Houston Grand Opera News

Opera Ithaca opens their 4th Season with Ruggero Leoncavallo's hit operatic thriller, Pagliacci, September 23rd thru September 30th at Ithaca's Circus Culture and September 25th at NYC's Slipper Room, marking the 125th anniversary of the opera's world premiere.

Lyric Opera of Kansas City opens its 60th Anniversary season with Tchaikovsky's compelling masterpiece, Eugene Onegin (oh-nyeh-gin with hard 'g') Sept. 30, Oct. 4, 6 and 8 at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. The production will be sung in Russian with English subtitles.

Bay Street Theater's Bay Street Under the Stars series presents FREE concert readings of plays and musicals in Mashashimuet Park every summer. This year, Bay Street will present Kiss Me, Kate with a book by Bella and Sam Spewack and music and lyrics by Cole Porter, tonight and tomorrow, August 25 & 26 at 7pm.

Madame Ho, by Eugenie Chan, Eugenie Chan Theater Projects' (ECTP) first full production, premieres at the Exit Theater, 156 Eddy St in San Francisco's Mid-Market arts district October 5-21, 2017, then goes to Chinatown's Donaldina Cameron House, 920 Sacramento St for three free community performances October 28-29, 2017.

Stephen Costello, having "risen rapidly to claim a place among the world's best tenors" (Daily Express, UK), steps up his European presence in the coming season. September sees the Tucker Award-winning tenor make his Paris Opera debut with his first German-language account of Camille in The Merry Widow.

Lawrence Edelson, Founder and Producing Artistic Director of American Lyric Theater (ALT), announced today that three composers, three librettists, and one dramaturg have been selected as Resident Artists to participate in the tenth anniversary season of the company's nationally acclaimed Composer Librettist Development Program (CLDP). The artists selected for this prestigious residency and training program are composers Shuying Li, Andy Tierstein, and Liliya Ugay; librettists Lorene Cary, Julian Crouch, and Lila Palmer; and dramaturg Antigoni Gaitana.

Lawrence Edelson, Founder and Producing Artistic Director of American Lyric Theater (ALT), announced today that three composers, three librettists, and one dramaturg have been selected as Resident Artists to participate in the tenth anniversary season of the company's nationally acclaimed Composer Librettist Development Program (CLDP). The artists selected for this prestigious residency and training program are composers Shuying Li, Andy Tierstein, and Liliya Ugay; librettists Lorene Cary, Julian Crouch, and Lila Palmer; and dramaturg Antigoni Gaitana.

The Old Globe today announced due to popular demand, that William Shakespeare's exhilarating tragedy Hamlet, has now been extended through September 22. 

Lawrence Edelson, Founder and Producing Artistic Director of American Lyric Theater (ALT), announced today that three composers, three librettists, and one dramaturg have been selected as Resident Artists to participate in the tenth anniversary season of the company's nationally acclaimed Composer Librettist Development Program (CLDP). The artists selected for this prestigious residency and training program are composers Shuying Li, Andy Tierstein, and Liliya Ugay; librettists Lorene Cary, Julian Crouch, and Lila Palmer; and dramaturg Antigoni Gaitana.

For the third performance in the ongoing Bryant Park Presents New York City Opera series, New York City Opera will present a free preview of its upcoming production of Puccini's La Fanciulla del West today, August 22 at 6 p.m.

Back to school getting you down? Then get back to Rec Room for the ALL NEW episode of GARBAGE ISLAND 4.0, the only original live sketch show for children ages 2 - 6, in Houston.

It's Christmas in August. Houston Grand Opera's (HGO) world premiere of composer Jake Heggie and librettist Gene Scheer's opera It's a Wonderful Life is now available for audio streaming, high resolution download, and CD pre-orders on the PENTATONE website. The CD will be released worldwide on September 1. It's a Wonderful Life is the newest addition to PENTATONE's American Opera Series. 

The Ensemble for the Romantic Century has announced that the 2017-18 season, ERC's 17th, will take place at The Pershing Square Signature Center (480 West 42nd Street between Dyer and 10th Avenues) beginning with Van Gogh's Ear. Opening Night is set for tonight, August 17th. This limited Off-Broadway engagement runs through September 10th only.

San Diego Repertory Theatre (San Diego REP), has announced a special addition to its 2017-18 season, Nathan Gunn, FLYING SOLO, written and directed by Hershey Felder.

Bay Street Theater's Bay Street Under the Stars series presents FREE concert readings of plays and musicals in Mashashimuet Park every summer. This year, Bay Street will present Kiss Me, Kate with a book by Bella and Sam Spewack and music and lyrics by Cole Porter, on August 25 & 26 at 7pm.

After a critically acclaimed 2016/2017 season, New York City Opera is again at the forefront of New York's cultural season, opening its 2017/2018 season on September 6, 2017 at 7:30PM with a new production of Puccini's La fanciulla del West directed by Ivan Stefanutti with James Meena conducting the New York City Opera Orchestra and Chorus. Soprano Kristin Sampson returns to City Opera to sing the role of Minnie, joined by tenor Jonathan Burton as Dick Johnson in his City Opera debut, and bass-baritone Kevin Short as Jack Rance.

Hawaii Performing Arts Festival (HPAF) has named Justin John Moniz, current Associate Executive Director, award-winning singer, actor, and stage director, the festival's new Executive Director, effective August 7, 2017.

San Francisco Opera announced today a cast change for Richard Strauss' Elektra, which opens on Saturday, September 9, in English director Keith Warner's new staging at the War Memorial Opera House. American mezzo-soprano Michaela Martens will sing the role of Klytemnestra, replacing mezzo-sopranoStephanie Blythe who has withdrawn from the production for personal reasons.

HGOco, Houston Grand Opera's community collaboration and education arm, has launched the next phase of itsSong of Houston initiative with commissions from two rising composer/librettist teams. Home of My Ancestors, by composer Nkeiru Okoye and librettist Anita Gonzalez, will premiere in March 2019. The not-yet-titled second opera, by composer Nell Shaw Cohen and librettist Megan Cohen, will premiere in March of 2021. A third commission will be announced at a later time. The award-winning Song of Houston is an initiative within HGOco that has been creating new works based on stories that define the unique character of Houston since 2007.

The Ruth Page Center for the Arts and Ruth Page School of Dance proudly announce tuition-free mentored training for aspiring young male dancers this fall with the beginning of the 2017-2018 season. Providing the highest level of training and expertise, the Ruth Page School of Dance is one of the country's finest dance education centers.  The program, The Victor Alexander Young Men's Scholarship Program, offers boys ages 7 - 17 years old, waved tuition and includes nine months and up to 16 hours a week of professional training. To apply, prospective students should email info@ruthpage.org or call 312.337.6543.