Houston Grand Opera News

Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director; Casey Reitz, Executive Director) has announced three New York Premiere productions for its upcoming 38th season. The season will kick off in October 2016 with the New York Premiere ofNOTES FROM THE FIELD: DOING TIME IN EDUCATION, the latest work created, written and performed by groundbreaking theatre artist Anna Deavere Smith and directed by Leonard Foglia. This marks Ms. Smith and Mr. Foglia's return to Second Stage Theatre, where their previous collaboration, Let Me Down Easy, had its New York Premiere in 2008.

Ardea Arts announces BOUNCE The Basketball Opera, their latest project in development. Showcase performances will take place at Paerdegat Park in East Flatbush, Brooklyn Today-Monday June 25-27, 2016 at 6pm.

The Huntington Theatre Company will open its 2016-2017 season with the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical Sunday in the Park with George, Stephen Sondheim's stunning masterpiece about love, inspiration, and "the art of making art." Huntington Artistic Director Peter DuBois (A Little Night Music) will direct. Performances will run September 9 - October 16, 2016 at the Avenue of the Arts / BU Theatre. Tickets are now on sale to the general public.

On Thursday, June 16, the San Francisco Opera honored Company General Director David Gockley with a gala evening and concert titled Celebrating David! Many of the leading artists from the world of opera gathered to honor one of the great careers in the modern history of the art form. Gockley, who in 2014 announced that he would retire from his position as General Director at the completion of the 2015­­-16 Season on July 31, has led a storied career of more than 40 years as an opera impresario.

Houston, June 14, 2016— Houston Grand Opera (HGO) has appointed Carleen Graham, an award-winning opera educator, administrator, researcher, and stage director, as director of the company's community collaboration and education initiative, HGOco. She will assume the position August 22. The executive search process was guided by Arts Consulting Group.

For people the world over, New York City represents the epicenter of arts and culture. With its renowned theatres and concert halls, attending a performance in the city often comes with a level of reverence and expectation. Countless artistic innovations, movements, even entire genres can trace their roots back to the city that never sleeps. Next week, New York City audiences can add to this the experience a cutting-edge opera production that was conceptualized and created in the globally creative city of Nashville, Tennessee.

?San Francisco Opera today announced that it has amended the list of international singers performing at the David Gockley Gala Concert on Thursday, June 16 to now include Sasha Cooke in lieu of Susan Graham, who has withdrawn due to illness. Cooke will sing in the Act III trio “Hab' mir's gelobt” from Der Rosenkavalier and Didon's aria “Ah! Je vais mourir…adieu, fière cité” from Les Troyens.

Houston Grand Opera (HGO) has appointed Carleen Graham, an award-winning opera educator, administrator, researcher, and stage director, as director of the company's community collaboration and education initiative, HGOco. She will assume the position August 22. The executive search process was guided by Arts Consulting Group.

San Francisco Opera General Director David Gockley today announced the Company will present the world premiere commission of Girls of the Golden West, a new opera set during the 1850s California Gold Rush, by the internationally-renowned team of composer John Adams and director/librettist Peter Sellars. Presented at the War Memorial Opera House for seven performances opening November 2017, San Francisco Opera will announce casting, conductor, design team and ticket information in January 2017 as part of the Company's 2017–18 repertory season.

Ardea Arts announces BOUNCE The Basketball Opera, their latest project in development. Showcase performances will take place at Paerdegat Park in East Flatbush, Brooklyn Saturday-Monday June 25-27, 2016 at 6pm. BOUNCE is a free, non-ticketed event, open to the public. For more information, visit www.ardeaarts.com/bounce/.

Although the solstice doesn't officially appear for another week or so, the summer opera clock is already ticking. There's a plethora of performances going on all over New York City, in addition to interesting, entertaining and fascinating productions that are just a hop, skip and jump away. Among them: Lincoln Center's Lincoln Center Festival and Mostly Mozart and On Site Opera's West Village venue, to the more bucolic realms of Bard SummerScape in Dutchess County (NY) for Mascagni and Caramoor in Katonah (NY) for Rossini and Beethoven.

San Francisco Opera celebrates David Gockley's remarkable career and ten-year tenure as San Francisco Opera General Director with a gala concert at the War Memorial Opera House on Thursday, June 16 at 7 p.m. David Gockley retires from San Francisco Opera in July 2016, culminating a 45-year career as one of today's most important opera impresarios.

Lawrence Edelson, Artistic and General Director of Opera Saratoga, announced the program for the 2016 Summer Festival, which will run from May 28 through July 17, 2016. The season will feature three new productions at The Spa Little Theater in Spa State Park in Saratoga Springs, New York, along with a diverse slate of recitals and concerts at multiple locations in Saratoga Springs, Glens Falls, and Albany.

PITTSBURGH – A feast for the eyes and ears, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra pairs a majestic look at our planet with glorious music of John Adams and Richard Strauss during the BNY Mellon Grand Classics weekend on June 10 and 12. 

Horse Head Theatre Co. presents LIDLESS by Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig, which begins today, June 2, and continues through June 18, 2016 at the Fresh Arts Gallery located in Winter Street Studios, 2101 Winter Street, Houston, TX 77007. Tickets are $25, student and industry discounts are available at the door.

New York City Opera concludes its 2016 season with the New York premiere of Florencia en el Amazonas by Daniel Cata?n. Performances are June 22, 23, 25, and 26 in Rose Theater at Jazz at Lincoln Center's Frederick P. Rose Hall. New York City Opera inaugurates O?pera en Espan?ol, a landmark initiative of productions of opera in the Spanish language, Baroque to the contemporary, from Spain and Latin America, as well as zarzuela. O?pera en Espan?ol introduces the opera-loving public to a neglected but significant repertoire and aims to expand City Opera's reach to new and Spanish-speaking audiences.

Teatro ZinZanni Seattle today announced the cast of headlining talent set to play in the romantic, original production, Hotel L'Amour. Starring the return of the Tony Award-winning living legend Liliane Montevecchi, Hotel L'Amour also features funny man Frank Ferrante, master illusionist Maestro Voronin, aerialist and choreographer to the stars Dreya Weber, and opera diva Kristin Clayton alongside international circus artists Svetlana, aerialist Rui Ling, and juggler Viktor Lee. When the staff at Hotel L'Amour catches wind of the Madame's return, they literally bend over backward to prepare - champagne flows and dreams never die as the Madame reflects on her life and tales of wonder with gorgeous French flare. Complete with a gourmet multi-course feast, wine pairings, and uniquely curated cocktails, guests will never want to check out of Hotel L'Amour! Hotel L'Amour opens June 16, 2016 and runs through September 25, 2016 at Teatro ZinZanni - tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online atZinZanni.com/Seattle, by calling the Box Office Tuesday-Sunday at (206) 802-0015, or by visiting the Box Office in person at 222 Mercer Street, Seattle.

Tulsa Opera, one of the nation's most veteran regional opera companies and an historic incubator of rising vocal talent, has appointed Tobias Picker as its new Artistic Director effective June 1, 2016.  Picker, who has been hailed by The Wall Street Journal as 'our finest composer for the lyric stage,' will collaborate with General Director/CEO Greg Weber on overall artistic vision for the company, selection of repertoire and production teams, and casting of singers.

The Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA) today announced the date, creative team, host and venue for the 37th Annual Dora Mavor Moore Awards, the awards show and party that celebrates extraordinary Toronto talent in the performing arts. Dora Awards Producer Jacoba Knaapen announced that the much-anticipated event will take place on Monday, June 27 and that it will, for the third time in a row, be held under the stars at Harbourfront Centre. Tickets go on sale May 31.