Jake Heggie News

Haunting, gentle spirits from far-flung worlds meet in the pulsing sphere of dreams and lullabies that is Angel Heart, a music storybook. With an original tale by best-selling children's fantasy writer Cornelia Funke, Angel Heart weaves an evocative original score by Luna Pearl Woolf with beloved songs by Irving Berlin, Lennon-McCartney, Jake Heggie, Engelbert Humperdinck, Gordon Getty, and others. An affecting narration by Academy Award-winning actor Jeremy Irons layers upon intoxicating performances by singers Frederica von Stade, Daniel Taylor, Lisa Delan, and Zheng Cao – all above a rich bed of cellos, Matt Haimovitz and his Grammy-nominated ensemble Uccello.

The Canadian Opera Company Academy, a pioneering development program to foster young opera artists, creators and administrators, is piloting a new artistic development opportunity in 2019: the Composer-in-Residence program, for which Canadian composer Ian Cusson has been selected as the inaugural artist. Cusson begins his residency with the COC on August 19, 2019.

Eisemann Center Presents A Holiday Celebration of Hope & Unity featuring the Sonos Handbell Ensemble from Oakland, CA, mezzo-soprano and opera superstar Frederica von Stade and the Dallas Street Choir at the Eisemann Center, 2351 Performance Drive in Richardson, Texas on Tuesday, December 11, 2018 at 7:30 pm in the Hill Performance Hall. Donations of new or gently used, clean clothing and blankets are being accepted and will be given to and distributed by The Stewpot, a ministry of First Presbyterian Church of Dallas.

San Francisco Opera presents the West Coast premiere of It's a Wonderful Life by composer Jake Heggie and librettist Gene Scheer in nine holiday-season performances from November 17 through December 9. The two-act work, a co-commission and co-production between San Francisco Opera, Houston Grand Opera and the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, is based in part on Frank Capra's 1946 film It's a Wonderful Life and The Greatest Gift, a story by Philip Van Doren Stern.

At San Francisco Opera Guild's Annual Meeting on Tuesday, November 13, at the Westin St. Francis San Francisco on Union Square, Mary Poland was elected president of the organization for a two-year term. Poland succeeds Jane Mudge, whose tenure as president (2016-2018) was celebrated with a proclamation signed by San Francisco Mayor London Breed declaring November 13 "Jane S. Mudge Day." During the Guild's annual luncheon, held immediately after the meeting, society photographer Drew Altizer was presented with the "Star of Excellence" award.

ZACH Theatre recently held a weekend of celebratory events to fete the 80th birthday of industry staple Terrence McNally. The weekend included a dinner party, a screening of 'Every Act of Life' featuring a talkback, and an 80th Birthday Gala Performance featuring Christy Altomare, Chita Rivera, and more. Check out the photos below!

Spend the holiday season on the Kimmel Center Cultural Campus, with themed programming and family-friendly activities, including: returning favorites spanning rock, Gospel, jazz, and brass; treasured traditions from various Kimmel Center Resident Companies like the Pennsylvania Ballet, The Philadelphia Orchestra, and The Philly POPS; and opportunities for holiday community service and city-wide celebrations.

Voting continues for the 2018 BroadwayWorld UK Awards! Nominations were reader-submitted and now our readers get to vote for their favourites.

Cincinnati Opera and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) are pleased to announce that The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has awarded a new grant of $550,000 to renew funding for Opera Fusion: New Works and support two new initiatives to promote diverse voices in the arts.

San Francisco Opera, Compass Family Services and Community Housing Partnership present a community conversation on the application of civic practices to address San Francisco's homelessness crisis on Friday, November 16 at 7 p.m. at ODC Theater.

