Due to popular pre-sale demand, Berkeley Repertory Theatre announces it will extend Hershey Felder's popular and critically acclaimed one-man show Monsieur Chopin, a celebrated musical biography of legendary composer Fryderyk Chopin, ahead of its debut. Originally scheduled to run through August 3, the show will now run for an additional eight performances through Sunday, August 10. This summer come along with Felder to Paris in 1848...to a work of love and art and the place where his soul resides, in the depths of Chopin's music. In his passionate portrayal of the 'Poet of the Piano,' Felder reveals the beloved and romantic composer's secrets about his creations against a gorgeous, lush score of more than a dozen compositions. Monsieur Chopin begins previews July 25, opens July 27, and plays through August 10, 2014 on the intimate Thrust Stage. Tickets start at only $29 and can be purchased by phone at (510) 647-2949 or online at berkeleyrep.org.
The Town Hall 2014 Summer Season: Broadway Preludes presents Broadway Rising Stars, the annual revue giving recent graduates from the nation's leading performing arts schools a chance to showcase their talents and perform on the legendary stage. Directed by Scott Coulter, Broadway Rising Stars is created, hosted and written by Scott Siegel and features the brightest talent from AMDA, CAP 21, Circle in the Square, Juilliard, Marymount, The New School, NYU's Steinhardt and Tisch, Pace University, and more. The event will feature a special guest appearance by Tony Award winner Bill Irwin (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Fool Moon). Broadway Rising Stars plays one night only, tonight, July 14 at 8PM at The Town Hall (123 West 43rd Street.)
The 18th Long Island Al Jolson Festival coming up on August 16 is a whole-day affair featuring film presentations, lectures, memorabilia displays and sales, and a performance--'The Heart of Al Jolson'--by singer and Staten Island native Tony Babino (photo below), who can sing Jolson songs like, well, you ain't heard nothin' yet. The other day, like clockwork, I received my yearly invitation to attend from Oceanside, LI resident Jan Hernstat, who for the past 10 years has been the President of the 62-year-old International Al Jolson Society (which was formed in early 1950, a few months before Jolson died), an organization with a worldwide membership hovering around 1,000. I am proud to say that for 30 years, I've been one of them. I'm even prouder to say that I've been an Al Jolson fanatic for much longer. Here's my story about how it happened.
The Town Hall 2014 Summer Season: Broadway Preludes presents Broadway Rising Stars, the annual revue giving recent graduates from the nation's leading performing arts schools a chance to showcase their talents and perform on the legendary stage. Directed by Scott Coulter, Broadway Rising Stars is created, hosted and written by Scott Siegel and features the brightest talent from AMDA, CAP 21, Circle in the Square, Juilliard, Marymount, The New School, NYU's Steinhardt and Tisch, Pace University, and more. The event will feature a special guest appearance by Tony Award winner Bill Irwin (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Fool Moon). Broadway Rising Stars plays one night only, Monday, July 14 at 8PM at The Town Hall (123 West 43rd Street.)
The Town Hall 2014 Summer Season: Broadway Preludes presents Broadway Rising Stars, the annual revue giving recent graduates from the nation's leading performing arts schools a chance to showcase their talents and perform on the legendary stage. Directed by Scott Coulter, Broadway Rising Stars is created, hosted and written by Scott Siegel and features the brightest talent from AMDA, CAP 21, Circle in the Square, Juilliard, Marymount, The New School, NYU's Steinhardt and Tisch, Pace University, and more. The event will feature a special guest appearance by Tony Award winner Bill Irwin (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Fool Moon). Broadway Rising Stars plays one night only, Monday, July 14 at 8PM at The Town Hall (123 West 43rd Street.) Below, check out photos from inside rehearsals!
59E59 Theaters will launch the new 5A Season with the New York premiere of THE PIANIST OF WILLESDEN LANE, adapted and directed by Hershey Felder, based on the book The Children of Willesden Lane: Beyond the Kindertransport: A Memoir of Music, Love, and Survival (Grand Central Publishing, 2003) by Mona Golabek and Lee Cohen. Produced by Geffen Playhouse in association with Eighty-Eight Entertainment and Berkeley Repertory Theatre, THE PIANIST OF WILLESDEN LANE begins performances tonight, July 11 for a limited engagement through Sunday, August 24.
From 'Rhapsody in Blue' to 'Porgy and Bess' to 'An American in Paris' to a treasure trove of great American songs, George Gershwin is widely thought of as one of our nation's greatest composers. Conceived and written by ATP's David Blackburn, 'S Gershwin will take you on a journey through the life and music of this great American icon as seen through the eyes of the people he shared his life with.
For years, there has been a persistent legend in Nashville about a crazy gypsy 'Fiddler on the Roof" who dances as he plays the violin on the roof of his Victorian house. Cumberland County Playhouse will prove the legend is 100% true as The Gypsy Hombres take the stage on Sunday, July 13.
Starting tonight, July 9, 2014 at 10pm, WQXR will launch 'Michael Feinstein's American Pops,' a new series of one-hour shows that explores a chapter of twentieth-century music that is popular for seasonal concerts, but not conventionally considered part of the classical cannon.
Following a sold-out European tour, Erica Papillion-Posey, mezzo-soprano and Clayton G. Williams, baritone will perform selections from their blockbuster concert series, Souls of the Soil, for Michigan audiences.
