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Boston, MA — Two of Boston's leading musical ensembles—the Boston Modern Orchestra Project (BMOP) and Odyssey Opera—unite onstage for a special concert honoring the great Pulitzer­winning composer Gunther Schuller (1925-­ 2015). Between them, these two organizations have a repertoire spanning a wide array of genres, and this program will offer the distinctive sound of Schuller's fusion of jazz vernacular with the symphonic and operatic world. Gil Rose will lead BMOP in two enjoyable narratives for all ages, Schuller's Journey Into Jazz and The Fisherman and His Wife, joined by Gunther's sons Ed Schuller (bass) and George Schuller (drums) as special guest artists, and Odyssey Opera, featuring Met Opera regular, mezzo-­soprano Sondra Kelly. Rounding out the program will be Schuller's sinfonietta work Games. Continuing its 20th anniversary season, BMOP is thrilled and humbled to be presenting works by Schuller, the orchestra's longtime collaborator and friend. “There was no more prodigious and passionate master of the musical 20th century in America than Gunther Schuller,” says Gil Rose, Artistic Director, Founder, and Conductor of BMOP and Odyssey Opera. “He was American music making at its best.” Ranking among the most eclectic of his generation or any other, Schuller combined jazz and classical music in new ways. In the 1950s, Schuller's revolutionary, hybrid style became know as “Third Stream,” and entered the classical music mainstream. Schuller served as President of the New England Conservatory, where he established a successful degree-­granting jazz program, from 1967-­1977. He made his home in Newton, MA, and passed away on June 21, 2015 in Boston at the age of 89. Opening the program is Schuller's Games (2013)—written at age 90—for wind quintet and strings, offering a lighthearted, rapid-­??fire amalgam of ideas, rhythms, and tongue-­in-­cheek quotations that is a classic display of the composer's trademark nimbleness and wit. The organic fusion of contemporary classical music and modern jazz that characterizes the Third Stream is front and center in Journey Into Jazz (1962), a strong aesthetic statement about the porous nature of musical boundaries and the shared fundamentals of good musicianship. In the manner of Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf, Journey Into Jazz features a narration by famed jazz critic and author Nat Hentoff that tells the story of a young classically-­trained trumpeter who evolves into a jazz improviser and, ultimately, an artist with his own, individual sound. BMOP is thrilled to welcome Gunther's sons Ed Schuller (bass) and George Schuller (drums) as guest artists for this special tribute performance. Audiences can listen to BMOP perform Journey Into Jazz on BMOP/sound's eponymous recording of 2008. Of that disc, Gramophone wrote “Under Gil Rose's caring direction, the Boston Modern Orchestra Project and stellar instrumental soloists give performances that are not likely to be surpassed for some time.” Also on the program is another work of Schuller's that centers on narrative, the one-­act opera The Fisherman and His Wife (1970), which received its first performance by the Boston Opera Company under the direction of Sarah Caldwell. With a libretto by John Updike, the work is derived from the German fairy tale popularized by the Brothers Grimm and is appealing for all ages. A simple fisherman (performed here by tenor Steven Goldstein) is convinced by his wife (performed here by mezzo-­soprano Sondra Kelly) to ask for more and more favors from a great fish he has captured and thrown back into the sea. When the wife asks to play God, she and her husband are reduced to their original poor state, having learned some lessons along the way. About BMOP The Boston Modern Orchestra Project (BMOP) is the premier orchestra in the United States dedicated exclusively to commissioning, performing, and recording music of the twentieth and twenty-­first centuries. A unique institution of crucial artistic importance to today's musical world, BMOP exists to disseminate exceptional orchestral music of the present and recent past via performances and recordings of the highest caliber. Founded by Artistic Director Gil Rose in 1996, BMOP has championed composers whose careers span nine decades. Each season, Rose brings BMOP's award-­??winning orchestra, renowned soloists, and influential composers to the stage of New England Conservatory's historic Jordan Hall in a series that offers orchestral programming of unmatched diversity. The musicians of BMOP are consistently lauded for the energy, imagination, and passion with which they infuse the music of the present era. For more information, please visit BMOP.org. About Odyssey Opera Founded in 2013 by Artistic Director/Conductor Gil Rose, Odyssey Opera presents adventurous and eclectic works that affirm opera as a powerful expression of the human experience. Its world-­??class artists perform the operatic repertoire from its historic beginnings throughlesser-­??known masterpieces to contemporary new works and commissions in a variety of formats and venues. Odyssey Opera sets standards of high musical and theatrical excellence and innovative programming to advance the operatic genre beyond the familiar and into undiscovered territory. Odyssey Opera takes its audience on a journey to places they've never been before. For more information, please visit odysseyopera.org.

