Neville News

Gary Naylor enjoys a revival of an Ayckbourn Christmas play rather more than he did the first time he saw it.

Two distinguished American pianists-Ursula Oppens and Robert Levin-will team up to perform selections of piano works by the celebrated British-American composer Bernard Rands this evening, December 5th at 7:30 p.m. at the Leonard Nimoy Thalia at Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway, New York, NY.

The Bahamas International Film Festival (BIFF), celebrating its 10th anniversary and taking place today, December 5th - 13th, continues to focus on educating and inspiring the next generation of filmmakers through its signature Youth Film Workshop. This year, the program partnered with five local Bahamian private and public schools throughout Nassau and Eleuthera and integrated the workshops directly into classrooms. The Festival will screen the winning films and clips from the program today, December 5th - 8th in Nassau and December 9th - 13th in Eleuthera.

Bergen Performance Arts Center in Englewood, New Jersey presents Martin Sexton on Saturday, January 11, 2014 8PM.

Billy Porter, this year's Tony Award-winner for Best Actor in a Musical, has extended his contract in Kinky Boots, producers Daryl Roth and Hal Luftig announced today; Porter will remain with the show at least through July 2014. They also announced that Natalie Joy Johnson (Legally Blonde) will join the cast of the smash hit musical, taking over for Tory Ross on December 23, 2013.

After previous productions of Ayckbourn's Absent Friends and Joking Apart, The Union Theatre presents Season's Greetings this Christmas after their sell out production of HMS Pinafore. The production is directed by Michael Strassen whose previous productions include the critically acclaimed Billy, The Fix and the award winning Assassins.

A slew of Broadway favorites will return to Broadway in the upcoming theatre season, including Andy Karl, who will star as 'Rocky Balboa' in Rocky (set to open at the Winter Garden Theatre on March 13, 2014).

Created by David Simon (HBO's 'The Wire,' 'Generation Kill' and 'The Corner') and Eric Overmyer ('St. Elsewhere,' 'Homicide: Life on the Street' and HBO's 'The Wire'), the Peabody Award-winning drama series TREME returns for its five-episode conclusion SUNDAY, DEC. 1

The 2013 theatre season brought some truly extraordinary productions, including Kinky Boots, which is still playing at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre. The musical earned 13 Tony nominations, taking home six awards- including Best Musical.

Music Director Alan Gilbert will conduct the New York Philharmonic in a program of Mozart's three final symphonies - Nos. 39, 40, and 41, Jupiter - tonight, November 29, 2013, at 8:00 p.m. and Saturday, November 30 at 8:00 p.m. Classical 105.9 FM WQXR in New York will broadcast the November 30 concert live at 8:00 p.m. as part of a month-long festival on the music and life of Mozart.

Three years ago, The National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA), India's premiere arts and culture institution, rejuvenated the theatre scenario in Mumbai by introducing its first-ever, major, multi-lingual annual theatre festival of premiering plays - Centrestage. The festival aimed to create a platform for new/different works and encourage the birth of new groups.

Steve Tyrell brings his newest show, Wordsmiths to Cafe Carlyle, now through December 31. Check out photos from his opening night below!

The Adelaide Repertory Theatre Society, who operate at their own ARTS Theatre, are ending their year on a light, fun note with a melodrama last performed in Adelaide in 1988, The Mystery of the Hansom Cab.

The Bahamas International Film Festival (BIFF), celebrating its 10th anniversary and taking place December 5th – 13th, continues to focus on educating and inspiring the next generation of filmmakers through its signature Youth Film Workshop. This year, the program partnered with five local Bahamian private and public schools throughout Nassau and Eleuthera and integrated the workshops directly into classrooms. The Festival will screen the winning films and clips from the program December 5th – 8th in Nassau and December 9th – 13th in Eleuthera. The announcement was made by BIFF Founder and Executive Director, Leslie Vanderpool.

'Pennsylvania's Amazon Princess Railroad' (published by AuthorHouse) was first conceived by Neville B. Craig after an expedition to the Amazon River Complex - the first all-American expedition to South America. The book was first published in 1907 and now is being rereleased to a new generation of Americans by William Lawrence Adams. The book, in essence, looks at the railroad project that was started because of the visit from Emperor Dom Pedro II to North America, and how it was supposed to help Bolivia gain access to the Atlantic Ocean trade routes of that day, but fell short because of European bond-holder fraud.

As always, Syfy will ring in 2014 with its annual New Year's Twilight Zone marathon beginning December 31 and concluding on New Year's Day.

Three years ago, The National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA), India's premiere arts and culture institution, rejuvenated the theatre scenario in Mumbai by introducing its first-ever, major, multi-lingual annual theatre festival of premiering plays - Centrestage. The festival aimed to create a platform for new/different works and encourage the birth of new groups.

In the New York Philharmonic's concerts this week celebrating the centennial of English composer, conductor, and pianist Benjamin Britten, conducted by Music Director Alan Gilbert, tenors Dominic Armstrong, Anthony Dean Griffey, and Michael Slattery will replace Paul Appleby, who has withdrawn due to illness. On November 21-22, 2013, Michael Slattery will make his Philharmonic debut in Britten's Serenade for Tenor, Horn, and Strings, and tenor Dominic Armstrong will make his Philharmonic debut in Britten's Spring Symphony. The concert on November 23 will feature tenor Anthony Dean Griffey in both works, and he will sing the Serenade on November 26 on a program that also includes Mozart's Symphonies Nos. 39 and 41, Jupiter.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum will take the stage at the Shakespeare Theatre Company this holiday season. Making his STC mainstage directing debut, STC Associate Director Alan Paul heads up the hilarious and fun musical farce based on the classic plays of ancient Roman playwright Plautus. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum will play at Sidney Harman Hall (610 F Street NW) from today, November 21, 2013-January 5, 2014.

Music Director Alan Gilbert will lead the New York Philharmonic in a celebration of the centennial of English composer, conductor, and pianist Benjamin Britten. The program will include Britten's Serenade for Tenor, Horn, and Strings, featuring tenor Paul Appleby and Philharmonic Principal Horn Philip Myers, and Britten's Spring Symphony, with soprano Kate Royal (in her Philharmonic debut), mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke (Philharmonic subscription debut), tenor Paul Appleby, New York Choral Artists directed by Joseph Flummerfelt, and Brooklyn Youth Chorus directed by Dianne Berkun-Menaker. The concerts, which include a performance on the composer's 100th birthday, November 22, will take place tonight, November 21, 2013, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, November 22 at 8:00 p.m.; and Saturday, November 23 at 8:00 p.m.