Co-Optimists - 1924 - West End Articles Page 9

Casting for the third and fourth weeks of American Ballet Theatre's 2019 Spring season at the Metropolitan Opera House was announced today by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie.

Playwright Noel Coward's effervescent 1930s comedy "Private Lives" will be the fourth and final play of the Hampton Theatre Company's 2018-2019 season, opening on May 23 at the Quogue Community Hall and running through June 9.

Award-winning artists' collective Rogue Artists Ensemble is thrilled to announce the Inaugural Rogue Lab Readings Series, a four-day event that includes readings of seven new works written, directed, and designed by emerging LA artists, as well as post-show discussions and receptions. The reading series will feature new plays by 2018-2019 Rogue Lab playwrights Lisa Sanaye Dring, Eric Fagundes, John Guerra, Mildred Inez Lewis, Chelsea Sutton, and Jennie Webb, and a special new play presentation by writing team Taylor Coffman and Z. Lupetin.

In this solo concert, RESONANCE III, Miki Orihara will be dancing Martha Graham's 'Lamentation (1930)', Doris Humphrey's 'Two Ecstatic Themes (1931)', Seiko Takata's work 'Mother (1938)' Konami Ishii's 'Moon Desert (early 1930's)' and Yuriko's 'Cry (1963)'.

Actress Fay McKenzie Waldman passed away peacefully in her sleep on the morning of April 16th at the age of 101. She was born February 19, 1918 into a show business family where she was the youngest of two sisters and an actress cousin, and made her screen debut at only ten weeks old in "Station Content" (1918) in which she was carried in the arms of Gloria Swanson. Her parents, Eva & Bob "Pops" McKenzie were already veteran performers and apparently wanted their daughter to get an early start in films. She nearly stole the show from Oliver Hardy as "the baby" in the Alice Howell short "Distilled Love" (filmed in 1918 but released two years later). By the time she was six, Fay was considered an old hand, having played diverse parts in her father's stock company. Among her early films was the 1924 Photoplay Medal Winner, "The Dramatic Life of Abraham Lincoln." 

Irish Repertory Theatre (Charlotte Moore, Artistic Director and Ciar n O'Reilly, Producing Director) announced today special events and programming for the month of May as part of The Sean O'Casey Season, celebrating 30 years of Irish Repertory Theatre. May's events will include a screening of the biographical film Under the Colored Cap by Sean O'Casey's daughter, Shivaun O'Casey; an original concert of songs from O'Casey's plays; and two free scholar-led panels about O'Casey's life that will be livestreamed on Facebook.

On Sunday, May 19 at 7:30 p.m., New Yorkers of all ages will take the Zankel Hall stage for Soul Mechanism: A Concert Celebrating the Music of Migrations, a special evening that marks the culmination of a citywide creative learning project. Led by celebrated performer Toshi Reagon and a band made up of longtime collaborators, the concert will showcase original songs written by New Yorkers in a performance featuring American roots songstress Martha Redbone, jazz and gospel vocalist Lizz Wright, singer-songwriter and filmmaker Be Steadwell, activist-artist Taina Asili, Sudanese singer Alsarah Elgadi, and other special guest artists.

Hailed as "one of the great amateur choruses of our time (New York Today) for its "full-bodied sound and suppleness (The New York Times)," The Dessoff Choirs continues its 94th season with Whitman and the Civil War: a spring concert inspired by the American poet and journalist Walt Whitman (1819-1892) and his relationship with the Civil War. As part of a season-long celebration of Whitman's bicentennial, Dessoff's 50 singers will perform exquisite choral settings of Whitman's poetry by Van, Clausen, Weill, and Stanford as well as the world premiere of Ian Sturges Milliken's Whispers of Heavenly Death. (Please scroll below for complete program details.)

Following solo and concerto performances at Queens College's Karol Rathaus Festival last month, Polish-Canadian pianist Daniel Wnukowski (vnoo-koff'-skee) further champions the music of this long-neglected Galician-Jewish composer with the launch of a recording cycle of Karol Rathaus's complete works for solo piano. The project, spanning four volumes on Toccata Classics, is an extension of Mr. Wnukowski's advocacy for music suppressed by the Nazi regime, and all of the works on Volume 1 appear on recording for the first time.