Eric Owens will begin his tenure as The Mary and James G. Wallach Artist-in-Residence by curating, hosting, and performing in In Their Footsteps: Great African American Singers and Their Legacy, conducted by Thomas Wilkins in his Philharmonic debut.

Independent Theatre is poised to roar into The Space with a new version of what is considered the greatest American novel of the twentieth century.

Eric Owens will begin his tenure as The Mary and James G. Wallach Artist-in-Residence by curating, hosting, and performing in In Their Footsteps: Great African American Singers and Their Legacy, conducted by Thomas Wilkins in his Philharmonic debut.

Independent Theatre is poised to roar into The Space with a new version of what is considered the greatest American novel of the twentieth century.

Sometimes it seems there is so much theater happening that it's difficult to keep track of it all. From personal experience, despite all the datebooks, smart phones, tablets, desktop computers and laptops...it's hard to keep everything straight in this wacky business of the show.

According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, the Schutzstaffel, commonly known as the SS, was formed by Adolf Hitler in 1925 to be his personal bodyguards. The SS would go on to commit numerous crimes against humanity until their dissolution in 1945.

Sometimes it seems there is so much theater happening that it's difficult to keep track of it all. From personal experience, despite all the datebooks, smart phones, tablets, desktop computers and laptops...it's hard to keep everything straight in this wacky business of the show.

Sometimes it seems there is so much theater happening that it's difficult to keep track of it all. From personal experience, despite all the datebooks, smart phones, tablets, desktop computers and laptops...it's hard to keep everything straight in this wacky business of the show.

The Sounds of Story will fill The Mix Studio Theater as a group of well-known area storytellers, including La'Ron Williams, Steve Daut, Jane Fink, Laura Lee Hayes, Lyn Davidge, Jeff Doyle, Satori Shakoor, and Mark Sweetman, come together to perform two benefit concerts for Emergent Arts at The Mix Studio Theater. Performances are tonight, May 15 at 8pm, and Sunday May 17 at 2pm at The Mix Studio Theater, 8 N. Washington, Ypsilanti, MI 48197.

The Sounds of Story will fill The Mix Studio Theater as a group of well-known area storytellers, including La'Ron Williams, Steve Daut, Jane Fink, Laura Lee Hayes, Lyn Davidge, Jeff Doyle, Satori Shakoor, and Mark Sweetman, come together to perform two benefit concerts for Emergent Arts at The Mix Studio Theater. Performances are Friday May 15 at 8pm, and Sunday May 17 at 2pm at The Mix Studio Theater, 8 N. Washington, Ypsilanti, MI 48197. All seats are $15, available at www.emergentarts.com.

Orange County, Calif.—April 28, 2015—A gala season awaits as great stars in entertainment lead the way to celebrate Richard Kaufman's 25-year legacy as principal pops conductor of Pacific Symphony. While last season marked the occasion of Music Director Carl St.Clair's 25th anniversary, 2015-16 puts the spotlight on Kaufman, who has championed the lighter side of the Symphony, bringing countless memorable artists to the stage. What better way to celebrate than with some of the best songs and genres of our time delivered by mega-watt stars and backed by the lush, magnificent sounds of the full symphony orchestra? This special season includes major headliners and the return of Orange County favorites including trumpeter extraordinaire Chris Botti, Broadway diva Bernadette Peters, comedy legend Martin Short and Golden-Age champion Michael Feinstein. The amazing acrobats of Cirque de la Symphonie return for A Cirque Christmas, and Classical Mystery Tour delivers dozens of Beatles hits as they were originally recorded with orchestra. Also, Stewart Copeland, former drummer for The Police, joins the Symphony to perform his score to the 1925 silent film, “Ben Hur.”

“Lover, when I'm near you . . .” sings the debonair Todd Murray this past Monday night at Birdland, mere feet away from rapt eyes into which he pours himself. He's performing the waltzy song acoustically, voice full out in opposition to lyric mood. The back of the house undoubtedly finds sound muted. “This is how you would've heard a band singer in 1925, before a new technique called 'crooning',” he tells us. “From the time I started working, they always called me a crooner.”

Dominic Symonds analyzes the early collaborations between Rodgers and Hart in a book published by the Oxford University Press.

