Brian H. Scott News

Abingdon Theatre Company, under the artistic direction of Tony Speciale, presents the world premiere of CHESS MATCH NO. 5, conceived and directed by Anne Bogart, with text arranged by Jocelyn Clarke from the words of John Cage.

Celebrating the unique ability of music and the arts to address challenging social and moral issues, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO) presents LIFT EVERY VOICE, a three-week, city-wide series of free and ticketed concerts, conversations and community engagement curated by LACO Music Director Jeffrey Kahane from January 14 to 29, 2017, at venues across the Southland.  LIFT EVERY VOICE, conceived and curated by Kahane to explore themes of tolerance, compassion, cooperation and creativity along with the power of music to encourage understanding and promote peace, was inspired by the lives of human and civil rights champions Rabbi Joachim Prinz, composer Kurt Weill and Martin Luther King, Jr.  The series is a signature part of Kahane's 20th and final LACO season, which features programming that reflects his far-reaching impact, broad musical sensibilities, distinctive philosophical interests and tremendous artistic passion.  Among LIFT EVERY VOICE's highlights are the first Los Angeles performance since the 1950s of Weill's profound anti- apartheid musical Lost in the Stars, directed by Anne Bogart, and Weill/Brecht's satirical The Seven Deadly Sins with chanteuse Storm Large, both provocative works addressing weighty moral issues; violinist Daniel Hope featured on the U.S. premiere of Weill's Song-Suite For Violin and Orchestra arranged by Paul Bateman; the West Coast premiere of Bruce Adolphe's Violin Concerto “I Will Not Remain Silent”; a joint performance with the Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles (ICYOLA); and symposiums a chamber music program and film screenings. 

Celebrating the unique ability of music and the arts to address challenging social and moral issues, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO) presents LIFT EVERY VOICE, a three-week, city-wide series of free and ticketed concerts, conversations and community engagement curated by LACO Music Director Jeffrey Kahane from January 14 to 29, 2017, at venues across the Southland. 

Inspired by the world's oldest living tree, Phantom Limb Company weaves an enchanting eco-fable through marionette-puppetry, dance, and original music with Memory Rings at BAM, Nov 17-20.

Celebrating the unique ability of music and the arts to address challenging social and moral issues, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO) presents LIFT EVERY VOICE, a three-week, city-wide series of free and ticketed concerts, conversations and community engagement curated by LACO Music Director Jeffrey Kahane from January 14 to 29, 2017, at venues across the Southland.  LIFT EVERY VOICE, conceived and curated by Kahane to explore themes of tolerance, compassion, cooperation and creativity along with the power of music to encourage understanding and promote peace, was inspired by the lives of human and civil rights champions Rabbi Joachim Prinz, composer Kurt Weill and Martin Luther King, Jr.  The series is a signature part of Kahane's 20th and final LACO season, which features programming that reflects his far-reaching impact, broad musical sensibilities, distinctive philosophical interests and tremendous artistic passion.  Among LIFT EVERY VOICE's highlights are the first Los Angeles performance since the 1950s of Weill's profound anti- apartheid musical Lost in the Stars, directed by Anne Bogart, and Weill/Brecht's satirical The Seven Deadly Sins with chanteuse Storm Large, both provocative works addressing weighty moral issues; violinist Daniel Hope featured on the U.S. premiere of Weill's Song-Suite For Violin and Orchestra arranged by Paul Bateman; the West Coast premiere of Bruce Adolphe's Violin Concerto “I Will Not Remain Silent”; a joint performance with the Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles (ICYOLA); and symposiums a chamber music program and film screenings. 

Inspired by the world's oldest living tree, Phantom Limb Company weaves an enchanting eco-fable through marionette-puppetry, dance, and original music with Memory Rings at BAM, Nov 17-20.

FIELD GUIDE, a work-in-progress by Rude Mechs, is currently in a second draft performance at the Off Center. Rude Mechs creates new works collaboratively, and with FIELD GUIDE they are actively engaging their audience to get feed back on what works and what doesn't in order to help shape the piece. FIELD GUIDE, commissioned by the Yale Repertory Theatre, is a mash-up of Dostoyevsky's The Brothers Karamazov, stand-up comedy, dance and some frankly uncomfortable direct audience addressing confessions. How much of the direct confessions are fact or fiction we'll never really know. What we do know is this is an excitingly different evening of pure theatricality… an evening that you, as an audience member, are being asked to help define. Along the way during your 90 minute journey the Mechs cover topics from the longest Russian novel written such as intellectualism, spiritualism, sensuality and hedonism. While it is ostensibly an adaptation of The Brothers Karamazov, it really just uses the characters in the briefest Cliff Notes sense. This approach allows the performers to riff on the underlying themes present. There is even an unaccredited moment by Tom Lehrer when Robert S. Fisher performs 'They're Rioting in Africa'. What you are treated to is highly experimental in nature and at moments what ensues is truly magical.

