Harrison Birtwistle News

OkayBetterBest, a new musical written by Rhonda Kess and Michael Weems and directed by Tony-nominee Marcia Milgrom Dodge, will be presented at Feinstein's/54 Below (254 W 54th St, New York) as a special concert tonight, September 20 at 9:30pm.

Fifty women will leave everything behind. They board a boat in North Africa and flee across the Mediterranean. They are escaping forced marriage in their homeland, hoping for protection and assistance, seeking asylum in Greece.

OkayBetterBest, a new musical written by Rhonda Kess and Michael Weems and directed by Tony-nominee Marcia Milgrom Dodge, will be presented at Feinstein's/54 Below (254 W 54th St, New York) as a special concert on Tuesday, September 20 at 9:30pm.

The International Opera Awards are pleased to announce the shortlist for this year's Awards. These were selected by the jury chaired by John Allison, editor of Opera magazine and classical music critic with The Daily Telegraph.

New York Theatre Ballet invites you to attend NYTB at New York Live Arts Benefit on February 27, 2016.

New York Theatre Ballet will perform at New York Live Arts from February 24-27, 2016.  New York Live Arts is located at 219 W. 19th Street, NYC. Performances: Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 7:30pm; and Saturday at 2pm and 7:30pm.  Tickets start at $15, and are available online at http://newyorklivearts.org/event/nytb_2016, by calling the Live Arts box office at 212.691.6500, or by visiting the box office, Monday-Saturday 1pm - 9pm and Sunday 1pm - 8pm.  

Brooklyn Art Song Society continues its ambitious survey of British song with Contemporary Britannica, which features the songs of three acclaimed living English composers: Thomas Adès, Harrison Birtwistle, and Oliver Knussen.

OkayBetterBest, a new musical written by Rhonda Kess and Michael Weems and directed by Hunter Foster, will be presented the Ars Nova Loft (511 West 54th Street) as a special industry reading on Thursday, December 3 at 3:00 PM and Friday, December 4 at 3:00 PM. The cast includes Jason Gotay (Bring It On: The Musical, Spider-Man Turn off the Dark), George Salazar (Godspell, Here Lies Love), Julia Mattison (Godspell), Elena Ricardo (Mamma Mia!), Christina Sajous (Holler If Ya Hear Me, American Idiot), Justin Matthew Sargent (Bonnie & Clyde, Rock of Ages) and Remy Zaken (Spring Awakening). Industry members interested in attending should email OkayBetterBest@gmail.com and indicate their affiliation.

A selection of rarely seen abstract paintings by the important British artist Jack Smith has gone on show at the National Portrait Gallery, London, in the Gallery's first display to focus on entirely non-figurative portraits, it was announced today.

On Monday, March 16 at 7:30 p.m. in Zankel Hall, Carnegie Hall presents pianists Pierre-Laurent Aimard and Tamara Stefanovich performing Pierre Boulez's works for piano in celebration of the composer's 90th birthday, which falls ten days later on March 26. The program will range from Boulez's early post-war serial works Douze notations (1945) and Piano Sonata No. 1 (1946), to Piano Sonata No. 2 (1948) and Constellation-Miroir and Trope from Piano Sonata No. 3 (1957, rev. 1963), to the late works Incises (1994) and une page d'ephemeride (2005), before concluding with a performance of 1961's Structures, livre II for two pianos by both Mr. Aimard and Ms. Stefanovich.

Continuing a tradition inaugurated in 2006, the Met will offer a holiday presentation this December and January: an English-language performance of an opera, with special weekday matinees and discount pricing designed to make the Met affordable for families with children. This year's production, Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel, opens tonight, December 18.

Continuing a tradition inaugurated in 2006, the Met will offer a holiday presentation this December and January: an English-language performance of an opera, with special weekday matinees and discount pricing designed to make the Met affordable for families with children. This year's production, Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel, opens December 18 and will star Aleksandra Kurzak, Heidi Stober, and Andriana Chuchman as Gretel; Christine Rice and Jennifer Johnson Cano as Hansel; Michaela Martens and Dwayne Croft as Gertrude and Peter, the wayward children's parents; and Robert Brubaker as the wicked Witch who captures them. Sir Andrew Davis will conduct all seven performances of the opera, which plays through January 8. There will be special weekday matinees at 11 a.m. on December 23 and December 30.

A Woman on Top , the new musical for both sides of the aisle inspired by Hillary Clinton, previously announced the complete cast for a special industry reading next week. Reathel Bean (Caroline, Or Change) joins star Karen Mason, Drama Desk-nominated Broadway star of Wonderland, Mamma Mia and Sunset Boulevard, as well as Frank Vlastnik (Broadway: Big, The Sweet Smell of Success, A Year with Frog & Toad), Marni Nixon (Broadway: Nine, Follies; Film: The King and I, West Side Story, My Fair Lady) and Sarah Cetrulo (The Black Suits by Joe Iconis).

A Woman on Top , the new musical for both sides of the aisle inspired by Hillary Clinton, has announced the complete cast for a special industry reading next week. Reathel Bean (Caroline, Or Change) will join the previously announced star Karen Mason, Drama Desk-nominated Broadway star of Wonderland, Mamma Mia and Sunset Boulevard, as well as Frank Vlastnik (Broadway: Big, The Sweet Smell of Success, A Year with Frog & Toad), Marni Nixon (Broadway: Nine, Follies; Film: The King and I, West Side Story, My Fair Lady) and Sarah Cetrulo (The Black Suits by Joe Iconis).

A Woman on Top , the new musical for both sides of the aisle inspired by the current political climate, will have a special industry reading next month. The reading will star Karen Mason -- Drama Desk-nominated Broadway star of Wonderland, Mamma Mia and Sunset Boulevard, as well as a prolific concert and recording artist -- and be directed by Dan Knechtges (Lysistrata Jones, Tony Award nominee for Xanadu choreography). The show has music by Rhonda Kess, and lyrics by Rhonda Kess and Dale Kiken and a book by Dale Kiken. The reading will take place on Wednesday, July 9 at 3:00 PM and Thursday, July 10 at 2:00 PM at The New 42nd Street Studios (229 West 42nd Street). Industry members interested in attending should email AWOTrsvp@gmail.com and indicate their affiliation.

This spring, the current musicians of Ensemble ACJW conclude their two-year fellowship program with several exciting performances of classical and contemporary music at Carnegie Hall's Zankel Hall and Weill Recital Hall as well as in a variety of venues throughout New York City. In fall 2014, a group of new musicians will join the ensemble, which not only features outstanding performances, but also emphasizes community engagement and music education experience in New York City public schools.

With great regret, Pierre Boulez, the Helen Regenstein Conductor Emeritus of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, has informed the CSO that that he will not be able to come to Chicago to conduct in February 2014 due to health issues. With three young conductors hand-picked by Maestro Boulez to substitute for him, the CSO will proceed with the planned programs-during two subscription weeks, beginning on February 20 and ending on March 1, 2014-as a celebration of Boulez's innovative musicianship and mentorship.

LA Phil Creative Chair John Adams and the LA Phil New Music Group showcase the imaginative breadth of the next generation of Los Angeles creators with L.A. Now: New Angeleno Composers at Walt Disney Concert Hall, tonight, December 3, at 8 pm.