Renee Fleming News

Artistic Directors Douglas Aibel and Sarah Stern announce that Irina Dvorovenko ('The Americans'), a former American Ballet Theatre principal dancer, Tony Award nominees Tony Yazbeck (ON THE TOWN, FINDING NEVERLAND) and Peter Friedman (RAGTIME, The Vineyard's THE SLUG BEARERS OF KAYROL ISLAND...), and Teagle F. Bourgere (THE CRUCIBLE, A RAISIN IN THE SUN) will be featured in the world premiere of THE BEAST IN THE JUNGLE, an original work fusing dance, drama and music by legendary composer and four-time Tony Award winner John Kander (CABARET, CHICAGO), Tony Award nominee playwright David Thompson (STEEL PIER; FLORA, THE RED MENACE), and five-time Tony Award-winning director and choreographer Susan Stroman (THE PRODUCERS, CONTACT). Performances will begin May 4, 2018 with opening night set for May 23. Kander, Thompson, and Stroman previously collaborated at The Vineyard on THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS.

A season filled with unforgettable music, thrilling singers from around the world, and stirring new productions goes on sale via subscription Wednesday, February 7 at 10am.  Seven new and new-to-Chicago productions, including four Lyric premieres, will engage and entertain audiences from October 2018 through June 2019. 

Washington National Opera (WNO), led by Artistic Director Francesca Zambello, announces its 2018-2019 season, one that continues its focus on bold productions of classic operas, fascinating contemporary perspectives, and the best in American artistry. The season includes a new WNO production of Verdi's classic romantic drama La traviata, the company premiere of Kevin Puts's and Mark Campbell's Pulitzer Prize-winning Silent Night, Tchaikovsky's epic Eugene Onegin, Gounod's devilishly entertaining Faust, and Puccini's towering masterpiece Tosca. The season also features a weekend of four world premieres during the American Opera Initiative Festival; a revival of WNO's hit world-premiere holiday family opera The Lion, the Unicorn, and Me; a special Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist performance of La traviata; and other exciting vocal events, including the annual Mars, lnc.'s Opera in the Outfield.

Blue Note Hawaii is continuing its second anniversary celebration with the week-long residency of jazz trumpeter Chris Botti. The Hawaii News Now Jazz Legends series kicks off with musical icon Chick Corea. Other international and national recording artists include Filipino super star Martin Nievera in a Valentine's Day series, followed by 80s pop star Rick Springfield. Returning to the Blue Note Hawaii stage by popular demand is guitar legend Lee Ritenour. The local artists this month include Honolulu-based jazz and hip hop drummer Dae Han, the incomparable Willie K and beautiful songstress Raiatea Helm. There are also powerful tributes to Whitney Houston featuring Ginai, Quincy Jones and John Coltrane with Mike Lewis & Friends. There's reggae on tap with a celebration of Bob Marley's birthday in what promises to be an amazing evening of music. Josh Kaye & Friends will pay homage to Nina Simone featuring vocalist Sherry Graham.

LA Opera will present one of the most acclaimed singers of our time, superstar soprano Ren e Fleming, who will return to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion for a recital with pianist Hartmut H ll at 7:30pm on Tuesday, February 6, 2018. In addition, on February 5, Ms. Fleming will help launch LA Opera's Music and the Mind/LA, a program that explores and educates people about the benefits of music to one's health.

Writers Theatre, under the leadership of Artistic Director Michael Halberstam and Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma, presents A Moon for the Misbegotten, written by Eugene O'Neill and directed by WT Resident Director William Brown. A Moon for the Misbegotten runs February 7 March 18, 2018 in the Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre at 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe. The Press Opening is Wednesday, February 14 at 7:30 p.m.

Producer Mark Cortale's Broadway concert series, hosted by Sirius XM radio star Seth Rudetsky, has announced that Tony Award nominee and star of The CW's Supergirl Jeremy Jordan will join the internationally acclaimed series at the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco this season on Sunday.

The Second City announces complete casting for the return of The Second City's She the People: Girlfriends' Guide to Sisters Doing It for Themselves, a sketch show created, designed and performed entirely by the women of Second City. Back by popular demand, She the People features Carisa Barreca, Alex Bellisle, Katie Caussin, Maria Randazzo, Alexis J Roston and Kimberly Michelle Vaughn. Under the direction of Carly Heffernan with musical direction by Mary Mahoney, She the People runs January 11 April 1, 2018, in The Second City's UP Comedy Club, with the press opening on Thursday, January 18th at 8pm. Tickets start at $26 and can be purchased at the box office, by phone at 312-337-3992 or online at www.secondcity.com. UP Comedy Club is located on the 3rd Floor of Piper's Alley at 230 W North Ave, Chicago.

