Kurt Weill News

Ravinia Festival President and CEO Welz Kauffman announced the festival's 2012 season, which offers more than 100 separate events exemplifying most musical genres, including the 77th residency of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. The summer boasts a variety of music's legends from Philip Glass to James Taylor, along with 43 debuts, including Glee and Wicked star Idina Menzel, reggae master Jimmy Cliff, classic rocker Santana, Grammy-and-Oscar sensation Esperanza Spalding, and Musical America's "conductor of the year" Jaap van Zweden. Ravinia Music Director James Conlon celebrates the 35th anniversary of his own festival debut as his contract is extended through 2014.

On Sunday evening March 4, Bruce Kimmel presented the 19th Kritzerland show, the third and final one at Sterling's Upstairs at Vitello's. Commencing April 1, Kritzerland will continue at Sterling's in its new venue Sterling's Upstairs at The Federal. Sunday's show was a salute to the lyrics of Ira Gershwin, boasting the glorious talents of musical director Shelly Markham and singers Shannon Warne, Damon Kirsche,Jane Noseworthy, Melody Hollis and Lauren Leigh Barker. Special guest was the remarkable Andrea Marcovicci (photo above) whose grande acting style really sets a song apart and makes it a sizzlingly unique experience on a cabaret stage. Kimmel told delightful anecdotes about Gershwin's collaborations with brother George Gershwin, Kurt Weill, Jerome Kern, Burton Lane, Harold Arlen, Harry Warren, among other musical composers. The program offered well known songs, but with an emphasis on those lesser known tunes that are really little gems, totally worth remembering. Thanks to Kimmel and Kritzerland for keeping all this wonderful music alive and vibrant.

On Sunday evening March 4, Bruce Kimmel presented the 19th Kritzerland show, the third and final one at Sterling's Upstairs at Vitello's. Commencing April 1, Kritzerland will continue at Sterling's in its new venue Sterling's Upstairs at The Federal. Sunday's show was a salute to the lyrics of Ira Gershwin, boasting the glorious talents of musical director Shelly Markham and singers Shannon Warne, Damon Kirsche, Jane Noseworthy, Melody Hollis and Lauren Leigh Barker. Special guest was the remarkable Andrea Marcovicci (photo left) whose grande acting style really sets a song apart and makes it a sizzlingly unique experience on a cabaret stage. Kimmel told delightful anecdotes about Gershwin's collaborations with brother George Gershwin, Kurt Weill, Jerome Kern, Burton Lane, Harold Arlen, Harry Warren, among other musical composers. The program offered well known songs, but with an emphasis on those lesser known tunes that are really little gems, totally worth remembering. Thanks to Kimmel and Kritzerland for keeping all this wonderful music alive and vibrant.

Following their concert readings of Johnny Johnson, the ReGroup Theatre Company will present the next in their series of 'lost' Group Theatre Plays, THUNDER ROCK on March 5th.

As part of the William H. Gile Series, The Capitol Center for the Arts presents German music performers Max Raabe & the Palast Orchester Monday, March 5, at 7:30pm.

What do you do with a dated overdone musical that every High School on earth has done in order to make it fresh for a professional run? Well, you could pair up with a local dance theater to punch up those outrageous dance sequences to give the audience something new. That's exactly what the 5th Avenue Theatre did when they teamed up with Spectrum Dance Theater in order to try and polish up their production of "Oklahoma". The problem is that it punched up a bit too much and made it feel a bit too new. Luckily the leads of the show still knew how to tell the story and that's what made the show enjoyable.

Kritzerland at Sterling's presents The Ira Gershwin Album with Lyrics by Ira, Music by George Gershwin, Harold Arlen, Burton Lane, Kurt Weill and other greats on Sunday, March 4, 2012 at 7:00 pm.

Rex Reed's THE MAN THAT GOT AWAY featuring Linda Purl, Gregory Harrison, Sally Mayes and more will play San Francisco, CA (April 13, 14 & 15), and at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, LA (April 20) followed by a performance at the Queensborough Performing Arts Center in Bayside, NY (April 22).

Kritzerland at Sterling's will present The Ira Gershwin Album, Lyrics by Ira, Music by George Gershwin, Harold Arlen, Burton Lane, Kurt Weill and other greats on Sunday, March 4, 2012 - 7:00 pm.

Following five sold-out performances in New York City as part of the 92nd Street Y's Lyrics & Lyricists series, and a tour throughout Texas, Rex Reed's THE MAN THAT GOT AWAY: Ira Without George, makes its West Coast debut at Kanbar Hall at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco (JCCSF). This musical tribute to the great American lyricist Ira Gershwin stars Rex Reed, Linda Purl and Gregory Harrison. It will be presented on Friday and Saturday, April 13 and 14 at 8 pm & Sunday, April 15 at 2 pm.

Kritzerland at Sterling's presents The Ira Gershwin Album with Lyrics by Ira, Music by George Gershwin, Harold Arlen, Burton Lane, Kurt Weill and other greats on Sunday, March 4, 2012 at 7:00 pm.

The Metropolitan Room announces March performances.

Porchlight Music Theatre, American Musicals. Chicago Style, presents the Chicago premiere of John Bucchino and Harvey Fierstein's A Catered Affair, directed by Nick Bowling with music direction by Doug Peck, at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave.

After announcing this morning that he will return to the Royal Shakespeare Company this summer, Patrick Stewart has also announced that he will be returning to the Young Vic next year. He will appear as William Shakespeare in Edward Bond's 1973 play Bingo, a play he first appeared in back in April 2010 at Chichester Festival's Minerva theatre.

German cabaret vocalist Ute Lemper and Berlin's Vogler Quartet are joined by pianist and clarinetist Stefan Malzew, as they perform music from the Weimar-era on Thursday, April 5 at 7:30 p.m. in Zankel Hall.

Following their concert readings of Johnny Johnson, the ReGroup Theatre Company will present the next in their series of 'lost' Group Theatre Plays, THUNDER ROCK on March 5th.

As part of the William H. Gile Series, The Capitol Center for the Arts presents German music performers Max Raabe & the Palast Orchester Monday, March 5, at 7:30pm.

What do you do with a dated overdone musical that every High School on earth has done in order to make it fresh for a professional run? Well, you could pair up with a local dance theater to punch up those outrageous dance sequences to give the audience something new. That's exactly what the 5th Avenue Theatre did when they teamed up with Spectrum Dance Theater in order to try and polish up their production of "Oklahoma". The problem is that it punched up a bit too much and made it feel a bit too new. Luckily the leads of the show still knew how to tell the story and that's what made the show enjoyable.