David Shapiro News

On Friday, May 22, 2020, GRAMMY-winning choir The Crossing, led by Donald Nally, releases CARTHAGE, an album featuring six striking pieces by composer James Primosch, on Navona Records. Internationally recognized and prolific, Primosch is the 2020 winner of The Virgil Thomson Award for Vocal Music from The American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Grammya"?-winning new-music choir The Crossing, led by Donald Nally, gives the world premiere performances of Michael Gordon's Travel Guide to Nicaragua with cellist Maya Beiser in presentations by co-commissioners, the Annenberg Center on Sunday, March 22, 2020 at 7:00pm in Philadelphia and Carnegie Hall on Wednesday, March 25, 2020 at 7:30pm in New York City. Before the Carnegie Hall performance on March 25, Donald Nally and Michael Gordon will have a 6:30pm pre-concert conversation with John Schaefer, host of WNYC's New Sounds and Soundcheck.

The House Theatre of Chicago's Board of Directors announce the 2nd annual incarnation of THE SPECTACULAR. Hosted by NPR's Peter Sagal (Wait, Waita?? Don't Tell Me!), the fundraiser celebrates the company's continuing commitment to amazing feats of storytelling with dinner, dancing, a silent auction, live music from This Must Be The Band, and a one-of-a-kind floor show. This year the organization will honor David Schmitz (Executive Director of Steppenwolf Theatre Company) with a roast in recognition of his many years of service on the Board of Directors of The House and his contributions to Chicago's theatre community. THE SPECTACULAR will be held Saturday, March 28 at 7 p.m. at the unique venue Ignite Glass Studios, 401 N Armour St. The event is co-chaired by board members Renee Duba (Sonder Wealth) and Roark Frankel (Obama Foundation), and the event committee includes Laura Jimenez (Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill), Kathryn Lipuma (Writers Theatre), Elizabeth Auman (TimeLine Theatre Company), and Jacqueline Russell (Chicago Children's Theatre). THE SPECTACULAR Event Sponsorships and Supporter packages, tables of ten and individual tickets may be purchased through The House Theatre of Chicago at 773-769-3832 or online at m.TheHouseTheatre.com/gala.

The Annenberg Center will present Grammya"?-winning new-music choir The Crossing in the premiere of a newly staged theatrical production, Knee Plays, on Friday, February 21, 2020 at 8pm and Saturday, February 22, 2020 at 8pm at the Harold Prince Theatre. The program, part of the Center's #GLASSFEST celebration, features a rare opportunity to hear Knee Plays from Philip Glass's Einstein on the Beach and David Byrne's New Orleans-inspired contribution to Robert Wilson's large scale project, the CIVIL warS. The premiere will be narrated by popular Philadelphia actor Dito van Reigersberg.

The Rhinoceros Theater Festival celebrates its 31st year with six weeks of performances from January 11 - February 23, 2020 at Prop Thtr, 3502 N. Elston Ave. in Chicago. This year's Rhino Fest features 48 shows, including new plays, dance, devised works, variety, music, performance, and fresh takes on classic texts. Tickets ($15 or pay what you can) will go on sale Thursday, December 26, 2019 For tickets and a full performance schedule, visit rhinofest.com.

This December, composer Phil Kline's mobile sound-sculpture UNSILENT NIGHT a?" a landmark in avant-garde public art a?" takes place in more than 40 cities across the United States, Canada, and Europe. Streets, parks and sidewalks will come alive with a?oea shimmering sound-wall of bells and chimes that is dreamlike to wander through in the December nipa?? (The Village Voice).

Works selected across the Indie Episodic, Shorts and Special Events sections of the 2020 Sundance Film Festival were announced today, underlining Sundance Institute's commitment to showcasing bold independent storytelling regardless of form, format or length.

The Crossing has received an extremely generous $200,000 gift from long-time friend, advocate, and supporter Thomas Kasdorf of Kalamazoo, Michigan. The extraordinary unrestricted funding will support The Crossing's 2019-2020 season, with commissions of Edie Hill, Tawnie Olsen, Gavin Bryars, Daniel Felsenfeld, Aaron Helgeson, Gabriel Jackson, and Michael Gordon at venues such as Crane Arts Icebox, the Met Cloisters, the Hal Prince Theater and Zellerbach Theaters at the Annenberg Center, Holy Trinity Rittenhouse Square, Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall, and at The Crossing's home, the Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill.

Grammy-winning new-music choir The Crossing presents the world premiere of English composer Gavin Bryars' substantial new evening-length a cappella work, A Native Hill, on Sunday, October 13, 2019 at 5pm at The Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill in Philadelphia. 

Grammy-winning new-music choir The Crossing presents the world premiere of English composer Gavin Bryars'substantial new evening-length a cappella work, A Native Hill, on Sunday, October 13, 2019 at 5pm at The Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill in Philadelphia.

Grammy winning new-music choir, The Crossing, is featured on the New York Philharmonic's new recording of its world premiere performance of Julia Wolfe's Fire in my mouth out digitally today, August 30, 2019, and in physical format on October 4, 2019 on Decca Gold, Universal Music Group's newly established US classical music label.

Versatile musical theatre and pop composer Joey Contreras performed a special one-night-only concert of his music at the Covey Center for the Arts in Provo on October 4, 2018, featuring Natalie Weiss, who has legions of fans for her breathtaking YouTube performances of contemporary musical theatre songs.

After a month-long online search for rising, up-and-coming talent - Hannah Pyper Dalley, Preston Taylor, Emily Woods and Tucker Abney were selected as the four additional performers to be added to the lineup of the upcoming 'Joey Contreras with Natalie Weiss & Special Guests' concert in Provo, Utah. 

Winner of the 2018 Grammy Award for Best Choral Performance, The Crossing, led by conductor Donald Nally, performs of arms and the man on Wednesday, September 19, 2018 at 7:30 p.m. and Thursday, September 20, 2018 at 5:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at New York's Park Avenue Armory. The evenings feature the 24-voice ensemble of The Crossing with three cellists (Thomas Mesa, Arlen Hlusko, and Sujin Lee) and will explore the timeless themes of nationalism and war while navigating personal stories of joy and despair.

Winner of the 2018 Grammy Award for Best Choral Performance, The Crossing, conducted by Donald Nally, kicks off its 2018-2019 season on Sunday, September 16, 2018 at 8:00 p.m. with Of Arms and the Man, part of the Philadelphia Fringe Festival.

Award-winning New York songwriter Joey Contreras is bringing his blend of contemporary musical theatre and pop music to Provo, Utah for one night only.

Winner of the 2018 Grammy Award for Best Choral Performance, The Crossing, with conductor Donald Nally, today announces its 2018-19 season, titled Aniara. The season-which is centered around exploring mankind's place in the universe, the relationships between humans, navigating through space and life, and the passage of time - features The Crossing's New York Philharmonic and Peak Performances debuts, the world premiere of the choral-theater work Aniara: fragments of time and space; and world premieres by Gavin Bryars, Michael Gordon, Thomas Lloyd, and Toivo Tulev.

THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME at the new Hale Centre Theatre in Sandy is a moving experience that does justice to the meaningful source material and exquisite score.

Ringling College of Art and Design today announced that Kevin Smith iconic filmmaker, author, actor and director of Clerks, Dogma, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back and recent horror films Red State and Tusk; has returned to Sarasota to shoot the first installment of his latest horror anthology film Killroy Was Here. This project is being done in partnership with Ringling College of Art and Design and Semkhor Productions, the executive producer.

City Lights Publishers presents In Memory of an Angel By David Shapiro.