A star-studded cast led by Becky Ann Baker (HBO's "Girls."), 5-Time Tony nominee Dana Ivy (off-Broadway's original "Driving Miss Daisy"), 4-Time Oscar nominee Marsha Mason ("The Goodbye Girl") and Tony winner John Rubinstein ("Children of a Lesser God") will perform in a benefit reading of "The Torch-Bearers" for Bucks County Playhouse. Performances will be held in New York at the Westside Theatre on Monday, March 11 at 7:00 p.m. and then two days later at Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope on Wednesday, March 13 at 7:00 pm. The reading is the first of three benefit readings that will mark the Playhouse's 80th anniversary.

The Case Western Reserve University/Cleveland Play House MFA Acting Program is proud to present Noel Coward's classic comedy Hay Fever. This madcap play about a weekend with the eccentric Bliss family will star the MFA Class of 2020 and a guest performer.  Director Jerrold Scott's production will take the audience back to the 1920's and remind them of the joy of life and fear of boredom. The show will run from February 27th-March 9th in Helen Theatre at Playhouse Square.

Music's Biggest Night - the GRAMMYs - is here! Live from STAPLES Center, and hosted by Alicia Keys, the 61st Annual GRAMMY Awards will be broadcast on CBS at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT. 

A star-studded cast led by Becky Ann Baker (HBO's 'Girls.'), 5-Time Tony nominee Dana Ivey (off-Broadway's original 'Driving Miss Daisy'), 4-Time Oscar nominee Marsha Mason ('The Goodbye Girl') and Tony winner John Rubinstein ('Children of a Lesser God') will star in a benefit reading of 'The Torch-Bearers' for Bucks County Playhouse. Performances will be held in New York at the Westside Theatre on Monday, March 11 at 7:00 p.m. and then two days later at Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope on Wednesday, March 13 at 7:00 pm.  The reading is the first of three benefit readings that will mark the Playhouse's 80th anniversary.

Music Director Leon Botstein leads The Orchestra Now (T N) in a special all-Rathaus concert as part of the Karol Rathaus Festival organized by the Aaron Copland School of Music, in honor of Queens College's first professor of composition. Including public lectures, master classes, and a chamber music concert, the Festival culminates with its only orchestral performance, given by T N on February 24, 2019.

Be transported to medieval times and experience the magical world of The Sleeping Beauty at Princess Aurora's 16th birthday in an evening that includes an exquisite selection of wines, signature cocktails, food and dancing. The Sleeping Beauty Soire e promises to be a transformative experience like no other Friday, February 8 at 7:30 pm in celebration of The Washington Ballet.

On Monday, March 4 at 6:30pm the medieval court of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table will come to life on the stage of the Vivian Beaumont Theater when Lin-Manuel Miranda stars as King Arthur in Lerner & Loewe's CAMELOT, directed by Bartlett Sher, for a one-night-only concert event to benefit Lincoln Center Theater.  He will be joined by Solea Pfeiffer as Guenevere, Jordan Donica as Sir Lancelot, Dakin Matthews as Merlyn, Ruthie Ann Miles as Nimue, Ethan Slater as Mordred, Julie White as Morgan Le Fey, and Jenn Colella, Jason Danieley, and Bonnie Milligan as three of the Knights of the Round Table.   Andy & Betsy Kenny Lack, Brooke & Daniel Neidich, and Caryn Zucker are the Benefit Co-Chairs.  Proceeds from the evening will support Lincoln Center Theater's productions and education programs.

Hailed as “one of the great amateur choruses of our time (New York Today) for its “full-bodied sound and suppleness (The New York Times),” The Dessoff Choirs continues its 94th season with Whitman and the Civil War: a spring concert inspired by the American poet and journalist Walt Whitman (1819-1892) and his relationship with the Civil War. As part of a season-long celebration of Whitman's bicentennial, Dessoff's 50 singers will perform exquisite choral settings of Whitman's poetry by Van, Clausen, Weill, and Stanford as well as the world premiere of Ian Sturges Milliken's Whispers of Heavenly Death. (Please scroll below for complete program details.)

