all come to life. Tickets on sale January 8, 2015.

The Collegiate Chorale's 2013-14 Season continues with battle hymns on May 15, 2014 at 7:30pm at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, Pier 86, 12th Ave. & 46th Street in New York, NY. Regular General Admission tickets are $60 and Premium General Admission tickets are $125. Tickets are available by phone at 646-202-9623 or online at www.collegiatechorale.org.

battle hymns

one drum, 200 voices...

A soldier's letter to his wife, a speech by Abraham Lincoln, lyrics to Stephen Foster songs - these are the words of battle hymns, Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Lang's innovative choral exploration of the feelings of people in times of war. On May 15, 2014, The Collegiate Chorale will present the New York Premiere of this unusual and haunting work, performed within the expansive Hangar Deck of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, a setting rich in the remembrance of wars served.

Written for large choral forces and one solo drum, battle hymns is ideally realized by the top-flight Collegiate Chorale, joined by members of the Veteran Artist Program and the Manhattan Girls Chorus. The combined 200 voices will sing out in unison, counterpoint, and multi-layered polyphony, to create a unique site-specific experience inside the walls of this hallowed aircraft carrier. Modern music merges with military memory - a one-of-a-kind encounter.

The mission of The Collegiate Chorale is to enrich its audiences through innovative programming and exceptional performances of a broad range of vocal music featuring a premier choral ensemble. Founded in 1941 by the legendary conductor Robert Shaw, The Chorale has established a preeminent reputation for its interpretations of the traditional choral repertoire, vocal works by American composers, and rarely heard operas-in-concert, as well as for commissions and premieres of new works by today's most exciting creative artists. The many guest artists with whom The Chorale has performed in recent years include: Stephanie Blythe, Victoria Clark, Nathan Gunn, Thomas Hampson, Angela Meade, Kelli O'Hara, Eric Owens, Rene Papé, Bryn Terfel and Deborah Voigt. Last season's highlights included the critically acclaimed concert presentation of Bellini's Beatrice di Tenda, NY premieres of works by Philip Glass and Osvaldo Golijov, and a performance of Dallapiccola's Il Prigioniero with the NY Philharmonic and Alan Gilbert. In addition to The Chorale's presentations, the chorus performed in three programs during the American Symphony Orchestra's 2012-13 season, and returned for a sixth time to sing at the Verbier (Switzerland) Festival in the summer of 2013.

For more information about The Collegiate Chorale, visit www.collegiatechorale.org.

*"NOT THE MESSIAH (He's a Very Naughty Boy)" is presented through special arrangement with, and all authorized performance materials are supplied by, Theatrical Rights Worldwide (TRW), 570 Seventh Avenue, Suite 2100, New York, NY 10018. (866) 378-9758 www.theatricalrights.com.