Peter Sellars News

The French Institute Alliance Francaise (FIAF), New York's premiere French cultural center, today announces the full program for Crossing the Line 2012, the sixth annual edition of its highly acclaimed fall festival presenting interdisciplinary works and performances by artists from around the world. Crossing the Line takes place this year from September 14-October 14 in venues throughout New York City. Nespresso is the Presenting Sponsor of Crossing the Line 2012. Tickets go on sale August 1.

The Canadian Opera Company has closed another successful opera season with 2011/2012 recording an average attendance of 91%. A total of 125,238 patrons attended the 67 performances of the company's seven mainstage productions in the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts: Gluck's Iphigenia in Tauris, Verdi's Rigoletto, Puccini's Tosca, Saariaho's Love from Afar, Offenbach's The Tales of Hoffmann, the double bill of Zemlinsky's A Florentine Tragedy and Puccini's Gianni Schicchi, and Handel's Semele.

Actor/singer Douglas Sills began his Broadway career in the 90s essaying the role of infamous Sir Percy in Frank Wildhorn's musical of The Scarlet Pimpernel for which he won critical acclaim and a Tony Award nomination. Since then, he has been in, among many others, the revival of Little Shop of Horrors, Into the Woods, The Secret Garden, all on Broadway, as well as the rarely seen concert of the 1930s Jerome Kern/Oscar Hammerstein Music in the Air with Kristin Chenoweth and a slew of musical roles in LA including Mack Sennett in Reprise's Mack and Mabel and Ravenal in the Hollywood Bowl's production of Showboat. He has just started the tour of The Addams Family starring as Gomez and will open at the Pantages Theatre on June 5. In our chat, he talks at length about playing Gomez, the changes since New York in the road version of Addams Family and chooses some of his favorite all-time roles.

Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic give the world premiere of LA Phil Creative Chair John Adams' LA Phil-commissioned The Gospel According to the Other Mary, Thursday and Friday, May 31 and June 1, at 8 pm, and Saturday and Sunday, June 2 and 3, at 2 pm, at Walt Disney Concert Hall. The latest of Adams' large-scale works is a full-evening oratorio and features the Los Angeles Master Chorale and six soloists: mezzo-soprano Kelley O'Connor, contralto Tamara Mumford, tenor Russell Thomas and countertenors Daniel Bubeck, Brian Cummings and Nathan Medley.

Bristol Riverside Theatre concludes its 25th Anniversary Season with the Broadway mega-hit Rent by Jonathan Larsonplaying at Bristol Riverside Theatre now through June 3. Directed by Jose Zayas, the cast features Julian Alvarez, Mark Willis Borum, Tracie Franklin, James LaRosa, Meera Mohan, Brendan Norton, Tyrone Roberson, Jamila Sabares-Klemm, Tara Tagliaferro, Brit West, and Nadine Zahr with local actors Michael Hogan, Joseph Michael O'Brien, and Carl Nathaniel Smith. Check out a video reel with footage from the production set to its best known song, 'Seasons of Love' below!

California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) President Steven D. Lavine has announced that world-renowned opera, theater and film director Peter Sellars will be the 2012 recipient of CalArts' honorary Doctor of Arts degree. CalArts will celebrate Sellars' originality, creativity and unflagging commitment to the social good at its graduation ceremony today, May 18 beginning at 6 p.m. At the ceremony, the honorary degree recipient will share his reflections on life and art with the CalArts class of 2012.

California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) President Steven D. Lavine has announced that world-renowned opera, theater and film director Peter Sellars will be the 2012 recipient of CalArts' honorary Doctor of Arts degree. CalArts will celebrate Sellars' originality, creativity and unflagging commitment to the social good at its graduation ceremony on Friday, May 18 beginning at 6 p.m. At the ceremony, the honorary degree recipient will share his reflections on life and art with the CalArts class of 2012.

Music Director Robert Spano will lead the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in the Atlanta Symphony premiere and Theater of a Concert presentation of John Adams's A Flowering Tree June 7 and 9, 2012, at 8:00 p.m. in Atlanta Symphony Hall at the Woodruff Arts Center.

Today, April 29, the seventh annual Opera News Awards will be presented at a gala celebration in the Grand Ballroom of The Plaza in New York City, paying tribute to five extraordinary artists who have made an invaluable contribution to the art form: sopranos Karita Mattila and Anja Silja, baritones Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Peter Mattei, and director Peter Sellars. Acclaimed mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe, who sings Fricka in the Metropolitan Opera's new production of Wagner's Ring, will host the awards. Among the special guests for this year's festivities are conductor James Conlon (a 2005 Opera News Award-winner), who will present the award to Ms. Silja; legendary baritone (and 2008 Opera News Award-winner) Sherrill Milnes, who will present the award to Mr. Hvorostovsky; bass-baritone Eric Owens, another star of the Met's Ring, who will present to Mr. Sellars; Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho, who will present to Ms. Mattila; and soprano Deborah Voigt, a 2007 Opera News Award-winner and the Met's current Brunnhilde, who will present the award to Mr. Mattei. The guest list will also include Her Royal Highness Princess Madeleine of Sweden, who will attend to watch her countryman, Peter Mattei, be honored. Her Excellency, Ambassador Ritva Jolkkonen, Consul General of Finland in New York, will also be a guest at the festivities, honoring Ms. Mattila.

Chicago Opera Theater (COT) continues their 2012 Season, and General Director Brian Dickie's last season with the company, with Handel's Teseo. Performances are April 21, 27, 29, and May 2 at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Millennium Park.

The Joyce Theater ends its New York premiere of Last Touch First, an evening-length work created by Ji?í Kylián and Michael Schumacher, tonight, April 15.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic and Classical KUSC in partnership with WFMT Radio Network, have confirmed 150 markets nationwide will carry the annual radio broadcast concert series (a number that will grow throughout the coming year). The 2011 series was broadcast in 193 markets and reached over 2.6 million listeners.

On Sunday, April 29, the seventh annual Opera News Awards will be presented at a gala celebration in the Grand Ballroom of The Plaza in New York City, paying tribute to five extraordinary artists who have made an invaluable contribution to the art form: sopranos Karita Mattila and Anja Silja, baritones Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Peter Mattei, and director Peter Sellars. Acclaimed mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe, who sings Fricka in the Metropolitan Opera's new production of Wagner's Ring, will host the awards. Among the special guests for this year's festivities are conductor James Conlon (a 2005 Opera News Award-winner), who will present the award to Ms. Silja; legendary baritone (and 2008 Opera News Award-winner) Sherrill Milnes, who will present the award to Mr. Hvorostovsky; bass-baritone Eric Owens, another star of the Met's Ring, who will present to Mr. Sellars; Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho, who will present to Ms. Mattila; and soprano Deborah Voigt, a 2007 Opera News Award-winner and the Met's current Brunnhilde, who will present the award to Mr. Mattei. The guest list will also include Her Royal Highness Princess Madeleine of Sweden, who will attend to watch her countryman, Peter Mattei, be honored. Her Excellency, Ambassador Ritva Jolkkonen, Consul General of Finland in New York, will also be a guest at the festivities, honoring Ms. Mattila.

The Joyce Theater will present the New York premiere of Last Touch First, an evening-length work created by Ji?i Kylian and Michael Schumacher, for a week-long engagement from April 10 - 15.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic and Classical KUSC continue their annual radio broadcast partnership, which now reaches close to one million listeners. The 14 concerts, recorded during the LA Phil's 2011/12 season, feature the orchestra with an impressive roster of guest artists and conductors. The first broadcast presents Mendelssohn's Hebrides Overture, Violin Concerto and Symphony No. 3, "Scottish" featuring LA Phil Music Director Gustavo Dudamel and violinist Janine Jansen, and airs locally on KUSC-FM 91.5 Los Angeles, Sunday, April 1, 2012, at 4 PM.

Catalyst Collaborative@MIT, a science-theater collaboration between Underground Railway Theater and MIT, presents the World Premiere of Yesterday Happened: Remembering H.M., written and directed by Wesley Savick, running April 12 through May 13, 2012

Bristol Riverside Theatre concludes its 25th Anniversary Season with the Broadway mega-hit Rent by Jonathan Larsonplaying at Bristol Riverside Theatre on May 8-June 3. Directed by Jose Zayas, the cast features Julian Alvarez, Mark Willis Borum, Tracie Franklin, James LaRosa, Meera Mohan, Brendan Norton, Tyrone Roberson, Jamila Sabares-Klemm, Tara Tagliaferro, Brit West, and Nadine Zahr with local actors Michael Hogan, Joseph Michael O'Brien, and Carl Nathaniel Smith.