San Francisco Opera Guild will honor Bay Area philanthropists John A. and Cynthia Fry Gunn at the sixth annual An Evening on the Stage on Wednesday, November 28. The gala dinner on the stage of the War Memorial Opera House is co-chaired by Kim Dempster and Linle J. Froeb. The set of composer Jake Heggie and librettist Gene Scheer's holiday opera It's a Wonderful Life provides the magical backdrop for this year's event, when the Opera Guild's 2018 Crescendo Award will be presented to John Gunn, Chairman of San Francisco Opera's Board of Directors, and arts patron Cynthia Fry Gunn. Passionately committed to the art form and actively involved in the leadership of the Company, the Gunn's magnanimous support has set an extraordinary standard in the community.

San Francisco Opera Center Director Sheri Greenawald today announced the 12 recipients of the 2019 Adler Fellowship. Selected from participants of the Merola Opera Program, the ten singers and two pianist/apprentice coaches begin their fellowships in January 2019. The multi-year performance-oriented residency offers advanced young artists intensive individual training, coaching and professional seminars, as well as a wide range of performance opportunities. Since its inception in 1977, the prestigious fellowship has nurtured the development of more than 180 young artists, introducing many budding stars to the international opera stage and launching active careers throughout the world as performers, production artists, arts professionals and educators.

L. WOLF PRODUCTIONS is pleased to announce an added performance, Thursday, November 8th at 9:00 pm of the New York City premiere of the one-man play SWANSONG, written by Conor McDermottroe and performed by Andre de Vanny. Melbourne Fringe co-founder Greg Carroll directs. The production will now play on Tuesday, November 6th at 9:00 pm and Thursday, November 8th at 9:00 pm at Theatre Row's The Studio Theatre. Tickets cost $47.25 and can be purchased on line at www.telecharge.com or by calling 212-239-6200.

L. WOLF PRODUCTIONS is pleased to announce an added performance, Thursday, November 8th at 9:00 pm of the New York City premiere of the one-man play SWANSONG, written by Conor McDermottroe and performed by Andre de Vanny. Melbourne Fringe co-founder Greg Carroll directs. The production will now play on Tuesday, November 6th at 9:00 pm and Thursday, November 8th at 9:00 pm at Theatre Row's The Studio Theatre. Tickets cost $47.25 and can be purchased on line at www.telecharge.com or by calling 212-239-6200.

Voting continues for the 2018 BroadwayWorld UK Awards! Nominations were reader-submitted and now our readers get to vote for their favourites.

San Francisco Opera announces "Earn Your Wings" (#EarnYourWings), a new initiative designed to promote civic engagement and which recognizes Community Housing Partnership and Compass Family Services-two organizations making an impact in the City of San Francisco by providing life-changing services and housing to families and individuals at risk of or who have experienced homelessness. The campaign is born from the Company's focus on developing civic practices as part of a strategic framework to guide the organization into its centennial 2022-23 Season and beyond. With the launch of #EarnYourWings and similar programs in the future, San Francisco Opera renews its commitment to form responsive, long-term reciprocal relationships with community partners.

In 2019, San Francisco's acclaimed Merola Opera Program will present the first opera commissioned in the Program's history, the world premiere of If I Were You, by distinguished American composer Jake Heggie and noted librettist Gene Scheer. This ground-breaking work will be presented August 1 - 6, 2019, at San Francisco's Herbst Theatre. Today it was announced the opera will be conducted by Nicole Paiement and directed by Keturah Stickann. Information is available at www.merola.org. Tickets will go on sale in Spring 2019.

Voting continues for the 2018 BroadwayWorld UK Awards! Nominations were reader-submitted and now our readers get to vote for their favorites!

San Francisco Opera presents the West Coast premiere of It's a Wonderful Life by composer Jake Heggie and librettist Gene Scheer in nine holiday-season performances from November 17 through December 9. The two-act work, a co-commission and co-production between San Francisco Opera, Houston Grand Opera and the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, is based in part on Frank Capra's 1946 film It's a Wonderful Life and The Greatest Gift, a story by Philip Van Doren Stern.

Lincoln Center Theater has announced full casting for its upcoming production of THE HARD PROBLEM, a new play by Tom Stoppard, to be directed by Jack O'Brien.