Deborah Warner News

After nearly 20 years leading the internationally focused Lincoln Center Festival, Director Nigel Redden announced today that the 2017 Festival will be his last. He will step down in September to concentrate on the artistic expansion of the annual Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, South Carolina, where he serves as general director, as well as other global artistic projects.

You don't always get a second chance at love. The Musical Stage Company's ONEGIN presents this cautionary moral tale in 120 minutes of energetic, interactive musical theatre. A mix of old and new, Pushkin's famous poem and Tchaikovsky's renowned opera meet music and lyrics by creators Veda Hille and Amiel Gladstone.

It's getting near the end of the season at the Met in New York and it's nice to see that they're still bringing out their “A” game, with a splendidly cast run of Tchaikovsky's EUGENE ONEGIN, with the wonderful Met orchestra under the sensitive baton of Robin Ticciati, music director at the Glyndebourne Festival. The Met's chorus, under Donald Palumbo, was also in fine fettle.

On Saturday, April 22 at 1pm, the Peterborough Players will present a live streamed broadcast of the Metropolitan Opera's production of Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin. 

The Warner Theatre's 2016-17 Met: Live in HD Season continues with Tchaikovsky's EUGENE ONEGIN held in the Nancy Marine Studio Theatre on Saturday, April 22 at 12:55 pm.  A forty-five minute complimentary pre-opera lecture by Nunzio DeFilippis will be offered to all ticket holders in the Studio Theatre lobby at 11:00 am.  

The Ridgefield Playhouse and Craig's Fine Jewelry Live in HD Series brings a live screening of Tchaikovsky's Eugene Oneginto the big screen on Saturday, April 22 at 12:55 p.m.  Anna Netrebko reprises one of her most acclaimed roles as Tatiana, the heroine of Tchaikovsky's opera, adapted from Pushkin's classic novel. Dmitri Hvorostovsky stars as the title character, who rejects Tatiana's love until it's too late. Robin Ticciati, Music Director of Glyndebourne Festival Opera,conducts the revival ofDeborah Warner's staging, which opened the Met's 2013-14 season. 

Last week, Dominic Cavendish wrote in the Telegraph that due to gender-blind casting, 'men are being elbowed aside' and actresses should 'get their mitts off male actors' parts'. With that kind of hyperbole being thrown around, it's clear this topic merits a proper discussion.

Z Space and piece by piece productions will present The Town Hall Affair at Z Space, April 6-16, 2017. Press opening is Saturday, April 8 at 8pm.

Dmitri Hvorostovsky has withdrawn from his upcoming opera engagements, including this spring's Met performances as the title character in Tchaikovsky'sEugene Onegin, due to illness.

James Graham's critically acclaimed political drama THIS HOUSE will transfer to the Garrick Theatre, following its upcoming run at Chichester's Minerva Theatre.

Baz Bamigboye of the UK Daily Mail has reported that producers Sonia Friedman, Bob Bartner and Scott Rudin are perusing both Broadway and West End real estate for a potential transfer of the acclaimed Old Vic production of Shakespeare's 'King Lear' for potential 2017 productions.

Gender-blind casting has arrived and we'd better get used to it. Correction: it seems we are getting used to it, viz the imminent revival of the Donmar's all-female Shakespeare trilogy. So the headline story of this Old Vic production is not that a woman is taking on the Everest north-face of a role formerly reserved for mature alpha males of the acting profession. The headline story of Glenda Jackson's Lear is that this Lear is magnificent, and its magnificence emanates directly from the text.

King Lear opened at The Old Vic on 4 November 2016, and BroadwayWorld has all the reviews! A quarter of a century after she gave up acting for politics, double Academy Award-winning legend Glenda Jackson returns to play King Lear in Shakespeare's greatest tragedy, alongside an outstanding company including William Chubb, Morfydd Clark, Jane Horrocks, Rhys Ifans, Celia Imrie, Simon Manyonda and Harry Melling.

London is never short of theatre temptations, whether splashy West End shows, epic dramas or bold fringe offerings. From Bowie's Lazarus and Glenda Jackson's King Lear to Mark Rylance's return, here are some of this month's most eye-catching openings. Don't forget to check back for BroadwayWorld's reviews…

Z Space and piece by piece productions are pleased to present Soledad Barrio and Noche Flamenca's evening-length work, Antigona, February 4-25, 2017. Press opening is on Tuesday, February 7 at 7pm.

A new production of Rossini's Guillaume Tell, the composer's final opera, will open at the Met on October 18 in the first company performances of the ambitious historical epic in more than 80 years-and its first-ever Met performances in its original French. The new staging is directed by Pierre Audi, the incoming Artistic Director of the Park Avenue Armory and conducted by Met Principal Conductor Fabio Luisi. Rossini's opera tells the story of a Swiss revolutionary on a quest for freedom. Its famous "William Tell Overture" is one of the best-known and most performed pieces in the standard classical repertory, though the opera, which makes considerable demands on its stars, orchestra, and chorus, has rarely been presented in modern times. Gerald Finley will star in the title role, which he has made a specialty of in recent seasons, with Marina Rebeka as the Princess Mathilde;  Bryan Hymel as her suitor Arnold; Maria Zifchak as Tell's wife Hedwige; Janai Brugger as their son Jemmy; Italian bass Marco Spotti in his Met debut as Walter Furst; Kwangchul Youn as Arnold's father Melcthal; and John Relyea as Gesler. 

A new production of Rossini's Guillaume Tell, the composer's final opera, will open at the Met on October 18 in the first company performances of the ambitious historical epic in more than 80 years-and its first-ever Met performances in its original French. The new staging is directed by Pierre Audi, the incoming Artistic Director of the Park Avenue Armory and conducted by Met Principal Conductor Fabio Luisi. Rossini's opera tells the story of a Swiss revolutionary on a quest for freedom. Its famous "William Tell Overture" is one of the best-known and most performed pieces in the standard classical repertory, though the opera, which makes considerable demands on its stars, orchestra, and chorus, has rarely been presented in modern times. Gerald Finley will star in the title role, which he has made a specialty of in recent seasons, with Marina Rebeka as the Princess Mathilde;  Bryan Hymel as her suitor Arnold; Maria Zifchak as Tell's wife Hedwige; Janai Brugger as their son Jemmy; Italian bass Marco Spotti in his Met debut as Walter Furst; Kwangchul Youn as Arnold's father Melcthal; and John Relyea as Gesler. 

The Warner Theatre is excited to announce its 2016-17 Met Opera: Live in HD Season, featuring 10 operas, 5 new to the series, and 2 encores, streaming live from the Met. A complimentary pre-opera lecture will be offered to all ticketholders in the Nancy Marine Studio Lobby for 45 minutes of pre-opera information and entertainment, 2 hours before broadcast. Full and Half Season Subscriptions are available.

Arion Productions has announced West End leading lady, Anna Jane Casey, as the latest artist to join the line-up of extraordinary performers and industry professionals providing expert 'one day only' training in much-sought-after specialist fields.  These masterclasses take place at Diorama Arts Studios on various Sunday afternoons throughout 2016.

As previously reported, 79-year-old politician and Oscar-winning actress Glenda Jackson will return to the stage in the title role of KING LEAR at the Old Vic this autumn.