David Finn News

Cirque du Soleil announced yesterday, February 21, that it will debut a new show, 'Michael Jackson ONE' at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino this summer. Tickets will go on sale March 7. Previews are slated to begin May 23, with opening night set for June 29, 2013.

The new production of PARSIFAL opens in just 2 days! Jonas Kaufmann stars alongside Katarina Dalayman, Peter Mattei, Evgeny Nikitin, and Rene Pape. Daniele Gatti conducts. Check out a sneak peek of Francois Girard's new production below!

Lyric Opera of Chicago and its general director, Anthony Freud, announced the lineup for Lyric's 2013-14 season today. Joseph Calleja, Joyce DiDonato, Nathan Gunn, Thomas Hampson, Ana Maria Martinez, Matthew Polenzani, and Patricia Racette are among those headlining the new season's offerings. These comprise 67 performances of eight different operas, beginning October 5, 2013 and concluding March 23, 2014: new productions of Parsifal, La traviata, The Barber of Seville, and Rusalka (Lyric premiere); a revival of Otello; and new-to-Chicago stagings of Madama Butterfly, Die Fledermaus, and La clemenza di Tito. Lyric's music director, Sir Andrew Davis, will lead three operas, and guest conductors Marco Armiliato, Bertrand de Billy and Michele Mariotti will make their house debuts. Additionally, Lyric will present a new production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's The Sound of Music in the spring of 2014, continuing the company's American Musical Theater Initiative, and Davis will conduct a special Subscriber Appreciation Concert in March featuring Lyric's creative consultant - the star soprano Renee Fleming - with tenor Jonas Kaufmann.

Lyric Opera of Chicago and its general director, Anthony Freud, announced the lineup for Lyric's 2013-14 season today. Joseph Calleja, Joyce DiDonato, Nathan Gunn, Thomas Hampson, Ana Maria Martinez, Matthew Polenzani, and Patricia Racette are among those headlining the new season's offerings. These comprise 67 performances of eight different operas, beginning October 5, 2013 and concluding March 23, 2014: new productions of Parsifal, La traviata, The Barber of Seville, and Rusalka (Lyric premiere); a revival of Otello; and new-to-Chicago stagings of Madama Butterfly, Die Fledermaus, and La clemenza di Tito. Lyric's music director, Sir Andrew Davis, will lead three operas, and guest conductors Marco Armiliato, Bertrand de Billy and Michele Mariotti will make their house debuts. Additionally, Lyric will present a new production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's The Sound of Music in the spring of 2014, continuing the company's American Musical Theater Initiative, and Davis will conduct a special Subscriber Appreciation Concert in March featuring Lyric's creative consultant - the star soprano Renee Fleming - with tenor Jonas Kaufmann.

Jonas Kaufmann will sing the title role in a new staging of Wagner's final opera, Parsifal, conducted by Daniele Gatti and directed by Francois Girard in his Met debut. BroadwayWorld has a behind-the-scenes interview with Director, Francois Girard. Check it out below.

Jonas Kaufmann will sing the title role in a new staging of Wagner's final opera, Parsifal, conducted by Daniele Gatti and directed by Francois Girard in his Met debut. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the production below.

Jonas Kaufmann will sing the title role in a new staging of Wagner's final opera, Parsifal,conducted by Daniele Gatti and directed by Francois Girard in his Met debut. The new production of Wagner's transcendent masterpiece will open February 15 with an extraordinary cast of Wagnerian stars, including Katarina Dalayman as the mysterious Kundry; Peter Mattei in his role debut as Amfortas, the wounded King of the Knights of the Holy Grail; Rene Pape as the wise knight Gurnemanz; Evgeny Nikitin as the evil Klingsor; and Runi Brattaberg in his Met debut as Titurel, Amfortas's father. The production team for Girard's staging includes set designer Michael Levine, costume designer Thibault Vancraenenbroeck, lighting designer David Finn, video designer Peter Flaherty, choreographer Carolyn Choa, and dramaturg Serge Lamothe. The Saturday, March 2 matinee performance of Parsifal will be transmitted worldwide as part of the Met's Live in HD series, which is now seen in more than 1,900 movie theaters in 64 countries around the world.

"Citizens" presents the seeds of ten new full-length plays from ten Chicago playwrights. Throughout performances, audiences cast their vote for the play they think best captures a defining issue of our time, and delivers a character driven story in an intimate way. Each week, the highest voted plays will go back into rehearsal -expanding on their work and continuing to build the play. One piece will win the festival, earning extended development and full production from Fine Print.

"Citizens" presents the seeds of ten new full-length plays from ten Chicago playwrights. Throughout performances, audiences cast their vote for the play they think best captures a defining issue of our time, and delivers a character driven story in an intimate way. Each week, the highest voted plays will go back into rehearsal -expanding on their work and continuing to build the play. One piece will win the festival, earning extended development and full production from Fine Print.

"Citizens" presents the seeds of ten new full-length plays from ten Chicago playwrights. Throughout performances, audiences cast their vote for the play they think best captures a defining issue of our time, and delivers a character driven story in an intimate way. Each week, the highest voted plays will go back into rehearsal -expanding on their work and continuing to build the play. One piece will win the festival, earning extended development and full production from Fine Print.

Opera director David McVicar will return home to Scottish Opera for his first ever staging of Stravinsky's THE RAKE'S PROGRESS, which will play at the Theatre Royal, Glasgow on March 17-25 and at the Festival Theatre, Edinburgh on March 27-31.

Silver Spring Stage presents The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen's Guild Dramatic Society's Production of Macbeth by David McGillivray and Walter Zerlin, Jr., directed by Jacy D'Aiutolo and produced by Pauline Griller-Mitchell.

Silver Spring Stage presents The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen's Guild Dramatic Society's Production of Macbeth by David McGillivray and Walter Zerlin, Jr., directed by Jacy D'Aiutolo and produced by Pauline Griller-Mitchell.

The Australian Ballet presents an enchanting encore season of The Nutcracker, an unmissable opportunity to meet the charming Clara and her sugar-coated friends ... and a very special guest.

The Australian Ballet presents an enchanting encore season of The Nutcracker, an unmissable opportunity to meet the charming Clara and her sugar-coated friends ... and a very special guest.

Silver Spring Stage presents Noel Coward's sophisticated comedy Private Lives, directed by Ty Hallmark and Stephanie Svec and produced by David Dubov and Jacy D'Aiutolo, where Elyot and Amanda, once married and now honeymooning with new spouses at the same hotel, meet by chance and reignite the old spark. Private Lives will perform weekends September 24 to October 10.

The Australian Ballet presents an enchanting encore season of The Nutcracker, an unmissable opportunity to meet the charming Clara and her sugar-coated friends ... and a very special guest.

Silver Spring Stage presents Noel Coward's sophisticated comedy Private Lives, directed by Ty Hallmark and Stephanie Svec and produced by David Dubov and Jacy D'Aiutolo, where Elyot and Amanda, once married and now honeymooning with new spouses at the same hotel, meet by chance and reignite the old spark. Private Lives will perform weekends September 24 to October 10.

Silver Spring Stage presents Noel Coward's sophisticated comedy Private Lives, directed by Ty Hallmark and Stephanie Svec and produced by David Dubov and Jacy D'Aiutolo, where Elyot and Amanda, once married and now honeymooning with new spouses at the same hotel, meet by chance and reignite the old spark. Private Lives will perform weekends September 24 to October 10.