Jake Heggie News

BroadwayWorld has a first look at San Diego Repertory Theatre's production of Nathan Gunn - Flying Solo, written and directed by Hershey Felder. through June 10, 2018.

Opera Saratoga's Artistic and General Director Lawrence Edelson announced that the company's 2018 Summer Festival will feature new productions of four operas at The Spa Little Theatre in Spa State Park, along with a wide variety of free and ticketed concert events from May 26 through July 15 at venues throughout the region.

Jo Schuman Silver, producer of Steve Silver's Beach Blanket Babylon, announced today the nine Bay Area high school seniors selected as finalists for The Steve Silver Foundation and Beach Blanket Babylon "Scholarship for the Arts."  Each of the finalists will perform live in front of family, friends and a panel of celebrity judges on Monday, June 4. One winner in each category-singing, dancing, and acting-will be presented with a $15,000 check to be used towards their college education. The nine high school senior finalists who will perform are:

The Atlanta Opera closes its 2017-18 mainstage season with Stephen Sondheim's seminal musical, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. This production of Sweeney Todd remains faithful to the original Broadway show, and features an all-star cast, including Michael Mayes in his role debut as Sweeney Todd, and Maria Zifchak as Mrs. Lovett. Timothy Myers will conduct in a company debut, and Albert Sherman, who has directed Sweeney Todd under the mentorship of Harold Prince, will serve as production director.

From Sunday, June 3 through Friday, June 22, 2018, conductor Michael Christie will lead the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis in the world premiere performances of An American Soldier, the new two-act opera by Huang Ruo and Henry David Hwang, at the Loretto-Hilton Center (130 Edgar Road). Tenor Andrew Stenson (Danny Chen), mezzo-soprano Mika Shigematsu (Mother Chen), and soprano Kathleen Kim (Josephine Young) make debuts with OTSL and join bass-baritone Wayne Tigges (Sergeant Aaron Marcum) and director Matthew Ozawa for this production.

Scott Wheeler's opera, The Sorrows of Frederick, will be seen at Brooklyn's Irondale Center on Friday, May 18, 2018, at 8pm. Act 1 of this two-act opera is being presented as part of Center for Contemporary Opera's Development Series. The libretto is by Romulus Linney. Mark Shapiro conducts and Beth Greenberg is the stage director with Keith Phares singing the title role of Frederick.

LA Opera Off Grand presents the West Coast premiere of Matthew Aucoin's Crossing in two concert performances on May 25 and 26. Crossing will be presented at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts (The Wallis), located at 9390 North Santa Monica Boulevard, Beverly Hills, CA 90210. Mr. Aucoin, now in his second season as Artist in Residence with LA Opera, is both composer and librettist of the opera; he will also conduct the performances.

On the occasion of the 20-year mark of Matthew Shepard's tragic death, the Ford Theatres presents Considering Matthew Shepard, on Friday, June 15 and Saturday June 16 at 8:30pm, in association with Chris Isaacson Presents. Part of the 2018 Season and the IGNITE @ the FORD! series, Considering Matthew Shepard is performed by the 30-member GRAMMY Award-winning Conspirare choir, and composed and conducted by its GRAMMY Award-winning artistic director, Craig Hella Johnson. 

Schimmel Center will present Tony and Pulitzer Prize nominee Anna Deavere Smith's Obie Award-winning solo performance, Notes From the Field, for one weekend only on Friday, June 1 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, June 2 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. in preparation for a two week run at the Royal Court in London. The production is directed by Leonard Foglia and features original music composed and performed by bassist Marcus Shelby who joins Ms. Smith on stage.

As the final show of Season 42, San Diego Repertory Theatre presents The Hershey Felder Production of Nathan Gunn - Flying Solo, written and directed by Hershey Felder.  The show runs May 23-June 10, 2018, with the press opening on Friday, May 25 at 8pm on the Lyceum Stage in Horton Plaza.

State Theatre New Jersey presents Patti LuPone: Don't Monkey with Broadway on Sunday, May 6, 2018 at 4pm. Tony Award-winner Patti LuPone explores her life-long affair with Broadway with interpretations of classic show tunes by Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart, Jule Styne, Stephen Schwartz, Charles Strouse, Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, Cole Porter, and Irving Berlin. Tickets range from $35-$98.

 American Lyric Theater concludes the 10th Anniversary of its nationally acclaimed Composer Librettist Development Program this season with InsightALT: Opera in Eden, a one-night-only concert featuring three new one-act operas written by ALT Resident Artists, hosted by composer/librettist Mark Adamo and producing artistic director Lawrence Edelson.

The spirited soprano makes her auspicious Seattle Opera debut as the title character in Francesca Zambello's upcoming Aida production

Opera Saratoga's Artistic and General Director Lawrence Edelson announced the complete casting and programming for the company's 2018 Summer Festival, which will feature new productions of four operas at The Spa Little Theater in Spa State Park, along with a wide variety of free and ticketed concert events from May 26th through July 15th at venues throughout the region. Single tickets, as well as subscription packages, are on sale now at www.operasaratoga.org.

As part of Pittsburgh Opera's commitment to bring new, American operas to the Benedum Center stage, we are very proud to announce the Pittsburgh premiere of Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer's critically acclaimed opera Moby-Dick.

LAGUNA PLAYHOUSE is thrilled to present the sixth show in its 97th season, the world premiere of NATHAN GUNN FLYING SOLO, written and directed by Hershey Felder, with musical direction by Michael Bagby.

TimeLine Theatre Company, acclaimed for presenting plays inspired by history that connect to today's social and political issues, is thrilled to announce its 22nd season and to preview an upcoming partnership with Firebrand Theatre.

The Coachella Valley Symphony's 25th anniversary season of concerts ontinues with "Opera to Broadway" on Sunday, March 18 at 3:00p.m at The Annenberg Theatrev located at The Palm Springs Art Museum.  "We've assembled some of the most brilliant singers showcasing their talents in both Opera and Broadway genres including: soprano, Caroline Nelms; baritone Zeffin Quinn Hollis and soprano, Jennifer Lindsay with a special guest appearance by the 2017 McCallum Theatre Open Call Winner Javier Triviso. This magnificent collection of voices backed by the Coachella Symphony will certainly be a sell out," said Lisa Lindley, President, Coachella Valley Symphony.

The Living Libretto: Opera in Eden gives audiences a first glimpse at three new one-act operas being written by first year resident artists in American Lyric Theater's Composer Librettist Development Program (CLDP)

The San Diego Opera's 2018-19 season will feature three grand operas at the city's Civic Center and three smaller-scale productions at other venues. Seasoned opera buffs are likely to fill the 3000-seat Civic Center for The Marriage of Figaro, Rigoletto, and Carmen. But elaborate three-hour productions are a hard-sell for inexperienced listeners, many of whom believe that 45-seconds is about right for 'in-depth' news reporting. That's where the opera company's highly successful 'Detour Series' of shorter and more contemporary-feeling performances comes in. The two operas in that series next season are an English adaption of Engelbert Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel, and Three Decembers, a chamber work by Jake Heggie, one of today's most successful operatic composers. The Detour series and the season conclude with 'One Amazing Night,' a recital devoted largely to Puccini and Verdi.