John Burt News

Christopher James is an American composer, producer (Paula Cole, Renée Fleming, Val Gardena) and ex-CEO of Universal Music Group’s Classical and Jazz division. An accomplished classical pianist, he earned a B.A. in Music and German Literature at Lewis and Clark College in his hometown of Portland, Oregon.

Wainwright’s latest album, “Unfollow The Rules” is nominated for a Grammy but it’s his unique audio autobiography, “Road Trip Elegies,” a conversation with his therapist on a road trip from Montreal to New York City, that delivers insight about his musical journey and the relationships that shaped him and his music. 

Mercury Musical Developments is delighted to announce the first recipients of the Hosking Houses Trust Writers' Residency.

Grammy Award-nominated singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright recently performed “Unfollow the Rules: The Paramour Session,” a concert performed acoustically with a socially distanced string section, piano and guitar to accompany him.

Singer-songwriter supreme Rufus Wainwright has announced the release of his long-awaited new album. UNFOLLOW THE RULES arrives via BMG on Friday, April 24; pre-orders are available now.

Rufus Wainwright is set to release an A/B side 7' EP, Come A Little Bit Closer, on November 29, Record Store Day Black Friday. The limited edition EP arrives ahead of Wainwright's forthcoming 2020 album via BMG, and consists of two live performances of Neil Young's 'Harvest Moon' and Arcade Fire's 'Crown of Love.' Come A Little Bit Closer will be available exclusively at participating RSD Black Friday record stores, found here.

Composer Christopher James's upcoming album Grace from Persistence, his third as a solo artist, represents a synthesis of musical genres from jazz and pop to classical and film music, informed not only by his early experiences scoring for film and television, but also by his many years working with leading artists and on major soundtracks as an executive and producer for Universal Music Group. Mr. James's music takes inspiration from the visual and the dramatic, and two of the ten tracks on this recording (“Grace from Persistence” and “Mother Russia”) feature accompanying video.

The latest edition of Sleepless: The Music Center After Hours (Sleepless), an immersive multi-sensory event, invites Angelenos to explore the living maze of Walt Disney Concert Hall with all its curious angles and hidden spaces. See the hall transformed by DJs, sonic experiences, projections, dance parties and interactive installations with rare access to the hall's backstage areas and private rooms.  The event ** includes:

Invertigo Dance Theatre, a Los Angeles-based dance company founded in 2007 by Artistic Director Laura Karlin, will reprise After It Happened today, September 30 at 8:30 pm at the Ford Theatres, 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, Hollywood, CA 90068. $35 General Admission; $75 VIP; $18 Students; $15 Children; FordTheatres.org; 323 461-3673; non-visual media: 323-GO-1-FORD.

Invertigo Dance Theatre, a Los Angeles-based dance company founded in 2007 by Artistic Director Laura Karlin, will reprise After It Happened on Friday, September 30 at 8:30 pm at the Ford Theatres, 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, Hollywood, CA 90068. $35 General Admission; $75 VIP; $18 Students; $15 Children; FordTheatres.org; 323 461-3673; non-visual media: 323-GO-1-FORD.

On March 16, 2015, the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle announced its winners and special awards for excellence in Los Angeles, Orange, and Ventura County theater in the year 2014. Announcements were made at a ceremony held at the Beyond the Stars Palace in Glendale, hosted by Dixie Longate (Dixie's Tupperware Party) with musical direction by Corey B. Hirsch (LADCC award winner for A Man of No Importance in 2014).

Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, True Love Productions and The Theatre @ Boston Court have announced that the New York Premiere of Everything You Touch, written by Sheila Callaghan and directed by Jessica Kubzansky, will begin previews tonight, January 28 at 8pm at the Cherry Lane Theatre, 38 Commerce Street. The official opening night is set for Thursday, February 12 at 7pm. Everything You Touch is scheduled to run through Sunday, March 29, 2015.

The Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle has announced its nominations and special awards for excellence in Los Angeles and Orange County theatre for the year 2014 (Dec. 1, 2013 - Nov. 30, 2014). The 46th Annual Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards ceremony will take place on Monday, March 16, 2015 at Beyond the Stars Palace, 417 N. Brand Boulevard in Glendale.

Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, True Love Productions and The Theatre @ Boston Court have announced that the New York Premiere of Everything You Touch, written by Sheila Callaghan and directed by Jessica Kubzansky, will begin previews Wednesday, January 28 at 8pm at the Cherry Lane Theatre, 38 Commerce Street. The official opening night is set for Thursday, February 12 at 7pm. Everything You Touch is scheduled to run through Sunday, March 29, 2015.

Choreographers Catarina Carvalho (Wayne McGregor | Random Dance) and Nina Kov (Place Prize semi-finalist 2012) with guest choreographer Michael-John Harper (Wayne McGregor | Random Dance) have been working to investigate the resilience of touch in an age where people are surrounding themselves with technology. The resulting full-length piece integrates dance with live musical performances from Mercury Music Prize nominee Leafcutter John, and Max Baillie, the leading instrumentalist of his generation. Thus, Vuong 10 is a contemporary music concert as well as a contemporary dance piece, serving an engaging experience for fans of both genres.

The Theatre @ Boston Court and Rattlestick Playwrights Theater present Everything You Touch, by Shelia Callaghan, directed by Jessica Kubzansky. Opening night is Saturday, April 12, 2014 on the Main Stage at Boston Court Performing Arts Center, 70 North Mentor Avenue.

The Theatre @ Boston Court and Rattlestick Playwrights Theater present Everything You Touch, by Shelia Callaghan, directed by Jessica Kubzansky. Opening night is Saturday, April 12, 2014 on the Main Stage at Boston Court Performing Arts Center, 70 North Mentor Avenue.

The Visceral Company will present a return engagement of its highly acclaimed, sold out production of LOVECRAFT: NIGHTMARE SUITE, featuring six strange tales of monsters, mayhem, and cosmic horrors brought to life through a combination of storytelling, puppetry, and shadow play. All text is taken directly from the short fiction, essays, and poetry of the godfather of modern horror, H.P. Lovecraft.

The Visceral Company will provide a darker take on the holiday season by presenting THE MYSTERY PLAYS by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, directed by Christopher Basile.