George Gershwin News

It's not unusual for music lovers to ponder what the Great American Opera is. A good portion will argue persuasively in favor of Stephen Sondheim's SWEENEY TODD. Others will present strong reasons for George Gershwin's PORGY AND BESS. It's quite possible that THE GHOSTS OF VERSAILLES by John Corigliano has its coterie of supporters, too.

The Laguna Playhouse is pleased to present internationally acclaimed actor, playwright and Steinway concert artist Hershey Felder in two exclusive limited engagement shows this February: The Great American Songbook (February 14, 24 & 26) and Monsieur Chopin (February 17 - 27).

Last week's concert moved faster than previous years' had, but also felt calmer and gentler, with plenty of ballads and crooned jazz standards.

Josh Kornbluth, whose monologue style was shaped by his mentor and monologue pioneer Spalding Gray, will perform his first commissioned piece, Andy Warhol: Good for the Jews? from March 4-20 on Stage West at the Herberger Theatre.

Executive Producer Lou Spisto today announced principal casting for the Globe's 2011 Shakespeare Festival, performed in repertory in the Lowell Davies Festival Theatre.

Michael Tilson Thomas guides The Philadelphia Orchestra and its audiences on a journey to the world of his grandparents, Bessie and Boris Thomashefsky, young immigrants from Eastern Europe who became theater superstars, in The Thomashefskys: Music and Memories of a Life in the Yiddish Theater (February 15 and 16).

The Laguna Playhouse announced that actor, musician and playwright Hershey Felder will return to The Laguna Playhouse in his latest production of MAESTRO: The Art of Leonard Bernstein, a new work from the creators of George Gershwin Alone, Monsieur Chopin and Beethoven, As I Knew Him, January 4 - February 6, 2011.

Because of the prodigious talent of bassist and composer Jaco Pastorius, who passed away at the young age of 35, presenting a tribute to this musical genius is a daunting venture.

In its ninth year, Modfest is Vassar College's exploration of the arts of the 20th and 21st centuries. This year's program will celebrate the visual arts, dance, drama, film, literature, poetry, and music in a series of events that will take place across the Vassar campus from January 20 through February 5, 2011.

Because of the prodigious talent of bassist and composer Jaco Pastorius, who passed away at the young age of 35, presenting a tribute to this musical genius is a daunting venture.

Bonhams & Butterfields is pleased to present the Estate of well-known collectors and autograph dealers, Charles Williamson and Tucker Fleming, on April 20, 2011.

Reprise Theatre Company presents Barbara Cook in Concert. It will have one performance only on Monday, May 16 at 8:00 pm, at UCLA's Freud Playhouse. Barbara Cook in Concert is the latest in Reprise Theatre Company's tradition of presenting Broadway stars and legendary entertainers in concert, which have included Patti LuPone, Carol Burnett, Sutton Foster, Ben Vereen, Kristin Chenoweth, and Brian Stokes Mitchell.

Providing its region with a cultural attraction of world-class quality and scale, the multi-venue Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel, Indiana - just outside of the state capital of Indianapolis - opened the first of its venues on January 29, 2011, with an inaugural concert at its state-of-the-art concert hall The Palladium. The Center's other venues, now under construction, will be a 200-seat studio theater (opening in March 2011) and The Tarkington, a 500-seat proscenium theater (opening in August 2011).

Fifty years after her legendary Carnegie Hall debut, The New York Pops remembers Hollywood icon Judy Garland with a song-for-song re-creation of the 1961 performance that is referred to by so many as "the greatest night in show business history".

It's less than eight weeks till our 2011 Festival! Our full program is up on our website and our box office is open and ready to take your ticket orders.

The Atlanta Opera has launched Atlanta Opera Extras, community outreach initiatives that entertain and educate audiences about opera.

The Concert Operetta Theater will open its 9th season with a concert, Remembering Romberg! honoring the great American composer. Philadelphian Michael Presser, founder of New York City's leading Broadway non-profit organization Inside Broadway will be the guest narrator.

The Friend Center for the Arts at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco (JCCSF) proudly presents the new Gershwin Musical, ‘S Wonderful, for two performances only on Saturday January 29 at 8 pm, and Sunday, January 30 at 2 pm.

The Friend Center for the Arts at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco (JCCSF) proudly presents the new Gershwin Musical, ‘S Wonderful, for two performances only on Saturday January 29 at 8 pm, and Sunday, January 30 at 2 pm.

The Laguna Playhouse is pleased to present internationally acclaimed actor, playwright and Steinway concert artist Hershey Felder in two exclusive limited engagement shows this February: The Great American Songbook (February 14, 24 & 26) and Monsieur Chopin (February 17 - 27).