Renee Fleming News

The swinging '60's meet Broadway when Robin and the 7 Hoods, a brand new musical comedy, opens in New York during the 2010-11 season, it was announced by the show's producers (Bruce Charet, Dennis Mastro, Dennis Farina, Billy Campbell; Barry Brown, executive producer)

New York Festival Of Song (NYFOS, www.nyfos.org), founded by Steven Blier and Michael Barrett, who 'redefined the song recital with daring and dramatic programming,' (The New Yorker) announces its 22nd Season for 2009-2010 with performances at Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Center and at The Juilliard School.

Broadway legend Barbara Cook will return to the New York Philharmonic - Saturday, May 30 at 8:00 p.m. - with the Philharmonic conducted by her acclaimed music director, Lee Musiker

Broadway legend Barbara Cook will return to the New York Philharmonic for a one-night-only performance Saturday, May 30, at 8:00 p.m., conducted by her acclaimed music director, Lee Musiker. Ms. Cook plans to bring to the Avery Fisher Hall stage songs she has never before performed with the New York Philharmonic, such as Stephen Sondheim's 'Send in the Clowns' from A Little Night Music, selections from Meredith Wilson?s The Music Man, and Sondheim?s ?No One Is Alone? from Into the Woods.

Broadway legend Barbara Cook will return to the New York Philharmonic for two evenings - Saturday, May 30, and Tuesday, June 2, 2009, both at 8:00 p.m. - with the Philharmonic conducted by her acclaimed music director, Lee Musiker. Ms. Cook's appearances follow the success of her three sold-out 80th-birthday concerts with the Philharmonic in the 2007-08 season.

Ren?e Fleming is the world's most idolized and sought-after lyric soprano! Her luminous voice and compelling interpretive powers continue to touch the heartstrings of audiences in the world's great opera houses, concert venues, on television and radio and through her many award-winning CDs. After an absence of five years, she returns for her 3rd appearance on Roy Thomson Hall's International Vocal Recitals series on Friday, April 17, 2009 at 8 pm. Esteemed German pianist Hartmut Hoell accompanies Ms. Fleming in a program of songs by Handel, Dutilleux, Messiaen, Richard Strauss, and American composer John Kander. This concert is sold out.

Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Center and New York Festival of Song (NYFOS) present a special non-subscription program, Songs of the Irish Poets, on Tuesday, March 17 at 8 PM at Kaufman Center's Merkin Concert Hall.

Crossroads Theatre Company Presents The Genesis Festival of New Plays and Voices: March 27 - March 29 Friday March 27 at 8:00 pm: A Second Wind by Ben Bettenbender Directed by Marshall Jones, III Un Segundo Viento ... set in a central Jersey college town in 1982, the power of love for a young couple is tested when faced with a passionate sibling rivalry. The twenty-somethings must make choices about what, and whom, they are willing to fight for.

Producer David Shor has announced he is developing Sleepless in Seattle-The Musical through his entity Sleepless in Seattle Management, LLC. Shor acquired the rights to produce a play based on the hit TriStar motion picture and has brought in his longtime partner Jeff Arch, who penned the film's original story and co-wrote the screenplay, sharing 1994 Oscar, BAFTA and WGA nominations with Nora Ephron and David Ward. Arch will write the book for the show.

Ren?e Fleming reprises one of her most renowned portrayals when she sings the title role of Dvoř?k's fairy-tale opera Rusalka, which opens March 9. Stephanie Blythe sings the role of the witch Je?ibaba for the first time at the Met. Rusalka's beloved Prince will be played by tenor Aleksandrs Antonenko, in his Met debut. Christine Goerke returns to the company for the first time in four years, adding the role of the Foreign Princess to her Met repertory. Kristinn Sigmundsson sings Rusalka's father, the Water Gnome, also a Met role debut. Noted Czech conductor Jiř? Belohl?vek leads Dvoř?k's best-known opera for the first time at the Met. The production is by Otto Schenk; G?nther Schneider-Siemssen designed the sets; Sylvia Strahammer created the costumes; the lighting design is by Gil Wechsler, and the choreographer is Carmen de Lavallade. Laurie Feldman directs this revival, which runs through March 21.

Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Center and New York Festival of Song (NYFOS) present a special non-subscription program, Songs of the Irish Poets, on Tuesday, March 17 at 8 PM at Kaufman Center's Merkin Concert Hall.

Astoria Performing Arts Center is pleased to announce the production of RAGTIME, a musical directed by APAC's very own Artistic Director, Tom Wojtunik. Ragtime will play a 3-week limited engagement at the Good Shepherd United Methodist Church (30-44 Crescent St, Astoria, NY 11102). Performances begin Thursday, February 5th and continue through Sunday, February 22nd.

'We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration,' the star-studded concert kicked off the official inaugural festivities on Sunday, Jan. 18. The event was free and open to the public at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. The starry concert brought out a huge audience to cheer on the then President-Elect. BroadwayWorld is proud to bring you Photo Essay of the event. The lineup of performers mixed some of today's biggest pop stars with iconic musical luminaries. Beyonce, Bruce Springsteen, Herbie Hancock, Sheryl Crow, Stevie Wonder and many more artists all appear on the same stage. In addition, an assembly of leading actors read historical passages throughout the special.

USA Today has revealed that Beyonce will sing for Barack and Michelle Obama's first dance on inauguration night. The song has just been announced to be the Etta James classic 'At Last.' The star recently portrayed the blues great in the film Cadillac Records (where she also sings the song).

USA Today has revealed that Beyonce will sing for Barack and Michelle Obama's first dance on inauguration night. The song however is being kept a secret. The Presidential Inaugural Committee is keeping mum on the title of the song. 'It is our hope that we can keep the song secret until the moment,' said spokeswoman Linda Douglass to the paper. The inaugural team for Barack Obama has announced a huge and starry lineup of talent that will perform at an opening celebration at the Lincoln Memorial on Sunday, in a kickoff heavy in its mix of history and leading performance artists.

While Barbra Streisand was at the top of the list of celebrity artists asked to appear at the Obama Inaugration Celebration, her art is sadly keeping her away from the starry and historic event. Liz Smith reports in today's New York Post that thought she was requested, her recording sessions for her upcoming new album will notallow her to attend, but, reveals Smith, she and Diana Krall will watch the ceremonies from a recording studio in LA, where they're working 'feverishly' on the new project. Streisand says she is happy that she was able to perform her LA fund-raiser for the president-to-be, and while she won't be in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, 'he knows her heart is there along with 300 million other Americans'.

Variety is reporting that the inaugural team for Barack Obama has announced a huge and starry lineup of talent that will perform at an opening celebration at the Lincoln Memorial on Sunday, in a kickoff heavy in its mix of history and leading performance artists.

Astoria Performing Arts Center is pleased to announce the production of RAGTIME, a musical directed by APAC's very own Artistic Director, Tom Wojtunik. Ragtime will play a 3-week limited engagement at the Good Shepherd United Methodist Church (30-44 Crescent St, Astoria, NY 11102). Performances begin Thursday, February 5th and continue through Sunday, February 22nd.

Ren?e Fleming and Thomas Hampson star in the Met's first new production of Jules Massenet's richly melodic Tha?s in thirty years. The rarely performed opera opens at the Met on Monday, December 8, and runs through January 8, with the December 20 matinee transmitted live worldwide as part of The Met: Live in HD series. 'Fleming and Hampson made a heavenly match,' Chicago Sun-Times critic Wynne Delacoma wrote when this production, which comes from the Lyric Opera of Chicago, opened there in 2002.

Ren?e Fleming and Thomas Hampson star in the Met's first new production of Jules Massenet's richly melodic Tha?s in thirty years. The rarely performed opera opens at the Met on Monday, December 8, and runs through January 8, with the December 20 matinee transmitted live worldwide as part of The Met: Live in HD series. 'Fleming and Hampson made a heavenly match,' Chicago Sun-Times critic Wynne Delacoma wrote when this production, which comes from the Lyric Opera of Chicago, opened there in 2002.