City Center News

The Met: Live in HD series continues on the big screen with Verdi's Falstaff. An undisputed master of this work, Music Director James Levine conducts Verdi's opera for the first time at the Met since 2005. Robert Carsen's production—the first new Met Falstaff since 1964—is set in the English countryside in the mid-20th century. Ambrogio Maestri sings the title role of the blustery Sir John Falstaff, opposite a marvelous ensemble that includes Angela Meade, Stephanie Blythe, LisetteOropesa and Franco Vassallo. The live transmission begins on December 14 at 12:55 PM ET with an encore on December 18 at 6:30 PM local time.

Chris Isaacson Presents and Upright Cabaret have announced that Tony Award-winning Broadway star Laura Benanti will make her Los Angeles solo concert debut in January. The show celebrates the West Coast release of her first album "In Constant Search of the Right Kind of Attention," which USA Today named "Pick of the Week" and TV Guide called "A must-have." With musical direction and arrangements by Todd Almond, there will be one show only on Thursday, January 9, 2014 at 8:30pm at the Catalina Bar & Grill in Hollywood. Cocktail and dinner service begin at 7pm.

This December come 'Here the People Sing' as the White Plains Performing Arts Center invites you to the most beloved musical of all time, LES MISERABLES. Alain Boublill & Claude-Michel Schonberg's legendary musical with lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer will be onstage from December 13-31.

Due to strong demand, The Public Theater announced a fourth extension for the critically acclaimed world premiere musical FUN HOME, directed by Sam Gold and featuring music by Jeanine Tesori, with book and lyrics by Lisa Kron. Based on Alison Bechdel's graphic novel, FUN HOME will now run through Sunday, January 12. It was originally scheduled to close on November 3 but has been extended four times due to rave reviews and audience demand. A new block of tickets is on sale now and can be purchased by calling (212) 967-7555, www.publictheater.org, or in person at the Taub Box Office at The Public Theater at Astor Place at 425 Lafayette Street.

Williamstown Theatre Festival has named Mandy Greenfield as its new Artistic Director, the Festival's Board Chair Matt Harris announced today. Greenfield, who is currently Artistic Producer at Manhattan Theatre Club, succeeds Jenny Gersten beginning September 2014. As previously announced, Gersten departs Williamstown Theatre Festival in January 2014 to become Executive Director of Friends of the Highline. Gersten will program the upcoming 2014 season, and Williamstown Theatre Festival Producer Stephen Kaus will oversee the season. Greenfield's tenure as Artistic Director will begin immediately following the 2014 season, the Festival's 60th.

It was a celebratory evening in Nashville tonight as Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line, Hunter Hayes and Tim McGraw were honored as this year's CMT ARTISTS OF THE YEAR during the 90-minute special broadcast live from Music City Center.

Manhattan Theatre Club's American premiere of Taking Care of Baby by Tony Award winner Dennis Kelly begins its final week of performances tonight at 7:30PM.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will kick off a five-week holiday season tonight, December 4thwith a star-studded gala benefit performance at New York City Center and party at the New York Hilton Midtown Grand Ballroom. 27-time Grammy award-winning music icon Quincy Jones and actress Gabrielle Union will serve as the evening's Honorary Chairs.

Internationally renown ballet director and choreographer Matthew Bourne brings his unique re-imagining of Tchaikovsky's SLEEPING BEAUTY to the stage in an absorbing and anomalous production now available on DVD.

Marie-Christine Giordano found her passion in Switzerland as a teen; a series of unexpected events brought her to the U.S. dance capital.

Producers Jeffrey Richards, Stacey Mindich, and Jerry Frankel announced today that Tony Award nominee Hunter Foster (Little Shop of Horrors) will join the cast of The Bridges of Madison County, the new musical based on the best selling novel by Robert James Waller.

Ballet Hispanico, long recognized as the nation's leading Latino dance organization, returns to The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on December 5-6, 2013 at 8pm. The Kennedy Center is located at 2700 F St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20566. Tickets are $22-60 and are available at 800-444-1324 or 202-467-4600 or www.kennedy-center.org.

Vanessa Hidary, best known as the Hebrew Mamita and for her work on Russell Simmons 'Def Poetry Jam' on HBO, returns to the stage with her comedic solo show 10 DAYS. Written and performed by Vanessa Hidary and directed by Kimberly Faith Hickman, this limited engagement will run today, Dec 3 - 13 at the New Ohio Theatre. 10 DAYS is being presented by terraNOVA Collective, a soloNOVA ARTS workshop as part of the New Ohio Theatre's Producers' Club 2013.

After beginning his career in 1993, longtime theatrical press agent MICHAEL HARTMAN, founder and CEO of one of the largest and most successful theatrical publicity firms in New York, will say goodbye to Broadway and close THE HARTMAN GROUP on Sunday, January 5, 2014, remaining fully operational until then.

In the Commons of Pensacola, Stahl-David goes south for a Thanksgiving Madoff-style.

The Fred Ebb Foundation in association with the Roundabout Theatre Company presents the ninth annual Fred Ebb Award for aspiring musical theatre songwriters to Michael Kooman and Christopher Dimond. The award, named in honor of the late award-winning lyricist Fred Ebb, is presented by Joel Grey tonight, December 2nd from 6-8pm at a by-invitation-only ceremony in the Penthouse Lounge of The American Airlines Theater.