Leonard Bernstein News

The Broadway League's Viva Broadway and the United Palace of Cultural Arts in Washington Heights are hosting a conversation with Rita Moreno and a screening of West Side Story. The event will take place as part of 'Sunday Movies at the Palace with Lin-Manuel Miranda' on Sunday, February 23, 2014 at United Palace Theatre on 175th Street and Broadway. Doors open at 4:00pm for a 5:00pm stage show and 5:30pm screening.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts presents An Evening with Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin tonight, February 18 to the 23rd, 2014 in the Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater.

Coming up this week, 54 BELOW, the performance venue located just below the legendary Studio 54 at 254 West 54th Street, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz and beyond:

Colorado Ballet Artistic Director Gil Boggs announced the 2014-2015 season, which will feature technically-challenging classical ballet and innovative contemporary pieces.

Today in 1980, the first Broadway revival of WEST SIDE STORY opened at the Minskoff Theatre, where it ran for 333 performances. West Side Story is an American musical with a book by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and conception and choreography by Jerome Robbins. It was inspired by William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. Set in New York City in the mid-1950s, the musical explores the rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks, two teenage street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds. Bernstein's score for the musical has become extremely popular; it includes 'Something's Coming', 'Maria', 'America', 'Somewhere', 'Tonight', 'Jet Song', 'I Feel Pretty', 'A Boy Like That', 'One Hand, One Heart', 'Gee, Officer Krupke' and 'Cool'.

THEATER 2020, Brooklyn Heights' NY Innovative Theater award nominated professional theater company is pleased to announce its Winter 2014 run of the 40th Anniversary of the Hal Prince production of Leonard Bernstein's 'CANDIDE' running 12 performances, tonight, February 14th through Sunday, March 9th, 2014.

The Negro Ensemble Company, Inc. opens the 47th season of inspirational, innovative and exciting stage productions with a special Valentine's Day concert starring the dynamic, award-winning singer/actress Lillias White in two performances of 'A Woman On Love' tonight, February 14, 2014

On Thursday, March 6, 2014, the newly recreated Charles Ives Studio and accompanying exhibition will open in the galleries of the American Academy of Arts and Letters in New York City (Audubon Terrace on Broadway between 155 and 156 Streets).

Los dias 16 y 17 de julio Alfonso Casado (Los Miserables, Miss Saigon) dirigira un concierto con la Real Orquesta Sinfonica de Sevilla en el que participaran Geronimo Rauch, Louise Dearman, Tam Mutu y Laura Osnes.

The tour smash hit Broadway revival of WEST SIDE STORY is coming to Calgary! WEST SIDE STORY will open at the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium tonight, February 11, 2014.

The Negro Ensemble Company, Inc. opens the 47th season of inspirational, innovative and exciting stage productions with a special Valentine's Day concert' starring the dynamic, award-winning singer/actress Lillias White in two performances of 'A Woman On Love' on Friday, February 14, 2014. Ms. White will grace the stage of the Langston Hughes Auditorium at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, 515 Malcolm X Boulevard, New York, NY 10037-1801 with shows at 7:00 pm and 10:00 pm. There will be a VIP Reception immediately following the second concert.

Today we are talking to a legendary leading lady famous for a few of the most iconic roles in some of the most memorable musicals of the 1980s and 1990s as well as a versatile vocalist and concert performer set to make her cabaret debut later this month - the ingratiating and amusing Randy Graff. Looking back at originating the role of Fantine in the original Broadway production of mega-hit mega musical LES MISERABLES and singing the unforgettable 'I Dreamed A Dream' eight times a week (and on the best-selling cast recording) as well as recounting her Tony Award-winning work in the endlessly entertaining Cy Coleman/David Zippel musical comedy CITY OF ANGELS, Graff share stories from behind the scenes and gives us a rare look at theatrical history in the making and her elemental role in both productions. Additionally, Graff opens up about some of her other most fondly remembered work, including her fantastic turn in Ed Kleban's A CLASS ACT, William Finn's FALSETTOS, Cole Porter's HIGH SOCIETY, the stage play and documentary MOON OVER BUFFALO co-starring Carol Burnett, the most recent revival of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF and much more. Most importantly, Graff generously outlines what we can expect from her upcoming solo shows at NYC hotspot 54 Below titled MADE IN BROOKLYN, in what will actually be the stalwart star's solo show premiere. In addition to all of that, Graff also touches upon some of her big screen and small screen work, ranging from LAW & ORDER to RENT, as well as recounts some theatrical tales involving theatre greats such as Stephen Sondheim, Leonard Bernstein, John Simon and more. All of that and much, much more awaits in this rich resume recounting retrospective with one of Broadway's best!

