From Up Here 2008 - Articles Page 14

Talking to Khori Dastoor, General Director of Opera San José brings to mind that old quote from Elizabeth Taylor when she was faced with unimaginable adversity, “Now is the time for guts and guile.” Just one year into her tenure as GD, Dastoor is faced with an almost impossible situation due to the Covid pandemic. Out of all the arts, opera, the artform which she has made her life’s work, arguably has the biggest challenges. After all, the act of singing operatically produces enormous amounts of aerosols, the core audience is older and thus especially at risk for Covid, and the population at large may not consider opera to be essential to their lives. Since creating new works is practically impossible, many GD’s are offering a sort of greatest hits of former glories, video snippets from past years that were already in the can. Or maybe something like a “reading” of an old holiday chestnut like Der Rosenkavalier, presented Brady-Bunch style on Zoom. So what does Dastoor do instead? She goes bravely programs a brand-new, beautifully-produced production of Jake Heggie’s Three Decembers, starring no less than world-renowned opera star Susan Graham, alongside two of Opera San José’s super-talented Resident Artists, soprano Maya Kherani and baritone Efraín Solis. This immensely moving chamber work is based on an unpublished play by Terrance  McNally, adapted by librettist Gene Scheer, and tells the story of a family struggling to connect during the early years of the AIDS pandemic. The work premiered in 2008, yet somehow feels more relevant than ever, given the parallels with what we’re all going through today, as evidenced by McNally’s death from Covid earlier this year. The opera is currently available for streaming through the end of December. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit operasj.org. BroadwayWorld spoke with Dastoor shortly after the filming of Three Decembers had been completed. Dastoor was remarkably open and forthcoming about the challenges of the opera world right now, even as her passion for growing the artform burns stronger than ever. We talked about how she managed to produce Three Decembers during Covid, her successful earlier career as a lyric soprano, and the imperative to keep the arts alive during these difficult times. Her responses to my questions were invariably thoughtful, often surprising and not without humor. And, as a rare woman of color leading an opera company, her understanding of the need to open up her artform runs deep. Above all, though, she is just plain fun to talk to - effortlessly engaging, whip-smart, emotionally transparent, and without an ounce of pretension.

Pittsburgh Metal Band, Dethlehem are sharing the stop motion video for “Escape From Wolf Mountain” years in the making from their latest album Maelstrom of the Emerald Dragon, released on July 7, 2020.

The OBIE-winning HERE, has announced HERE THERE EVERYWHERE, a return to live in-person events along with expanded online programming for its summer and fall 2020 season, featuring original relevant works by more than 235 diverse artists. A centerpiece of the season is #stillHERE: IRL, an adventurous new series that reimagines the live experience.

After celebrating its 25th Anniversary at The Soraya in 2017, DIAVOLO | Architecture in Motion returns for its fourth engagement a?" this time with This Is Me: Letters from the Front Lines. From DIAVOLO artistic director Jacques Heim, This Is Me explores how the current climate of isolation has encouraged us to look within ourselves. It is The Soraya's fourth online performance.

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is a must-see that will instantly transport you to a warm and sunny summer's day. A gleeful delight that will leave a smile on your face, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is the ideal film for those moments when you want to tap into your inner dancing queen. 

While we are all spending our days in quarantine, getting up and being active can be more difficult, so BroadwayWorld has compiled a list of some of the best musicals available on streaming that you can get up and dance along to!

While Broadway remains shut down, BroadwayWorld is keeping up with your favorite stars and giving you a peek at what they have been up to! Check out yesterday's videos, from stars including Andrew Lloyd Webber, Elizabeth Stanley, the cast of Sing Street, and more!

BWW Reviewer Peter Nason chooses the best TV episodes from the 1950's to 2020; see if your favorites made the list!

Visit our list of the best musicals & shows you can watch from home! We've got you covered with all the must-sees on streaming sites including Tony-award winners, favorite stars and top performances.

The University of Texas Department of Theatre and Dance at Austin presents UTNT (UT New Theatre), March 4-13, 2020 in multiple locations throughout the F. Loren Winship Drama Building. Established in 2007 by nationally renowned playwright Steven Dietz, UTNT (UT New Theatre) is an annual showcase of newly developed works for the American stage from playwrights of the Department of Theatre and Dance's master of fine arts program and Michener Center for Writers. Now in its thirteenth year, UTNT brings to the stage compelling works by ascending playwrights.

