Michael Black News

New York Theatre Workshop announced today that Ato Blankson-Wood (Slave Play) will complete the cast of NYTW's special one-night-only reading of A Number

New York Theatre Workshop (NYTW) has announced that they will present a special one-night-only reading of A Number, by NYTW Usual Suspect and five-time Obie Award winner Caryl Churchill (Love and Information; A Number), directed by NYTW Usual Suspect and Tony Award winner Sam Gold (Fun Home, Othello) and featuring Daniel Craig (Othello, Spectre). The reading will benefit NYTW's Artist Workshop and Education programming and will take place at New York Theatre Workshop (79 East 4th Street) Sunday, March 10, 2019 at 7pm.

Lyric Opera of Chicago's fever-dream staging of Arin Arbus's production of Giuseppe Verdi's perennially popular La traviata opens Saturday, February 16 at 7:30pm, with ten performances through March 22 at the Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Dr., Chicago. Tickets start at $39 and are available now at lyricopera.org/Traviata or by calling 312-827-5600.

With plot twists worthy of Shakespeare, the love between Princess Ginevra and the noble Ariodante is threatened by the machinations of Polinesso, who lusts after the princess and will stop at nothing to sabotage the royal wedding.

Violetta Valry is a courtesan who can have everything she desires except lasting happiness. Love is found, lost, and reclaimed too late in Verdi's most cherished opera.

Lyric Opera of Chicago kicks off 2019 with two acclaimed productions: the return of the new production of Puccini's captivating and tragic love story La boheme, and the Midwest premiere of a beloved production of Massenet's Cendrillon, based on the Cinderella story. La boheme is a quintessentially Italian opera and the plot is forever youthful and eternally fresh. Cendrillon features an enchanting blend of wit, sensitivity, and elegance against the backdrop of a familiar storybook kingdom.

The Lyric Opera of Chicago premiere of Jules Massenet's charming fairytale opera Cendrillon (Cinderella) opens Saturday, December 1 at 7:30pm. There are six performances Dec. 1 through Jan. 20 at the Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Dr., Chicago. Tickets start at $49 for adults and just $20 for children, and are available now at lyricopera.org/Cendrillon or at 312-827-5600.

The Lyric Opera of Chicago premiere of Jules Massenet's charming fairytale opera Cendrillon (Cinderella) opens Saturday, December 1 at 7:30pm. There are six performances Dec. 1 through Jan. 20 at the Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Dr., Chicago. Tickets start at $49 for adults and just $20 for children, and are available now at lyricopera.org/Cendrillon or at 312-827-5600.

Lyric Opera of Chicago's production of Verdi's Il trovatoreopens Saturday, Nov. 17, at 7:30pm. There are seven performances November 17 - December 9  at the Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Dr., Chicago. Tickets start at $39 and are available now at lyricopera.org/Trovatore or at 312-827-5600.

Lion and tigers and bears, oh my! Main Street in Arlington is now paved with yellow bricks as kids and adults alike are following it to enjoy Theatre Arlington's production of The Magical City of Oz. This fun and whimsical adaptation of The Wizard of Oz, based on L. Frank Baum's book, was first written and staged by Steven D. Morris and Don Powers in 1984. At that time Morris was the theater's first Children's Theatre Director and was frustrated by the lack of entertaining scripts for children, so he set out to create his own with his friend, Don Powers, who composed all the new music. This charming retelling has all of the familiar, loveable characters portrayed by adult actors, but throws in a few new ones along the way, as they attempt to find their way to the mysterious and magical city of Oz. What differs a bit in this version is the participation by the children in the audience! No matter the version or the year, this timeless message still rings true - no matter how we far we travel there is simply no place like home.

Lyric Opera of Chicago's new coproduction of Puccini's La boheme opens the company's 64th season tomorrow -- Saturday, October 6, at 6:30pm. There are five performances through October 20 and six additional performance Jan. 10-25 at the Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive, Chicago. Tickets start at $49 and are available now at  lyricopera.org/Boheme or at 312-827-5600.

Lyric Opera of Chicago's new production of Gounod's Faust is inspired by the works of multimedia artist John Frame (theatrical debut). Find out what happens when a deal with the devil goes awry. Lyric's new Faust is conducted by Emmanuel Villaume and directed by Kevin Newbury.

Lyric Opera of Chicago's new production of Gounod's Faust is inspired by the works of multimedia artist John Frame (theatrical debut). Find out what happens when a deal with the devil goes awry. Lyric's new Faust is conducted by Emmanuel Villaume and directed by Kevin Newbury. 

Lyric Opera of Chicago presents Bellini's classic I Puritani. Similar to Romeo and Juliet but with a happy ending, this bel-canto gem features the high-flying, thrilling vocals that give bel-canto singing its name.

From the composer of Carmen, Lyric Opera of Chicago presents Bizet's The Pearl Fishers. Characterized by tropically hued costumes and colorful sets, this new-to-Chicago production promises high drama and gorgeous music conducted by Sir Andrew Davis and directed by Andrew Sinclair.

New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) hosts an evening of outrageous, contemporary stand-up with some of the funniest new performers on the scene: BET star Gary Owen (House of Payne, Think Like a Man), Michael Blackson (Next Today) and Smokey Suarez (Paper Soldiers).

An icy princess is terrified of love. A mysterious prince solves three riddles and melts her heart while breaking another's. Love triumphs, but it's complicated. Starring Amber Wagner, Stefano La Colla, Maria Agresta/Janai Brugger

The Pearl Fishers is coming to the Lyric Opera of Chicago, November 19 - December 10.

Lyric Opera of Chicago presents the harrowing story of a protective father, a lovestruck daughter, a predatory duke, and the terrible consequences of a curse in Verdi's Rigoletto. The new-to-Chicago production stars two world-renowned Ryan Opera Center alumni, Quinn Kelsey and Matthew Polenzani, in the opposing roles of the jester and the duke; and Italian soprano Rosa Feola (familiar to CSO audiences) in her Lyric debut as Gilda.