Christmas in July - 2000 - London Fringe Articles Page 16

Houston, August 17, 2015—Houston Grand Opera's (HGO) 2015–16 season showcases the vibrant and diverse artistic mix that marks HGO as a leading 21st-century American opera company: Wagner's Siegfried, the third installment of La Fura dels Baus's imaginative Ring cycle featuring a new generation of Wagnerians; the world premiere of Prince of Players by eminent American composer Carlisle Floyd, the Lynn Wyatt Great Artist for 2015–16; Dvoák's fairy tale rarity Rusalka; a holiday revival of family favorite The Little Prince from the award-winning composer Rachel Portman and librettist Nicholas Wright; a new production of The Marriage of Figaro; a new-to-Houston Eugene Onegin; a beloved core production, Tosca; and the Houston debut of Broadway sensation Rob Ashford's take on the classic musical Carousel. Through its community collaboration program HGOco, the company will present two additional world premieres: O Columbia, a chamber opera by composer Gregory Spears and librettist Royce Vavrek that examines the past, present, and future of the American spirit of exploration; and The Root of the Wind is Water, a chamber opera by composer David Hanlon and librettist Stephanie Fleischmann about the impact of hurricanes on the Texas Gulf coast.

Broadway In Chicago and cast members from the Pre-Broadway World Premiere of GOTTA DANCE, the sparkling new tour of 42nd STREET, A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO LOVE & MURDER, IF/THEN, Emerald City Theatre's A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS, BEAUTIFUL - THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL, Roundabout Theatre Company's CABARET, DIRTY DANCING - THE CLASSIC STORY ON STAGE, Disney's NEWSIES and Disney's THE LION KING.

Broadway In Chicago will offer a free Summer Concert at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park on Monday, August 17 at 6:15 p.m. Hosted by ABC 7 Chicago's Janet Davies, from the entertainment and lifestyle program 190 NORTH, the concert will feature cast members from ten fantastic Broadway shows. 

For the first time in 15 years, cabaret star Julie Reyburn brings back her award-winning show, Fate Is Kind, to a New York nightclub stage when she performs the classic at the Metropolitan Room on Monday, September 14 at 7 pm as part of the new monthly series, New York Cabaret's Greatest Hits, produced by Stephen Hanks' Cabaret Life Productions with cabaret supporter Fr. Jeffrey Hamblin, MD as Associate Producer. [Reyburn's show will follow the Series launch on August 26 at 7 pm with Mark Nadler's critically acclaimed Tschaikowsky (And Other Russians), which won a 2003 Bistro Award.] Reyburn and her celebrated Musical Director Mark Janas (Producer of the Award-Winning Open-Mic show Salon) introduced Fate Is Kind in February 2000 at The Singer's Forum as a benefit cabaret for their scholarship program. It then moved to Judy's Chelsea in March 2000 for its official cabaret debut, and the show ran off and on there for most of the year. Fate Is Kind world earn Reyburn MAC and Bistro Awards in 2001 for "Outstanding Female Cabaret Debut."

PITTSBURGH – Five-time Grammy Award-winning jazz pianist and vocalist Diana Krall joins musical forces with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra for the Today Night Icons at Heinz Hall tonight, July 23 at 7:30 p.m.

Johnny Mathis, one of the most versatile and multi-dimensional pop artists of modern time, takes the Heinz Hall stage with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra for its Summer with the Symphony: Thursday Night Icons series tonight, July 16 at 7:30 p.m.

For diehard cabaret fans and lovers of live music, there's nothing like experiencing a classic show once again or seeing an award winning 'blast from the past' for the first time. That's how cabaret show producer and publicist Stephen Hanks felt and so through his new company, Cabaret Life Productions, he's launching a new monthly series at New York's Metropolitan Room (34 West 22nd Street) titled New York Cabaret's Greatest Hits. Hanks wanted the cream of the New York cabaret crop to open the series and tapped veteran cabaret star Mark Nadler, who the New York Times critic Stephen Holden has called 'Mr. Show Business' and 'an immensely talented latter-day Al Jolson.' On August 26 (7-8:30 pm), Nadler will perform his critically acclaimed show Tschaikowsky (And Other Russians), which won a 2003 Bistro Award for 'Raising Standards of Cabaret Performance,' and received MAC and Nightlife Award Nominations for 'Outstanding Performance in a Major Engagement.'

In its on-going effort to share the joy of dance with a wider audience, the 2015 Summer Intensive Program at American Repertory Ballet's Princeton Ballet School is pleased to announce that its Master Classes will be open to observers. Leading Master Classes will be Broadway dancer Michael Mindlin, New York City Ballet dancer Unity Phelan, and Sarah Hay, a soloist with Semperoper Dresden Ballet. All three received their early training at Princeton Ballet School.

