Isaac Mizrahi News

Opera Theatre of St. Louis has opened its thirty-ninth season with a bang. Their production of The Magic Flute is unlike any other you've seen (or ever will see).

Seven productions tempt opera-lovers in a bright summer season.

Seven productions tempt opera-lovers in a bright summer season.

The Drama League has announced that the Emmy-nominated star of Modern Family and Broadway veteran Jesse Tyler Ferguson will host the upcoming 80th Annual Drama League Awards. Considered one of the high points of the theater season, the Annual Awards Luncheon includes a nominees cocktail reception, luncheon ceremony, and awards presentation and that will be held today, May 16, 2014 at the Marriott Marquis Times Square in the Broadway Ballroom (1535 Broadway) beginning at 11:30 a.m. Financier Patisserie, GenSpring Family Offices, and National Life Group are the 2014 Event Sponsors of the 80th Annual Drama League Awards.

Tomorrow, April 11, Houston Grand Opera presents Das Rheingold, launching the American debut of a visionary and groundbreaking treatment of Der Ring des Nibelungen by La Fura dels Baus. As the first staging of Wagner's epic cycle in HGO history, the event marks an important company milestone-one that HGO follows two weeks later with a new take on Carmen from Broadway sensation Rob Ashford. These two productions come at a time when HGO has once again been making headlines, not only for the world premiere of A Coffin in Egypt and an acclaimed revival of A Little Night Music, but by successfully appealing to new audiences. 'The most recent NEA survey shows that only 2% of Americans go to the opera each year. Yet HGO is bucking the trend. Since the 2009-10 season it has seen its attendances grow by 24 percent,' reported the Economist last month. As Houston History noted in a recent feature article, 'many arts programs across the nation are shutting down due to financial failure, [but] HGO has succeeded in remaining relevant.'

Jane Moss, Ehrenkranz Artistic Director, today announced the 48th season of Lincoln Center's Mostly Mozart Festival, New York's acclaimed annual summer celebration of classical music, which runs from July 25-August 23, 2014. This year's Festival will feature more than 35 events across several venues including concerts, opera, dance, pre-concert recitals and lectures, late-night performances, contemporary music, and premieres of two commissioned works. The Festival kicks off with two free events: the world premiere of a new work by John Luther Adams, performed July 25 and 26 for free on Hearst Plaza, in a joint presentation with Lincoln Center Out of Doors, and continuing an annual tradition, the free preview concert by the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra at Avery Fisher Hall on July 26. Renee and Robert Belfer Music Director Louis Langree returns for his 12th season to conduct the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra, which will perform a wide range of works anchored by the Festival's featured namesake. Mostly Mozart will also present world-renowned artists and returning Festival favorites, such as violinist Joshua Bell, Mark Morris Dance Group, Emerson String Quartet and Artists-in-Residence International Contemporary Ensemble, as well as 14 Festival debuts, including pianists Yuja Wang and Steven Osborne, and violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja.

The Drama League has announced that the Emmy-nominated star of Modern Family and Broadway veteran Jesse Tyler Ferguson will host the upcoming 80th Annual Drama League Awards. Considered one of the high points of the theater season, the Annual Awards Luncheon includes a nominees cocktail reception, luncheon ceremony, and awards presentation and that will be held on Friday, May 16, 2014 at the Marriott Marquis Times Square in the Broadway Ballroom (1535 Broadway) beginning at 11:30 a.m. Financier Patisserie, GenSpring Family Offices, and National Life Group are the 2014 Event Sponsors of the 80th Annual Drama League Awards.

Skylight Music Theatre has announced its 2014-2015 season. Following the 2013-2014 season of Revolution, Skylight turns its focus to Fairy Tales and Fantasy, creating a season-long discussion around these stories and diving deeper into why they are present in every culture in the world. The productions and additional programs will investigate why we as humans are drawn to Fairy Tales and Fantasy and what it is about our human nature that compels us to create these stories.

Ever since it premiered on Broadway in 1973, Stephen Sondheim's A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, with a book by Hugh Wheeler, has been a favorite of musical theatre fans. The Michigan Opera Theatre was the first American opera company to present the piece in 1983, and other companies followed suit. It last graced Houston Grand Opera's (HGO) stages in 1999. Now, the musical, with an extraordinary set and gorgeous costumes by Isaac Mizrahi, is thrilling Houston audiences again with HGO's latest production of this American masterpiece.

The new year has already brought notable success for Houston Grand Opera (HGO), where the hotly anticipated American premiere of the long-lost Holocaust opera The Passenger-hailed by the Associated Press as 'the latest coup for a company known for producing new works'-took the national and local press by storm, and where the company's Rigoletto revival was pronounced 'glorious' (Theater Jones). These accolades come at an exciting time for the company, which continues this season's extraordinary line-up with the launch of the first American presentation of a visionary and groundbreaking treatment of Das Rheingold by La Fura dels Baus; the world premiere of Ricky Ian Gordon's A Coffin in Egypt, named one of the twelve 'must-see opera events of the season' (Opera News); a new HGO production of Carmen from Broadway sensation Rob Ashford; and Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music, which boasts designs by fashion icon Isaac Mizrahi.

Xcel Brands, Inc. (OTCQB:XELB) has signed an exclusive licensing agreement with Signal Brands. This agreement will give Signal Brands the license to manufacture and distribute suitcases, carry-on items and travel accessories under the Isaac Mizrahi New York label. The collection will debut at The Travel Goods Show in March 2014.

