Michael Barrett News

The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) today announced the winners of the 46th Annual Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards. The gala was held at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, Southern California.

Critically-acclaimed Soprano, Amy Owens, collaborates with Grammy-winning pianist and music director, Michael Barrett, delivering their brilliant new album, 'It's Gotta Be Bad To Be Good: Songs of Leonard Bernstein.'

The Saint Sebastian Players (SSP) conclude their 38th season with Love, Loss and What I Wore by Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron, writers/directors of such films as You've Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle and When Harry Met Sally. Performances are April 26-May 19, 2019 at SSP's home in the lower level of St. Bonaventure, 1625 W. Diversey, Chicago.

PlayGround concludes the 25th season of its celebrated Monday Night PlayGround staged reading series with a special evening of environmental-inspired plays as part of the 5th annual PLANET EARTH ARTS NEW PLAY FESTIVAL on Monday, April 1, 8 PM at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. The topic for the April 1 program (rescheduled from the previously announced March 18 date) is "BORDERS, ISLANDS & WALLS". Members of the 2018-19 PlayGround Writers Company have just five days to generate their original ten-minute plays inspired by the topic. The top six scripts will each receive an hour-and-a-half rehearsal and a professional script-in-hand staged reading at Berkeley Rep on April 1.

Russian-American violinist Yevgeny Kutik, known for his “dark-hued tone and razor-sharp technique” (The New York Times), has launched a new commissioning and recording project titled Meditations on Family via Marquis Classics. Kutik has commissioned eight composers to translate a personal family photo into a short musical miniature for violin and various ensemble. He envisions the project as a living archive of new works inspired by memories, home, and belonging. Each track has been released digitally weekly, and the full EP CD, produced by four-time Grammy winner Jesse Lewis, will be released on March 22, 2019. Kutik will make his Kennedy Center debut presented by Washington Performing Arts on April 23, performing selections from Meditations on Family and his previous project, Music from the Suitcase.

A Pulitzer Prize finalist, Guggenheim fellow, and Radcliffe alum, Kate Soper's music has been described as 'exquisitely quirky' (The New York Times) and 'epic' (WQXR). As a performer, she has been praised as a 'dazzling vocalist' (The New Yorker) and likened to 'Lucille Ball reinterpreted by Linda Blair' (Pitchfork). 

Russian-American violinist Yevgeny Kutik, known for his “dark-hued tone and razor-sharp technique” (The New York Times), launches a new commissioning and recording project titled Meditations on Family today with the release of Christopher Cerrone's Flight to Limbo, available via Marquis Classics from all major streaming services. Kutik has commissioned eight composers to translate a personal family photo into a short musical miniature for violin and various ensemble. He envisions the project as a living archive of new works inspired by memories and tradition. One new piece will come out each Friday, and the full EP will be released on March 8, 2019. The recordings were produced by four-time Grammy winner Jesse Lewis.

PlayGround continues its 25th season of its celebrated Monday Night PlayGround staged reading series with the first 2019 Monday readings on Monday, January 21, 8 PM at Berkeley Repertory Theatre's Roda Theatre. The topic for January's round, announced last Friday, is "ADAPT A FAIRY TALE". Members of the 2018-19 PlayGround Writers Company have just four-and-a-half days to generate their original ten-minute plays inspired by the topic. The top six scripts will each receive an hour-and-a-half rehearsal and a professional script-in-hand staged reading at Berkeley Rep on January 21. PlayGround writers in Los Angeles are working simultaneously on the same prompt and their finalists will be presented at Hollywood's Broadwater Mainstage (home of Sacred Fools Theatre Company) on January 14. Tickets are $15-$30 and 3-admission flex subscriptions are just $60 ($45 for 25-and-Unders). For tickets or more information, visit http://playground-sf.org/monday.

Russian-American violinist Yevgeny Kutik, known for his “dark-hued tone and razor-sharp technique” (The New York Times), will launch a new commissioning and recording project titled Meditations on Family in 2019. Kutik has commissioned eight composers to translate a personal family photo into a short musical miniature for violin and various ensemble. He envisions the project as a living archive of new works inspired by memories and tradition. The first recording will be released on January 18, 2019, with one new piece coming out each Friday, and the full EP to be released on March 8, 2019, on Marquis Classics. The recordings were produced by four-time Grammy winner Jesse Lewis.

CLEOPATRA, a unique Off-Broadway immersive pop musical experience, officially opened on November 7 at Chelsea Music Hall (407 W 15th Street), a new venue located beneath Chelsea Market. BroadwayWorld has an exclusive video from the red carpet on opening night! Watch it below!

CLEOPATRA, a unique Off-Broadway immersive pop musical experience, officially opened on November 7 at Chelsea Music Hall (407 W 15th Street), a new venue located beneath Chelsea Market. BroadwayWorld was there and you can check out the photos below!

