McDonald News

Gianandrea Noseda will lead the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) in their first Carnegie Hall concert together on Sunday, May 19, 2019 at 2:00 p.m. This performance in Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage marks the Orchestra's first performance in six years at the Hall.

The 36th season of the Verdi Chorus continues with the Walter Fox Singers in Love is Timeless for one night only at the First United Methodist Church in Santa Monica on May 4, at 7:30pm.  Led by Founding Artistic Director Anne Marie Ketchum, the Walter Fox Singers comprise the professional ensemble of the Verdi Chorus, which is the only choral group in Southern California that focuses primarily on the dramatic and diverse music for opera chorus. This program, devoted to the timeless nature of love in all of its intricacies, will feature best loved arias, duets and emsembles from the world of opera, as well as favorite songs from the canon of mid-century American musical theater

The Drama League has announced, today, that Shoshana Bean and Jeremy Jordan, who both currently star in Waitress, will announce the 2019 Drama League Awards Nominees for Outstanding Production of a Play, Outstanding Production of a Musical, Outstanding Revival of a Play, Outstanding Revival of a Musical, and the much-coveted Distinguished Performance Award.

Charlie Cunningham - the English songwriter known for his goosebump-inducing vocals, lyrics that cut to the bone, and effortless command of his nylon-stringed guitar - has announced 'Permanent Way,' his second album and first for BMG out June 7th.

The McCallum Theatre announced today its new lineup for the 2019-2020 season, continuing to present the finest world-class artists and entertainers for Coachella Valley audiences.  The new season includes McCallum debuts, returning favorites, iconic superstars, family-friendly entertainment and holiday cheer, among so much more. A CHRISTMAS STORY, WAITRESS and THE PLAY THAT GOES WORING are among the many Broadway offerings in what looks to be the most stellar season in McCallum history.

After a groundbreaking inaugural year, BroadwayEvolved returns in 2019 with two Summer Intensives and College Prep. With just a few spots remaining, Betsy Wolfe, Co-Founder, shares her reflections on 2018 and why she just knew there had to be a second year.

Rodgers & Hammerstein's Oklahoma! opened last night, April 7, at Broadway's Circle in the Square Theatre. It will play a limited engagement through Sunday, September 1, 2019.

Today, Luther Burbank Center for the Arts (LBC) announced the first 11 new shows to be added to its 2019 2020 season, continuing its tradition of showcasing a diverse lineup of chart-topping musicians, compelling dance companies, and groundbreaking storytellers. Tickets for all shows go on-sale to LBC members today, Friday, April 5 at 12 p.m., and to the general public on Friday, April 26 at 12 p.m. Tickets are available online at lutherburbankcenter.org, by calling 707-546-3600, or at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts ticket office (50 Mark West Springs Road in Santa Rosa), open Tuesdays through Sundays from noon to 6 p.m.

On Wednesday, May 8 (7 pm), the five 2019 Fellows in Kaufman Music Center's Luna Composition Lab mentorship program for young, female-identifying, non-binary and gender non-conforming composers will premiere their commissions at Merkin Hall. As part of Kaufman Music Center's multi-year Solar Flare series, the program also includes Shelley Washington's A Kind of Lung, Mary Halvorson's Spirit Splitter and music by Alex Temple. Tickets are $15, available at kaufmanmusiccenter.org. The concert will also be live-streamed via Kaufman Music Center's Facebook page.

Hot Chip will release their electrifying seventh album, A Bath Full of Ecstasy, on June 21st. Their third album for Domino, A Bath Full of Ecstasy is the group's definitive release, crystallising the sound they've become celebrated for – bridging euphoria and melancholy with colourful melodies, idiosyncratic vocalisations and pounding electronic pop rhythms.

Academy Award-winning actress Lupita Nyong'o has signed on to narrate the anticipated series from award-winning creator and producer Simon Fuller and directed by Emmy(R) winning director and producer John Downer, SERENGETI. With unrivaled access to one of the most pristine and unspoiled corners of the African plains, this innovative six-part series tells the heartwarming stories of a cast of African wildlife over the course of a year that showcase the dramatic moments that make each day of survival on the Serengeti a feat. Nyong'o will narrate the series for Discovery Channel in the U.S.

Bay Street Theater is pleased to announce the cast and creative team for the first show of the 2019 Mainstage Season. The World Premiere of THE PROMPTER (May 28- June 16) a new comedy by Wade Dooley; will be directed by Scott Schwartz, Bay Street Theater's Artistic Director.

Award-winning British actor John Boyega will narrate the upcoming dramatised natural history series Serengeti, an XIX Entertainment and John Downer Production for BBC One, Discovery Channel and BBC Studios Distribution.

The Center for the Arts at George Mason University announced today the 2019/2020 season of Great Performances at Mason, its annual series featuring leading national and international artists in the disciplines of classical music, opera, jazz, ballet, modern dance, theater, and global music and dance. The Center also announced the return of the Family Series, offering its second season of affordable programming for young audiences.

Producer Mark Cortale has announced that two time Emmy Award winner Sarah Silverman will join Sirius XM Star Seth Rudetsky for two special music and comedy evenings in California.

From the nightmare depths Cursed Earth return, faceless and fuelled by hate. Their forthcoming mixtape The Deathbed Sessions features guest appearances from Larissa Stupar (Venom Prison), Matt Honeycutt (Kublai Khan), Joel Birch (The Amity Affliction), Booka Nile & Sean Harmanis (Make Them Suffer), Nick Adams (Justice For The Damned), Mark Poida (Aversions Crown) and Jack McDonald (Cast Down), and today the band release the opening track and video 'Fear.'

OFF!, the punk supergroup comprised of Keith Morris (ex-Black Flag, Circle Jerks), Steven McDonald (Melvins, Redd Kross), Mario Rubalcaba(Earthless, Hot Snakes), and Dimitri Coats (ex-Burning Brides), have launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise the final funds they require to complete Watermelon:The Movie, the feature film the band began work on in late 2016. Supporters can pledge via the Kickstarter campaign for rewards such as limited edition merch (including a never before used Raymond Pettibondesign) and being in the film itself (the final scene is a concert that fans can pledge to be in the audience for).

Northwestern University's Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts announced today (April 2) that tickets are available online for a new musical based on the life and imagination of Hans Christian Andersen. The announcement comes on Andersen's birthday celebrated worldwide as International Children's Book Day.

Theatre Lab at Florida Atlantic University recently opened yet another World Premiere in its on-campus theatre at Parliament Hall. Jennifer Lane's Harlowe is a poetic piece of theatre that tugs at the heartstrings with its themes relating to loss and letting go.

Harlowe may be a play about listening to the sounds of silence, but it speaks loudly about the grieving process and how it affects people in different ways. By watching this play, one can learn how to truly listen in the thick, muted quiet of water.