New York City Opera News

YALE REPERTORY THEATRE (James Bundy, Artistic Director; Victoria Nolan, Managing Director) presents PASSION PLAY by Pulitzer Prize nominee and MacArthur Foundation Fellowship recipient Sarah Ruhl, directed by OBIE Award-winner Mark Wing-Davey at the University Theatre (222 York Street, New Haven), September 19-October 11 only. Opening Night is Thursday, September 25

'We are thrilled to announce the return of Boublil and Schönberg's LES MISERABLES in an exciting new Theater of the Stars production from September 19 through 28 at the Fabulous Fox Theatre,' states Christopher B. Manos, Producer of Theater of the Stars. 'Tickets are on sale now at all Ticketmaster locations, by calling 404-817-8700 and www.ticketmaster.com.

In Transit, the third and final show in the New2NY series, which presents staged concerts of musicals in their NYC premieres, at the award winning York Theatre Company (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director) runs at the York Theatre August 8-10.

GHOSTLIGHT RECORDS, a division of Sh-K-Boom Records, is partnering with Warner Jazz for the worldwide release of the new CD from acclaimed singer, actress, comedian and author LEA DELARIA.

Today it was announced that GUYS AND DOLLS will open on Broadway for the first time in 17 years in the spring of 2009 at a Nederlander Theatre to be announced. With music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows, this production is the first joint Broadway project by director Des McAnuff and Sergio Trujillo since Jersey Boys.

On Tuesday, July 15, during its Annual Meeting at McCaw Hall, Seattle Opera General Director Speight Jenkins announced that the company's Artist of the Year awards went to tenor Lawrence Brownlee, who performed the role of Arturo in Seattle Opera's production of Bellini's I Puritani in May 2008, and to Thomas Lynch, set designer for Seattle Opera's production of Wagner's Flying Dutchman in August 2007 and Seattle Opera's co-production with the Metropolitan Opera of Gluck's Iphigenia in Tauris in October 2007.

The full cast of the Broadway production of Billy Elliot the Musical has been announced by Universal Pictures Stage Productions, Working Title Films and Old Vic Productions in association with Weinstein Live Entertainment.

New York City Ballet and New York City Opera today announced that their companies' shared home at Lincoln Center will be renamed the David H. Koch Theater, in honor of Mr. Koch's $100 million lead gift to the Ballet and Opera's joint capital campaign for the New York State Theater.

New York City Opera General Manager-Designate Gerard Mortier is very pleased to announce that Maestro George Manahan has renewed his contract as Music Director of the New York City Opera through 2012.

A new study indicates that The Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD series, which more than 920,000 people attended worldwide this past season, is attracting newcomers to opera, as well as increasing interest in attending live opera performances.

Tony Award winners Joan Allen and Jeremy Irons will return to Broadway to star together in the world premiere of Impressionism, a new American play by Michael Jacobs. The production, which will be directed by Tony Award-winner Jack O'Brien, will come to Broadway in Spring, 2009.

Recent reports are stating that New York City Opera has commissioned composer Charles Wuorinen to write an opera adaptation of the popular film Brokeback Mountain.

Transport Group, the winner of 2007 Drama Desk and Obie awards, will offer the Diva Master Classes, its second series of master classes taught by some of the biggest divas in Broadway musicals.

New York City Opera will present a series of concerts, showcases, discussions, screenings, and master classes in 2008-09, designed to bring the company's unique brand of music-making and cultural conversation to all five boroughs of New York City while renovations take place at its home, the New York State Theater.

Casting has been announced for VANITIES, A New Musical by Jack Heifner, with music and lyrics by David Kirshenbaum, directed by two-time Tony Award-winner Judith Ivey. Starring Lauren Kennedy (Spamalot, Side Show) as Mary, Sarah Stiles (Avenue Q, …Spelling Bee) as Joanne and Anneliese van der Pol (Beauty and the Beast, TV's 'That's So Raven') as Kathy, VANITIES will open on Broadway in the Fall of 2008 at a theatre to be announced.

The Guthrie today unveiled a mix of familiar faces and rising stars as it announced casting for the world premiere production of the new musical 'Little House on the Prairie', directed by Francesca Zambello.

The Dicapo Children's Chorus performs two concerts and a fully staged music revue each season. Under the supervision of Director Diane Martindale, the children, who come from public and private schools in the greater New York area, are exposed to a rich and varied musical curriculum as well as an authentic theatre environment.

'Two Steps Forward--One Look Back'--performed on Wednesday May 14 at 9:45pm at the Metropolitan Room--is a revue of folk, country, bluesy/jazzy pop, nouveau swing and singer-songwriter music of the 1950s-1980s. It is the cabaret debut of operatic singer Kathryn Allyn.

Arena Stage presents Charles Ludlam's comic masterpiece The Mystery of Irma Vep. This clever, quick-change marathon ransacks literary, cinematic and pop culture as it satirizes everything from Hitchcock's Rebecca and classic horror film The Mummy's Curse to Wuthering Heights and Shakespeare. Arena Stage is excited to welcome back Brad Oscar (Broadway's Spamalot and The Producers, Arena's Cabaret and Damn Yankees) and J. Fred Shiffman (The Arthur Miller Festival, She Loves Me, Cabaret) as they portray all of the characters--men, women and monsters--in this gender-bending 'tour de force.' The Mystery of Irma Vep runs June 6 - July 13 at Arena Stage in Crystal City. The press opening performance is Thursday, June 12 at 8:00 p.m.

Pamela Armstrong will star in Opera Pacific's production of 'Susannah.'