Michael Levine News

Under the leadership of General Manager Bernard Foccroulle, the 69th season of the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence will present an exceptional collection of artists from around the globe in five major opera productions and 16 recital, chamber music and orchestral concerts from July 3 through 22, plus more than 60 events from the Academie du Festival d'Aix.

The Canadian Opera Company presents a 2017/2018 season that defies conventions on what opera can be and cements the art form's enduring relevance as a reflection of timeless human relations and universal themes.

Two women, both actresses with differing degrees of success, travel north from Los Angeles to Big Sur for a weekend vacation in Always Shine, Sophia Takal's twisty, psychological drama. Both see the trip as an opportunity to reconnect after years of competition and jealousy has driven a wedge between them,but upon arrival to their isolated, forest retreat, the pair discovers that their once intimate friendship has deteriorated into forced conversations, betrayals both real and imagined, petty jealousies, and deep-seated resentment. As the women allow their feelings to fester, each begins to lose their bearings not only on the true nature of their relationship, but on their own identities.

The Canadian Opera Company enters the twilight of the gods with the revival of its acclaimed production of Wagner's Gotterdammerung directed by Toronto-area resident Tim Albery. COC Music Director Johannes Debus conducts his first Gotterdammerung, at the helm of the internationally acclaimed COC Orchestra and Chorus with a cast of generation-defining voices led by powerhouse American soprano Christine Goerke in her debut as Gotterdammerung's Brunnhilde.

Whether it be in love or war, Shakespeare's characters will promise the moon, and in their next breath take it back again. Audience members are invited to decide for themselves whether karmic justice is served when notable liars in the canon go back on their sworn words. Drawn from several plays, this Naked Shakespeare production brings together a collection of characters notoriously bending and twisting their oaths in order to suit their own personal needs. Director Michael Levine intertwines text selections from three tragedies and one comedy in this fast-moving evening of entertainment in which characters are literally shackled by their words by hooded figures moving about a shadowy dungeon-like world. Eight actors play multiple characters in an evening that visually demonstrates the rewards offered by those who are untrue. 'Oath Breakers' performs twice on Friday and Saturday on the first weekend in December in the Ballroom at Mechanics Hall. Both performances begin at 7pm. The First Friday performance is free, and Saturday's show is $10 for all ages. Visit Acorn's website at www.acorn-productions.org for more information or to order tickets.

On the heels of unanimous raves on Broadway, Carole Shorenstein Hays announced today that the Complicite production of The Encounter, Simon McBurney's riveting one-man play where audience members must wear headphones to take part in the journey, will continue at the Curran for a limited engagement next spring, April 25 - May 7, 2017.

The underappreciated art of sound design takes center stage in Simon McBurney's THE ENCOUNTER, a dramatization of Petru Popescu's book "Amazon Beaming" that comes off more as a demonstration of technological capabilities than engaging storytelling.

Direct from London and an international tour, Complicite's acclaimed production of The Encounter, conceived, directed and performed by Simon McBurney, begins performances tonight at Broadway's John Golden Theatre (252 West 45th Street). The production will open on Thursday, September 29 and play a limited engagement through January 8 2017.

Producers of the Broadway production of Complicite's The Encounter announced today the show's student ticket policies.

FOX's long-running singing competition AMERICAN IDOL will be honored this fall with The Television Academy's Governors Award, which recognizes exceptional achievement in the television arts and sciences.

Acorn Productions, a non-profit theatrical education company dedicated to nurturing the performing arts in Portland, is thrilled to announce that they have hired Carmen-Maria Mandley as the new Director of Training for Acorn Acting Academy, currently located at Mechanics Hall in downtown Portland.

Our new series, LET THERE BE LIGHT, focuses on some of Britain's finest theatrical lightning designers. First up is James Farncombe, whose projects range from plays at venues like the Royal Court, Young Vic and Donmar to a variety of opera and ballet productions. He received an Olivier Award nomination earlier this year for his work on the National Theatre's smash hit People, Places and Things.

