Jacques Offenbach News

Arcola Theatre today announces the 16 productions that make up the 2019 Grimeborn Opera Festival.

One of the nation's most adventurous opera companies, Odyssey Opera, presents the fully staged production of La belle Hélène (The Beautiful Helen) by Jacques Offenbach with libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy. This final performance of Odyssey Opera's sixth season is the last of three works performed in 2019 inspired by one of the most enigmatic figures in ancient history, Helen of Troy. Directed by Frank Kelley, this performance will be sung in English with mezzo-soprano Ginger Costa-Jackson (Met Opera, San Francisco Opera) playing the lead role of Helen of Troy, and orchestra and chorus conducted by Gil Rose.

Tune Up Philly (TUP) will take the stage for their 9th Annual Festival Concert on Saturday, May 25, 2019 at 1 p.m. TUP is The Philadelphia Youth Orchestra (PYO)'s community engagement program ensemble. This free event will be at the Temple Performing Arts Center (TPAC), located at 1837 North Broad Street, Philadelphia.

Boston Landmarks Orchestra (LO) under the direction of Music Director Christopher Wilkins, and Executive Director Jo Frances Meyer, announces its 2019 season of free concerts at the DCR's Hatch Memorial Shell on the Esplanade. The free, public concerts will be held every Wednesday evening at 7pm from July 17 to August 21, 2019.

Artist Series Concerts celebrates Mother's Day and closes out its 23rd season with "An Afternoon of Operetta," Sunday, May 12, 4:00 p.m. at the Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota. Soloists Emily Martin, Stacey Rishoi, Mark Lubas, Luis Gonzalez and Garrett Obrycki are joined by singers from Choral Artists of Sarasota for a program showcasing highlights of popular operettas, including Offenbach's "Can-Can" and "Barcarolle," von Suppe's "Poet and Peasant" overture and much more. The performance also features a condensed concert version of Gilbert and Sullivan's "The Pirates of Penzance" that includes "Poor Wandering One," "The Pirate King," "The Modern Major General" and others. Joseph Holt takes to the keyboards for the production, joined by Daniel Jordan, violin, Samantha Bennett, violin, Steven Laraia, viola and Natalie Helm, cello, all principal musicians with the Sarasota Orchestra. A post-concert reception with the artists will be held immediately after the performance on the second floor of the Opera House. Tickets for the concert are $20 - $55. Ticket for the reception are $35 and include an open bar and hors d'oeuvres. All tickets are available online at www.artistseriesconcerts.org or by calling 941-306-1202, Monday - Friday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Student tickets for the concert, priced at $10, are available with current student ID at the door.

This first season of Peter de Caluwe's third mandate in Brussels is, in a certain sense, also a blueprint for the coming years, during which the usual seasonal themes will step aside for a new 'seasonal architecture', allowing an even stronger focus on creation and experimentation. In total, the audience of La Monnaie can look forward to a record number of eleven operas in 2019-20..

One of the nation's most adventurous opera companies, Odyssey Opera, presents the Boston premiere of Richard Strauss's little-known opera Die agyptische Helena (The Egyptian Helen) with libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. As part of Odyssey Opera's sixth season, this marks the second of three works to be performed in 2019 inspired by one of the most enigmatic figures in ancient history, Helen of Troy. The challenging title role of Helen will be played by soprano Kirsten Chambers (Met Opera). With orchestra and chorus conducted by Gil Rose, this two-act concert performance will be sung in German with English subtitles.

One of the nation's most adventurous opera companies, Odyssey Opera, presents the Boston premiere of Richard Strauss's little-known opera Die agyptische Helena (The Egyptian Helen) with libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. As part of Odyssey Opera's sixth season, this marks the second of three works to be performed in 2019 inspired by one of the most enigmatic figures in ancient history, Helen of Troy. The challenging title role of Helen will be played by soprano Kirsten Chambers (Met Opera). With orchestra and chorus conducted by Gil Rose, this two-act concert performance will be sung in German with English subtitles.

Phil Willmott tries to rescue two shows with the plot of a third, but his show also never quite coheres, for all the energy expended by the hard-working cast.

The Oakland Symphony Orchestra will present its 22nd Annual David Daniels Young Artists Concert at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 10 in Varner Recital Hall on OU's campus.

The Royal College of Music Opera Studio presents Jacques Offenbach's lively operetta Robinson Crusoe in the composer's 200th birthday year. Acclaimed director Bill Bankes-Jones returns to the Royal College of Music (RCM) following the successful Frankenstein - The Modern Prometheus, a 2018 collaborative project between the RCM and Tete a Tete, of which Bankes-Jones is founder and Artistic Director. Tickets for Robinson Crusoe are now on sale.

The Union Theatre announced the return of the Phil Willmott Company for a fourth season of ESSENTIAL CLASSICS: productions in which great writers of the past have reflected on issues we face today. The theme of this year's series is ENEMIES OF THE PEOPLE and features Arthur Miller's timely An Enemy of the People, Offenbach's frivolous musical Can-Can! and Othello, William Shakespeare's classic tale of jealousy, passion and revenge. All three productions can be purchased individually or at the 3-show saver price of £50, giving everyone a chance to enjoy these classic works.