Houston Grand Opera's highly anticipated production of Stephen Sondheim's A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC opens this week in the Cullen Theater at the Wortham Theater Center. In addition to Stephen Sondheim's celebrated and lush score, this production proudly features sets, costumes, and original direction by popular American fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi. I recently spoke with HGO alumna Chad Shelton, who is playing Fredrik Egerman, about the production and his career.

The critical response to Houston's American premiere production of The Passenger was overwhelming. Classical Voice America proclaimed the opera “a masterpiece,” and the Chicago Tribune found it an “engrossing, thought-provoking experience” that “deserves [a place] in the regular repertory.” Houston's production impressed the Houston Chronicle as one “that unites commanding performances and vivid, fast-paced staging,” while the Wall Street Journalcommended the way “conductor Patrick Summers shaped the evening with enormous care.” As for the performers, “top to bottom, the cast is excellent,” asserted the Dallas Morning News. Melody Moore “gave Marta's anguish lyricism and strength” (Wall Street Journal), “Michelle Breedt's instrument seemed ideally suited to the role of Liese” (Classical Voice America), and “Kelly Kaduce was mesmerizing” as Katya (Wall Street Journal). The Toronto Star concluded:

The new year has already brought notable success for Houston Grand Opera (HGO), where the hotly anticipated American premiere of the long-lost Holocaust opera The Passenger-hailed by the Associated Press as 'the latest coup for a company known for producing new works'-took the national and local press by storm, and where the company's Rigoletto revival was pronounced 'glorious' (Theater Jones). These accolades come at an exciting time for the company, which continues this season's extraordinary line-up with the launch of the first American presentation of a visionary and groundbreaking treatment of Das Rheingold by La Fura dels Baus; the world premiere of Ricky Ian Gordon's A Coffin in Egypt, named one of the twelve 'must-see opera events of the season' (Opera News); a new HGO production of Carmen from Broadway sensation Rob Ashford; and Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music, which boasts designs by fashion icon Isaac Mizrahi.

Celebrating red carpet style for the fifth consecutive year, global multimedia retailer QVC will once again set up shop in Los Angeles to capture the magic of awards season with an exciting three-hour live broadcast. The fifth annual 'Red Carpet Style Live from L.A.' will serve as a unique shopping experience within an exclusive soiree from the Wetherly Gardens at the Four Seasons Beverly Hills. Viewers will be offered specially designed and curated products that are reminiscent of a true red carpet event.

MCC THEATER as announced the preliminary lineup of performers for the annual Miscast 2014 gala, which will feature one-night-only performances from stars of stage and screen including Zosia Mamet, Christian Borle, Anika Noni Rose, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Steven Pasquale, Jesse L. Martin, Sasha Allen, Keala Settle, and Nicole Parker. Phil Reno will serve as Musical Director. Additional performers will be announced at a later date. Miscast 2014 will be held Monday, March 31, 2014 at The Hammerstein Ballroom (311 West 34th Street). The evening will begin with a cocktail hour and gala dinner followed by the Miscast performances. Show-only tickets are now on sale at www.mcctheater.org.

The opening months of 2014 bring into focus the strengths of Houston Grand Opera (HGO), which launches the new year with an extraordinary line-up. This comprises the world premieres of three important new commissions -Ricky Ian Gordon's A Coffin in Egypt, named one of the twelve "must-see opera events of the season" (Opera News), and two works exploring Houston's Vietnamese and Indian communities, courtesy of HGO's award-winning Song of Houston project; the hotly anticipated American premiere of Mieczyslaw Weinberg's long-suppressed Holocaust opera, The Passenger, in the production that took Europe by storm; the first American presentation of a visionary and groundbreaking treatment of Das Rheingold by Catalan's La Fura dels Baus; a new HGO production of Carmen from Broadway sensation Rob Ashford; a revival of Rigoletto; and a restaged production of Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music, which boasts designs by fashion icon Isaac Mizrahi. As the Houston Press recently noted, "Artistic and Music Director Patrick Summers is thinking bigger than ever."

Houston, December 17, 2013 ­– The opening months of 2014 bring into focus the strengths of Houston Grand Opera (HGO), which launches the new year with an extraordinary line-up. This comprises the world premieres of three important new commissions —Ricky Ian Gordon's A Coffin in Egypt, named one of the twelve “must-see opera events of the season” (Opera News), and two works exploring Houston's Vietnamese and Indian communities, courtesy of HGO's award-winning Song of Houston project; the hotly anticipated American premiere of Mieczyslaw Weinberg's long-suppressed Holocaust opera, The Passenger, in the production that took Europe by storm; the first American presentation of a visionary and groundbreaking treatment of Das Rheingold by Catalan's La Fura dels Baus; a new HGO production of Carmen from Broadway sensation Rob Ashford; a revival of Rigoletto; and a restaged production of Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music, which boasts designs by fashion icon Isaac Mizrahi. As the Houston Press recently noted, “Artistic and Music Director Patrick Summers is thinking bigger than ever.”

Michael Urie, the star of the long-running hit off-Broadway comedy Buyer & Cellar, will be a guest judge on this week's episode of 'Project Runway All Stars', airing tomorrow, Thursday, November 14.

Nashville Symphony Fashion Show co-chairs Vicki Horne and Dara Russell have announced that Christian Siriano will be the featured designer for the 2014 fashion show, to be held Tuesday, April 29, 2014, at Schermerhorn Symphony Center. The Symphony Fashion Show will highlight Siriano's Fall 2014 collection. The show is presented by Lexus and sponsored by the Nashville Symphony Orchestra League with proceeds from the event to support the Nashville Symphony's education programs, which annually serve 100,000 schoolchildren across Middle Tennessee.