Deborah Voigt News

Lincoln Center's acclaimed series American Songbook enters Week Two of its twelfth season celebrating the diversity of American popular song.

Washington National Opera General Director Plácido Domingo today announced the company's 2010-11 season, including productions, casting and creative teams, and performance dates for all main-stage operas.

Lincoln Center's acclaimed series American Songbook returns on January 13th for its twelfth season celebrating the diversity of American popular song. For 16 nights of pop, folk, cabaret, country, rock, and show tunes, the series will explore the best of the golden age of musical standards through to today's most dynamic contemporary songwriting.

The Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and Clowes Memorial Hall of Butler University will host two competitions for the annual Metropolitan Opera National Council (MONC) this month.

The 79th consecutive season of the Metropolitan Opera Saturday Matinee Radio Broadcasts launches on December 12, 2009 at 12:30 p.m. EST with a live performance of Puccini's Il Trittico, starring Patricia Racette singing all three leading soprano roles. Mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe also appears in the Puccini triple-bill.

The 79th consecutive season of the Metropolitan Opera Saturday Matinee Radio Broadcasts launches on December 12, 2009 at 12:30 p.m. EST with a live performance of Puccini's Il Trittico, starring Patricia Racette singing all three leading soprano roles. Mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe also appears in the Puccini triple-bill.

The 79th consecutive season of the Metropolitan Opera Saturday Matinee Radio Broadcasts launches on December 12, 2009 at 12:30 p.m. EST with a live performance of Puccini's Il Trittico, starring Patricia Racette singing all three leading soprano roles.

Feinstein's at Lowes Regency, the nightclub proclaimed 'Best of New York' by New York Magazine and 'an invaluable New York institution' by The New York Post, continues its star-studded Fall 2009 season with the debut of Tony Award winning actress and vocalist Victoria Clark and Tony Award winning music director, arranger and orchestrator, Ted Sperling in 'The Vicki and Ted Show.' For their engagement at Feinstein's, Ms. Clark and Mr. Sperling celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of a remarkable friendship that began as students at Yale University and inspired some of Broadway's most unforgettable moments, including How to Succeed in Business..., Titanic and The Light in the Piazza. Their acclaimed show - which debuted at the Kennedy Center's Terrace Theater in Washington DC - will make its New York debut the Regency Hotel. The show is running through Saturday, October 24.

Feinstein's at Lowes Regency, the nightclub proclaimed 'Best of New York' by New York Magazine and 'an invaluable New York institution' by The New York Post, continues its star-studded Fall 2009 season with the debut of Tony Award winning actress and vocalist Victoria Clark and Tony Award winning music director, arranger and orchestrator, Ted Sperling in 'The Vicki and Ted Show.' For their engagement at Feinstein's, Ms. Clark and Mr. Sperling celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of a remarkable friendship that began as students at Yale University and inspired some of Broadway's most unforgettable moments, including How to Succeed in Business..., Titanic and The Light in the Piazza. Their acclaimed show - which debuted at the Kennedy Center's Terrace Theater in Washington DC - will make its New York debut the Regency Hotel. The show is running through Saturday, October 24.

Tickets for the fourth season of The Met: Live in HD, the Metropolitan Opera's popular, award-winning series of live transmissions in movie theaters around the world, are now on sale to the general public in the U.S. The 2009-10 season, featuring nine live opera transmissions, kicks off on Saturday, October 10 at 1:00 p.m. ET with a new production of Puccini's Tosca starring Karita Mattila.

Feinstein's at Lowes Regency, the nightclub proclaimed 'Best of New York' by New York Magazine and 'an invaluable New York institution' by The New York Post, will continue its star-studded Fall 2009 season with the debut of Tony Award winning actress and vocalist Victoria Clark and Tony Award winning music director, arranger and orchestrator, Ted Sperling in 'The Vicki and Ted Show.' For their engagement at Feinstein's, Ms. Clark and Mr. Sperling celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of a remarkable friendship that began as students at Yale University and inspired some of Broadway's most unforgettable moments, including How to Succeed in Business..., Titanic and The Light in the Piazza. Their acclaimed show - which debuted at the Kennedy Center's Terrace Theater in Washington DC - will make its New York debut the Regency Hotel. The show will run from Tuesday, October 20 through Saturday, October 24.

Tickets for the fourth season of The Met: Live in HD, the Metropolitan Opera's popular, award-winning series of live transmissions in movie theaters around the world, are now on sale to the general public in the U.S. The 2009-10 season, featuring nine live opera transmissions, kicks off on Saturday, October 10 at 1:00 p.m. ET with a new production of Puccini's Tosca starring Karita Mattila.