It's curtains up on another episode of West of Broadway. I'm Broadway Veteran Will Armstrong and this is a continuation of our Broadway Con Series. That's right, the West of Broadway crew went all the way to NYC for the 5th annual Broadway Con. We met celebrities, broadway fanatics and some innovators really changing the way broadway fans connect with their favorite shows and personalities.

Dirty Laundry Calgary is our city's only completely live, completely improvised soap opera and was founded in 1999 by Johnson-Diamond and Elinor Holt. The company partnered with the well-loved Lunchbox Theatre in 2008 to perform on their Monday evenings, and have been working with them ever since.

This morning, The Black Keys debut a live version of “Go,” the second single off their ninth studio album “Let's Rock,” (Easy Eye Sound/Nonesuch Records), via Rolling Stone. For the performance they are joined by their touring band, Andrew Gabbard and Delicate Steve on guitar, and Zachary Gabbard on bass. The video, taped at a recent rehearsal in front of a small audience made up of members of the band's fan club, provides a behind-the-scenes look and a preview of their upcoming “Let's Rock” tour, which kicks off on September 23 at Denver's Pepsi Center. Watch it here via Rolling Stone.

Dirtnap Records is proud to announce the release of Looming, the new full-length LP from the Hussy.

dance: made in canada fait au canada Festival (d:micfac) proudly unveils a diverse program featuring the country's most sought-after dancers and choreographers for its milestone fifth biennial edition on stage from August 14-18, 2019, at the Betty Oliphant Theatre.

HERE has announced its 2019-2020 season, which marks the OBIE-winning institution's 27th year of producing daring new hybrid performances by artists from all disciplines - theatre, opera, music, art, dance, puppetry, and media art.

Ahead of the highly anticipated release of Disney and Pixar's “Toy Story 4” on June 21, Alaska Airlines unveiled a special-edition aircraft today. The “Toy Story 4”-themed aircraft, Alaska's second livery to feature Pixar's characters, is decked out with toys from the “Toy Story 4” world. The aircraft was revealed to a crowd of surprised guests at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport by Alaska's own Chief Football Officer Russell Wilson.

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! We hope you all enjoyed your holiday weekend! Kick-start this short work week by catching up on the latest Broadway news!

Craft Recordings is excited to announce a new deluxe reissue of Isaac Hayes' GRAMMY® Award–winning album Shaft. Set for a June 14th street date and limited to 5,000 copies worldwide, the two-CD collection will offer the newly remastered, classic soundtrack—as originally released in 1971—plus all of the original music from the film, which did not appear on the best-selling LP. In-depth liner notes from Ahmir “Questlove” Thompsonround out the set. A single-disc version consisting of only the remastered soundtrack will also be available.

Diplo's Major Lazer returns with a brand new track today. Featuring Skip Marley, “Can't Take It From Me” sees the band returning to their Caribbean-influenced roots and marks the reappearance of the group's iconic image of their namesake—listen here.

Today in Times Square, famed Q104 classic rock radio host Jim Kerr climbed out onto the marquee of Hard Rock Cafe to announce that the five-time Tony Award-nominated musical ROCK OF AGES will return to the New York stage this summer in a special 10th Anniversary Production at New World Stages (340 W 50th St). To mark the announcement, and the milestone anniversary, he was joined by alumni from throughout the musical's Broadway run, who performed 'Don't Stop Believin' live above Times Square. The return production of the musical - produced by Michael Cohl/S2BN Entertainment in association with Barry Habib, Scott Prisand/Seth Fass, Tony Smith, and Randi Zuckerberg/Mara Burros-Sandler - begins performances on Wednesday, June 19, 2019, for a 16-week limited engagement through Sunday, September 29, 2019. Tickets are now on sale at Telecharge.com.

Bill Maher will perform his LIVE STAND UP TOUR at the Washington Pavilion on Sunday, August 18, 2019 at 7 p.m.

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Happy Friday! Finish off your week by catching up on the latest Broadway news!

Check Out Everything Coming And Going From Hulu In April

Here's what is coming and going to Hulu for March!