Philip Skinner News

Experience Verdi's impeccable musical genius at its most voluptuous when Pacific Symphony delivers the concert opera, "Aida, " recounting the doomed love triangle of an Egyptian princess, a young Nubian slave girl and the soldier they both love! For three grand nights, the orchestra comes out of the pit and onto the stage for this semi-staged presentation of Verdi's most popular and heartbreaking opera.

Ash Lawn Opera, Charlottesville, Virginia's premier opera company for 40 years, will become Charlottesville Opera in 2017. Imagine 1978: the downtown mall had just opened in Charlottesville and Ash Lawn Opera had its first season as a summer festival of local singers presenting opera in the boxwood garden of Ash Lawn-Highland. Since then, our city has transformed into a vibrant cultural and culinary hub and emerging tourist destination.

San Francisco Opera Center Director Sheri Greenawald today announced the thirteen recipients of the 2017 Adler Fellowship. Nine singers, three pianist/apprentice coaches and one director will take part in the program-a multi-year performance-oriented residency offering advanced young artists intensive individual training, coaching and professional seminars, as well as a wide range of performance opportunities. Adler Fellows are selected from the young artists who have participated in the Merola Opera Program. The prestigious fellowship has nurtured the development of more than 175 young artists since its inception.

Ash Lawn Opera launches its 40th Season as Charlottesville, Virginia's premier opera company with a special performance of by world-renowned tenor Jay Hunter Morris on Saturday, December 3, 2016 at 8 pm. Morris will perform beloved opera arias, play guitar, and tell stories in his delightful Texan drawl.

The Midtown International Theater Festival (MITF) presents Insomnia with music and lyrics by Charles Bloom and book by Theo Wolf. Ovi Vargas directs a cast of seven, including Philip Skinner, Jesse Manocherian*, Anette Michelle Sanders*, Lauren Lukacek*, Chris Brick*, Tyler Milliron*, and Dennis Holland*. Insomnia is being staged at the Main Stage, 312 West 36th Street in New York City from August 2-7, 2016. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

The Midtown International Theater Festival (MITF) presents Insomnia with music and lyrics by Charles Bloom and book by Theo Wolf. Ovi Vargas directs a cast of seven, including Philip Skinner, Jesse Manocherian*, Anette Michelle Sanders*, Lauren Lukacek*, Chris Brick*, Tyler Milliron*, and Dennis Holland* (Bway: The Music Man, Peter Pan). Insomnia is being staged at the Main Stage, 312 West 36th Street in New York City from August 2-7, 2016.

The Midtown International Theater Festival (MITF) presents Insomnia with music and lyrics by Charles Bloom and book by Theo Wolf. Ovi Vargas directs a cast of seven, including Philip Skinner, Jesse Manocherian*, Anette Michelle Sanders*, Lauren Lukacek*, Chris Brick*, Tyler Milliron*, and Dennis Holland* (Bway: The Music Man, Peter Pan). Insomnia is being staged at the Main Stage, 312 West 36th Street in New York City from August 2-7, 2016.

Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston opens its 48th season with its first-rate production of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic CAROUSEL. A triumvirate of women - Jennifer Ellis, Jessica Kundla, and Leigh Barrett - give sparkling performances, augmented by Broadway veteran Ciaran Sheehan, but Rachel Bertone's choreography makes this one of the best rides for the summer season.

San Diego Opera is proud to continue its tradition of presenting new or rarely performed works when it presents the west coast premiere of Great Scott, the new opera from composer Jake Heggie (Moby-Dick, Dead Man Walking, Three Decembers) and librettist Terrence McNally (Dead Man Walking, Three Decembers, and the plays Mother and Sons, Love! Valour! Compassion!, The Fully Monty). They are joined by veteran stage director and former director of San Diego's Old Globe Theatre, Jack O'Brien, who will stage the opera. Great Scott opens on Saturday, May 7, 2016 at 7 PM for four performances at the San Diego Civic Theatre and is a co-production with The Dallas Opera. The opera received its world premiere in Dallas on October 30, 2015.  BroadwayWorld has a first look below!

SAN FRANCISCO (October 12, 2015) –– San Francisco Opera Center Director Sheri Greenawald announced today the twelve recipients of the 2016 Adler Fellowship, a multi-year performance-oriented residency offering advanced young artists intensive individual training, coaching and professional seminars, as well as a wide range of performance opportunities. Adler Fellows are selected from the young artists who have participated in the Merola Opera Program. This prestigious training program has nurtured the development of more than 150 young artists since its inception.