The world premiere of the staged version of My Lai, Harris Theater's brand new commission for the Kronos Quartet composed by Jonathan Berger, will make its debut on Friday, January 29 at 7:30 PM. After outstanding reviews at the concert premiere of My Lai at Stanford University in October, the Harris looks forward to welcoming this deeply emotional and important story to Chicago.

With only 30 audience members per performance, your experience with the Rude Mech's NOW NOW OH NOW begins when you get your tickets. Each audience member must choose from one of six symbols. Your choice will group you into a tribe of five members. You are about to embark on an adventure with people you've never met before. Oh, the places you'll go…

The 2015 Pulitzer Prize-winner Julia Wolfe's art ballad STEEL HAMMER comes to BAM in a dramatic reincarnation by director Anne Bogart, performed by six members of SITI Company, Bang on a Can All-Stars, and three vocalists- Emily Eagen, Katie Geissinger, Molly Quinn.

The 2015 Pulitzer Prize-winner Julia Wolfe's art ballad STEEL HAMMER comes to BAM in a dramatic reincarnation by director Anne Bogart, performed by six members of SITI Company, Bang on a Can All-Stars, and three vocalists- Emily Eagen, Katie Geissinger, Molly Quinn. The production makes its New York Premiere, presented by Julia Wolfe, SITI Company and Bang on a Can All-Stars, at the BAM Harvey Theater (651 Fulton St), December 2-6, 2015.

Since high school I have found Greek tragedy a repetitious, tedious bore - lots of emoting with zero action and no laughs. As I watched the magnificent SITI Company from New York perform Aeschylus' very first tragedy Persians at the Getty Villa in Malibu, things took a different turn, I somehow became fascinated ... primarily by Anne Bogart's fluid staging and the company of 9 impeccably disciplined and graceful actors.

LCT3/Lincoln Center Theater's presentation of STOP HITTING YOURSELF, created by Rude Mechs, the Austin, TX based theater collective, opened last night, January 27. This world premiere features Thomas Graves, Heather Hanna, Joey Hood, Hannah Kenah, Lana Lesley, E. Jason Liebrecht, and Paul Soileau. Commissioned by LCT3, STOP HITTING YOURSELF is written by Kirk Lynn and directed by Shawn Sides and will run through Sunday, February 23 at the Claire Tow Theater (150 West 65th Street). All tickets are $20. BroadwayWorld brings you a look back the opening night festivities below!

Artistic Director Les Waters and Managing Director Jennifer Bielstein have announced O Guru Guru Guru, or why I don't want to go to yoga class with you by Mallery Avidon, directed by former Actors Theatre directing intern Lila Neugebauer. The play will run in the Victor Jory Theatre beginning tonight, March 20, opening March 22 and running through April 7th.

Artistic Director Les Waters and Managing Director Jennifer Bielstein have announced O Guru Guru Guru, or why I don't want to go to yoga class with you by Mallery Avidon, directed by former Actors Theatre directing intern Lila Neugebauer. The play will run in the Victor Jory Theatre beginning on March 20, opening March 22 and running through April 7th. The production is part of the 37th Humana Festival of New American Plays, made possible by a generous grant from the Humana Foundation.

Tina Benko stars in Jackie, the North American premiere of the play by Nobel Prize winning Austrian Elfriede Jelinek, best known in the United States for her novel The Piano Teacher and the 2001 film based on it. Directed by Tea Alagic from the English translation by Gitta Honegger, Jackie opens tonight, March 5, at 7:30pm at Women's Project Theater's new home, New York City Center Stage II, 131 West 55th Street.

Previews begin today (February 24) for Tina Benko starring in Jackie, the North American premiere of the play by Nobel Prize winning Austrian Elfriede Jelinek, best known in the United States for her novel The Piano Teacher and the 2001 film based on it. Directed by Tea Alagic from the English translation by Gitta Honegger, Jackie opens Tuesday, March 5, at 7:30pm at Women's Project Theater's new home, New York City Center Stage II, 131 West 55th Street.

Previews begin Sunday (February 24) for Tina Benko starring in Jackie, the North American premiere of the play by Nobel Prize winning Austrian Elfriede Jelinek, best known in the United States for her novel The Piano Teacher and the 2001 film based on it. Directed by Tea Alagic from the English translation by Gitta Honegger, Jackie opens Tuesday, March 5, at 7:30pm at Women's Project Theater's new home, New York City Center Stage II, 131 West 55th Street.