Jessye Norman News

Family Opera Initiative is excited to present the musical pre-premiere of Goodnight Moon, this year's Opera & Ice Cream performance. Goodnight Moon is a lullaby for singer and piano continuing composer Glen Roven's settings to music of celebrated children's author, Margaret Wise Brown. It will premiere next May at Carnegie Hall with the Buffalo Philharmonic. The pre-premiere musical event is executive produced by Family Opera Initiative founder Grethe Barrett Holby and produced by Ray Wetmore.

The exciting new work that made the sold-out audience at Carnegie Hall 'thunder its approval' (New York Times) takes the stage at the Hollywood Bowl for its West Coast premiere on August 30 at 7:30 p.m. This remarkable collaboration between Emmy Award-winning composer Laura Karpman and world-renowned soprano Jessye Norman takes audiences from Africa to the Americas, from the South to the North, from cities to suburbs, opera to jazz, gospel to be-bop, and 'shadows to fire,' reflecting the pathways of Langston Hughes' epic Ask Your Mama: 12 Moods for Jazz.

Jim Caruso's Cast Party is proud to present RON ABEL, one of New York's hottest theatrical composer/arrangers, in a return engagement to the Broadway at Birdland series. This very special concert will take place on Monday, July 29 at 7pm. Joining Ron will be some of his fabulously talented friends (Lucie Arnaz and Valarie Pettiford) for a fun 'raising the roof' evening of entertainment. Abel is hosting this gala for longtime close friend, Richard Aborn, who is running for the office of District Attorney for Manhattan. (Richard is a leading advocate for the gun control movement, police brutality, and many other important issues.)

Family Opera Initiative is excited to present the musical pre-premiere of Goodnight Moon, this year's Opera & Ice Cream performance. Goodnight Moon is a lullaby for singer and piano continuing composer Glen Roven's settings to music of celebrated children's author, Margaret Wise Brown. It will premiere next May at Carnegie Hall with the Buffalo Philharmonic. The pre-premiere musical event is executive produced by Family Opera Initiative founder Grethe Barrett Holby and produced by Ray Wetmore.

Jim Caruso's Cast Party is proud to present RON ABEL, one of New York's hottest theatrical composer/arrangers, in a return engagement to the Broadway at Birdland series. This very special concert will take place on Monday, July 29 at 7pm. Joining Ron will be some of his fabulously talented friends (Lucie Arnaz and Valarie Pettiford) for a fun 'raising the roof' evening of entertainment. Abel is hosting this gala for longtime close friend, Richard Aborn, who is running for the office of District Attorney for Manhattan. (Richard is a leading advocate for the gun control movement, police brutality, and many other important issues.)

The Joyce Theater is thrilled to open its 2009 summer season with Trey McIntyre Project, a contemporary ballet company founded in 2004 by one of the world's most vibrant choreographers, with a week-long engagement from June 2-7. Tickets for this company's New York debut start at $19 and are available by calling JoyceCharge at 212-242-0800 or via the internet at Joyce.org. The Joyce Theater is located at 175 Eighth Avenue at 19th Street, in Chelsea.

The exciting new work that made the sold-out audience at Carnegie Hall 'thunder its approval' (New York Times) takes the stage at the Hollywood Bowl for its West Coast premiere on August 30 at 7:30 p.m. This remarkable collaboration between Emmy Award-winning composer Laura Karpman and world-renowned soprano Jessye Norman takes audiences from Africa to the Americas, from the South to the North, from cities to suburbs, opera to jazz, gospel to be-bop, and 'shadows to fire,' reflecting the pathways of Langston Hughes' epic Ask Your Mama: 12 Moods for Jazz.

Trey McIntyre Project begins Tuesday, June 2 at 7:30pm at The Joyce Theater (175 Eighth Avenue @ 19th Street). This week-long engagement, the company's NY debut, will run through June 7 at The Joyce Theater.

The Trey McIntyre Project will make its New York debut on Tuesday, June 2 at 7:30pm at The Joyce Theater (175 Eighth Avenue @ 19th Street). This week-long engagement will run through June 7 at The Joyce Theater.

The Joyce Theater is thrilled to open its 2009 summer season with Trey McIntyre Project, a contemporary ballet company founded in 2004 by one of the world's most vibrant choreographers, with a week-long engagement from June 2-7. Tickets for this company's New York debut start at $19 and are available by calling JoyceCharge at 212-242-0800 or via the internet at Joyce.org. The Joyce Theater is located at 175 Eighth Avenue at 19th Street, in Chelsea.

