L Barbier News

The Metropolitan Opera announced plans for a series of free outdoor events this summer: operatic recitals that will take place in parks throughout the city and encore screenings of the Met's popular HD shows in Lincoln Center Plaza.

Alban Berg's modernist masterpiece Lulu returns to the Met, starring Marlis Petersen as the scandalous femme fatale and conducted by the Met's newly appointed Principal Guest Conductor Fabio Luisi.

Kaufman Center and New York Festival Of Song (NYFOS, www.nyfos.org), acclaimed by New York Magazine as 'The best classical music programming in New York,' will present an all-new program on May 4 and 6 at 8 PM of American composers, including the premiere of Beautiful Ohio, a song cycle by 2009 Pulitzer Prize- finalist Harold Meltzer, with texts of poet James Arlington Wright and composed specifically for the young American tenor Paul Appleby.

Kaufman Center and New York Festival Of Song (NYFOS, www.nyfos.org), acclaimed by New York Magazine as 'The best classical music programming in New York,' will present an all-new program on May 4 and 6 at 8 PM of American composers, including the premiere of Beautiful Ohio, a song cycle by 2009 Pulitzer Prize- finalist Harold Meltzer, with texts of poet James Arlington Wright and composed specifically for the young American tenor Paul Appleby.

Mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato has had a dream of a season, earning plaudits in the world's top culture capitals, including London, where the Times declared her voice to be 'nothing less than 24-carat gold.'

Kaufman Center and New York Festival Of Song (NYFOS, www.nyfos.org), acclaimed by New York Magazine as 'The best classical music programming in New York,' will present an all-new program on May 4 and 6 at 8 PM of American composers, including the premiere of Beautiful Ohio, a song cycle by 2009 Pulitzer Prize- finalist Harold Meltzer, with texts of poet James Arlington Wright and composed specifically for the young American tenor Paul Appleby.

Kaufman Center and New York Festival Of Song (NYFOS, www.nyfos.org), acclaimed by New York Magazine as 'The best classical music programming in New York,' will present an all-new program on May 4 and 6 at 8 PM of American composers, including the premiere of Beautiful Ohio, a song cycle by 2009 Pulitzer Prize- finalist Harold Meltzer, with texts of poet James Arlington Wright and composed specifically for the young American tenor Paul Appleby.

The Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs has announced the nominees for the 2010 24th Annual MAC Awards. The ceremony honoring the nominees, will take place on May 4, 2010 at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill, and will be hosted by Sharon McNight. Leslie Uggams will be honored for Lifetime Achievement, with Board of Directors Awards being presented to Peter Leavy and playbill.com. The event will begin at 7:30pm. Doors open at 6:00pm. Lennie Watts will direct the evening, with Tracy Stark musical directing.

The New York Choral Society closes its 51st season with a performance of Mozart's Requiem, Leonard Bernstein's Chichester Psalms, and James DeMars' Tito's Say, on May 1, 2010 at Carnegie Hall, 8:00 PM. The esteemed chorus performs with the Brooklyn Philharmonic under the baton of NYCS Music Director John Daly Goodwin, alongside soloists Joyce El Khoury, soprano, Elizabeth Batton, mezzo-soprano, Michele Angelini, tenor, and Daniel Mobbs, bass-baritone.

Kate Aldrich will sing the title role of Carmen on April 28 and May 1, replacing Angela Gheorghiu who has withdrawn from those performances. Gheorghiu issued the following statement: 'To make so important a debut as Carmen, I want to be as prepared dramatically as I am musically. Therefore, I will postpone my role debut until a later date when I can work intensely with the Richard Eyre production.'

Alban Berg's modernist masterpiece Lulu returns to the Met, starring Marlis Petersen as the scandalous femme fatale and conducted by the Met's newly appointed Principal Guest Conductor Fabio Luisi.

Kate Aldrich will sing the title role of Carmen on April 28 and May 1, replacing Angela Gheorghiu who has withdrawn from those performances. Gheorghiu issued the following statement: 'To make so important a debut as Carmen, I want to be as prepared dramatically as I am musically. Therefore, I will postpone my role debut until a later date when I can work intensely with the Richard Eyre production.'

Verdi's La Traviata returns to the Met with Angela Gheorghiu reprising her acclaimed interpretation of Violetta, a role the New York Times called a 'supercharged star turn' when she performed it in 2006.

Kaufman Center and New York Festival Of Song (NYFOS, www.nyfos.org), acclaimed by New York Magazine as 'The best classical music programming in New York,' will present an all-new program on May 4 and 6 at 8 PM of American composers, including the premiere of Beautiful Ohio, a song cycle by 2009 Pulitzer Prize- finalist Harold Meltzer, with texts of poet James Arlington Wright and composed specifically for the young American tenor Paul Appleby.

Chequered Blue Theatre in association with Neil McPherson for the Finborough Theatre will end their run of the London premiere of The Northerners by Harold Brighouse on April 19th.

On Friday, April 16, 2010 at 8:00PM, The New York Pops will celebrate Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe at Carnegie Hall with a vibrant program of the timeless music created by the iconic songwriting duo. Headlining the program are Kelli O'Hara and Paulo Szot, the stars of the Tony award-winning Broadway revival South Pacific. Tenor Michael Slattery, The Clurman Singers, and dancers from the New York Theatre Ballet join The New York Pops and Music Director Steven Reineke for this thrilling collection of classic favorites from My Fair Lady, Camelot, Paint Your Wagon, Gigi and Brigadoon.

Two world premieres, a number of new productions and some old favorites will be on exhibit at Bloomington's Musical Arts Center during Indiana University Opera and Ballet Theater's 2010-2011 season.

Rossini's rarely performed Armida has its Met premiere on April 12 with a gala performance of Mary Zimmerman's new production. Renowned soprano Renée Fleming stars as the mythological sorceress, Armida, one of the greatest virtuoso roles from the bel canto repertory. Fleming is joined by Lawrence Brownlee, who sings Armida's chief love interest, Rinaldo, and five more tenors in the roles of the crusader knights. José Manuel Zapata portrays Rinaldo's deadly rival Gernando.

Steven White, in his Met debut, will conduct the performance of La Traviata on April 7. As previously announced, White will also lead La Traviata on April 10, and Yves Abel will conduct on April 13, 17 matinee, 21, and 24.

Kentucky Opera has announced the addition of Joseph Mechavich to the staff as Music Director and Principal Conductor. In this position, Mechavich will bring artistic continuity to the Orchestra in the pit and the artists on stage.