PlayGround continues its 25th season of its celebrated Monday Night PlayGround staged reading series on Monday, November 26, 8 PM at Berkeley Repertory Theatre's Roda Theatre. The topic for November's round, announced this morning, is "FALL DOWN, GET UP". Members of the 2018-19 PlayGround Writers Company have just four-and-a-half days to generate their original ten-minute plays inspired by the topic. The top six scripts will each receive an hour-and-a-half rehearsal and a professional script-in-hand staged reading at Berkeley Rep on November 26. PlayGround writers in Los Angeles are working simultaneously on the same prompt and their finalists will be presented at Hollywood's Broadwater Mainstage (home of Sacred Fools Theatre Company) on November 12.  Tickets are $15-$30 and 5-admission series subscriptions are just $75 ($50 for 25-and-Unders). For tickets or more information, visit http://playground-sf.org/monday.

CLEOPATRA, a unique Off-Broadway immersive pop musical experience, will begin performances tonight at Chelsea Music Hall (407 W 15th Street), a new venue located beneath Chelsea Market. Directed and choreographed by JT Horenstein, the new musical features music and lyrics by Jeff Daye and lyrics by Laura Kleinbaum. The premier offering of the new venue - which will officially opened to the public on Thursday, October 18 - CLEOPATRA will celebrate its opening night on Wednesday, November 7, 2018. Tickets are now on sale for the open-ended engagement Power. Seduction. Ruin. The legendary Queen of the Nile is throwing one of her famously lavish parties to celebrate the Empire's latest triumphs over Rome, and you are invited to attend. Inside the palace, drinks flow, and music seduces as guests are met with every indulgence. But outside the city walls, the alluring Marc Antony beckons, the nefarious Octavian lurks, and Cleopatra's enemies plot a violent end to her prosperous reign. The Queen better watch her back.

San Francisco's 42nd Street Moon (Daren A.C. Carollo and Daniel Thomas, Co-Executive Directors) has announced the full cast and creative team for the opening production of its 2018-2019 season, THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS (nominated for seven Tony Awards). THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS features a book by Larry L. King and Peter Masterson, and music and lyrics by Carol Hall. 42nd Street Moon's production runs from October 3 - 21, 2018 and will perform at San Francisco's Gateway Theatre (formerly the Eureka Theatre). The press opening will take place on Saturday, October 6 at 6:00 p.m. Tickets range from $30 - $75 and can be purchased through the Box Office at (415) 255-8207 or online at www.42ndstmoon.org.

"A man may see how this world goes with no eyes. Look with thine ears see how yond justice rails upon yon simple thief. Hark, in thine ear change places and, handy-dandy, which is the justice, which is the thief." - William Shakespeare

Producer Nathaniel Hill announced completed casting today for CLEOPATRA, a unique Off-Broadway immersive musical experience which will begin an open-ended residency at Chelsea Music Hall (407 W 15th Street), a new venue opening underneath Chelsea Market. Directed and choreographed by JT Horenstein, the new pop musical features music and lyrics by Jeff Daye and lyrics by Laura Kleinbaum. The premier offering of the new venue, which will officially open to the public in October, CLEOPATRA will begin performances on Tuesday, October 23, 2018 with an official opening night on Wednesday, November 7, 2018. Tickets are now on sale.

Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota is pleased to present baritone John Brancy and pianist Peter Dugan performing "Armistice: The Journey Home," Saturday, November 3, 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, November 4, 3:00 p.m., at the Historic Asolo Theater, 5401 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota. The program, which tells the story of men and women who must find their way back home, literally and figuratively, from the ravages of war, features a compelling selection of music by Holst, Schubert, Rachmaninoff, Irving Berlin, Pete Seeger, and more. Reserved seat tickets are $25 to $45 and are available online at www.artistseriesconcerts.org or by calling 941-306-1202. $10 student tickets are available at the door with current student ID.

Ensemble for the Romantic Century (Eve Wolf, Executive Artistic Director) is proud to announce the opening of Angelica Page in the title role BECAUSE I COULD NOT STOP: An Encounter with Emily Dickinson. Opening Night is this Thursday, September 27th.

Producer Nathaniel Hill announced today that CLEOPATRA, a unique Off-Broadway immersive musical experience will begin an open-ended residency at Chelsea Music Hall (407 W 15th Street), a new venue opening underneath Chelsea Market. Directed and choreographed by JT Horenstein, the new pop musical features music and lyrics by Jeff Daye and lyrics by Laura Kleinbaum. The premier offering of the new venue, which will officially open to the public in October, CLEOPATRA will begin performances on Tuesday, October 23, 2018 with an official opening night on Wednesday, November 7, 2018. Complete casting will be announced shortly. Tickets are now on sale.

Copland House's 2018-19 mainstage season will offer celebrations aplenty! Ranging widely across more than a century of American music, the popular series is Copland House's 10th at Westchester County's majestic Merestead estate in Mount Kisco, NY. Hailed by The New York Times for "all the richness of its offerings, first-rate fare, and reputation for quality," the series has become a destination for an enthusiastic and growing audience of musical adventurers seeking discoveries of the new, old, and unexpected.