Hailed as "one of the great amateur choruses of our time (New York Today) for its "full-bodied sound and suppleness (The New York Times)," The Dessoff Choirs continues its 94th season with Whitman and the Civil War: a spring concert inspired by the American poet and journalist Walt Whitman (1819-1892) and his relationship with the Civil War. As part of a season-long celebration of Whitman's bicentennial, Dessoff's 50 singers will perform exquisite choral settings of Whitman's poetry by Van, Clausen, Weill, and Stanford as well as the world premiere of Ian Sturges Milliken's Whispers of Heavenly Death. (Please scroll below for complete program details.)

A longtime advocate for music suppressed by the Nazi regime, Polish-Canadian pianist Daniel Wnukowski (vnoo-koff'-skee) makes his New York debut this February as part of a festival dedicated to the music of Galician-Jewish composer Karol Rathaus (1895-1954). Little-known today, Rathaus was a protege of Franz Schreker and built a successful career in Berlin before fleeing in 1932 due to the deteriorating political situation in Germany. He first migrated to Paris, then to London in 1934. He settled in New York in 1938 and joined the music faculty of Queens College two years later as its first professor of composition.

General Director and CEO Deborah Sandler today announced the next production of Lyric Opera of Kansas City's Explorations Series, Mack The Knife is The Man I Love: A Weill-Gershwin Cabaret which will feature the songs of George and Ira Gershwin and Kurt Weill. The 2018-2019 Explorations Series performance, with musical direction by Mark Markham and stage direction by Fenlon Lamb, will showcase the Lyric Opera's Resident Artists, including Kaylie Kahlich, Kelly Birch, Joseph Leppek, and James Maverick, plus Apprentice Artists Ruby Dibble, Jonathan Ray, and Armando Contreras. The performance will be held February 9 at 7:30 p.m. at the Lyric Opera's Michael and Ginger Frost Production Arts Building.

Align Entertainment presents the cheerful escapades of little orphan Annie from February 1-16, 2019, at the Michael J. Fox Theatre in Burnaby. Following the successful fall production of A Christmas Story: The Musical, the Ovation Award-winning company closes the 2018/2019 season with the story of Annie, a plucky 11-year-old overflowing with infectious optimism and curly red hair. The Tony and Grammy Award-winning musical is set against the backdrop of the Great Depression, throwing into sharp relief the beauty of the spirited character's hopefulness in dire times. Featuring a fresh cast of young local talent, the production is a heart-warming antidote to the long grey days of winter.

American Stage is excited to continue their support of the next generation of American playwrights with their 2019 21ST CENTURY VOICES: NEW PLAY FESTIVAL. This festival is a core component of our 21stCENTURY VOICES: EMERGING PLAYS, dedicated to discovering, developing, and introducing audiences to new works for the stage. A diverse committee of 40 community members works alongside our Producing Artistic Director Stephanie Gularte each year to read and evaluate over 500 new play submissions from up-and-coming playwrights across the globe.

American Stage is excited to continue their support of the next generation of American playwrights with their 2019 21ST CENTURY VOICES: NEW PLAY FESTIVAL. This festival is a core component of our 21stCENTURY VOICES: EMERGING PLAYS, dedicated to discovering, developing, and introducing audiences to new works for the stage. A diverse committee of 40 community members works alongside our Producing Artistic Director Stephanie Gularte each year to read and evaluate over 500 new play submissions from up-and-coming playwrights across the globe.

San Francisco Playhouse celebrates the magic of the holiday season with the hit Broadway musical Mary Poppins. Susi Damilano will direct the Playhouse production, with music direction by Katie Coleman and choreography by Kimberly Richards.

A spectacle like no other awaits millions as the 92nd annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade®, America's favorite tradition, kicks-off the holiday season. The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is the nation's biggest and most anticipated holiday celebration. Millions of families will tune in to watch the excitement unfold on Thursday, Nov. 22 as Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker of NBC's 'Today' host the broadcast from 9 a.m.-noon in all time zones.