Blackbird 2007 - Articles Page 4.2

The American Composers Forum (ACF) Board of Directors has voted to present its 2016 “Champion of New Music” award to four outstanding recipients: Pianist and Contemporary Chamber Ensemble founding member Gilbert Kalish; Opera Parallèle's artistic director, conductor, and founder Nicole Paiement; new music writer, blogger and New Yorker magazine columnist Alex Ross; and conductor, pianist, composer and pedagogue Robert Spano at public ceremonies this year. The “Champion of New Music” award was established by ACF in 2005 as a national mark of recognition to honor individuals or ensembles that have made a significant contribution to the work and livelihoods of contemporary composers. ACF President and CEO John Nuechterlein will present the awards at three events in the coming months:

Welcome to this week's edition of our new WEEKLY GROSSES ANALYSIS! Read on for all the weekly grosses statistics for the movers and shakers from the latest grosses, for the week ending 3/27/2016.

Opening night is tonight, March 10, for David Harrower's BLACKBIRD, the Olivier Award-winning drama starring Jeff Daniels and Michelle Williams, and directed by Joe Mantello. BLACKBIRD is playing at the Belasco Theatre (111 West 44th Street) for an 18-week limited engagement through June 11, 2016. Let's see what the critics had to say...

Michelle Williams and Jeff Daniels are excellent, playing out a controversial situation.

Not satisfied with the way he played the role Off-Broadway in 2007, the actor searches deeper into disturbing emotions.

eighth blackbird, Chicago's fierce and vibrant contemporary classical sextet, has won a 2016 GRAMMY Award for Best Small Ensemble/Chamber Music Performance for 'Filament' (September 2015; Cedille Records), featuring music by Bryce Dessner, Philip Glass, Nico Muhly, and Son Lux.

Houston, January 13, 2016—Houston Grand Opera (HGO) will present the world premiere of The Root of the Wind Is Water, a chamber opera by composer David Hanlon and librettist Stephanie Fleischmann, directed by Matthew Ozawa, on May 13 at 7 p.m. at the Wortham Theater Center and on May 15 at 7 p.m. at The Grand 1894 Opera House in Galveston. Presented under the auspices of HGOco, the company's community collaboration and education initiative, The Root of the Wind Is Water explores the impact of hurricanes on the Texas Gulf Coast through the eyes of the residents who call the region home. The opera will be HGO's 61st world premiere. 

St. Ann's Warehouse will continue the inaugural season in its new waterfront theater with the American Premiere of Irish composer Donnacha Dennehy and writer-director Enda Walsh's thrilling new opera The Last Hotel, in a Landmark Productions / Wide Open Opera production. Singers Claudia Boyle, Robin Adams and Katherine Manley, actor Mikel Murfi, and an ensemble of New York's finest contemporary players, conducted alternately by André de Ridder and Alan Pierson, will deliver this “searingly powerful new chamber work” (The Guardian). Presented by St. Ann's Warehouse and co-presented withPROTOTYPE: Opera/Theatre/Now andIrish Arts Center, The Last Hotel comes to New York after tremendously acclaimed engagements at the Edinburgh International Festival, the Dublin Theatre Festival and the Royal Opera House in London.

St. Ann's Warehouse will continue the inaugural season in its new waterfront theater with the American Premiere of Irish composer Donnacha Dennehy and writer-director Enda Walsh's thrilling new opera The Last Hotel, in a Landmark Productions / Wide Open Opera production. Singers Claudia Boyle, Robin Adams and Katherine Manley, actor Mikel Murfi, and an ensemble of New York's finest contemporary players, conducted alternately by André de Ridder and Alan Pierson, will deliver this “searingly powerful new chamber work” (The Guardian). Presented by St. Ann's Warehouse and co-presented withPROTOTYPE: Opera/Theatre/Now andIrish Arts Center, The Last Hotel comes to New York after tremendously acclaimed engagements at the Edinburgh International Festival, the Dublin Theatre Festival and the Royal Opera House in London.

Entering its seventh season in 2015-16, CONTACT!, the Philharmonic's new-music series, will extend its reach across New York City through a new partnership with National Sawdust (formerly Original Music Workshop), a new, non-profit, state-of-the-art music venue opening in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, in October 2015.

Women's Project Theater, under the leadership of Producing Artistic Director Lisa McNulty and Managing Director Maureen Moynihan, has announced the rotating casts for the New York premiere of DEAR ELIZABETH, the inaugural production at the WP's new theatrical home the McGinn/Cazale Theatre, 2162 Broadway (at 76th Street).

Houston Grand Opera (HGO) will present the world premiere of O Columbia, a chamber opera created by an acclaimed team of artists: composer Gregory Spears, librettist Royce Vavrek, stage director Kevin Newbury, and conductor Timothy Myers-tonight and tomorrow, September 23 and 24 at 8:00 p.m. at the Bayou Music Center.

The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at the University of British Columbia (UBC) presents the Vancouver premiere of Blackbird, Fly, an uplifting performance interweaving movement, narrative, Haitian folklore, and hip hop, September 25 at 7:30pm in the Telus Studio Theatre. The provocative duet, featuring charismatic spoken-word poet Marc Bamuthi Joseph and cutting-edge violinist and composer Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR), unveils the artists' life-stories as they discover their mutual Haitian cultural identities, while also inviting audiences to examine themes of immigration, tolerance and inclusion.  

