Houston Grand Opera presents Bernstein's West Side Story (April 20 - May 6), Bellini's Norma (April 27 - May 11), and return of Cruzar la Cara de la Luna (May 17, 19, 20) at HGO Resilience Theater World's first mariachi opera returns after New York triumph Houston, January 29, 2018 - Houston Grand Opera (HGO) will present the first major American opera house production of Leonard Bernstein ' s landmark musical West Side Story, April 20 - May 6, and Bellini's vocal powerhouse Norma, April 27 - May 11, in the HGO Resil i ence Theater at the George R. Brown Convention Center.
Houston Grand Opera's (HGO) Opera to Go! presents the world premiere of Monkey & Francine in the City of Tigers, with music by rising composer Kamala Sankaram and libretto by David Johnston, February 2 and 3, 9:30 and 11 a.m. both days, at Heinen Theater, 3517 Austin St., Houston. Performances are free. The 45-minute family opera is inspired by Indian and Chinese mythology and includes music influenced by Bollywood. A hilarious fable, Monkey & Francine in the City of Tigers demonstrates the power of teamwork as a monkey prince and his brainy sister outwit a hungry crocodile and escape from the City of Tigers. The opera is a co-commission of HGO's HGOco arm with American Lyric Theater, which presented a partially staged performance in New York City earlier in January. Seen and Heard International noted, the libretto was sophisticated and fresh, while the music was witty and eclectic. You tapped your toes and found yourself singing along.
Canadian-American soprano Erin Wall has withdrawn from Faust at Lyric Opera of Chicago to undergo chemotherapy, Anthony Freud, Lyric's general director, president & CEO, announced today. Freud added that her doctors expect a full recovery within a few months, according to her manager. Everyone at Lyric wishes Erin all the best and looks forward to welcoming her back in future seasons. An alumna of Lyric's Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center program (2001-04) with a major international career, Wall has portrayed Marguerite/Faust, Donna Anna/Don Giovanni, Pamina/The Magic Flute, Fiordiligi/Cos fan tutte, Helena/A Midsummer Night's Dream, Konstanze/Die Entf hrung auf dem Serail, and Antonia/Les Contes d'Hoffmann at Lyric.
Even if it were just for its history lesson about the lavender scare of the '50s-- the witch hunt and the mass firings of gay men and women from the federal government during the McCarthy era--FELLOW TRAVELERS by composer Gregory Spears and librettist Greg Pierce would be well worth seeing. But there's so much more to the opera, which had its local debut at the New York PROTOTYPE 2018 this past weekend, directed by Kevin Newbury, at the Gerald Lynch Theatre--including some of the most gorgeous opera music in recent memory.
With less than a week until the opening of New York's PROTOTYPE 2018, I was Skype-ing with the producers--no, not Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick--but Jecca Barry (of Beth Morrison Projects, BMP) and Kim Whitener (of HERE), who seem pretty calm. (Actually, they're two of four producers, the others being the eponymous Beth Morrison and Kristin Martin of HERE.) What's to be nervous about? After all they only have 8 new-opera/new-theatre productions (plus other events) opening between January 9th and 20th, including a couple of world premieres.
In the holiday season when matters of family, spirituality, identity, and survival are often acute, EPIPHANY V a gay fantasia in the form of a classical music-driven short film explores these tender issues through a uniquely queer lens.
Dear Edvard, a new music-theater piece, will make its New York premiere at National Sawdust on Sunday, December 10th, at 4pm. Directed by Kevin Newbury with music direction by Paul Masse, the musical explores the life and loves of Norwegian artist Edvard Munch (1863-1944).
Hot Feat USA Ltd presents the U.S. Premiere of COUNTING SHEEP, a breathtaking immersive theatrical experience that brings audiences inside the heart of the 2013-2014 Ukrainian revolution on Maidan Square, and offers a deeply personal retelling of the popular uprising that succeeded in toppling the Ukrainian government.
Hot Feat USA Ltd has announced dates for the U.S. Premiere of COUNTING SHEEP, a breathtaking immersive theatrical experience that brings audiences inside the heart of the 2013-2014 Ukrainian revolution on Maidan Square, and offers a deeply personal retelling of the popular uprising that succeeded in toppling the Ukrainian government.
