Co-Optimists - 1924 - West End Articles Page 1

San Francisco Opera released production photos for Jules Massenet's romantic masterwork MANON, starring soprano Amina Edris and tenor Pene Pati, conducted by Music Director Eun Sun Kim at the War Memorial Opera House.

The Boston Civic Symphony opens its 102nd season with a program featuring works by Brahms, Stravinsky, and Beethoven, led by Music Director Francisco Noya and featuring soloists Alexander Kerr, Emmanuel Feldman, and Joy Cline Phinney.

Birdland Jazz Club and Birdland Theater will present nightly performances throughout October, featuring The Hot Sardines, Ron Carter, and birthday celebrations for Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk.

The Dance Hall of Fame announced its second class of honorees, including Debbie Allen, George Balanchine, Toni Basil, Katherine Dunham, Savion Glover, Mandy Moore, the Nicholas Brothers, and WEST SIDE STORY legends George Chakiris, Rita Moreno and Russ Tamblyn.

The National Alliance for Musical Theatre and The Ira & Leonore Gershwin Philanthropic Fund launched a new granting program providing $2,000 to $5,000 to member organizations developing musicals from existing songs, stories and cultural touchstones.

Opéra de Montréal will present Puccini's TURANDOT at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, featuring a new ending by Christopher Tin and Susan Soon He Stanton in a co-production with Washington National Opera and The Dallas Opera.

San Francisco Opera will present Massenet's MANON at the War Memorial Opera House, led by Music Director Eun Sun Kim and starring Amina Edris and Pene Pati in Vincent Boussard's production.

Music Director Francisco Noya will lead the Boston Civic Symphony in works by Brahms, Stravinsky, and Beethoven, including a collaboration with Chorus pro Musica at New England Conservatory's Jordan Hall.

Center Theatre Group will present Big League Productions' national tour of THE MUSIC MAN at the Ahmanson Theatre from October 27 to November 8, 2026, marking the show's first major Los Angeles engagement since 1980.

Theatre has always intersected with politics, and the presence of American presidents in Broadway, off-Broadway, and regional theatre plays and musicals is a major part of this. Did you know that all of our heads of state have been featured in shows, whether as characters or as plot points that are part of the action? Dramatizing current and former leaders of our nation is a way to examine their affect on society at the time and how political events, even those of many years ago, still impact us all. 

Over the years, Broadway has seen a number of family acts sharing the stage. It’s extra special when family members team up to write a Broadway show together. The Great White Way has seen many instances of this historically, in a variety of different situations. While last week’s column focused on spouses penning shows together, this week is all about blood relatives partnering to write work. 

What better way to spend a warm summer evening than sitting in a park listening to Broadway tunes. Renaissance man Sam Jewison – an accomplished singer, jazz pianist and, surprisingly, conductor – duly delivers what the audience hankers after in a one-off performance at Opera Holland Park.

Insight Colab Theatre will present SHADOWS & SECRETS, a staged multimedia whodunit radio play by Nancy Wang, at Vintage Theatre in Aurora, CO, exploring the mysterious 1924 death of restaurateur Chin Foin in mob-era Chicago.

Opera Laguna will present a one-night-only semi-staged concert of The Student Prince on July 3 at the Laguna Playhouse. The production stars Arnold Livingston Geis and is directed by Josh Shaw.

Juilliard has revealed its 2026–27 season programming for the Music Division under its dean and director, David Serkin Ludwig, across Orchestra, Chamber Music, Vocal Arts, Jazz, and Historical Performance, students, faculty, and guest artists.

The MVP of the show is the dynamic Oqalile Tshetshe, who has a star-making role that he inhabits with complexity, depth, and grace.

BYMT will present the world premiere of PAPER STARS, a new musical exploring the early life of Mary Poppins creator P.L. Travers, at Barnfield Theatre, Exeter from August 14-16, 2026.

Read memories from George and Ira Gershwin's 101-year-old cousin as told at a private event last night featuring Michael Feinstein, and see photos from the event snapped by Stephen Sorokoff.

California Symphony, led by Artistic and Music Director Donato Cabrera and Executive Director Lisa Dell, has unveiled its 2026-2027 season, celebrating 40 years of bringing orchestral music to the Bay Area.

In 1936, 12 year old Frankie Ross Wolpin sat next to her cousin George Gershwin on his piano bench in New York City while he played the piano.  Last night (February 5th 2026) the 101 year old Frankie was seated next to Michael Feinstein on another piano bench as he played and sang Gershwin’s “Our Love Is Here To Stay”.

BYMT has announced its 2026 season lineup, which includes several new productions set to captivate audiences. The season promises a diverse range of shows catering to various tastes and interests.

Renowned director Sir Trevor Nunn returns to Arts Theatre Cambridge to direct EASY VIRTUE, featuring Alice Orr-Ewing, Michael Praed, and Greta Scacchi.

The concert DUKE IN AFRICA, exploring the influence of African music on Duke Ellington, plays through Jan. 17. We spoke with co-music director Chris Lewis about the show, which features the renowned Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.

Troupe has announced the full cast and creative team for its forthcoming production of Noël Coward’s The Rat Trap, reimagined by Bill Rosenfield. Learn more here!

Get ready for a booming afternoon on November 26 at the South Street Seaport Museum-a front-row preview of the iconic New York City Thanksgiving Day Parade, a day early in the Seaport!