Michael M. Kaiser News

As previously announced, The Kennedy Center's all-new, critically-acclaimed production of James Goldman and Stephen Sondheim's FOLLIES will transfer to Broadway this summer. FOLLIES will play a limited engagement at the Marquis Theatre, with performances beginning on August 7. It has just been announced that from the Kennedy Center all-star production, Bernadette Peters, Jan Maxwell, Danny Burstein and Ron Raines will be transferring with the production. Other members of the Broadway company will be announced shortly.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has chosen Sarasota, Florida as the sixth partner city for Any Given Child, a program that creates a long-range arts education plan for students in grades K-8.

Washington National Opera (WNO) today announced that American director Francesca Zambello has been appointed the company's Artistic Advisor. Simultaneously, Chief Operating Officer Michael L. Mael has been named Executive Director. With these appointments, WNO enters into its affiliation with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (effective July 1, 2011) with a complete roster of artistic and administrative executives.

On Sunday, April 3, 2011 at 8:30 p.m. in the Kennedy Center Opera House, the Kennedy Center will present its 19th annual Kennedy Center Spring Gala. Titled Michael Kaiser at the Kennedy Center: A Celebration of Ten Years, the event will be hosted by Smokey Robinson and will feature a selection of performers who have worked with Kaiser over the years, including Joshua Bell, Barbara Cook, Renée Fleming, Audra McDonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Marcelo Gomes and Paloma Herrera of American Ballet Theatre, members of New York City Ballet, and the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Music Director Christoph Eschenbach. The evening will be co-chaired by Adrienne Arsht, Betsy DeVos, Alma Gildenhorn, Helen Henderson, Ann Jordan, Alma Powell, Catherine B. Reynolds, and Vicki Sant.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts today announced the 2011-2012 seasons for the Kennedy Center, National Symphony Orchestra and Washington National Opera. In wide-ranging programming that covers theater, dance, classical music, jazz, and productions for young people, the Kennedy Center continues its commitment, as the nation's center for the performing arts, to producing and presenting the best of national and international arts.

Avi Scher & Dancers presents its second New York Season, including the World Premieres of Mirrors and DreamScapes, from April 23-25, 2011 at The Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theater, 405 W. 55th Street, NYC (at Ninth Avenue).

On Sunday, April 3, 2011 at 8:30 p.m. in the Kennedy Center Opera House, the Kennedy Center will present its 19th annual Kennedy Center Spring Gala. Titled Michael Kaiser at the Kennedy Center: A Celebration of Ten Years, the event will be hosted by Smokey Robinson and will feature a selection of performers who have worked with Kaiser over the years, including Joshua Bell, Barbara Cook, Renée Fleming, Audra McDonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Marcelo Gomes and Paloma Herrera of American Ballet Theatre, members of New York City Ballet, and the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Music Director Christoph Eschenbach. The evening will be co-chaired by Adrienne Arsht, Betsy DeVos, Alma Gildenhorn, Helen Henderson, Ann Jordan, Alma Powell, Catherine B. Reynolds, and Vicki Sant.

Avi Scher & Dancers presents its second New York Season, including the World Premieres of Mirrors and DreamScapes, from April 23-25, 2011 at The Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theater, 405 W. 55th Street, NYC (at Ninth Avenue).

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has chosen Las Vegas as the fourth partner city for Any Given Child, a program that creates a long-range arts education plan for students in grades K-8.

Washington National Opera (WNO) and The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts today announced that Philippe Auguin will become Music Director of Washington National Opera as well as the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra.

Washington National Opera (WNO) and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts have announced the retirement of Music Director Heinz Fricke. The announcement marks the conclusion of the German maestro's remarkable 18-year tenure leading the Washington National Opera Orchestra and the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra, which cooperatively share a corps of 61 professional musicians. In recognition of Maestro Fricke's contributions and the pivotal role he played in the musical development of the groups, Maestro Fricke will hold the honorific title of Music Director Emeritus of both the Washington National Opera and Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestras.

Those who assume a photographer has to be able to see, a dancer has to be able to walk, or a percussionist has to be able to hear are about to have their preconceptions challenged. VSA, the international organization on arts and disability, is hosting an unprecedented event featuring more than 600 artists, performers, and educators from all over the world: The 2010 International VSA Festival, which will take over Washington, D.C., from June 6-12.

Those who assume a photographer has to be able to see, a dancer has to be able to walk, or a percussionist has to be able to hear are about to have their preconceptions challenged. VSA, the international organization on arts and disability, is hosting an unprecedented event featuring more than 600 artists, performers, and educators from all over the world: The 2010 International VSA Festival, which will take over Washington, D.C., from June 6-12.

The Literature to Life® program of The American Place Theatre will honor Greg Mortenson, the author and humanitarian, with its 2010 Literature to Life Award and a live performance of an excerpt of Mortenson's book, 'Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace...One School at a Time,' at a gala May 18 at The Time Center, 242 West 41st Street. The event will benefit the American Place Theatre's arts and literacy outreach in schools across America. Mortenson will address the gala and see his NY Times bestseller performed for the first time.

The Literature to Life® program of The American Place Theatre will honor Greg Mortenson, the author and humanitarian, with its 2010 Literature to Life Award and a live performance of an excerpt of Mortenson's book, 'Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace...One School at a Time,' at a gala May 18 at The Time Center, 242 West 41st Street. The event will benefit the American Place Theatre's arts and literacy outreach in schools across America. Mortenson will address the gala and see his NY Times bestseller performed for the first time.

The Kennedy Center will end its production of Terrence McNally's The Lisbon Traviata on April 11th. The play starred Malcolm Gets as Stephen, John Glover as Mendy, and Chris Hartl as Paul.

Those who assume a photographer has to be able to see, a dancer has to be able to walk, or a percussionist has to be able to hear are about to have their preconceptions challenged. VSA, the international organization on arts and disability, is hosting an unprecedented event featuring more than 600 artists, performers, and educators from all over the world: The 2010 International VSA Festival, which will take over Washington, D.C., from June 6-12.

The Kennedy Center today announced additional casting for Terrence McNally's Master Class. Joining the previously announced Tyne Daly as Maria Callas is Jeremy Cohen as Manny, Laquita Mitchell as Second Soprano (Sharon), Ta'u Pupu'a as Tenor (Tony), and Alexandra Silber as First Soprano (Sophie).

The Kennedy Center today announced casting for Terrence McNally's The Lisbon Traviata. The play will star Malcolm Gets as Stephen, John Glover as Mendy, and Chris Hartl as Paul and will run March 20 to April 11, 2010 in the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater.

McCarter Theatre Center, along with New Jersey State Council on the Arts, ArtPride New Jersey, Lewis Center for the Arts at Princeton University, The Arts Council of Princeton and New Jersey Theatre Alliance, will host a discussion with Kennedy Center President Michael M. Kaiser on Wednesday, March 17 at 10:00 a.m. A meet and greet will take place in the lobby beginning 9:00 a.m. To attend this event, which is free and open to the public, please register by calling the McCarter Theatre Ticket Office at (609) 258-2787.