Charlie Parker News

Local Playwright Willard Manus' Joe & Marilyn: A Love Story, a new play about the troubled relationship between baseball great Joe DiMaggio and Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe, debuts this Saturday, April 23rd at 8:00 pm, runs April 23 - May 22, produced by John Lant and Anne Mesa, directed by T.J. Castronovo and starring Rico Simonini and Emily Alicia Low, produced by Write Act Rep@TheBrickhouse Theatre in North Hollywood. The play was developed at the Actors Studio Playwrights/Directors Unit (West Coast), where Manus and Castronovo are fellow-members. He shared with us a bit about the play and quite a bit about his life.

For the last year and a half, San Francisco Bay Area woodwind expert Steven Lugerner has been digging into the music of jazz legend Jackie McLean with Jacknife, Lugerner's hard-hitting West Coast post-bop quintet. The group has completed work on an album, 'The Music of Jackie McLean,' slated for release today, April 22 by Primary Records, and will be touring the West Coast next month with special guest Larry Willis, the virtuoso pianist and former McLean sideman.

Concert aficionados from around the country will want to mark their calendars for Music Mountain, America's oldest continuing summer chamber music festival, when it kicks off its record-breaking 87th Anniversary Season beginning Sunday, June 5th!

Sometimes it seems there is so much theater happening that it's difficult to keep track of it all. From personal experience, despite all the datebooks, smart phones, tablets, desktop computers and laptops...it's hard to keep everything straight in this wacky business of the show.

As Charlie “Bird” Parker, the great jazz saxophonist, who is the central character in CHARLIE PARKER'S YARDBIRD--the opera that had its New York premiere last week at the famed Apollo Theatre in Harlem--Lawrence Brownlee wonderfully embraced the classical and bebop sides of the score.

Sometimes it seems there is so much theater happening that it's difficult to keep track of it all. From personal experience, despite all the datebooks, smart phones, tablets, desktop computers and laptops...it's hard to keep everything straight in this wacky business of the show.

Tenor Lawrence Brownlee, who's justly acclaimed for his high notes--forget about a high C; how about an F above that!?--just finished the New York premiere of the Daniel Schnyder opera CHARLIE PARKER'S YARDBIRD (Bridgette A. Wmberly, librettist), at the famed Apollo Theatre in Harlem. Famed jazz saxophonist Charlie (“Bird”) Parker is a role that was written expressly for him--but that doesn't mean it was without its challenges.

Opera Philadelphia General Director & President David B. Devan today announced that soprano Emily Pogorelc will replace Rachel Sterrenberg as 'Chan Parker' for the New York premiere of Charlie Parker's YARDBIRD, April 1 and 3 at the Apollo Theater.

The Apollo Theater and Opera Philadelphia announced today that Charlie Parker's YARDBIRD, composed by Daniel Schnyder with a libretto by Bridgette A. Wimberly, will have its New York premiere in a co-production between the two institutions, April 1 and 3, 2016.  The engagement marks the first time opera will be performed on the Apollo Theater stage, and the first time Opera Philadelphia will produce in New York. The opera will also be recorded for broadcast in November 2016 on New York City's classical music station 105.9 WQXR, at wqxr.org, and distributed nationally by the WFMT Radio Network.

The Apollo Theater and Opera Philadelphia announced today that Charlie Parker's YARDBIRD will have its New York premiere in a co-production between the two institutions, April 1 and 3, 2016.  The engagement marks the first time opera will be performed on the Apollo Theater stage, and the first time Opera Philadelphia will play New York. 

With the historic New York premiere of Charlie Parker's YARDBIRD just days away, The Apollo Theater and Opera Philadelphia today announced a multi-year partnership that will continue the staging of contemporary operas at the Apollo in future seasons. The next co-production between the two institutions will be the New York premiere of We Shall Not Be Moved, set for the fall of 2017.

With the historic New York premiere of Charlie Parker's YARDBIRD just days away, The Apollo Theater and Opera Philadelphia today announced a multi-year partnership that will continue the staging of contemporary operas at the Apollo in future seasons. The next co-production between the two institutions will be the New York premiere of WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED, set for the fall of 2017.

Sometimes it seems there is so much theater happening that it's difficult to keep track of it all. From personal experience, despite all the datebooks, smart phones, tablets, desktop computers and laptops...it's hard to keep everything straight in this wacky business of the show.

Opera Philadelphia General Director & President David B. Devan today announced that soprano Emily Pogorelc will replace Rachel Sterrenberg as Chan Parker for the New York premiere of Charlie Parker's YARDBIRD, April 1 and 3 at the Apollo Theater. Ms. Sterrenberg, who made her professional debut in the role in June's World Premiere in Philadelphia, has withdrawn from the New York production for personal reasons.

The Apollo Theater in partnership with World Music Institute presents what has become an annual highlight, AFRICA NOW!. The celebrated event returns to the historic Apollo Theater (253 West 125th Street) tonight, March 26, at 8:00 p.m. for its fourth year spotlighting emerging and established artists of today's African music scene. Sahr Ngaujah (actor in Fela!) is the evening's host.

Opera Philadelphia General Director & President David B. Devan today announced that soprano Emily Pogorelc will replace Rachel Sterrenberg as 'Chan Parker' for the New York premiere of Charlie Parker's YARDBIRD, April 1 and 3 at the Apollo Theater.

Resonance Records with the cooperation of National Public Radio (NPR) is proud to announce the release of Sarah Vaughan - Live At Rosy's, New Orleans on March 25th, 2016.

The Apollo Theater and Opera Philadelphia announced today that Charlie Parker's YARDBIRD, composed by Daniel Schnyder with a libretto by Bridgette A. Wimberly, will have its New York premiere in a co-production between the two institutions, April 1 and 3, 2016.  The engagement marks the first time opera will be performed on the Apollo Theater stage, and the first time Opera Philadelphia will produce in New York. The opera will also be recorded for broadcast in November 2016 on New York City's classical music station 105.9 WQXR, at wqxr.org, and distributed nationally by the WFMT Radio Network.

For the last year and a half, San Francisco Bay Area woodwind expert Steven Lugerner has been digging into the music of jazz legend Jackie McLean with Jacknife, Lugerner's hard-hitting West Coast post-bop quintet.

The Apollo Theater in partnership with World Music Institute presents what has become an annual highlight, AFRICA NOW!. The celebrated event returns to the historic Apollo Theater (253 West 125th Street) on Saturday, March 26, at 8:00 p.m. for its fourth year spotlighting emerging and established artists of today's African music scene.