Under the direction of conductor and violin virtuoso Vladimir Spivakov, the National Philharmonic of Russia is joined by 2007 Tchaikovsky Competition Gold Medalist, Mayuko Kamio, in a program featuring work by Strauss, Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich and Prokofiev at the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts on Friday, April 3, 7:30 p.m.

Indiana University Professor Portia Maultsby was closely involved with the development of 'Honor! A Celebration of the African American Cultural Legacy,' a groundbreaking, two-week festival at Carnegie Hall celebrating African American culture.

Philadelphia Orchestra Chief Conductor and Artistic Adviser Charles Dutoit leads the Orchestra in three concerts in Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center celebrating the influence of African-American culture on classical music (March 12-14). The program features Milhaud's jazz-inspired The Creation of the World; George Walker's 1996 Pulitzer Prize-winning work Lilacs for voice and orchestra, with tenor Russell Thomas as soloist in its first Philadelphia Orchestra performances; Mahler's Songs of a Wayfarer, a work for which the late, great contralto Marian Anderson was known, with Philadelphia-native bass-baritone Eric Owens as soloist; and Dvoř?k's Symphony No. 9 in E minor ('From the New World').

Indiana University Professor Portia Maultsby was closely involved with the development of 'Honor! A Celebration of the African American Cultural Legacy,' a groundbreaking, two-week festival at Carnegie Hall celebrating African American culture.

Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Center and New York Festival of Song (NYFOS) present a special non-subscription program, Songs of the Irish Poets, on Tuesday, March 17 at 8 PM at Kaufman Center's Merkin Concert Hall.

Under the direction of conductor and violin virtuoso Vladimir Spivakov, the National Philharmonic of Russia is joined by 2007 Tchaikovsky Competition Gold Medalist, Mayuko Kamio, in a program featuring work by Strauss, Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich and Prokofiev at the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts on Friday, April 3, 7:30 p.m.

Philadelphia Orchestra Chief Conductor and Artistic Adviser Charles Dutoit leads the Orchestra in three concerts in Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center celebrating the influence of African-American culture on classical music (March 12-14). The program features Milhaud's jazz-inspired The Creation of the World; George Walker's 1996 Pulitzer Prize-winning work Lilacs for voice and orchestra, with tenor Russell Thomas as soloist in its first Philadelphia Orchestra performances; Mahler's Songs of a Wayfarer, a work for which the late, great contralto Marian Anderson was known, with Philadelphia-native bass-baritone Eric Owens as soloist; and Dvoř?k's Symphony No. 9 in E minor ('From the New World').

After receiving rave reviews and playing to sold out audiences & standing ovations in over 200 performances, Marion J. Caffey's 3 Mo' Divas (www.3MoDivas.com) has been awarded its first PBS television special. '3 Mo' Divas (Smashing Musical Barriers)' will air nationally March 1st-10th and June 1st-15th. (check local listings for exact dates and times). In celebration of the PBS Special, 3 Mo' Divas will also release their debut CD 'Smashing Musical Barriers' on March 1st and a Hi-Def & Blu-Ray DVD recording of the PBS special on May 12th. 3 Mo' Divas brings down the house with thrilling performances of an amazing 10 styles of music, including Opera, Broadway, Jazz, Blues, R&B, Soul, Disco, Rock & Roll, Spiritual & Gospel. The show begins with the classical sounds of Puccini then segues into songs from hit Broadway musicals like Wicked, Ragtime and Rent. This is soon followed by hot and familiar tunes of Billie Holiday, Whitney Houston and Tina Turner. By the end of every performance, the Divas have audiences up out of their seats rockin', singing and dancing in the aisles. 3 Mo' Divas is an extraordinary musical event - all music, all passion and all fun. 3 Mo' Divas performs 10 styles of music, spanning 233 years and sung in 3 languages.

Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Center and New York Festival of Song (NYFOS) present a special non-subscription program, Songs of the Irish Poets, on Tuesday, March 17 at 8 PM at Kaufman Center's Merkin Concert Hall.

Ford's Theatre Society will host a Grand Reopening Celebration on Wednesday, February 11, 2009, at Ford's Theatre (511 10th Street NW). The invitation-only evening will include the presentation of the Lincoln Medal to filmmaker George Lucas and screen legend Sidney Poitier, whose accomplishments exemplify the character and lasting legacy of President Abraham Lincoln.