One of the nation's most adventurous opera companies, Odyssey Opera, continues its sixth season with the Boston premiere of Paride ed Elena (1770) written by Christoph Willibald Gluck with a libretto by Ranieri de' Calzabigi. Ushering in the second half of Odyssey Opera's season, this marks the first of three works to be performed in Winter/Spring 2019 inspired by one of the most enigmatic figures in ancient history, Helen of Troy. Paride ed Elena (Paris and Helen) will feature three leading female roles performed by Mireille Asselin (Elena), Meghan Lindsay (Paride), and Erica Schuller (Amor), with orchestra and chorus conducted by Gil Rose, and stage direction by Crystal Manich (Pittsburgh Opera, Utah Opera).  The fully-staged, five-act production will be sung in Italian with English subtitles.

One of the nation's most adventurous opera companies, Odyssey Opera, continues its sixth season with the Boston premiere of Paride ed Elena (1770) written by Christoph Willibald Gluck with a libretto by Ranieri de' Calzabigi. Ushering in the second half of Odyssey Opera's season, this marks the first of three works to be performed in Winter/Spring 2019 inspired by one of the most enigmatic figures in ancient history, Helen of Troy. Paride ed Elena (Paris and Helen) will feature three leading female roles performed by Mireille Asselin (Elena), Meghan Lindsay (Paride), and Erica Schuller (Amor), with orchestra and chorus conducted by Gil Rose, and stage direction by Crystal Manich (Pittsburgh Opera, Utah Opera). The fully-staged, five-act production will be sung in Italian with English subtitles.

Just in time for the holidays, Sarasota Opera's "An Evening of Operetta" will light up the Sarasota Opera House with sparkling musical gems to enchant and delight. You'll find yourself in the "The Land of Smiles" as opera singers present a showcase of beautiful melodies such as "The Merry Widow Waltz," "Thine Alone," "Wanting You," and "A Toast to Champagne." Tickets start at just $10 for the performance on Friday, December 14, 2018 at 7:30pm.

La Compañía Nacional de Ópera (CNO) del Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes cerrará su temporada 2018 con El murciélago, de Johann Strauss II, una de las operetas más representadas en el mundo.

The Adelphi Orchestra will feature Randall Mitsuo Goosby, Violin (First Prize winner of the Adelphi Orchestra Competition, First Prize winner of the Sphinx Competition ) in the rarely performed and defiantly triumphant Korngold Concerto for Violin in D major, Op. 35. Randall Goosby's performance of the Korngold Violin Concerto will be the centerpiece in a program entitled "From Vienna with Love" which will also feature Strauss's Overture to Die Fledermaus and concludes with the beautiful Symphony no 2 in D major by Brahms. The concert,  conducted by Richard Owen on Sunday October 27th at 7PM will take place at  NYC's historic Good Shepherd - Faith Presbyterian Church located in the heart of Lincoln Center. Tickets on sale now.

This year, a living legend of musical theatre turns 90: Lyricist-bookwriter Tom Jones (who also, under a stage name) appeared in the original company of his most famous and wildly successful record-breaking musical, The Fantasticks. His collaborator, composer Harvey Schmidt, just recently passed away. The production's record-breaking run closed, on January 13, 2002, after 17,162 performances. Their shows also include 110 in the Shade, I Do! I Do!, Philemon, Celebration and many more. And celebration is what it's about when Broadway veterans Carole Demas, who originated the role of Sandy in Grease, and Sarah Rice, who originated the role of Johanna in Sweeney Todd, return to celebrate Jones & Schmidt. Demas and Rice have based the show on their 50 years of work and personal relationships with Tom and Harvey. With very special guest Broadway's Hal Robinson who is also a Fantasticks alumni.

One of the nation's most adventurous opera companies, Odyssey Opera, continues its sixth season with the Boston premiere of the rarely performed 1858 opera Le medecin malgre lui (The Doctor in Spite of Himself). On the occasion of the bicentenary of Charles Gounod's birth (1818-1893), Odyssey Opera offers a chance to become better acquainted with one of the largest French composers of the second half of the 19th Century. Based on a play by the great French satirical playwright Moliere, Gounod's Le medecin malgre lui is a three-act comic opera set to a libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carre. Odyssey Opera will feature baritone Stephen Salters (Sganarelle), mezzo-soprano Tascha Anderson (Jacqueline), the Boston debut of tenor Piotr Buszewski (Leandre), and a full orchestra and chorus conducted by Gil Rose, with stage direction by Daniel Pelzig (Santa Fe Opera, Met Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago). The fully-staged production will be sung in French with English subtitles, with never heard recitatives added by Erik Satie.

One of the nation's most adventurous opera companies, Odyssey Opera, continues its sixth season with the Boston premiere of the rarely performed 1858 opera Le medecin malgre lui (The Doctor in Spite of Himself). On the occasion of the bicentenary of Charles Gounod's birth (1818-1893), Odyssey Opera offers a chance to become better acquainted with one of the largest French composers of the second half of the 19th Century. Based on a play by the great French satirical playwright Moliere, Gounod's Le medecin malgre lui is a three-act comic opera set to a libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carre. Odyssey Opera will feature baritone Stephen Salters (Sganarelle), mezzo-soprano Tascha Anderson (Jacqueline), the Boston debut of tenor Piotr Buszewski (Leandre), and a full orchestra and chorus conducted by Gil Rose, with stage direction by Daniel Pelzig (Santa Fe Opera, Met Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago). The fully-staged production will be sung in French with English subtitles, with never heard recitatives added by Erik Satie.