Julie Taymor News

The Metropolitan Opera will release the DVD of its abridged, English-language production of Mozart's The Magic Flute, the inaugural transmission of the company's Emmy award-winning Live in HD series from December 2006. The first self-produced DVD by the Met, The Magic Flute DVD will retail for $25.00. It will be available exclusively at the Met Opera Shop beginning December 18, timed to performances of The Magic Flute on the Met stage beginning December 22.

Disney's THE LION KING celebrates its 10th Anniversary in Tokyo, Japan on Saturday, December 20, 2008 with a gala performance and celebration at the Theatre Haru. The Tokyo production of The Lion King was the first to be mounted after the show's award-winning New York City debut and is the second longest-running staging of the show, after Broadway.

The producers of ROCK OF AGES announced yesterday that after an extremely successful off Broadway run and the sale of the film rights to New Line Cinema, the new, smash hit musical will transfer to Broadway's Brooks Atkinson Theatre, 256 W. 47th Street, and open on Tuesday, April 7, 2009. Previews begin on Friday, March 20, 2009. Variety is reporting that they might be offering in-seating cocktail service to allow the party feel of the show to truly come alive uptown.

The producers of ROCK OF AGES announced today that after an extremely successful off Broadway run and the sale of the film rights to New Line Cinema, the new, smash hit musical will transfer to Broadway's Brooks Atkinson Theatre, 256 W. 47th Street, and open on Tuesday, April 7, 2009. Previews begin on Friday, March 20, 2009.

Additional casting has been announced for the Donmar Warehouse production of MARY STUART, Friedrich Schiller's classic play in a new version by Peter Oswald, which opens April 19, 2009 at the Broadhurst Theatre (235 West 44th Street). The production, starring its acclaimed original London leads Janet McTeer and Harriet Walter and directed by Phyllida Lloyd, begins previews on March 30, 2009 for a limited run of 20 weeks only.

The UK TimesOnline site is reporting that SPIDERMAN may be ready to battle his most powerful foe of all - the Broadway slump. The news service reports the the musical based on the Marvel comic book hero, written by Bono and the Edge from U2, will indeed take residency in the Hilton Theatre early next year as the chilly wind of a US recession blows through the theatre district of New York City.

Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director) is proud to announce John Goodman (Pozzo) and David Strathairn (Lucky) will join Bill Irwin (Vladimir) and Nathan Lane (Estragon) in a new Broadway production of Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett and directed by Tony? award winner Anthony Page.

Julie Taymor's hit production of Mozart's The Magic Flute returns to the Met as this season's special holiday presentation beginning December 22. The abridged, English-language version is specially priced to appeal to families and will have four matinees and one holiday evening performance, running through January 1.

Puccini's most popular work returns to the Metropolitan Opera on Monday, December 15, at 8:00 p.m. in the visually stunning classic production by Franco Zeffirelli. Fr?d?ric Chaslin conducts the performances which run through Saturday, January 10, 2008 and feature Mexican tenor Ram?n Vargas and Latvian soprano Maija Kovalevska as Puccini's star-crossed lovers, Rodolfo and Mim?. Fellow Bohemians in the cast are portrayed by Susanna Phillips as Musetta in her Met debut, Mariusz Kwiecien as the painter Marcello, Tommi Hakala as the musician Schaunard, and Oren Gradus as the philosopher Colline. Paul Plishka sings both Benoit and Alcindoro. Massimo Giordano sings Rodolfo in the final two performances.

The talented cast and crew of Disney's THE LION KING will host THE LION SINGS TONIGHT - CHRISTMAS - a cabaret-style show featuring performances of Holiday and Broadway standards. This very special one-time event will be held on Monday, December 15 at the American Cabaret Theatre located at 401 East Michigan Street, Indianapolis, IN. Tickets are currently on sale for $30 for general admission and $50, which include VIP Seating and a Post Show Reception with members of the cast of THE LION SINGS TONIGHT - CHRISTMAS and THE LION KING.

Daniel Barenboim Makes his Met Debut conducting Tristan and Isolde on November 28 Katarina Dalayman and Peter Seiffert sing the title roles for the first time at the Met, and René Pape reprises his acclaimed portrayal of King Marke

Disney Editions has released an updated edition of How Does the Show Go On?, Broadway producer Thomas Schumacher's introduction to the theater for young people.

Film site IESB.net reports that Evan Rachel Wood has been cast as 'Mary Jane' in the upcoming SPIDERMAN musical, it reports that rehearsals will begin in June 2009. The website also reveals that her 'Across The Universe co-star Jim Sturgess, long rumored to play Peter Parker/Spiderman is still a possibility, but has to be 'convinced'.

Puccini's most popular work returns to the Metropolitan Opera on Monday, December 15, at 8:00 p.m. in the visually stunning classic production by Franco Zeffirelli. Fr?d?ric Chaslin conducts the performances which run through Saturday, January 10, 2008 and feature Mexican tenor Ram?n Vargas and Latvian soprano Maija Kovalevska as Puccini's star-crossed lovers, Rodolfo and Mim?. Fellow Bohemians in the cast are portrayed by Susanna Phillips as Musetta in her Met debut, Mariusz Kwiecien as the painter Marcello, Tommi Hakala as the musician Schaunard, and Oren Gradus as the philosopher Colline. Paul Plishka sings both Benoit and Alcindoro. Massimo Giordano sings Rodolfo in the final two performances.

The Lion King producers are betting a bad economy won't hurt their show in Las Vegas.

Ren?e Fleming and Thomas Hampson star in the Met's first new production of Jules Massenet's richly melodic Tha?s in thirty years. The rarely performed opera opens at the Met on Monday, December 8, and runs through January 8, with the December 20 matinee transmitted live worldwide as part of The Met: Live in HD series. 'Fleming and Hampson made a heavenly match,' Chicago Sun-Times critic Wynne Delacoma wrote when this production, which comes from the Lyric Opera of Chicago, opened there in 2002.

Parsons Dance presents the World Premiere of an all-new, as-yet-untitled collaboration with the lead vocalists of East Village Opera Company (EVOC), featuring the music of the acclaimed rock opera band. Program A premieres the new evening-length work with EVOC's two lead vocalists live onstage with Parsons Dance. Program B will feature Parsons Dance favorites, including Caught and Nascimento.

In response to the recession, the Metropolitan Opera's Board of Directors has decided to subsidize some of the best seats for weekend evening performances for the duration of the opera season. Approximately 16,000 prime seats in the Orchestra and Grand Tier, ranging in price from $295 to $140, will be available for $25 through a weekly drawing beginning December 8. Entries for the drawing to purchase the $25 seats will be available only at the Met's web site, www.metopera.org. The $3 million dollar cost to underwrite the program has been contributed entirely from among the Board's 45 managing directors.

Parsons Dance presents the World Premiere of an all-new, as-yet-untitled collaboration with the lead vocalists of East Village Opera Company (EVOC), featuring the music of the acclaimed rock opera band. Program A premieres the new evening-length work with EVOC's two lead vocalists live onstage with Parsons Dance. Program B will feature Parsons Dance favorites, including Caught and Nascimento.

Dorothea Roschmann will sing Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni on December 1, 5, 9, 13, and 19, replacing Petra-Maria Schitzer, who has withdrawn. German soprano Roschmann has previously sung three roles at the Met, all in operas by Mozart. Her company debut in 2003 as Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro was followed by Pamina in the new production of Die Zauberfl?te directed by Julie Taymor in 2004. Her most recent Met appearances were in 2006 as Ilia in Idomeneo.