Beth Morrison Projects and HERE Arts Center have announced programming for Out of Bounds 2018, a series of short, free performances of new works in public spaces, presented in its second season as part of the sixth annual PROTOTYPE: Opera/Theatre/Now, running January 7-20, 2018 in New York City.
Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati's (ETC) first pop-up performance in its newly renovated venue will be a one-night only fundraiser featuring Cincinnati favorite Todd Almond, with Michelle Shocked.
Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati's (ETC) first pop-up performance in its newly renovated venue will be a one-night only fundraiser featuring Cincinnati favorite Todd Almond, with Michelle Shocked.
Houston Grand Opera will open its 63rd season with a new production of Verdi's most romantic opera, La traviata, October 20 November 11 in the new HGO Resilience Theater at the George R. Brown Convention Center in downtown Houston.
The Philadelphia Orchestra, in partnership with The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts and local community-based cultural organization Taller Puertorrique o working as part of Unidos PA'PR, has announced a fundraising initiative during next week's performances of West Side Story in Concert led by Yannick N zet-S guin in Verizon Hall (October 12-15, 2017) to assist with hurricane relief efforts in Puerto Rico. In light of the devastating impact of Hurricane Maria and the closely linked subject matter of the performance, collections will be accepted in the lobby of The Kimmel Center to be distributed through Unidos PA'PR a coalition of community organizations formed to raise funds for recovery efforts in Puerto Rico. The performances also will serve as a powerful reminder of the ongoing relevancy of Bernstein's work and the continued need for unity, embracing Puerto Rico as a U.S. territory, and awareness of economic conditions in the area.
Cincinnati Opera releases the live audio recording of the world premiere production of Gregory Spears and Greg Pierce's ravishing new opera, Fellow Travelers, directed by Kevin Newbury and featuring the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra conducted by Mark Gibson (out September 15 (digital) and September 29 (physical) on Fanfare Cincinnati).
Cincinnati Opera releases the live audio recording of the world premiere production of Gregory Spears and Greg Pierce's ravishing new opera, Fellow Travelers, directed by Kevin Newbury and featuring the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra conducted by Mark Gibson (out September 15 (digital) and September 29 (physical) on Fanfare Cincinnati).
Cincinnati Opera releases the live audio recording of the world premiere production of Gregory Spears and Greg Pierce's ravishing new opera, Fellow Travelers, directed by Kevin Newbury and featuring the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra conducted by Mark Gibson (out September 15 (digital) and September 29 (physical) on Fanfare Cincinnati).
American Composers Orchestra (ACO) announces its complete 2017-2018 season, Dreamscapes, under the leadership of Artistic Director Derek Bermel, Music Director George Manahan, and President Edward Yim, featuring ten world, U.S., and New York premieres by a diverse set of composers. ACO continues its concerts at Carnegie Hall's Zankel Hall (December 8, 2017 and April 6, 2018) while expanding its presence in New York to include performances at Jazz at Lincoln Center (November 7, 2017) and as part of the 2018 PROTOTYPE Festival (January 12-14, 2018). ACO continues to take its commitment to fostering new work beyond the stage in its annual Underwood New Music Readings (June 21 and 22, 2018) for emerging composers, now in its 27th year, and through EarShot, the National Orchestra Composition Discovery Network, which brings the Readings experience to orchestras across the country.
Lyric Unlimited has announced casting for the Chicago premiere of Fellow Travelers. Tenor Jonas Hacker and baritone Joseph Lattanzi will sing the lead roles of Timothy Laughlin and Hawkins Fuller, two men who fall in love during the height of the McCarthy era in 1950s Washington D.C. Devon Guthrie will sing the role of Mary Johnson, Hawkins's assistant and Timothy's confidante.
On August 5 at 7:00 p.m., producer Rick Murray will present one of the most influential figures in contemporary popular culture, rock legend and actress Courtney Love, who will sit down with Kevin Sessums for an intimate evening of conversation and performance. Love will be joined by her collaborator and friend, composer Todd Almond, with whom she shares a unique artistic alchemy.
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