NYU Steinhardt's Program in Vocal Performance today announced it will present the musical Grand Hotel this weekend, September 24-28, 2015. The show features book by Luther Davis, music and lyrics by George Forrest and Robert Wright, and additional music and lyrics by Maury Yeston. Dallett Norris directs.

NYU Steinhardt's Program in Vocal Performance today announced it will present the musical Grand Hotel on September 24-28, 2015. The show features book by Luther Davis, music and lyrics by George Forrest and Robert Wright, and additional music and lyrics by Maury Yeston. Dallett Norris directs.

Hard on the heels of the highly successful premiere of its acclaimed new production of Jake Heggie's Dead Man Walking in February, Opera Parallèle will present the U.S. premiere of Tarik O'Regan's Heart of Darkness May 1-3 at Z Space in San Francisco. The opera will be staged in an innovative new production overseen by Opera Parallèle Creative Director Brian Staufenbiel, with Artistic Director Nicole Paiement conducting. Performances are Friday, May 1, at 8 pm; Saturday, May 2, at 2 pm and 8 pm; and Sunday, May 3, at 2 pm; Z Space is located at 450 Florida Street in San Francisco. Tickets are priced $30-$85 and may be purchased at www.operaparallele.org .

Acclaimed contemporary opera company Opera Parallèle will open its 2015 season with the premiere of a new production of Jake Heggie's landmark work Dead Man Walking-marking the 15th anniversary of one of the most widely performed operas of the 21st century-in three performances this weekend, February 20 and 21, 2015 at 8 pm and February 22, 2015 at 2 pm at YBCA Theater in San Francisco.

NYU Steinhardt Vocal Performance's student-run Players Club presents THE DROWSY CHAPERONE from February 13-15

SAN FRANCISCO, CA— ScolaVox (scolavox.org) and Thick House Theater (thickhouse.org) are proud to present the World Premiere of The Lariat, a dark comic opera by composer Lisa Scola Prosek, based on the 1927 novella by the poet and anthropologist Jaime de Angulo. This production will take place January 23-31, 2015 at Thick House Theater in San Francisco.

In anticipation of its February 20-22 YBCA Theater premiere of a new production of Jake Heggie's Dead Man Walking, award-winning contemporary opera company Opera Parallèle will present a special free public event tonight, January 21, 7-8:30 pm at Temple Emanu-El in San Francisco. The evening will feature a discussion of the opera—which has had 40 productions, spanning the globe, in its 15-year history—and its controversial topic, the death penalty, along with performances of excerpts from the opera and other works. Opera Parallèle founder and Artistic Director Nicole Paiement and Creative Director Brian Staufenbiel will host special guests including activist and author Sister Helen Prejean, author of Dead Man Walking, which chronicles her relationship with a Louisiana death-row inmate, and which was also made into a celebrated motion picture; composer Jake Heggie, mezzo-sopranos Frederica von Stade and Catherine Cook, sopranos Kristin Clayton and Nicolle Foland, and Roslyn Barak, cantor of Temple Emanu-El. Admission for the event is free of charge and advance reservations are required at opdmw.brownpapertickets.com .

In anticipation of its February 20-22 YBCA Theater premiere of a new production of Jake Heggie's Dead Man Walking, award-winning contemporary opera company Opera Parallèle will present a special free public event Wednesday, January 21, 7-8:30 pm at Temple Emanu-El in San Francisco. The evening will feature a discussion of the opera—which has had 40 productions, spanning the globe, in its 15-year history—and its controversial topic, the death penalty, along with performances of excerpts from the opera and other works. Opera Parallèle founder and Artistic Director Nicole Paiement and Creative Director Brian Staufenbiel will host special guests including activist and author Sister Helen Prejean, author of Dead Man Walking, which chronicles her relationship with a Louisiana death-row inmate, and which was also made into a celebrated motion picture; composer Jake Heggie, mezzo-sopranos Frederica von Stade and Catherine Cook, sopranos Kristin Clayton and Nicolle Foland, and Roslyn Barak, cantor of Temple Emanu-El. Admission for the event is free of charge and advance reservations are required at opdmw.brownpapertickets.com .