Richard Eyre News

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Kate Aldrich will sing the title role of Carmen on April 28 and May 1, replacing Angela Gheorghiu who has withdrawn from those performances.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.'

Strauss's comic masterpiece of love and intrigue in 18th-century Vienna stars Renée Fleming as the aristocratic Marschallin and Susan Graham in the trouser role of her young lover Octavian. Edo De Waart conducts a cast that includes Christine Schäfer as Sophie, Eric Cutler as the Italian singer, Thomas Allen as Faninal, and Kristinn Sigmundsson as Baron Ochs.

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.

Laura Linney will will be one of many recipients of the Common Wealth Award of Distinguished Service at a ceremony on April 24th.

London's Finborough Theatre will present THREE SEAGULLS, three staged readings complementing the London premiere production of The Notebook of Trigorin. The three works scheduled for readings are THE SEAGULL, HIS GREATNESS, and PIETA.

The North Carolina Blumenthal Performing Arts Center and producers Thomas Schumacher of Disney Theatrical Productions and Cameron Mackintosh announced today that tickets for the long-awaited production of MARY POPPINS will go on sale to the public on April 23 at 10 a.m.

Richard Eyre, the renowned British director of theater and film, explores the passionate drama of Bizet's Carmen and the power of her desires in his new production at the Metropolitan Opera, which premieres on THIRTEEN'S Great Performances at the Met series. 'Her sexuality is a life force, it's a defining force,' he explains.

London's Finborough Theatre will present THREE SEAGULLS, three staged readings complementing the London premiere production of The Notebook of Trigorin. The three works scheduled for readings are THE SEAGULL, HIS GREATNESS, and PIETA.

The National Theatre has announced casting for its upcoming productions, starting with Moira Buffini's WELCOME TO THEBES which will run starting June 15. Nikki Amuka-Bird and David Harewood will star in the World Premiere of the play, which tells the Greek myth of the first democratically elected president of Thebes in a modernized way. The show will be directed by Richard Eyre and the cast will also feature Madeline Appiah, Rakie Ayola, Omar Brown, Jessie Burton, Jacqueline Defferary, Daniel Fine, Karlina Grace, Rene Gray, Tracy Ifeachor, Irma Inniss, Chuk Iwuji, Alexia Khadime, Ferdinand Kingsley, Aicha Kossoko, Simon Manyonda, Bruce Myers, Pamela Nomvete, Calre Perkins, Victor Power, Daniel Poyser, Joy Richardson, Vinette Robinson, Zara Tempest-Walters, and Michael Wildman.

The North Carolina Blumenthal Performing Arts Center and producers Thomas Schumacher of Disney Theatrical Productions and Cameron Mackintosh announced today that tickets for the long-awaited production of MARY POPPINS will go on sale to the public on April 23 at 10 a.m.

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.

London's Finborough Theatre will present THREE SEAGULLS, three staged readings complementing the London premiere production of The Notebook of Trigorin. The three works scheduled for readings are THE SEAGULL, HIS GREATNESS, and PIETA.

The Cincinnati premiere of MARY POPPINS opens tonight, Friday, April 9 at 8:00 p.m. at the Aronoff Center for a limited engagement of 3 weeks through Sunday, April 25, 2010. MARY POPPINS plays Tuesday through Friday evenings at 8:00 p.m., Saturday at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. and Sunday at 1:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Great seats still available for most performances.

Ambroise Thomas's Hamlet returns to the Met stage for its first performances since 1897, with the powerful pairing of Simon Keenlyside in the title role and Marlis Petersen as Ophélie. Keenlyside's acclaimed interpretation of Hamlet in Geneva, London and Barcelona finally arrives in the United States, with a performance in the Patrice Caurier and Moshe Leiser production that was hailed by the British press as 'magnificent . . . sheer vocal genius.' Petersen, who steps in for Natalie Dessay, brings her haunting portrayal of Ophélie to the Met; she earned praise for the role during a 2006 run of Hamlet in Düsseldorf. Louis Langrée conducts a cast that includes Jennifer Larmore as Gertrude, Toby Spence in his Met debut as Laërte, and James Morris in the role of Claudius. Jane Archibald, in her Met debut, sings the role of Ophélie on April 5 and 9. The creative team is rounded out by Christian Fenouillat with set designs, Agostino Cavalca with costume designs, and Christophe Forey with lighting designs, all in their Met debuts. Performances run through April 9, with the March 27 matinee shown worldwide as part of The Met: Live in HD

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.

James Levine has withdrawn from the four performances of Tosca and three performances of Lulu he was scheduled to conduct in April and May. He is to undergo corrective surgery for an ongoing lower back problem. Fabio Luisi will replace Levine for both Tosca (April 14, 17, 20, and 24 mat.) and Lulu (May 8, 12, 15 mat.).

The Denver engagement of the MARY POPPINS NORTH AMERICAN TOUR opens tonight, Friday March 5 at 7:30pm at the Buell Theatre, performing for five weeks through Sunday, April 4.

This autumn, actress Kim Cattrall will return to her birth city of Liverpool to play Cleopatra in the Liverpool Everyman Theatre's production of ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA.

Producers Cameron Mackintosh and Thomas Schumacher are pleased to announce full casting for the Atlanta engagement of MARY POPPINS. Atlanta's most eagerly anticipated stage production will begin performances at the Fox Theatre on Thursday, April 29 for a limited engagement of 3 weeks through Sunday, May 16. The opening night is Friday, April 30 at 8 p.m.