Oscilloscope Laboratories announced today that it has acquired U.S. rights from Visit Films to Sophia Takal's second directorial feature, ALWAYS SHINE

Acorn Productions, a non-profit organization dedicated to nurturing and developing Southern Maine's community of performing artists, announces the final performance schedule for this year's Maine Playwrights Festival. The MPF opens with an evening of dramatic readings on Saturday, April 30, in the Ballroom at Mechanics Hall, and continues with a weekend of performances at the St. Lawrence Arts Center from May 4 to 7. The event wraps up with the 24-Hour Portland Theater Project on Sunday, May 8th, a popular presentation of 6 new plays that all share the same line of dialogue, prop, and setting, all of which have been written, rehearsed and presented within a single day. Tickets for the MPF are available on Acorn's website at www.acorn-productions.org and cost $16 for the general public and $14 for students and seniors.

ALWAYS SHINE, starring Mackenzie Davis and Caitlin FitzGerald, directed by Sophia Takal and written by Lawrence Michael Levine, will make its World Premiere at this year's Tribeca Film Festival as part of the US Narrative Competition.

MADAMA BUTTERFLY was never my favorite Puccini until the current production conceived by Anthony Minghella. Before, Butterfly always seemed too submissive, Pinkerton too brutish and their child, well, too cute. Now—particularly with the current cast, headed by the magnificent Kristine Opolais as the young geisha and the dashing Roberto Alagna as the clueless Pinkerton, her American husband--seemed to put my past reservations to rest. The result was a magnificent performance, from beginning to end.

Acorn Productions, a non-profit organization dedicated to nurturing and developing the Southern Maine community of performing artists, has finalized plans for this year's annual Maine Playwrights Festival (MPF). This year's MPF is co-directed by MPF Founder Michael Levine and Daniel Burson, former Education and Literary Director at Portland Stage Company, joined by Playwright-in-Residence William Donnelly. This year, six scripts by Delvyn Case, Carolyn Gage, Jennifer Jensen, Richard Sewell, David Susman, and Bess Welden will be brought to life at the St. Lawrence Arts Center from May 4 to 7, 2016, with the latest installment of the 24-Hour Portland Theaer Project on Sunday, May 8th. Additionally, Burson and Donnelly will be offering a 3-hour Master Playwrighting Workshop on March 19 from 1 to 4pm at the Maine College of Art. More information about this year's MPF, including a sign-up form for the Master Playwrighting Class, is available on Acorn's website at www.acorn-productions.org.

The 2016 Tribeca Film Festival (TFF), presented by AT&T, today announced the US Narrative, International Narrative, and Documentary Competition feature film selections

The International Opera Awards are pleased to announce the shortlist for this year's Awards. These were selected by the jury chaired by John Allison, editor of Opera magazine and classical music critic with The Daily Telegraph.

Naked Shakespeare, Acorn Productions' performance series dedicated to presenting the works of the Bard in accessible ways for contemporary audiences, continues their popular series of First Friday performances next month with two performances of 'Seven Deadly Sins,' a series of seven highly-abridged stories from seven different plays, each of which highlights a different vice. Naked Shakespeare Artistic Director abridged the scripts and directs the show, which features a cast of twelve actors, with several company members joined by a few guest artists. Unlike previous First Friday shows, 'Seven Deadly Sins' will be a series of self-contained short pieces, allowing audience members to experience both extremely well-known selections from Othello and The Tempest as well as lesser known plays including Timon of Athens and Coriolanus. Naked Shakespeare's First Friday shows begin a month of Shakespeare performances by various companies designed to coincidence with the visit of a copy of the First Folio at the Portland Public Library. The performances are free with a $10 suggested donation. For more information, audience members are encouraged to visit Acorn's website at www.acorn-productions.org.