Thomas Michael Allen

(NEW YORK) - David Young placed first in the National Association of Teachers of Singing 2022 National Musical Theatre Competition on Saturday, January 8 at the Neidorff-Karpati Hall, Manhattan School of Music.

On paper, Vivaldi's 1737 opera seria CATONE IN UTICA--involving a confrontation between Cato and Caesar--seems a big mess: The music from the first act is missing and musicologists can't agree what the third act should look and sound like, leaving Act II to make or break a performance of the opera. Opera Lafayette brought us a version that sometimes thrilled us, sometimes tantalized us, but always made us grateful for the performance, fluidly directed by Tazewell Thompson.

On October 24, the not-for-profit development group Musical Mondays Theatre Lab will launch its 14th season with a new name and a very heavy organizational heart. This summer, after years of presenting promising new musicals at the Snapple Theatre Center on Thursdays (because that was the only slot that was open in the schedule), the MMTL Board of Directors voted to change the organization's name to Manhattan Musical Theatre Lab (thereby retaining the corporate initials) with the vote and complete blessing of the group's founder and Co-Artistic Director Richard 'Bick' Goss. Less than a month later Goss died from complications of Parkinson's disease. The director, choreographer and former Bob Fosse dancer was 75. But the shows must go on and the newly christened Manhattan Musical Theatre Lab will dedicate the entire season to Goss' memory and begin its 2013-14 season at the Snapple on October 14 at 5pm with a presentation of The Dirty Hippy Jam Band.

Opera Lafayette, renowned for its interpretation of early French opera, announces the release of its ninth recording on the Naxos label, Pierre-Alexandre Monsigny's 1762 opéra-comique to a libretto by Michel-Jean Sedaine, Le Roi et le fermier. Artistic Director Ryan Brown conducts the Opera Lafayette Orchestra in this world premiere recording featuring tenor Thomas Michael Allen and baritone William Sharp in the title roles, with sopranosDominique Labelle and Yulia Van Doren, mezzo Delores Ziegler, tenors Tony Boutté and Jeffrey Thompson, and baritone Thomas Dolié. The recording has been selected as a Key Release by the Naxos label for August 2013 and will be available worldwide on August 27, 2013. The recording is now available digitally on iTunes, Amazon, and the Naxos Music Library, and Ryan Brown can be heard discussing the work on the August 1 Naxos podcast.

August 2013 sees the release of a world premiere recording of Pierre-Alexandre Monsigny's The King and the Farmer, an 18th-century opéra-comique which foreshadows many aspects of romanticism and made Monsigny famous in France and beyond.

Opera Lafayette, renowned for its interpretation of early French opera, announces the release of its ninth recording on the Naxos label, Pierre-Alexandre Monsigny's 1762 opéra-comique to a libretto by Michel-Jean Sedaine, Le Roi et le fermier. Artistic Director Ryan Brown conducts the Opera Lafayette Orchestra in this world premiere recording featuring tenor Thomas Michael Allen and baritone William Sharp in the title roles, with sopranosDominique Labelle and Yulia Van Doren, mezzo Delores Ziegler, tenors Tony Boutté and Jeffrey Thompson, and baritone Thomas Dolié. The recording has been selected as a Key Release by the Naxos label for August 2013 and will be available worldwide on August 27, 2013. The recording is now available digitally on iTunes, Amazon, and the Naxos Music Library.

The York Theatre Company (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director) will present NEO6, a benefit concert celebrating New, Emerging, Outstanding musical theatre writers, this Monday, May 10 at its home in Saint Peter's Theatre. Following the 7:30 PM performance (featuring the voices of many of today's top musical theatre talent), there will be a champagne and dessert reception to end the evening.