Summer is just around the corner and families are already thinking about packing picnics and heading out to Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Irvine for five music-infused evenings under the stars with Pacific Symphony. Presented by Mercedes-Benz, the Symphony's 2014 Summer Festival explodes with the annual July 4th extravaganza, featuring Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and a brilliant fireworks finale. Then it's on to classic Americana for “Gershwin Greats,” featuring guest pianist Jeffrey Biegel, soprano Angela Brown and bass Kevin Deas. Next, it's the the magnificent repertoire of Disney “Fantasia”: Live in Concert from the original 1940 version and “Fantasia 2000,” performed live as Disney's stunning footage is shown on the big screen. The fourth concert delivers the silky smooth sounds of saxophone superstar Kenny G, before the Symphony concludes the season with an OC tradition: “Tchaikovsky Spectacular,” which this year features guest pianist Jon Nakamatsu, and, of course, breathtaking cannons and fireworks during the “1812 Overture.”
Starting on Wednesday, July 9, 2014 at 10pm, WQXR will launch 'Michael Feinstein's American Pops,' a new series of one-hour shows that explores a chapter of twentieth-century music that is popular for seasonal concerts, but not conventionally considered part of the classical cannon.
Today in 1985, Singin' in the Rain opened at the George Gershwin Theatre, where it ran for 367 performances. Singin' in the Rain is a musical with a book by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, lyrics by Arthur Freed, and music by Nacio Herb Brown. Adapted from the 1952 movie of the same name, the plot closely adheres to the original. Set in Hollywood in the waning days of the silent screen era, it focuses on romantic lead Don Lockwood, his sidekick Cosmo Brown, aspiring actress Kathy Selden, and Lockwood's leading lady Lina Lamont, whose less-than-dulcet vocal tones make her an unlikely candidate for stardom in talking pictures. Directed and choreographed by Twyla Tharp, the cast included Don Correia as Don, Mary D'Arcy as Kathy, Peter Slutsker as Cosmo, and Faye Grant as Lina.
The New York Philharmonic will present its 11th season of Summertime Classics, July 2-6, 2014, featuring five themed concerts with Bramwell Tovey, who has been the host and conductor of the series since its founding in 2004. On the first program, July 2-3, 2014, titled 'Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky, and Friends,' the New York Philharmonic will perform Shostakovich's Festive Overture; Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 1, with pianist Joyce Yang as soloist; Musorgsky's Night on Bald Mountain; Rachmaninoff's arrangement of his own Vocalise; and Tchaikovsky's Waltz of the Flowers from The Nutcracker, and Marche slave. The second program, July 4-6, 2014, titled 'Star-Spangled Celebration,' will feature the New York Philharmonic and United States Marine Drum & Bugle Corps - 'The Commandant's Own,' which is celebrating its 80th-anniversary year - in a program that includes Copland's Clarinet Concerto, with Associate Principal Clarinet Mark Nuccio as soloist, and Fanfare for the Common Man; Gershwin's 'Strike Up the Band' from Strike Up the Band; Sousa marches; and more. In these performances Major Brian Dix, director and commanding officer of 'The Commandant's Own,' will share conducting duties with Bramwell Tovey.
Today we are talking to a remarkably accomplished writer and director who has amassed numerous top entertainment trophies over the course of his long and distinguished career, including multiple Emmy Awards, Tony Awards and even a Grammy - the uniquely talented Martin Charnin. Sharing his thoughts on the forthcoming big screen adaptation of his hit musical property ANNIE as well as previewing what we can expect from the forthcoming 2014-2015 national tour, Charnin also reflects on the original production of the classic Depression-era musical and analyzes why it remains a continual cultural touchstone for generations new and old while also looking ahead to a potential Broadway production of the sequel, written with original composer Charles Strouse, ANNIE WARBUCKS. Also, Charnin touches upon his time as a member of the original cast of iconic musical WEST SIDE STORY and recounts working alongside legends such as Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, Arthur Laurents and more. Additionally, Charnin sheds some light on his illustrious string of collaborations with recently deceased composer Mary Rodgers Guettel, ranging from more than 50 songs written as a team to a string of special TV musicals as well as working together on the stage musicals HOT SPOT and THE MADWOMAN OF CENTRAL PARK WEST. Besides of all of that, Charnin also looks back to his heyday as a TV variety special helmer, having created award-winning tributes to a slew of Broadway's best composers and lyricists including George Gershwin, Harold Arlen, Cole Porter and many more. Plus, Charnin shares his thoughts on GLEE, how show business has changed, the possible future life for TWO BY TWO and much, much more in this wide-ranging chat with a major Broadway notable.
There's no doubt that George Gershwin has made a lasting impact on musical theatre. Without him, the world wouldn't have songs like 'I Got Rhythm,' or shows like Porgy and Bess. And of course, the vast and illustrious songbook of Gershwin tunes has inspired many a jukebox musical or revue.
Principal casting has been announced for the upcoming world premiere production of AN AMERICAN IN PARIS. The cast will include Robert Fairchild as Jerry Mulligan, Leanne Cope as Lise Dassin, Veanne Cox as Madame Baurel, Jill Paice as Milo Davenport, Brandon Uranowitz as Adam Hochberg, and Max Von Essen as Henri Baurel.