Houston, July 21, 2015— Houston Grand Opera (HGO) will present the world premiere of O Columbia, a chamber opera created by an acclaimed team of artists: composer Gregory Spears, librettist Royce Vavrek, stage director Kevin Newbury, and conductor Timothy Myers—on September 23 and 24 at 8:00 p.m. at the Bayou Music Center. O Columbia examines the past, present, and future of the American spirit of exploration and celebrates the identity of America's frontiersmen and women. O Columbia will be HGO's 57th world premiere.

The New York Youth Symphony (NYYS), composed of orchestra, chamber, jazz, conducting, and composition programs-heads into the 2015/16 season having provided over 5,000 music students between ages 12 and 22 unparalleled opportunities to perform at world-class venues including Carnegie Hall and Jazz at Lincoln Center and to study with world-renowned artists, all tuition-free. Beyond the instruction from accomplished musicians, students gain valuable life skills-commitment, discipline, focus, collaboration-and friendships that last a lifetime. 

Manhattan Theatre Club's world premiere of Heisenberg, the new play by two-time Olivier Award winner Simon Stephens (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Punk Rock), directed by Drama Desk Award winner Mark Brokaw (The Lyons, How I Learned to Drive) starring Denis Arndt (The Night Alive at Geffen Playhouse, 'The Practice') and Tony and Emmy Award winner Mary-Louise Parker (Proof, 'Weeds') opens tonight, June 3, as part of MTC's 2014-2015 season of The Studio at Stage II -- Harold and Mimi Steinberg New Play Series at New York City Center -- Stage II (131 West 55th Street).

Manhattan Theatre Club's world premiere of HEISENBERG, the new play by two-time Olivier Award winner Simon Stephens (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Punk Rock), directed by Drama Desk Award winner Mark Brokaw (The Lyons, How I Learned to Drive), starring Denis Arndt (The Night Alive at Geffen Playhouse, 'The Practice') and Tony & Emmy Award winner Mary-Louise Parker (Proof, 'Weeds'), will play a strictly limited 6-week engagement beginning tonight, May 19, and opening Wednesday, June 3 as part of MTC's 2014-2015 season of The Studio at Stage II -- Harold and Mimi Steinberg New Play Series at New York City Center.

Entering its seventh season in 2015-16, CONTACT!, the Philharmonic's new-music series, will extend its reach across New York City through a new partnership with National Sawdust (formerly Original Music Workshop), a new, non-profit, state-of-the-art music venue opening in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, in October 2015.

Manhattan Theatre Club's world premiere of Heisenberg, the new play by two-time Olivier Award winner Simon Stephens (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Punk Rock), directed by Drama Desk Award winner Mark Brokaw (The Lyons, How I Learned to Drive) starring Denis Arndt (The Night Alive at Geffen Playhouse, "The Practice") and Tony and Emmy Award winner Mary-Louise Parker (Proof, "Weeds") begins rehearsals Thursday.

Profiles Theatre continues its 26th Season with the Chicago premiere of The Other Place by Sharr White, directed by Artistic Director Joe Jahraus. The production runs tonight, February 13 - April 5, 2015 at Profiles Theatre's The Main Stage, 4139 N. Broadway. The press opening is Thursday, February 19 at 8pm.

Profiles Theatre continues its 26th Season with the Chicago premiere of The Other Place by Sharr White, directed by Artistic Director Joe Jahraus. The production runs February 13 - April 5, 2015 at Profiles Theatre's The Main Stage, 4139 N. Broadway. The press opening is Thursday, February 19 at 8pm.

Lynne Meadow (Artistic Director) and Barry Grove (Executive Producer) announce recent recipients of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Initiative commissions for Manhattan Theatre Club. The commissioned writers are Jeff Augustin (Little Children Dream of God), Courtney Baron (A Very Common Procedure) and Juliana Nash (Murder Ballad), Nell Benjamin (The Explorers Club), Madeline George (The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence), Tom Holloway (And No More Shall We Part), Nathan Jackson (Broke-ology), Branden Jacobs-Jenkins (An Octoroon), Greg Pierce (Slowgirl), and Alexandra Wood (The Initiate).

Profiles Theatre announces the Midwest premiere of Annapurna by Sharr White, opening at The Alley Stage, 4147 N. Broadway on June 12, 2014. Annapurna, directed by Profiles ensemble member Eric Burgher and featuring ensemble member Darrell W. Cox with guest artist Lia D. Mortensen, runs June 13, 2014 - July 20, 2014.

AtticRep is travelling to India on June 30th to collaborate with our sister city in Chennai, India on a Forum Theatre Project based on the work of Brazilian theatre artist Augusto Boal, founder of Theatre of the Oppressed. Chennai is one of eight sister cities established through San Antonio's Economic Development Foundation that bridge cultural gaps and ignite international economic development in the arts, education, business development, sports, leadership, research, technology, etc.

Profiles Theatre announces the final extension for the Midwest premiere of Cock by Mike Bartlett, directed by Artistic Director Darrell W. Cox. The production opened February 20, 2014 and will extend for the second time through June 29, 2014. Cast members Torrey Hanson, Eleni Pappageorge, Jake Szczepaniak continue their roles with Nik Kourtis joining the cast. Performances are held at The Main Stage, 4139 N. Broadway.