Kevin Newbury News

With Grammy-nominated American composer Mason Bates dipping his toe into full-length operatic waters for the first time--and star librettist Mark Campbell doing it for the umpteenth--the Guggenheim Museum's “Works & Process” series gave an extended peak into the development of their new opera, THE (R)EVOLUTION OF STEVE JOBS, which premieres on July 22 at the Santa Fe Opera (SFO). Looking back at that evening in April, I recall how the extended musical excerpts gave the audience a good idea of the brilliance of Bates's score and the general excitement in store.

Kevin Newbury is a theatre, opera and film director who has staged over sixty original productions for numerous opera companies, festivals, and symphonies. Especially committed to developing new material, he has directed more than two-dozen world premieres of operas and plays. His staging of Mason Bates and Mark Campbell's The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs will have its world premiere at Santa Fe Opera on July 22, 2017.

A new artistic collaboration between Seattle Opera and three partner organizations will result in a world-premiere inspired by the late Steve Jobs, visionary co-founder of Apple and Pixar. The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs will first play at Santa Fe Opera in July 2017 before coming to Seattle Opera for its west coast premiere during the 2018/19 season.

San Francisco Opera today announced its participation as a co-commissioner of The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs—the first full-length opera written by Bay Area composer Mason Bates and set to a libretto by Mark Campbell—joining Santa Fe Opera and Seattle Opera, with support from Cal Performances. The new work is a co-production with Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music and will have its world premiere beginning July 22, 2017 at Santa Fe Opera. San Francisco Opera will present the Bay Area premiere of The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs during the Company's 2019–20 repertory season at the War Memorial Opera House. Bates' electro-acoustic opera is composed in one act and is comprised of a prologue and 19 scenes.

On Sunday and Monday, April 9 and 10, 2017 at 7:30pm, Works & Process at the Guggenheim presents performance highlights and moderated discussion with Grammy-nominated American Composer Mason Bates on his first opera, The (Re)volution of Steve Jobs prior to its world premiere with Santa Fe Opera. 

Long Beach Opera is currently presenting the American Premiere of THE PERFECT AMERICAN, March 12 and 18, 2017, with music by Philip Glass and libretto by Rudy Wurlitzer. BroadwayWorld brings you a first look below!

Chicago Opera Theater (COT) presents 'The Perfect American,' a Chicago premiere opera by American composer Philip Glass. Based on American novelist Peter Stephan Jungk's 2001 novel, 'Der Konig von Amerika,' Glass' opera imagines the last three months of Walt Disney's life.

On March 12 and 18, 2017, Long Beach Opera (LBO) will present the long-awaited U.S. premiere of Philip Glass' The Perfect American, a fictionalized account of Walt Disney's final days.

 A season of superb music and spectacle is now on sale to Lyric subscribers - including three new mainstage opera productions, three new-to-Chicago opera productions, one new musical production, and one new-to-Chicago chamber opera production.

Lyric Opera of Chicago presents Bellini's riveting bel canto masterpiece Norma in a new-to-Chicago production. Vocal pyrotechnics and sumptuous music brilliantly tell the tale of forbidden passion, betrayal, revenge, and, ultimately, redemption.

Houston Grand Opera expands its commitment to broadening the audience for opera with a 2017-18 season that includes the first presentations of Leonard Bernstein's classic musical West Side Story by a major American opera house and the world premiere of composer Ricky Ian Gordon and librettist Royce Vavrek's holiday opera The House without a Christmas Tree. HGO will present its first performances in a quarter century of two iconic works: Richard Strauss's revenge-filled Elektra with virtuoso sopranoChristine Goerke in the tempestuous title role and 2016 Richard Tucker Award-winner and HGO Studio alumna Tamara Wilson in her role debut as Chrysothemis, under the baton of HGO Artistic and Music Director Patrick Summers; and Bellini's grand-scale tragedy Norma showcasing the debut of stellar dramatic soprano Liudmyla Monastyrska in the notoriously difficult title role, with 2015 Tucker winner and HGO Studio alumna Jamie Barton as Adalgisa.

Lyric's world premiere production of the opera Bel Canto - recorded in Chicago last January - will air nationally on Great Performances Today, January 13 at 9pm CST on PBS (Check local listings). B

OPERA America, the national service organization for opera and the nation's leading champion for American opera, announces the details for the New Opera Showcase, taking place today, January 13 at 8:00 p.m. at historic Town Hall in the heart of New York City's Times Square.

The world premiere production of Bel Canto the Opera - recorded in Chicago last January - airs on Great Performances Today, January 13 at 9 p.m. on PBS.

OPERA America, the national service organization for opera and the nation's leading champion for American opera, announces the details for the New Opera Showcase, taking place on Friday, January 13 at 8:00 p.m. at historic Town Hall in the heart of New York City's Times Square.

The world premiere production of Bel Canto the Opera - recorded in Chicago last January - airs on Great Performances Friday, January 13 at 9 p.m. on PBS.

Beth Morrison Projects and HERE's fifth annual PROTOTYPE: Opera/Theatre/Now festival begins this week, running January 5-15!

Lyric's world premiere production of the opera Bel Canto - recorded in Chicago last January - will air nationally on Great Performances Friday, January 13 at 9pm CST on PBS (Check local listings). B

Lyric Opera of Chicago presents Bellini's riveting bel canto masterpiece Norma in a new-to-Chicago production. Vocal pyrotechnics and sumptuous music brilliantly tell the tale of forbidden passion, betrayal, revenge, and, ultimately, redemption.

Works & Process at the Guggenheim has announced its spring 2017 season.