Yale Rep's production of Bertolt Brecht's classic CAUCASIAN CHALK CIRCLE is very faithful to his intentions as a politically motivated playwright and theorist.

National Recording Registry To “Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive”. Joan Baez, Sly Stone, Steve Martin Recordings Named American Treasures

Germantown Community Theatre has announced the slate of productions for their 2015-2016 season. The season blends music, theatre for youth, classic literature and raucous fun. Titles include Neil Simon's RUMORS, the movie-turned-musical DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS and Tennessee Williams' A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE. Memberships for the season range from $60 to $200 and are on sale through the GCT box office at (901) 937.3023. The 2015-2016 season of Germantown Community Theatre is sponsored by the City of Germantown, Tennessee Arts Commission, ArtsMemphis, the GCT Trust and the Germantown Arts Alliance.

The spectacular William J. Gillespie Concert Organ meets its match with this year's soloist, Hector Olivera, who returns for his second recital with Pacific Symphony's Pedals and Pipes series. Known for his passionate musicianship and interpretations of both classical and popular music, organ virtuoso Olivera opens the program with his own arrangements of Bach's vigorous Sinfonia from Cantata No. 29, and Piazzolla's somber “Oblivion.” Guilmant's Sonata No. 8 showcases the vast range of the organ and Mozart's Fantasia in F Minor reveals the terrifying power as well as the sublime beauty the organ is capable of producing. In addition, Lefébure-Wély's March in C Major is spirited in French style, and as a finale, Olivera brings his virtuosic improvisation skills to the stage, creating a new piece based on themes suggested by the audience. This recital takes place on Sunday, March 8, at 7:30 p.m. in the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall. Tickets are $10-50; for more information or to purchase tickets call (714) 755-5799 or visit www.PacificSymphony.org.

With the 87th annual Academy Awards just two days away, Hollywood stars seem to be on everyone's mind. Who will win? Who will beat Meryl Streep? Will host Neil Patrick Harris take a star-studded selfie? And most importantly, which Broadway stars will take home a statue? Many stars through the years have earned both a Tony and an Oscar, and as we know from Robert Lopez's win last year, there are some industry professionals with the coveted EGOT- Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony. But did you know nine stars in history have won two awards for the same role? That is, they won a Tony for their Broadway portrayal and an Oscar for the film version. Below, take a look back at the actors who have earned this rare honor!

Angel City Chorale (ACC), the acclaimed Los Angeles choir led by Artistic Director Sue Fink, will kick-off the holidays with its festive annual winter concert and sing-along, which takes place the first weekend in December every year. This year's 21st edition, Season of Wonder, will entertain audiences over two very special nights tonight, December 6, and Sunday, December 7, 2014.

New Worlds Theatre Project (Ellen Perecman, Producing Artistic Director) has announced that it will present Peretz Hirshbein's Yiddish play, On the Other Side of the River, in a world premiere translation, beginning tonight, November 29 at 7pm at HERE, 145 Sixth Avenue. The opening night is set for Thursday, December 4. On the Other Side of the River runs through Sunday, December 21.

Angel City Chorale (ACC), the acclaimed Los Angeles choir led by Artistic Director Sue Fink, will kick-off the holidays with its festive annual winter concert and sing-along, which takes place the first weekend in December every year. This year's 21st edition, Season of Wonder, will entertain audiences over two very special nights on Saturday, December 6, and Sunday, December 7, 2014.

To celebrate the publication of The Untold Stories of Broadway, Volume 2 on November 18 by Dress Circle Publishing, Jennifer Ashley Tepper will be sharing three short excerpts about each of the Broadway theaters featured in the book-countdown style! Today: The Shubert Theatre!

New Worlds Theatre Project (Ellen Perecman, Producing Artistic Director) has announced that it will present Peretz Hirshbein's Yiddish play, On the Other Side of the River, in a world premiere translation, beginning Saturday, November 29 at 7pm at HERE, 145 Sixth Avenue. The opening night is set for Thursday, December 4. On the Other Side of the River runs through Sunday, December 21.

The University of Hartford's Hartt School presents the electrifying NYC-based JACK Quartet, tonight, October 16, 2014, at 7:30 p.m., in Millard Auditorium, University of Hartford, 200 Bloomfield Avenue, West Hartford. JACK Quartet has been earning rave reviews all over the world, and their performance kicks off the sixth spectacular season of the Richard P. Garmany Chamber Music Series.