Clay - 2008 - Off-Broadway Articles Page 6

Carnegie Hall today announced the 2019-2020 season of Carnegie Hall Citywide, a free concert series that brings music to all five boroughs of New York City. Presented in partnership with local community organizations, the performances showcase outstanding mainstage artists and rising stars, tapping into the pulse of the city and bringing people together to share in the joy of music. Carnegie Hall Citywide builds on Carnegie Hall's tradition of bringing free concerts to New York City neighborhoods for more than 40 years.

Portland Opera is pleased to announce programming for the company's 56th season, which will open on October 25, 2019. The season will launch with one of the most powerful operas of all time, Puccini's Madama Butterfly, starring internationally acclaimed soprano Hiromi Omura in the title role. In February, the company will present An American Quartet: Four One-Act Operas in an intimate evening in the Hampton Opera Center's black box theatre. These one-acts feature Gian Carlo Menotti's The Telephone, Samuel Barber's A Hand of Bridge, Douglas Moore's Gallantry, and Lee Hoiby's Bon Appetit! The season will continue with a rare presentation of Vivaldi's opera Bajazet in March, which will be a special collaboration with the Portland Baroque Orchestra. In the spring, Portland Opera will present its annual Big Night concert and Leoncavallo's verismo masterpiece, Pagliacci. The 2019/20 season will close with the Portland Opera premiere of Jake Heggie's familial drama, Three Decembers.  

1969 marked a year that was full of both trepidation and excitement for Stax Records. Just one year before, the Memphis soul outlet ended its relationship with musical giant Atlantic Records, effectively leaving the label as an independent entity, without a music catalog (which had previously included a formidable collection of hits by Otis Redding, Carla Thomas and Sam & Dave, among others). Under the guidance of co-owner Al Bell, the label proceeded to rebuild and release an impressive collection of 27 albums and 30 singles in just a handful of months—a period known as “Soul Explosion.” The gamble paid off, and at the 1969 Stax sales summit—themed “Getting It All Together”—the label reaffirmed its place as a soul powerhouse. Craft Recordings celebrates the 50th anniversary of this prolific, make-or-break moment for Stax—and its enduring legacy—with a wide selection of physical and digital reissues. Additionally, Craft will pay tribute to the label throughout the year with a series of playlists, original content, contests and more.

It's time to walk the line. Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati presents the regional premiere of Skeleton Crew, a compelling drama about a driven team of autoworkers trying to navigate a cutthroat industry. This searing new play is by Dominique Morisseau (Detroit '67 ), a 2018 recipient of the prestigious MacArthur Foundation Fellows Program (unofficially referred to as a Genius Grant). Skeleton Crew is the final installment of Morisseau's powerful Detroit Project, which was inspired by August Wilson's landmark Century Cycle. Playing April 13-May 11, 2019. Directed by Stori Ayers. Production Sponsor is The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation.

If you enjoyed the 2008 and 2018 MAMMA MIA! movies, you are going to love the original musical from which the Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried-vehicle came. Running April 10 through May 12, featuring toe-tapping, danceable songs from the Swedish supergroup ABBA, American Stage has created the Greek island of Kalokairi at Demens Landing Park for its production of MAMMA MIA! under the direction of American Stage's artistic director Stephanie Gularte.

Lively McCabe Entertainment Co-President Michael Barra proudly announces a slate of three new stage musicals in partnership with licensing agency Theatrical Rights Worldwide (TRW) and music powerhouse BMG. These initial three projects, all which will have premiere productions in 2020 (TBA), will feature select music from the BMG catalog, as part of their previously announced partnership with Lively McCabe.

Americans talk about racial and cultural identity as if walking on eggshells. As with so many hot button issues in the 21stcentury, we have become polarized on these topics because it is easier to lean completely into a position rather than explore the gray territory of nuance and contradiction. In her play Smart People, Lydia R. Diamond is intent on having a conversation that, if it doesn't entirely resist cliche and stereotype, at least uses them as devices to trigger a messier, more complex dialogue.

Another Planet Entertainment, Superfly, and Starr Hill Presents are thrilled to announce the lineup for Outside Lands 2019. Outside Lands will return for the 12th year to San Francisco's historic Golden Gate Park on August 9 - 11 for an amazing, delicious, awe-inspiring weekend of music, art and the best culinary experiences the Bay Area has to offer. 3-Day GA and VIP tickets go on saleThursday, March 28th at 10 am PT at www.SFOutsideLands.com.

It's time to walk the line. Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati presents the regional premiere of Skeleton Crew, a compelling drama about a driven team of autoworkers trying to navigate a cutthroat industry.

Today's subject Laura Giannarelli has been living her theatre life for many years now on both sides of the footlights. As a performer she just completed a star turn in Gulf View Drive at Washington Stage Guild (WSG), the company she helped found back in 1986. The company's current show Resolving Hedda runs through April 14th at their home at The Undercroft Theatre at Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church.