The Metropolitan Opera has reason to celebrate; $2.5 million worth of tickets were sold on Sunday, the first day of sales, through its box office, telephone call center and Web site, up from $2 million on the first day of sales last year, according to the Associated press.

Today, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts officially launches a yearlong celebration of its 50th Anniversary with a commemorative ceremony in the Starr Theater at Alice Tully Hall. Hosted by renowned journalist and author Tom Brokaw, the program pays tribute to the many achievements and contributions of Lincoln Center, from the milestones of its past half century to the transformation of its campus.

On the morning of May 11, 2009, 50 years after that momentous occasion, Lincoln Center will begin a year-long celebration of its 50th anniversary with a special ceremony in the newly-transformed Alice Tully Hall. New York Philharmonic Music Director Alan Gilbert, acclaimed violinist Itzhak Perlman with alumni from The Perlman Music Program, Tony Award-winning opera star Paulo Szot, jazz icon Wynton Marsalis with members of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, and The Juilliard Orchestra are among those scheduled to perform in a program that celebrates the past 50 years and looks to the next generation of Lincoln Center's artists and audiences. In the audience of this private event will be elected officials, performing artists, civic and community representatives, and leaders from all 12 Lincoln Center resident organizations.

On the morning of May 11, 2009, 50 years after that momentous occasion, Lincoln Center will begin a year-long celebration of its 50th anniversary with a special ceremony in the newly-transformed Alice Tully Hall. New York Philharmonic Music Director Alan Gilbert, acclaimed violinist Itzhak Perlman with alumni from The Perlman Music Program, Tony Award-winning opera star Paulo Szot, jazz icon Wynton Marsalis with members of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, and The Juilliard Orchestra are among those scheduled to perform in a program that celebrates the past 50 years and looks to the next generation of Lincoln Center's artists and audiences. In the audience of this private event will be elected officials, performing artists, civic and community representatives, and leaders from all 12 Lincoln Center resident organizations.

The Metropolitan Opera celebrates its 125th anniversary year with a unique gala performance on March 15, 2009 at 6:00 p.m., featuring Met stars in recreations of historic classic productions and high points in the company's past. Music Director James Levine conducts the evening of 26 staged scenes that, with the use of projections, and scenic and costume recreations, will evoke the Met's illustrious history.

On March 12, 2009 at 7:00 p.m., The Collegiate Chorale appears with The New York City Opera Orchestra at the newly renovated Alice Tully Hall in a performance of Kurt Weill and Ira Gershwin's 1945 Broadway operetta The Firebrand of Florence. The performance, led by guest conductor Ted Sperling, stars baritone Nathan Gunn, soprano Anna Christy, baritone Terrence Mann, and soprano Victoria Clark. Krysty Swann, David Pittu and Patrick Goss complete the cast, and narration will be provided by Stage Director Roger Rees. Boasting a score by Kurt Weill, lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and a book by playwright and screenwriter Edwin Justus Mayer, The Firebrand of Florence had a short run on Broadway in 1945. The work was subsequently not heard for over a half-century until three presentations - Ohio Light Opera (1999), the BBC Symphony Orchestra in London (2000) and the Radio Symphony Orchestra in Vienna (2000) - shed new light on the relatively obscure work. The performances were not only accepted, but widely acclaimed, thus giving hope for a new life in a new century. Variety's theater critic Steven Suskin says 'I have long believed that Firebrand in concert should be a dazzling delight.' Benvenuto Cellini, the great Florentine artist, is sentenced to hang, but he is pardoned when the duke realizes that he has not completed a previously commissioned sculpture. Freed, he is able to turn his attention to his favorite model (and object of his affections), Angela. The Duke also is interested in Angela. In a typical operetta plot, Cellini swashbuckles around the stage, keeping the Duke away from Angela, keeping himself away from the Duchess, and escaping yet another death sentence by fleeing to Paris, as the end of the show recapitulates the beginning.

Lincoln Center's acclaimed series American Songbook ends its 11th season with a special concert by Stew and Heidi Rodewald in the newly revitalized Alice Tully Hall on March 6th at 8:00pm.

The Metropolitan Opera today announced the winners of the 2009 National Council Auditions. They are: Paul Appleby of South Bend, Indiana; Anthony Roth Costanzo of Durham, North Carolina; Sung Eun Lee of Seoul, South Korea; and Nadine Sierra of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Selected from eight finalists who performed arias with the Met Orchestra, conducted by Patrick Summers, at the Grand Finals Concert on February 22, each winner takes away a cash prize of $15,000.