Houston Grand Opera News

At a press conference held June 7 at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts, the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA) announced 171 nominations for 197 eligible productions that opened between June 1, 2010 and May 31, 2011 for the 32nd annual Dora Mavor Moore Awards which honour excellence in the performing arts in Toronto.

The 5th Avenue Theatre is thrilled to announce casting for the highly anticipated premiere of Disney's Aladdin, a new stage musical. The show will feature Adam Jacobs and Courtney Reed as Aladdin and Jasmine, James Monroe Iglehart as the Genie, and Seattle mainstay Seán G. Griffin as the Sultan. Jonathan Freeman takes the stage to embody the role he originally voiced for the film, the Royal Vizier Jafar. He is joined by comedic favorite Don Darryl Rivera as Iago. Aladdin restores a trio of characters originally conceived by the film's creators: Omar, Babkak, and Kassim, played by Andrew Keenan-Bolger, Brian Gonzales, and Brandon O'Neill, respectively. Broadway's Casey Nicholaw will direct. With book by Chad Beguelin and hit songs including 'Friend Like Me,' 'Prince Ali,' and the Oscar-winning 'A Whole New World' by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, Aladdin will enchant audiences of all ages.

The Board of Directors of Houston Grand Opera (HGO) today voted unanimously to realign its top management structure, naming Patrick Summers as Artistic and Music Director, occupying the Margaret Alkek Williams Chair. Chief Operating Officer Perryn Leech has been named Managing Director.

In the center of the New York City Theater District, Tony Award-winning set designer Christine Jones, in association with LOT-EK® Architects, True Love Productions and Times Square Arts, presents "Theatre for One", a four foot by eight foot portable theater with one performer playing to one audience member.

Houston Grand Opera presents its 43rd world premiere, a newly commissioned chamber opera by Azerbaijani composer Franghiz Alizadeh. Your Name Means the Sea opens on May 21, 2011 at the Cullen Theater in the Wortham Theater Center, with additional performances on May 24 and 26. Commissioned as part of the HGOco Song of Houston: East + West project, Your Name Means the Sea unites two cultures, two countries and one love in a tale about Denise, a young American painter and Seymur, a young singer from Baku, Azerbaijan.

The League of Professional Theatre Women (LPTW), a non-profit organization committed to promoting visibility and increasing opportunities for women in the professional theatre, is pleased to recognize the talents of two outstanding women: the LPTW Lucille Lortel Award and accompanying grant will be presented to Jessica Burr, Artistic Director of Blessed Unrest; and the Ruth Morley Design Award will be given to Tony Award-winning scenic designer Christine Jones. These awards will be presented at the League's 2011 Awards Luncheon, to be held from 12:00 - 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 9 at Sardi's Restaurant.

The AT&T Performing Arts Center announced today that veteran arts executive Mark J. Weinstein has been appointed its new President and Chief Executive Officer.

The Dallas Opera Guild's 23rd Annual Vocal Competition for young opera singers concluded on a high-note this evening when ten outstanding finalists (with Texas connections) were awarded a total of $20,500 in prize monies. The historic evening marked the first time this much-anticipated spring musical event has graced the stage of the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center in Downtown Dallas.

New York City Opera today announced full casting details for the 12th season of its celebrated annual new music festival, VOX Contemporary American Opera Lab.

The Colony Theatre is excited to present musical theatre dynamo JASON GRAAE in "PERFECT HERMANY: JASON GRAAE SINGS JERRY HERMAN" with musical direction by John Boswell, and directed by Lee Tannen.

New York City Opera today announced its celebrated annual new music festival, VOX Contemporary American Opera Lab, will return for its 12th season with an exciting new line-up.

The Dallas Opera Guild will present the 23rd annual 'Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition,' a showcase for talented young opera singers who either come from Texas or got here 'as fast as they could' on Saturday, May 14, 2011 in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center, 2403 Flora Street, Dallas, TX 75201.

New York City Opera today announced full casting details for the 12th season of its celebrated annual new music festival, VOX Contemporary American Opera Lab.

Composer, conductor and pianist André Previn has spent his career exploring various aspects of music, classical and otherwise, and with chameleon-like ease changing styles throughout.

The fast-rising Luca Pisaroni was a hit at Houston Grand Opera in his house and role debut last month as Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro. After opening night, the Houston Chronicle reported: "With his dashing looks and proud manner, Pisaroni exudes complete authority and magnetism. His potent bass-baritone unfurls with such grandeur and resoluteness that one can easily believe this is a fellow who has spent his entire life getting his way."

On March 25, 2010, General Director Brian Dickie announced Chicago Opera Theater's (COT) 2011 Spring Festival Season: the Midwest Premiere of Tod Machover's Death and the Powers, the Chicago Premiere of Marc-Antoine Charpentier's Medea (Médée), and 'HE/SHE' featuring Leoš Janá?ek's The Diary of One Who Disappeared (Zápisník zmizelého) and Robert Schumann's A Woman's Love and Life (Frauenliebe und Leben).

JOURNEY OF THE BONESETTER'S DAUGHTER follows the creation of the San Francisco Opera's celebrated production of The Bonesetter's Daughter, composed by Stewart Wallace with a libretto by Amy Tan and based on her bestselling book of the same name.

Broadway star Jonathan Freeman who originated one of Disney's most notorious villains, will have the rare opportunity to bring that character to life on-stage when he plays the evil royal vizier Jafar in the premiere of the new stage musical of Aladdin at The 5th Avenue Theatre this July.

The Society for the Preservation of Music Hall (SPMH) is pleased to announce its third organ concert in the Music Hall Ballroom - On Broadway with the Mighty Wurlitzer - on Thursday, May 5 at 10:30 AM and 7:00 PM.

The Society for the Preservation of Music Hall (SPMH) is pleased to announce its third organ concert in the Music Hall Ballroom - On Broadway with the Mighty Wurlitzer - on Thursday, May 5 at 10:30 AM and 7:00 PM.