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater announces the full company for the world premiere of Tazewell Thompson's inspirational a cappella music infused play, Jubilee. Inspired by the world-renowned Fisk Jubilee Singers, this uplifting new work chronicles the bold African American ensemble as they travel the world, captivating kings, queens and audiences with hymns and spiritual songs supported by their rich voices. Written and directed by Thompson with vocal arrangements and music direction by Dianne Adams McDowell, Jubilee runs April 26 - June 2, 2019 in the Kreeger Theater.

Iconic, multi-Platinum-selling, three-time GRAMMY® Award-winning artist Michael W. Smithhosted an inclusive, multi-racial, multi-denominational and multi-generational gathering of 14,000 people at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN last August. The energy, passion and unity of the event was captured as it happened on AWAKEN: The Surrounded Experience releasing today (Feb. 22) from Rocketown Records and The Fuel Music. Available now athttp://fanlink.to/michaelwsmith, the album features Smith along with special guest CeCe Winans and the voices of all those who attended the evening.

A young Classics professor puts her career-and her love life-in peril, and calls on the gods of Ancient Greece to save her. Things don't go according to plan when the gods who show up are The Gods of Comedy!

Inspired by his Good Morning America-featured live worship album Surrounded, which is nominated for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album–his eleventh GRAMMY nomination,Michael W. Smith hosted “A Night to Pray, Worship and Be Awakened” at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN last August. The energy, passion and unity of the event was captured as it happened on AWAKEN: The Surrounded Experience releasing Feb. 22 from Rocketown Records and The Fuel Music. The album features the multi-Platinum, three-time GRAMMY® Award-winning artist along with special guest CeCe Winans and the voices of 14,000 that attended the evening.

Over MLK Weekend, students from the Franklin School for the Performing Arts (FSPA) traveled to New York City to study with Broadway professionals. FSPA Musical Theater students of all ages took Song Interpretation, Monologue, and Theater Dance classes with Broadway stars, casting directors, and agents, while FSPA Dance students took classes at the world-renowned Broadway Dance Center. This trip has been an annual offering for FSPA students since 2008.

Book-It Repertory Theatre [Book-It] announces that Founder and Founding Co-Artistic Director Jane Jones and Founding Co-Artistic Director Myra Platt will step down from their roles at the end of Book-It's 30th season, in the summer of 2020. Over the next year, Book-It plans to hire a new artistic director through a local and national search.

The Country Music Association has today announced its new Board of Directors for both CMA and the CMA Foundation. The appointments are effective on Jan. 1, 2019. 

Billboard journalist Tom Roland was presented with the 2018 CMA Media Achievement Award backstage Wednesday, Nov. 14 during “The 52nd Annual CMA Awards” at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena. Country Music Hall of Fame member and three-time CMA Awards winner Bill Anderson addressed journalists during the CMA Awards press conference, surprising Roland with the honor. 

The Imperial Theatre Box Office (249 West 45th Street) will open Monday November 19th at 1pm for RUBEN STUDDARD and CLAY AIKEN in Ruben & Clay's First Annual Christmas Carol Family Fun Pageant Spectacular Reunion Show (aka "Ruben & Clay's Christmas Show"), the monumental, one-of-a-kind Holiday spectacular Broadway show that will begin performances on Broadway Friday, December 7th, with Opening Night set for December 11th.  This limited engagement runs through December 30th only.  

Winners of the prestigious international Search for New Musicals were announced today at New Musicals Inc. in Los Angeles.

The UK premieres of two works choreographed by Sadler's Wells Associate Artist Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, with designs by his regular collaborator, the sculptor Antony Gormley, are presented by Swedish contemporary dance company GoteborgsOperans Danskompani at Sadler's Wells this autumn.

CMT.com premiered the groundbreaking music video for Tenille Arts' debut Reviver Records single “I Hate This” today. For the first time in a Country music video, producers constructed a set that could rotate 360 degrees. As the cameras rolled, so did the set...and Tenille. 

Good morning BroadwayWorld! Today's top stories: go inside A Very Wicked Halloween, and more!

On Tuesday, November 6, 2018, at Cipriani 42nd Street, the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) will hold its annual gala to celebrate five outstanding individuals and organizations for their contributions to the fields of art, craft, and design. In addition, this year's MAD Ball will feature the announcement of the winner of the inaugural Burke Prize, an unrestricted $50,000 award given to a professional artist working in craft.

This year, a living legend of musical theatre turns 90: Lyricist-bookwriter Tom Jones (who also, under a stage name) appeared in the original company of his most famous and wildly successful record-breaking musical, The Fantasticks. His collaborator, composer Harvey Schmidt, just recently passed away. The production's record-breaking run closed, on January 13, 2002, after 17,162 performances. Their shows also include 110 in the Shade, I Do! I Do!, Philemon, Celebration and many more. And celebration is what it's about when Broadway veterans Carole Demas, who originated the role of Sandy in Grease, and Sarah Rice, who originated the role of Johanna in Sweeney Todd, return to celebrate Jones & Schmidt. Demas and Rice have based the show on their 50 years of work and personal relationships with Tom and Harvey. With very special guest Broadway's Hal Robinson who is also a Fantasticks alumni.