Maestro Luke Frazier and The American Pops Orchestra - Washington, DC's innovative hometown orchestra - will continue their star-studded third season with Around the World in 80 Days, the world premiere of a new family-oriented musical written by Claybourne Elder ('Gossip Girl,' Broadway's Sunday in the Park...) and directed by Kelly Crandall d'Amboise.

Producer Mark Cortale's Broadway concert series hosted by Sirius XM radio star Seth Rudetsky returns to San Francisco in 2018 at the Herbst Theatre in the iconic San Francisco War Memorial & Performing Arts Center. The internationally acclaimed series will now bring Tony Award winner Kelli O'Hara to San Francisco in the New Year, on the heels of Jessie Mueller's smash hit season opener this past October.

This evening, Broadway favorite Joshua Henry announced on social media that he and his wife Cathryn Henry are expecting their first child. The baby is due in March of 2018.

It's just about time to wish you all a happy 2018--but I'm not quite ready to put 2017 to rest. Though it won't go into the annals as one of the best years ever, there were quite enough performances and performers that made this year a winner for me, operatically speaking at least, in my corner of the world.

The Adelphi Orchestra, now in its 64th season of Music for All, presents 'Power and Majesty' with works by Brahms, Rachmaninoff, and Faure under the baton of AO Artistic Director Jason Tramm on Sunday, January 28th at 2PM, at the Pascack Valley Regional High School Auditorium.

Presumed to be a first: Jason Robert Brown and Kelli O'Hara performing together in concert. Undoubtedly a first in Utah: two Tony winners performing together in concert. Definitely: a Tony-deserving concert. In a major coup, the BYU Bravo! performing arts series assembled the vanguard composer and the luminous muse for his last Broadway musical -- for what appears to have been their first performance together in concert. And they decisively demonstrated how divinely delightful a concert can be.

Maestro Luke Frazier and The American Pops Orchestra - Washington, DC's innovative hometown orchestra - will continue their star-studded third season with Around the World in 80 Days, the world premiere of a new family-oriented musical written by Claybourne Elder ('Gossip Girl,' Broadway's Sunday in the Park...) and directed by Kelly Crandall d'Amboise.

At its annual gala event, Celebrate Colburn, the Colburn School will honor renowned conductor Michael Tilson Thomas and acclaimed architect Frank Gehry with the Richard D. Colburn award, for their exemplary achievements and contributions to the worlds of classical music and the performing arts in Los Angeles and throughout the world. Celebrate Colburn takes place at Walt Disney Concert Hall on Sunday, April 22, 2018, at 7 p.m., followed by a post-performance dinner at a location to be announced.

On March 19, 2018, Virginia's Tony Award-winning Signature Theatre will honor legendary Broadway composer John Kander with the company's ninth Stephen Sondheim Award.

Over 600 opera aficionados - including Honored Guests Martina Arroyo, Candice Bergen, Kristin Chenoweth, Marilyn Horne, James Morris, Diane Sawyer and Teresa Stratas - attended the 83rd Annual Metropolitan Opera Guild Luncheon at Cipriani 42nd Street on Thursday, December 7th. This year's honoree, Ren e Fleming, was acknowledged for her immense contribution to opera and music. BroadwayWorld has photos from the event below!

Over 600 opera aficionados including Honored Guests Martina Arroyo, Candice Bergen, Kristin Chenoweth, Marilyn Horne, James Morris, Diane Sawyer and Teresa Stratas attended the 83rd Annual Metropolitan Opera Guild Luncheon at Cipriani 42nd Street on Thursday, December 7th. This year's honoree, Ren e Fleming, was acknowledged for her immense contribution to opera and music. Spoken and musical tributes were delivered by Peter Gelb, Ann Patchett and Luca Pisaroni, along with a performance by The Metropolitan Opera Guild's Urban Voices, a choral music initiative that involves nearly 4,000 students and teachers every year.

After performing a sold-out show at the Van Wezel two-years ago, Grammy Award-Winning vocalist Ren e Fleming returns to the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall on Tuesday, January 16 at 8:00PM.