Thomas Jefferson News

After eight successful years with The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, Executive Director Peter H. Gistelinck will resign his position at the end of the 2013-2014 season, on May 16, 2014. He leaves his role with the Chamber Orchestra to become Executive Director of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra in Michigan.

The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors has announced the appointment of Peter H. Gistelinck as its new Executive Director, effective May 19, 2014. Mr. Gistelinck was unanimously approved by the KSO Board following a six-month nationwide candidate search process led by Arts Consulting Group, Inc.

Fifteen high school students received scholarships for successfully competing in the 2014 James C. Macdonald Fine Arts Scholarship Competition. Sponsored by The Alden at the McLean Community Center (MCC), the final competition was held at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 27. MCC Governing Board Vice Chair Susan Bourgeois and Alden Director of Youth Programs Kathleen Herr presented the awards at the final competition-performance.

As first reported by BWW yesterday, HAMILTON, written by the Tony and Grammy Award-winning composer and lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda, will have its world premiere next January as part of The Public's 2014-15 season at Astor Place. Directed by his In The Heights collaborator Thomas Kail, this new musical features Miranda playing Alexander Hamilton, one of our country's Founding Fathers and the first Secretary of the Treasury. Tax-deductible Public Theater Memberships are available now and guarantee early access to tickets.

The Evergreen Chorale presents 'Forever Plaid' February 21 through March 9 at Center Stage, 27608 Fireweed Drive, Evergreen, CO, 80439. Performances are Fridays, Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m.

Those who have wondered whatever 'happened' to the Black press will find answers in 'Whither the Black Press?' an informative and entertaining book that traces the historical roots of the medium and examines whether new media platforms of the 21st century can fill the void left by a segment of the declining newspaper industry.

YELLOW FACE, appearing at Theater J, is a serio-comedy by David Henry Hwang, based on his involvement in the casting controversy in 1990 regarding Cameron Mackintosh's insistence on having a white actor play a non-white role. The excellent production is well worth seeing.

Sarah Lohman takes kids back in time to explore Gilded Age dining, Maira Kalman reads from her new children's book Thomas Jefferson, Ron Sopyla shares bird tales to celebrate the opening of Audubon's Aviary: Parts Unknown (Part II of The Complete Flock) and more family programs are scheduled for March by the New-York Historical Society's DiMenna Children's History Museum. All family programs take place at the New-York Historical Society,170 Central Park West between West 76th and West 77th Streets. To RSVP for a family program please e-mail: familyprograms@nyhistory.org. For more information on family programs and the DiMenna Children's History Museum, please call (212) 485-9273 or visit www.DimennaChildrensHistoryMuseum.org.

The Region 4 Finals of the New Jersey Poetry Out Loud Competition will take place at Mayo Performing Arts Center on Wednesday, February 12 from 10 am through 1 pm. The event is free and open to the public.

Without a doubt Alexandra Fuller is one of my most favorite authors. Her first book, Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight, is a delightfully funny yet poignant backward look at her childhood in Africa. The latest,Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness, is, at first glance a charming, delightfully funny account of her mother's life as a child when she was growing up in Africa. Fuller never loses her sense of humor and there are numerous chuckle out loud moments where she uses her mother's own words to paint for us an undeniably brilliant picture of just who her mother is and what is important to her.

The Theatre School at DePaul University will present A FREE MAN OF COLOR, at the new Theatre School building, located at Racine and Fullerton on the Lincoln Park Campus. The Fullerton Stage Theatre is a 250-seat thrust theatre located on the first floor of the school. John Guare's A FREE MAN OF COLOR is directed by Phyllis E. Griffin, premieres on Friday, January 31, and runs through Sunday, February 9, 2014. Performances are Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7:30 PM and Sundays at 2 PM. Previews are tonight, January 29 and the 30th, at 7:30 PM.

After receiving critical acclaim and overwhelming demand by sold out New York audiences, Larry Kirwan's Stephen Foster musical 'Hard Times' will extend performances thru February 16th at the the cell, A Twenty First Century Salon (Founding Artistic Director, Nancy Manocherian) (338 West 23rd Street). The production will play the following ten additional performances: Wednesdays thru Saturdays 2/5-8 and 2/12-15 at 8pm; Sundays 2/9 and 2/16 at 3pm.

Bitter and unrestrained politic rhetoric like this hasn't been heard in America for decadessome say not since the turbulent years leading to the attack on Fort Sumter and a conflict that took 620,000 lives. Recession, unemployment, revelations of government surveillance, lies, cover-ups, and bare-knuckle tactics over health care reform have led some Americans to believe it's time to take up armsechoing Thomas Jefferson's timeless reminder that 'The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.'

The Theatre School at DePaul University will present A FREE MAN OF COLOR, at the new Theatre School building, located at Racine and Fullerton on the Lincoln Park Campus. The Fullerton Stage Theatre is a 250-seat thrust theatre located on the first floor of the school. John Guare's A FREE MAN OF COLOR is directed by Phyllis E. Griffin, premieres on Friday, January 31, and runs through Sunday, February 9, 2014. Performances are Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7:30 PM and Sundays at 2 PM. Previews are on January 29 and 30, at 7:30 PM.

The multi-award-winning NoHo Arts Center Ensemble (NoHo ACE), Independent Shakespeare Co. and Efficiency Studios announced today an extraordinary array of talk-back guest speakers following select performances of the world premiere play, THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO THOMAS JEFFERSON, CHARLES DICKENS AND COUNT LEO TOLSTOY: DISCORD, written by Scott Carter (Executive Producer/Writer - "Real Time with Bill Maher") and directed by Matt August. THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO THOMAS JEFFERSON, CHARLES DICKENS AND COUNT LEO TOLSTOY: DISCORD will begin previews on Saturday, January 11 at 8pm; will open on Friday, January 17 at 8pm and run for six weeks through Sunday, February 23, 2014 at the NoHo Arts Center, 11136 Magnolia Blvd. (at Lankershim) in North Hollywood.

The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia has announced a new collaboration with Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. In continuing to take its performances beyond the concert hall, the partnership allows hospital patients to watch archived Chamber Orchestra concert recordings through the GetWellNetwork - an interactive patient education system available through the televisions in their rooms. Each performance will be available through streaming, on demand to patients and will include video introductions by executive staff from Thomas Jefferson Hospital and The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia.

Hard Times the new Stephen Foster musical will serve up an Irish Wake in honor of the show's opening Off Broadway on January 13th---the 150th Anniversary of Foster's death. At a post-performance party all audience and cast members will share shots of Irish Whiskey to salute the acclaimed 'father of American music', and pre-eminent 19th century songwriter. Scroll down for a first look at the cast in action!

Having received critical and popular acclaim last season, Larry Kirwan's Stephen Foster musical 'Hard Times' will return to Off Broadway at thethe cell, A Twenty First Century Salon (Founding Artistic Director, Nancy Manocherian), (338 West 23rd Street), opening Monday, January 13th (7PM) --- to commemorate the 150 anniversary of Mr. Foster's death. Directed by Kira Simring, choreographed by Joe Barros and produced by the cell, Hard Times will start preview performances on Thursday, January 9th (8PM).

Billionaire wine collector Bill Koch says he has spent more than $4.5 million on fake wines and continues to fight those who have tricked him, he says in an interview with Martha Teichner for CBS SUNDAY MORNING WITH CHARLES OSGOOD to be broadcast today, Dec. 22, 2013 (9:00 AM ET) on the CBS Television Network.