Musical Theatre West (MTW) is Singin' in the Rain runs tonight, July 10, through July 26 at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center. Featuring all of the beloved songs, splashy dance numbers, and comedic antics, this two-time Tony nominated musical delivers the best of the beloved film, live on stage.

Amphibian Stage Productions opens its third main stage production of the 2015 season, The QUIXOTIC DAYS AND ERRANT NIGHTS OF THE KNIGHT ERRANT DON QUIXOTE by Brenda Withers, next Today, kicking off a four-week run of the play.

THE NEW YORK MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL and DARK PROPHETS PRODUCTION LLC are pleased to announce the world premiere production of Wearing Black, winner Best Original Score at FRIGID New York, with book, music and lyrics by Riley Thomas (writer/composer of the sold out award-winning NYMF show STUCK, now a feature film starring Giancarlo Esposito, Amy Madigan and Ashanti.), music direction by Ben Caplan and directed by J. Scott Lapp (Broadway's Bonnie & Clyde; National Tours Murder for Two, Xanadu; Old Globe; La Jolla Playhouse; The Barn Stage  Company).

Musical Theatre West (MTW) is Singin' in the Rain runs July 10-26 at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center.  Featuring all of the beloved songs, splashy dance numbers, and comedic antics, this two-time Tony nominated musical delivers the best of the beloved film, live on stage. 

The Autumn / Winter 2015 Season at Sadler's Wells launches tonight.

Eddie Cooper and Joe Grifasi join Ellen Greene, Jake Gyllenhaal and Taran Killam in the Encores! Off-Center concert production of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken's LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, running for three performances, tonight, July 1, and tomorrow, July 2, 2015 at New York City Center.

Amphibian Stage Productions opens its third main stage production of the 2015 season, The QUIXOTIC DAYS AND ERRANT NIGHTS OF THE KNIGHT ERRANT DON QUIXOTE by Brenda Withers, next Thursday, kicking off a four-week run of the play.

The Old Globe's presentation of Kiss Me, Kate, the classic musical comedy featuring a book by Sam and Bella Spewack and an iconic score by Cole Porter, begins tonight, July 1, on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in the Old Globe Theatre, part of the Globe's Conrad Prebys Theatre Center.

The Old Globe presents William Shakespeare's delightful and romantic Twelfth Night, directed by Rebecca Taichman, whose production of the time-traveling Time and the Conways fascinated audiences last April, as part of the 2015 Summer Shakespeare Festival. The Old Globe engagement runs through July 26, 2015, with opening night tonight, June 27 at 8:00 p.m., in the Lowell Davies Festival Theatre.

PITTSBURGH – Five-time Grammy Award-winning jazz pianist and vocalist Diana Krall joins musical forces with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra for the Thursday Night Icons at Heinz Hall on July 23 at 7:30 p.m.

The complete cast and creative team have been announced for The Old Globe's presentation of Kiss Me, Kate, the classic musical comedy featuring a book by Sam and Bella Spewack and an iconic score by Cole Porter.

THE NEW YORK MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL and DARK PROPHETS PRODUCTION LLC are pleased to announce the world premiere production of Wearing Black, winner Best Original Score at FRIGID New York, with book, music and lyrics by Riley Thomas (writer/composer of the sold out award-winning NYMF show STUCK, now a feature film starring Giancarlo Esposito, Amy Madigan and Ashanti.), music direction by Ben Caplan and directed by J. Scott Lapp (Broadway's Bonnie & Clyde; National Tours Murder for Two, Xanadu; Old Globe; La Jolla Playhouse; The Barn Stage  Company).

Johnny Mathis, one of the most versatile and multi-dimensional pop artists of modern time, takes the Heinz Hall stage with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra for its Summer with the Symphony: Thursday Night Icons series on July 16 at 7:30 p.m.

Enjoy Shakespeare under the stars at The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey's Outdoor Stage production of Love's Labour's Lost. The enormously popular summer venue, located on the campus of the College of Saint Elizabeth in Morris Township, will host the show beginning on June 17th and continuing through July 26th.

Segerstrom Center for the Arts has announced the faculty for its American Ballet Theatre William J. Gillespie School that begins its full 36-week school year on September 14, 2015 and runs through June 11, 2016. The Center has added classes to accommodate the growing enrollment.

Former WICKED star Shoshana Bean and MISS SAIGON's Eva Noblezada recently faced off in a duet at Bean's concert in London on Saturday night. Below, watch the pair sing 'Take Me or Leave Me'!

Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens officials announce the opening of a new habitat for the Zoo's three jaguars, offering guests the opportunity to see jaguars as never before and marking the momentous completion of the $180 million Master Plan Phase 1 that has transformed the Zoo, placing it at the vanguard of animal care and conservation.