Ricky Ian Gordon News

Houston Grand Opera (HGO)-the only opera company with two Grammys, two Emmys, and a Tony - continues to raise the bar for American opera with next season's gripping new line-up.

Philip Glass' The Fall of the House of Usher, a gothic horror story which blurs the line between the real world and the supernatural, opens Chicago Opera Theater's 2013 Season, titled "Power of Love, Love of Power." This is Andreas Mitisek's inaugural season as General Director of Chicago Opera Theater since assuming the position in June 2012. Glass' haunting 1987 score for Edgar Allan Poe's macabre masterpiece, with lyrics by Arthur Yorinks, provides the perfect backdrop for this nightmarish journey to the edge of madness. The Fall of the House of Usher, taking place at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph Drive, runs for four performances only: Saturday, February 23 at 7:30 p.m., Sunday, February 24 at 3 p.m., Wednesday, February 27 at 7:30 p.m. and Friday, March 1 at 7:30 p.m. Single tickets go on sale Monday, January 21.

Philip Glass' The Fall of the House of Usher, a gothic horror story which blurs the line between the real world and the supernatural, opens Chicago Opera Theater's 2013 Season, titled "Power of Love, Love of Power."

Classic Stage Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Brian Kulick and Executive Director Greg Reiner, today announced complete casting for the company's upcoming new production of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's Tony Award-winning musical PASSION, to be directed by John Doyle (director of the acclaimed Broadway revivals of Sondheim's Sweeney Todd and Company). Joining previously announced Melissa Errico (Clara), Judy Kuhn (Fosca) and Ryan Silverman (Giorgio) in the production are Stephen Bogardus (Colonel Ricci), Jeffry Denman (Lieutenant Barri), Jason Michael Evans (Private Augenti), Amy Justman (understudy), Ken Krugman (Lieutenant Torasso), Orville Mendoza (Sergeant Lombardi), Tom Nelis (Doctor Tambourri) and Will Reynolds (Major Rizzoli/Ludovic). PASSION is slated to begin performances on February 8, 2013 at CSC (136 East 13th Street), with an official press opening scheduled for Thursday, February 28, playing a limited engagement through Sunday, April 7. Tickets will go on sale to the public beginning at Noon on Thursday, January 3.

On Tuesday, February 5 at 7:00pm, New York Festival of Song (NYFOS) continues its contemporary song mini-series NYFOS Next with KEVIN PUTS & FRIENDS at the Jerome Robbins Theater in the Baryshnikov Arts Center.

On World AIDS Day, December 1, 2012, Sing for Hope marked the twentieth anniversary of the classical music world's first organized response to the AIDS crisis with the celebratory concert 'AIDS Quilt Songbook @ TWENTY.' The evening featured impassioned performances by many of the country's leading classical vocalists, including Amy Burton, Adrienne Danrich, Heather Johnson, Suzanne Mentzer, Sidney Outlaw, Randall Scarlata, Michael Slattery, Monica Yunus, Camille Zamora, and two of the baritones of the 1992 premiere, Kurt Ollmann and William Sharp. Scroll below for photos from the concert!

Feinstein's (540 Park Avenue, 61 Street) has announced the swift return to New York of London's fast- rising West End and cabaret singer Joanna Strand, in "Fly Transatlantic". This is her beautifully crafted musical journey through songs with roots both sides of the Atlantic. The performance is tonight, 5 December at 10.30p.m.

Left Field Productions, Neil Berg, Adam Friedson and MSC OPAS at Texas A&M University have announced that veteran Broadway actor Marc Kudisch will direct the world premiere project that will close the 40th Anniversary OPAS Season at Texas A&M University - Neil Berg's The Phantoms of the Opera.

Due to popular demand, The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis and Executive Director Patrick Willingham) announced today that the critically acclaimed Public Lab production of SORRY will extend one final week to Sunday, December 2. SORRY, written and directed by Richard Nelson, opened on Tuesday, November 6 to unanimously positive reviews and was originally scheduled to close on November 18. It was extended one additional week to November 25 but strong demand has extended it one final week. All tickets for the extension weeks are $30 and can be purchased at (212) 967-7555, www.publictheater.org, or in person at The Public Theater box office at 425 Lafayette Street.

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis and Executive Director Patrick Willingham) announced today that the critically acclaimed production of SORRY, written and directed by Richard Nelson, will extend an additional week to Sunday, November 25. SORRY, a Public Lab production currently playing in The Public's Anspacher Theater, opened on Tuesday, November 6 and was originally scheduled to close on November 18. All tickets for the final extension week are $30 and can be purchased at (212) 967-7555, www.publictheater.org, or in person at The Public Theater box office at 425 Lafayette Street.

Feinstein's (540 Park Avenue, 61 Street) has announced the swift return to New York of London's fast- rising West End and cabaret singer Joanna Strand, in "Fly Transatlantic". This is her beautifully crafted musical journey through songs with roots both sides of the Atlantic. The performance is Wednesday 5 December at 10.30p.m.

The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel welcomes back the acclaimed husband-and-wife team John Pizzarelli & Jessica Molaskey to the legendary Café Carlyle. Dubbed as good as it gets in any entertainment medium' by Stephen Holden of the New York Times, Mr. Pizzarelli and Ms. Molaskey will play a month-long engagement through November 24th. Check out photos of the duo in action below!

The 2013 Lincoln Center American Songbook series has just been announced via the New York Times.

The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel welcomes back the acclaimed husband-and-wife team John Pizzarelli & Jessica Molaskey to the legendary Café Carlyle. Mr. Pizzarelli and Ms. Molaskey will play a month-long engagement from tonight, October 30 to November 24th

The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel is pleased to welcome back the acclaimed husband-and-wife team John Pizzarelli & Jessica Molaskey to the legendary Café Carlyle. Mr. Pizzarelli and Ms. Molaskey will play a month-long engagement from October 30 to November 24th.

The Public Theater will begin previews for the world premiere production of Richard Nelson's new play SORRY on Tuesday, October 30. SORRY, play three of The Apple Family Plays, takes place over a meal during the day the country will choose the next president - Election Day. The cast features Jon DeVries, Maryann Plunkett, Laila Robins, Jay O. Sanders, and J. Smith-Cameron.