Sylvia 1995 - Articles Page 17

Ravinia Festival Chairperson Pamela B. Strobel and President and CEO Welz Kauffman today announced details of the 2009 season of music theater and dance events.

Theater for the New City presents the premiere of Walking from Rumania, a journey to freedom in 1899, by award-winning playwright Barbara Kahn Theater for the New City, Crystal Field, Executive Artistic Director, proudly announces the world premiere production of Walking from Rumania, a historical drama written and directed by Barbara Kahn.

America's premier show choir, the Indiana University Singing Hoosiers, will perform its 59th annual spring concert, 'A Celebration of American Popular Music,' at IU Auditorium April 4 at 8 p.m. The vocal ensemble performs American popular music, jazz and Broadway favorites with dazzling choreography, energy and style.

Theater for the New City presents the premiere of Walking from Rumania, a journey to freedom in 1899, by award-winning playwright Barbara Kahn Theater for the New City, Crystal Field, Executive Artistic Director, proudly announces the world premiere production of Walking from Rumania, a historical drama written and directed by Barbara Kahn.

Ren?e Fleming reprises one of her most renowned portrayals when she sings the title role of Dvoř?k's fairy-tale opera Rusalka, which opens March 9. Stephanie Blythe sings the role of the witch Je?ibaba for the first time at the Met. Rusalka's beloved Prince will be played by tenor Aleksandrs Antonenko, in his Met debut. Christine Goerke returns to the company for the first time in four years, adding the role of the Foreign Princess to her Met repertory. Kristinn Sigmundsson sings Rusalka's father, the Water Gnome, also a Met role debut. Noted Czech conductor Jiř? Belohl?vek leads Dvoř?k's best-known opera for the first time at the Met. The production is by Otto Schenk; G?nther Schneider-Siemssen designed the sets; Sylvia Strahammer created the costumes; the lighting design is by Gil Wechsler, and the choreographer is Carmen de Lavallade. Laurie Feldman directs this revival, which runs through March 21.

The American Conservatory Theater Master of Fine Arts Program presents Maxim Gorky's Philistines in a fresh new version by Andrew Upton, the co-artistic director of Australia's Sydney Theatre Company and an acclaimed adaptor of Russian plays.

Rubicon Theatre Company continues its 'Brave New World' Season with Edward Albee's most intoxicated and haunting play, WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? The play will begin previews Thursday, January 29, open on Saturday, January 31 at 7pm and run through Sunday, February 22, 2009 at the Rubicon Theatre, 1006 E. Main Street in Ventura.

The American Conservatory Theater Master of Fine Arts Program presents Maxim Gorky's Philistines in a fresh new version by Andrew Upton, the co-artistic director of Australia's Sydney Theatre Company and an acclaimed adaptor of Russian plays.

Director-choreographer Mark Morris's much-lauded 2007 production of Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice returns to the repertoire, with Stephanie Blythe taking on one of the pinnacles of the mezzo-soprano repertory, the role of Orfeo, for the first time in her career. Soprano Danielle de Niese, an acclaimed singer of eighteenth-century music and a graduate of the Met's Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, sings Euridice for the first time at the Met. Heidi Grant Murphy returns as Amor, which she performed at the production's premiere in 2007.

Rubicon Theatre Company continues its 'Brave New World' Season with Edward Albee's most intoxicated and haunting play, WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? The play will begin previews Thursday, January 29, open on Saturday, January 31 at 7pm and run through Sunday, February 22, 2009 at the Rubicon Theatre, 1006 E. Main Street in Ventura.

Theater Wit brings their hit holiday productions to Theatre Building Chicago for the final year (as they move into their new space next door for 2009 productions. Mitchell Fain stars as David Sedaris' surly holiday elf in The Santaland Diaries, and Steve Scott again directs Tom Mula in Mula's original adaptation of Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol, running in repertory during the 2008 holiday season.

New York Musical Theater Festival (Isaac Robert Hurwitz, Executive Director & Producer) in association with Manhattan Movement & Arts Center (MMAC) to present NYMF's 2008 Dance Series as part of this year's festival of new musicals, which runs September 15 - October 5.

Manhattan Theatre Club announced casting for two of its upcoming productions: ROMANTIC POETRY, the world premiere musical by John Patrick Shanley and Henry Krieger, and RUINED, a world premiere play by Lynn Nottage.

New York Musical Theater Festival (Isaac Robert Hurwitz, Executive Director & Producer) in association with Manhattan Movement & Arts Center (MMAC) to present NYMF's 2008 Dance Series as part of this year's festival of new musicals, which runs September 15 - October 5.

The Philadelphia Theatre Initiative (PTI) today announced $863,000 in grants awarded to seven producing theatres, two performing arts presenting organizations, and three independent theatre performance artists.

Award-winning showbiz entertainers, Corky Hale and Charlotte Rae, will perform in a show emceed by Carl Reiner, with Jeff Lass serving as Music Director. The show, 'A Festive Evening For Westside Center for Independent Living,' is a benefit for WCIL.

Charles Kimbrough and Michael Berresse will join previously announced cast members Sandy Duncan, Rosie O'Donnell, Beth Leavel, Mara Davi and Shonn Wiley in No, No, Nanette, the final 2008 Encores! presentation of the New York City Center season.

Encore Entertainment offers an enjoyable production of A.R.Gurney's SYLVIA. * * * 1/2 (out of 5)

'The only thing I've ever wanted to do in my entire life is to be on Broadway' ~ Audra McDonald upon winning her fourth Tony Award and Broadway is all the better for it!

A starry cast has been assembled for A.R. Gurney's canine comedy Sylvia, running from August 28th through September 9th at the Cape Playhouse in Cape Cod, MA

Bill Kenwright and Marla Rubin announce that they will present the Almeida Theatre production of FESTEN, the hugely successful London play about a family with a dark secret, on Broadway at the Music Box Theatre (239 W. 45th St.), with performances beginning Thursday, March 23. Larry Bryggman, Michael Hayden, Ali MacGraw and Julianna Margulies have been cast in the Broadway production. Directed by Rufus Norris, in a dramatization by David Eldridge from the Danish 1998 film, FESTEN will have its official press opening on Sunday, April 9.

As part of Lincoln Center Theatre's Platform Series, Edward Albee will speak before the December 7th performance of Seascape

The production, will feature George Grizzard, Elizabeth Marvel, Frances Sternhagen and Frederick Weller with previews beginning October 28th, for a November 21 opening.