Well, it's that time of the year again--time for a look-back on what was worth making note of during the calendar year that's about to come to an end. It's from a totally personal, subjective point of view, of course, but frankly that's the way opera-lovers always seem to like it, n'est-ce pas? The productions worth noting come from places big, small and in-between, from composers old as the hills to freshly minted or somewhere in between (likewise the performers), from traditional or boldly modern to simply stand up and sing.
St. Ann's Warehouse presents When Does a Place Become Home?, an exhibition of six acclaimed international artists and photojournalists currently working on the front lines of the world's migrant crisis, from the original Calais Jungle to Serbia to the Southern borders of the U.S. Photographer and filmmaker Miguel Amortegui, photographer Sarah Hickson, conceptual artist Omar Imam, Getty special correspondent John Moore, refugee photographer Abdul Saboor, and visual journalist Griselda San Martin provide a hard look at the complexities of immigration and migration. Their work documents the experiences of people worldwide embarking on perilous journeys to find safety in new homes or temporary stops along the way.
A politically-charged production of the gruesome musical Sweeney Todd (Fri 12 Apr to Sat 18 May) will be brought to life on the Everyman stage in April 2019. Directed by Nick Bagnall, the production explores the social inequalities in a decaying nineteenth century England ruled by the corruption of the upper classes. Liam Tobin (Everyman Company 2017 and 2018) plays the role of Sweeney Todd, with the full cast to be announced in the New Year. This bold production is joined by exciting collaborations with other theatre-makers.
The San Diego Opera's production of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro featured expressive singing, clever attractive sets, beautiful costumes, and strong comedic and dramatic acting. The work is generally called a comic opera, but as director Stephen Lawless pointed out during my interview with him, 'There are tears behind the laughter.' The difficult political and social issues hiding behind laughter came from the Beaumarchais play on which the opera was based, and Mozart and librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte had to make light of them or risk censorship. The play's depiction of royal abuses probably contributed to the start of the French Revolution. Napoleon went so far as to say the it was, 'the Revolution already put into action.'
LIVERPOOL is renowned on the world stage for producing some of the most talented pop stars, bands and stars of stage and screen from the performing arts. So it is no surprise that 16 of Liverpool's most talented singers have been auditioned to star and perform at the UK's first ever dedicated "Singing Waiters" American diner to the heart of Liverpool.
Stephen Lawless will be directing the San Diego Opera's production of The Marriage of Figaro this week. I met with him in the opera company's rehearsal room recently to discuss that, how he came to be a director, and his views of a director's responsibilities.
The William Inge Center for the Arts is pleased to announce playwright Octavio Solis will be the recipient of the 2019 Distinguished Achievement in the American Theater Award for his outstanding contributions to the national theater landscape. Solis will be presented the award at the 38th annual William Inge Theater Festival, the Official Theatre Festival of the State of Kansas, at Independence Community College, in Independence, Kansas. The festival will be held May 22-25, 2019.
The William Inge Center for the Arts is pleased to announce playwright Octavio Solis will be the recipient of the 2019 Distinguished Achievement in the American Theater Award for his outstanding contributions to the national theater landscape. Solis will be presented the award at the 38th annual William Inge Theater Festival, the Official Theatre Festival of the State of Kansas, at Independence Community College, in Independence, Kansas. The festival will be held May 22-25, 2019.
Missy Mazzoli had me with BREAKING THE WAVES, her 2016 opera written with librettist Royce Vavrek at Opera Philadelphia and PROTOTYPE 2017. With PROVING UP--same librettist and with a production also conceived by James Darrah--which had its New York debut this week at Columbia University's Miller theatre, she proved she's a force to be reckoned with.
Turner's TNT has secured critically acclaimed and Emmy(R) Award-nominated writer and producer Frank Pugliese (House of Cards) to serve as showrunner for The Angel of Darkness, a new limited series based on the sequel to author Caleb Carr's best-selling The Alienist. A huge critical and ratings success, The Alienist is a top 10 cable drama, having reached more than 50 million people across multiple platforms.
Germinal Stage will present a 3-show season, in residence, at the John Hand Theater, 7653 E 1st Place on the Colorado Free University Lowry Campus. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00 p.m.
Jaffrey's River Street Theatre (a project of The Park Theatre) has become part of the New York Film Critics Series of 'sneak preview' premieres of the best new independent films. The films are accompanied with interviews of the stars and the film creators. Film critic Peter Travers (Rolling Stone) is the host. The first 'sneak preview' the River Street Theatre will present is American Dresser starring Tom Berenger (Platoon, Someone To Watch Over Me, Gettysburg) Keith David (Crash, Barbershop, Armageddon), Gina Gershon, Penelope Ann Miller (The Artist), Jeff Fahey (Silverado)and Bruce Dern (Nebraska, Coming Home). It will be shown only once, Friday, September 21 at 7pm.
Today, the Chicago Humanities Festival announced a number of headliners for the Fall iteration of its first year-long theme, Graphic! This group of acclaimed presenters include two-time Academy Award-winning actor Tom Hanks, Broad City co-creator Abbi Jacobson, Two Dope Queens co-creator Phoebe Robinson, presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, artist Chris Ware, writer Alice Walker, columnist Rebecca Traister, Maestro Daniel Barenboim and his West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, historian Jill Lepore, chef Jose Andres, Getty Images photographer John Moore, photographer and Folded Map creator Tonika Johnson, and comic book artist Alex Ross.
Seattle Opera announced today that General Director Aidan Lang will leave the company to become General Director of Welsh National Opera. The third General Director of Seattle Opera, Lang departs at the close of the 2018/19 season following a five-year tenure. Under Lang's leadership, Seattle Opera has: increased its audiences, particularly, young people, created a new civic home for opera at Seattle Center, introduced new chamber opera productions in locations around the city, and made organizational strides toward racial equity.
Event brings together experts in various disciplines such as art, design, policy making, and community organizing to discuss issues related to freedom; and features a special performance by the Resistance Revival Chorus
After eight months of creative exercises, brainstorming, and frequent trips back to the drawing board, Pipedream Production's new, revolutionary play, #BESTYOU, is ready for an audience. Created by Pipedream's founding members and written by Pipedream's own Alexis Robbins, #BESTYOU asks the question, 'how far would you go to be the best?'
TNT has ordered The Angel of Darkness, a new limited series based on the sequel to best-selling author Caleb Carr's The Alienist. A huge critical and ratings success, The Alienist is 2018's #1 new cable series in 18-49, having reached more than 50 million people across multiple platforms. It also earned six Emmy(R) Award nominations, including Outstanding Limited Series. The Alienist's lead cast including Daniel Brühl (Rush), Luke Evans (The Girl on the Train) and Dakota Fanning (American Pastoral) will return for The Angel of Darkness in an all-new storyline.
Project Careaoke, a new all-volunteer organization that exists to support a variety of grassroots, underfunded Colorado nonprofits by sponsoring karaoke-themed events on their behalf, has chosen Denver Actors Fund as its first beneficiary. On September 9, Project Careaoke will launch with a fun-filled evening at The Venue that is expected to result in the single biggest infusion of funds to the Denver Actors Fund in its five-year history. Tickets ($12) are now on sale at projectcareaoke.org
Miller Theatre at Columbia University School of the Arts opens its 30th Anniversary 2018-19 Season and launches its new Chamber Opera Commissioning Initiative with the New York Premiere of PROVING UP, adapted from the short story "Proving Up" by Karen Russell.
