The Critic - 1925 - Broadway Articles Page 4

The Douglas Morrisson Theatre is excited to announce the third show in our Revelations Season: the witty and provocative MRS. WARREN'S PROFESSION by George Bernard Shaw, the playwright of Pygmalion and Major Barbara.

The Passion of Joan of Arc (Carl Theodor Dreyer, 1928) is widely regarded as not only one of the most important films from the silent era but a movie that proved film could also be art. On Sunday, January 17 at 7:30pm the cult-classic will be screened in VPAC's Great Hall, accompanied by The Orlando Consort's period medieval music-much of which was composed during Joan of Arc's lifetime--for a unique evening blending silent film with live music that bring the story of Saint Joan to life onstage.

Every Tuesday, eager cartoonists line up outside the office of New Yorker cartoon editor Bob Mankoff to show off their work. After he sifts through thousands of submissions, the magazine ends up buying and publishing about 15 each week. 

Boston, MA — Two of Boston's leading musical ensembles—the Boston Modern Orchestra Project (BMOP) and Odyssey Opera—unite onstage for a special concert honoring the great Pulitzer­winning composer Gunther Schuller (1925-­ 2015). Between them, these two organizations have a repertoire spanning a wide array of genres, and this program will offer the distinctive sound of Schuller's fusion of jazz vernacular with the symphonic and operatic world. Gil Rose will lead BMOP in two enjoyable narratives for all ages, Schuller's Journey Into Jazz and The Fisherman and His Wife, joined by Gunther's sons Ed Schuller (bass) and George Schuller (drums) as special guest artists, and Odyssey Opera, featuring Met Opera regular, mezzo-­soprano Sondra Kelly. Rounding out the program will be Schuller's sinfonietta work Games.

Boston, MA — Two of Boston's leading musical ensembles—the Boston Modern Orchestra Project (BMOP) and Odyssey Opera—unite onstage for a special concert honoring the great Pulitzer­winning composer Gunther Schuller (1925-­ 2015). Between them, these two organizations have a repertoire spanning a wide array of genres, and this program will offer the distinctive sound of Schuller's fusion of jazz vernacular with the symphonic and operatic world. Gil Rose will lead BMOP in two enjoyable narratives for all ages, Schuller's Journey Into Jazz and The Fisherman and His Wife, joined by Gunther's sons Ed Schuller (bass) and George Schuller (drums) as special guest artists, and Odyssey Opera, featuring Met Opera regular, mezzo-­soprano Sondra Kelly. Rounding out the program will be Schuller's sinfonietta work Games. Continuing its 20th anniversary season, BMOP is thrilled and humbled to be presenting works by Schuller, the orchestra's longtime collaborator and friend. “There was no more prodigious and passionate master of the musical 20th century in America than Gunther Schuller,” says Gil Rose, Artistic Director, Founder, and Conductor of BMOP and Odyssey Opera. “He was American music making at its best.” Ranking among the most eclectic of his generation or any other, Schuller combined jazz and classical music in new ways. In the 1950s, Schuller's revolutionary, hybrid style became know as “Third Stream,” and entered the classical music mainstream. Schuller served as President of the New England Conservatory, where he established a successful degree-­granting jazz program, from 1967-­1977. He made his home in Newton, MA, and passed away on June 21, 2015 in Boston at the age of 89. Opening the program is Schuller's Games (2013)—written at age 90—for wind quintet and strings, offering a lighthearted, rapid-­??fire amalgam of ideas, rhythms, and tongue-­in-­cheek quotations that is a classic display of the composer's trademark nimbleness and wit. The organic fusion of contemporary classical music and modern jazz that characterizes the Third Stream is front and center in Journey Into Jazz (1962), a strong aesthetic statement about the porous nature of musical boundaries and the shared fundamentals of good musicianship. In the manner of Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf, Journey Into Jazz features a narration by famed jazz critic and author Nat Hentoff that tells the story of a young classically-­trained trumpeter who evolves into a jazz improviser and, ultimately, an artist with his own, individual sound. BMOP is thrilled to welcome Gunther's sons Ed Schuller (bass) and George Schuller (drums) as guest artists for this special tribute performance. Audiences can listen to BMOP perform Journey Into Jazz on BMOP/sound's eponymous recording of 2008. Of that disc, Gramophone wrote “Under Gil Rose's caring direction, the Boston Modern Orchestra Project and stellar instrumental soloists give performances that are not likely to be surpassed for some time.” Also on the program is another work of Schuller's that centers on narrative, the one-­act opera The Fisherman and His Wife (1970), which received its first performance by the Boston Opera Company under the direction of Sarah Caldwell. With a libretto by John Updike, the work is derived from the German fairy tale popularized by the Brothers Grimm and is appealing for all ages. A simple fisherman (performed here by tenor Steven Goldstein) is convinced by his wife (performed here by mezzo-­soprano Sondra Kelly) to ask for more and more favors from a great fish he has captured and thrown back into the sea. When the wife asks to play God, she and her husband are reduced to their original poor state, having learned some lessons along the way. About BMOP The Boston Modern Orchestra Project (BMOP) is the premier orchestra in the United States dedicated exclusively to commissioning, performing, and recording music of the twentieth and twenty-­first centuries. A unique institution of crucial artistic importance to today's musical world, BMOP exists to disseminate exceptional orchestral music of the present and recent past via performances and recordings of the highest caliber. Founded by Artistic Director Gil Rose in 1996, BMOP has championed composers whose careers span nine decades. Each season, