Ravinia Festival News

Christoph Eschenbach will conduct the New York Philharmonic in a program of music by German and Austrian composers from three centuries: the U.S. Premiere of Matthias Pintscher's towards Osiris, Berg's Violin Concerto with Pinchas Zukerman as soloist, and Brahms's Piano Quartet No. 1, arranged by Schoenberg, Thursday, March 18, 2010, at 7:30 p.m., Friday, March 19, at 2:00 p.m., and Saturday, March 20, at 8:00 p.m.

Christoph Eschenbach will conduct the New York Philharmonic in a program of music by German and Austrian composers from three centuries: the U.S. Premiere of Matthias Pintscher's towards Osiris, Berg's Violin Concerto with Pinchas Zukerman as soloist, and Brahms's Piano Quartet No. 1, arranged by Schoenberg, Thursday, March 18, 2010, at 7:30 p.m., Friday, March 19, at 2:00 p.m., and Saturday, March 20, at 8:00 p.m.

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. Liza Minnelli, 'Billy Elliot,' 'Ragtime,' Christine Ebersole, 'God Of Carnage,' 'It Takes A Village,' more.....

Timothy Nolen (Phantom, Cyrano), Lisa Vroman (Phantom, Les Misérables), and Rob Berman (Broadway, regional, and Encores! Music Director) have been named judges for the 2010 Lotte Lenya Competition, an annual international competition that recognizes talented young singer-actors, aged 19-32, who are dramatically and musically convincing in a wide range of repertoire.

On Friday, April 16 at 8:00 p.m. in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage, Kelli O'Hara and Paulo Szot, stars from Lincoln Center's award-winning revival of South Pacific join The New York Pops, under the baton of Music Director and Conductor Steven Reineke, for The Best of Lerner and Loewe-a tribute to one of Broadway's greatest creative teams: lyricist/librettist Alan Jay Lerner and composer Frederick Loewe.

Kaufman Center and New York Festival Of Song (NYFOS, www.nyfos.org) present a special non-subscription program, The Sweetest Path, on Tuesday, March 16 at 8 PM at Kaufman Center's Merkin Concert Hall.

The New York Philharmonic will present SONDHEIM: The Birthday Concert on March 15 and Tuesday, March 16, 2010, at 7:30 p.m. This celebration of the 80th birthday of the great Broadway and film composer/lyricist will include his most enduring orchestral music and songs - performed, in some cases, by the stars of the original Broadway cast productions - in addition to rarely-heard material. Joining the celebration will be (in alphabetical order) Michael Cerveris, Victoria Clark, Jason Danieley, Nathan Gunn, George Hearn, Patti LuPone, Marin Mazzie, Audra McDonald, Donna Murphy, Mandy Patinkin, Bernadette Peters, and others to be announced, including surprise guests. Paul Gemignani, Mr. Sondheim's longtime collaborator, will conduct the New York Philharmonic; Lonny Price is the director; and Mr. Price and Matt Cowart are the producers.

See two of opera's brightest stars on Sunday, March 14 in the intimate Lund Auditorium. Chicago fan-favorites, baritone, Nathan Gunn and soprano, Elizabeth Futral come together for a very special event supporting student scholarships at Dominican University. The program ranges from opera to musical theatre to songs by Tom Waits. Among the highlights is a selection from André Previn's Brief Encounter in which Gunn and Futral premiered the lead roles at Houston Grand Opera.

In support of The Music Theatre Company, Highland Park's epicenter for professional music theatre, Anthropologie, for the first time, will open its doors on Sunday, March 14th from 6:00 - 10:00 p.m., for what promises to be a unique fundraising extravaganza.

The Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University (ATRU) and Ravinia Festival proudly co-present the internationally acclaimed Ballet Folklórico de México de Amalia Hernández.

The Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University (ATRU) and Ravinia Festival proudly co-present the internationally acclaimed Ballet Folklórico de México de Amalia Hernández.

Beloved playwright A.R. Gurney, a Connecticut resident and author of the plays The Cocktail Hour, The Dining Room and Love Letters, returns to Long Wharf Theatre with his hit comedy Sylvia.

The Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University (ATRU) and Ravinia Festival proudly co-present the internationally acclaimed Ballet Folklórico de México de Amalia Hernández.

The Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University (ATRU) and Ravinia Festival proudly co-present the internationally acclaimed Ballet Folklórico de México de Amalia Hernández.

Offering up greater variety, including more than 50 debuts from Sting to Wagnerian tenor John Treleaven, Ravinia Festival Chairperson Pamela B. Strobel and President and CEO Welz Kauffman today announced details of the 2010 season, including a Chicago Symphony Orchestra residency that celebrates major anniversaries of Mahler, Chopin, Schumann, Barber, Bernstein and Copland, as well as milestone birthdays of Music Director James Conlon, Christoph Eschenbach and Stephen Sondheim. The season, featuring 117 separate events, runs from June 3 through September 7.

Ravinia Festival's 2010 Gala Benefit Evening will honor the 80th birthday of the great American composer Stephen Sondheim with a program featuring an incredible lineup of soloists who have been featured in Ravinia's Sondheim celebrations since they began in 2001. The evening reunites the on-stage and behind-the-scenes talent that created Ravinia's acclaimed productions of Sondheim's shows, several of which have gone onto other cities. The evening will star Patti LuPone, Audra McDonald, George Hearn and Michael Cerveris.

The Opera Orchestra Of New York presents soprano Eglise Gutiérrez in recital on Wednesday, March 10, 2010 at Merkin Concert Hall, 8:00 p.m. accompanied by pianist Danielle Orlando.

The Opera Orchestra Of New York presents soprano Eglise Gutiérrez in recital on Wednesday, March 10, 2010 at Merkin Concert Hall, 8:00 p.m. accompanied by pianist Danielle Orlando. The Vidda-Award winning soprano in her New York Recital Debut will perform a wide ranging program of songs and arias by Handel, Caccini, Paisiello, Thomas, Rachmaninoff, Lecuona and Gershwin.

Writers' Theatre Artistic Director Michael Halberstam and Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma announce the second extension of Oh Coward!, words and music by Noel Coward, devised by Roderick Cook. The production, which began its run in November 2009 is directed by Jim Corti, with musical direction by Doug Peck. The production has been extended through April 18, 2010, at Writers' Theatre, 664 Vernon Avenue in Glencoe.

Live Nation announced today that Sting, accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, will embark on a world tour this summer. The tour will find Sting performing his most celebrated songs re-imagined for symphonic arrangement. The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra will be conducted by Maestro Steven Mercurio (Pavarotti, Bocelli).