THEATER 2020, Brooklyn Heights' NY Innovative Theater award nominated professional theater company is pleased to announce its Winter 2014 run of the 40th Anniversary of the Hal Prince production of Leonard Bernstein's 'CANDIDE' running 12 performances, Friday, February 14th through Sunday, March 9th, 2014. Press is invited beginning Saturday, Feb 15th.

Month in and month out, medici.tv takes music lovers to one-of-a-kind concert happenings around the world - the next best thing to being there. The next great medici.tv experience is tomorrow, Friday, February 7, at 2pm EST, with the live webcast of Charles Wuorinen's opera Brokeback Mountain, in its much-anticipated premiere production at Madrid's Teatro Real. Wuorinen, the 75-year-old composer who has both a Pulitzer Prize and a MacArthur 'genius' grant to his credit, based his opera on the short story of the same name by fellow Pulitzer-winner Annie Proulx, who also penned the libretto (her first). The heartbreaking story of a complex emotional-sexual relationship between two Wyoming cowboys over 20 years starting in 1963 earned wide renown in Ang Lee's 2005 film version, which won three Academy Awards among many other international prizes. The New York Times first-night review of the Madrid production called Wuorinen's opera 'a serious work, an impressive achievement,' praising the 'intricate, vibrantly orchestrated and often brilliant score that conveys the oppressiveness of the forces that defeat these two men.' The review also described the stage production by Belgian director Ivo van Hove as 'starkly beautiful,' with the conducting by Titus Engel drawing 'a pulsing, incisive performance' from the orchestra. The opera stars Canadian bass-baritone Daniel Okulitch and American tenor Tom Randle as the closeted ranch hands Ennis del Mar and Jack Twist. The Times review pointed out: 'The cast, to a member, embraces every chance to maximize every lyrical bit in the vocal writing.'

The New York Philharmonic has received a $2.4 million grant from the Leon Levy Foundation to complete the digitization of its extensive Archives, beginning with its founding in 1842 through the present day. The grant builds on previous funding from the Leon Levy Foundation - now totaling $5 million since 2007 - which funded the digitization of the 1.3 million pages currently available. When completed, the New York Philharmonic Leon Levy Digital Archives will contain almost 3 million pages comprising all documents in the New York Philharmonic Archives - including correspondence, marked scores and parts, contracts, and Board minutes - from 1842 through 1970, as well as all public documents - including marketing materials, press releases, and annual reports - from 1970 through today. The Digital Archives' infrastructure will also be modified to integrate born-digital documents created today, as well as additional technological enhancements. Launched in February 2011, the Digital Archives currently includes historic material from 1943-70 including programs, marked scores and orchestral parts, business documents, photos, and more. The completion of the New York Philharmonic Leon Levy Digital Archives will create one of the world's most comprehensive online collections documenting a single cultural institution, as well as provide the structure for growth into the future.

The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) will celebrate the art of the piano with a series of special events this February. The fifth annual Bearcat Piano Festival presents master classes and guest artist concerts from today, February 6 - 11 in the Robert J. Werner Recital Hall and the Mary Emery Hall Master Classroom, followed by the ninth edition of CCM's Pianopalooza showcase at 7 p.m. on Sunday, February 16, in Corbett Auditorium.

Music Director Alan Gilbert will lead the New York Philharmonic on the ASIA / WINTER 2014 tour, February 6-19, 2014. The two-week tour - the Philharmonic's seventh international concert tour under Alan Gilbert's leadership - will feature ten concerts in three countries, with performances in Seoul, South Korea; Nagoya, Osaka, Tokyo, and Yokohama, Japan; and Taipei, Taiwan.

The 2013-14 season of the New York Philharmonic's Insights Series - free events in which artists and experts explore some of the season's themes and concerts - will continue Monday, March 3, 2014, at 7:30 p.m. with 'The 21st-Century Orchestra: A Conversation with Music Director Alan Gilbert and Executive Director Matthew VanBesien.'

This week at Joe's Pub at the Public Theater, February 3 through 12th, will feature Tony Trischka, The Civilians, Akiko Yano Trio, Benjamin Walker, Dirty Bourbon River Show, Champagne Jerry, The Losers Lounge, Tori Scott, Gina Breedlove, Alexander Zhurbin, Venus & Adonis, Ari Gold and CMA Songwriters Series. Details below!

Unless otherwise noted, all concerts take place at Jones Hall for the Performing Arts, 615 Louisiana Street, in Houston's Theater District. For tickets and information, please call (713) 224-7575 or visit www.houstonsymphony.org unless otherwise noted. Tickets may also be purchased at the Houston Symphony Patron Services Center in Jones Hall (Monday - Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.). All programs and artists are subject to change.