Van Horn News

While I was watching the Met’s current beautiful yet somehow languid production of the Igor Stravinsky and WH Auden/Chester Kallman opera THE RAKE’S PROGRESS the other night--with only two more performances until it goes back into mothballs for probably many years--I couldn’t help wishing that the opera house was more like Broadway.

LAGUNA PLAYHOUSE is thrilled to present one of the greatest and most celebrated musicals of all time, A CHORUS LINE, conceived and originally directed & choreographed by Michael Bennett, book by James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante, music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban, musical direction by Ricky Pope and directed and choreographed by Luis Villabon.

Stravinsky’s neoclassical masterpiece The Rake’s Progress, one of the 20th century’s great operas, will return to the Met stage for four performances May 30–June 11.

Broadway Sacramento is closing out their 2022 Broadway on Tour season with the first national tour of Tootsie.  Based on the 1982 film of the same name, Tootsie features music and lyrics by David Yazbek (The Band’s Visit, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) and a Tony Award-winning book by Robert Horn.  Rolling Stone called it “musical comedy heaven” and they’re not wrong.   Easily the funniest show of the season, Tootsie is full of one-liners, sarcastic wit, and self-deprecating humor. 

Laguna Playhouse will present one of the greatest and most celebrated musicals of all time, A CHORUS LINE, conceived and originally directed & choreographed by Michael Bennett, book by James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante, music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban, musical direction by Ricky Pope and directed and choreographed by Luis Villabon. 

Raehann Bryce-Davis will sing Baba the Turk in the May and June performances of Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress, replacing Alice Coote.

Read our critic's review. TOOTSIE  the musical brings an old-fashioned musical to life based on the movie of the same name from 1982.  The show offers up a talented cast, physical comedy, and some updates to the story, but can’t fully disguise a problematic premise under comedy, costumes, and choreography.  TOOTSIE is playing at the San Diego Civic Theatre through Sunday, April 17th,

TOOTSIE  the musical is bringing the hijinks from the 1982 hit movie (with some modern updates) to the stage.  Playing at the San Diego Civic Theatre from Tuesday, April 11th to Sunday, April 17th, Lukas James Miller brings a new character to the show, Max Van Horn.  Miller talks about the show, and his character, and warns that you may laugh so much you can skip your ab workout.

Ying Fang will sing Susanna in the April performances of Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro this season, replacing Aida Garifullina.

Walnut Street Theatre continues its 213th season with a world premiere adaptation of a classic mystery with Sherlock Holmes – The Adventure of The Speckled Band. Written and directed by Walnut favorite Bill Van Horn, the production begins previews February 22, opens March 2, and continues through March 27 on the Walnut’s Mainstage.

The Metropolitan Opera today announced its 2022–23 season, which features seven new productions, the most in ten seasons. Opening Night is September 27 with the company premiere of Cherubini’s Medea, starring soprano Sondra Radvanovsky in the title role alongside tenor Matthew Polenzani in David McVicar’s new staging, conducted by Carlo Rizzi.

Tootsie is a new musical based on the 1982 film starring Dustin Hoffman. The story follows Michael Dorsey ('Is he an actor? Yes, of course, he is. Is he successful? Yes, of course, he's not') and the opening number immediately makes his rotten reputation evident and known.

Walnut Street Theatre is continuing its 213th season with a world premiere adaptation of a classic mystery with Sherlock Holmes – The Adventure of The Speckled Band. Written and directed by Walnut favorite Bill Van Horn, the production begins previews February 22, opens March 2, and continues through March 27 on the Walnut’s Mainstage.

Lyric Opera of Chicago today announced the company’s 2022/23 Season, featuring productions of classic operas, a continuing long-term focus on developing and presenting new work, plus the return of Lyric’s annual spring musical.

The Metropolitan Opera will present Mozart’s classic comedy Le Nozze di Figaro for six performances, January 8–28, 2022. Maestro Daniele Rustioni, currently conducting the Met’s new production of Verdi’s Rigoletto, takes the podium to lead the revival of Richard Eyre’s fast-paced production, which sets the action in 1930s Seville.

Adam Plachetka will sing Count Almaviva in the January performances of Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro, replacing Christian Gerhaher, who has withdrawn due to a non-Covid-related illness.

The musical Tootsie, now playing at the National Theater in Washington, DC, has exceptionally good intentions and flashes of show-biz brio but it tries to do too many disparate things at once. Of course, the cultural zeitgeist of the brilliant film is pervasive in the “mind’s eye” but that should ideally be of little concern with a musical that veers into making differing choices appropriate for the stage.

Conductors Daniele Rustioni and James Gaffigan will lead this season's Metropolitan Opera performances of Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro, replacing Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

Walnut Street Theatre (WST) continues its 213th season with Disney’s THE LITTLE MERMAID. Directed by Glenn Casale and choreographed by John MacInnis, the production begins previews on November 16, 2021, opens November 24, and continues through January 2, 2022 on the Walnut’s Mainstage.

This November and December, the French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF) brings back its beloved HD Screening series with the Paris Opera and Ballet's, acclaimed new production of Faust, welcomes a timely conversation on climate change and cities, exhibits the work of rising NY-based French artist, celebrates the career of artist Françoise Gilot and continues its series of screenings dedicated to French star Léa Seydoux.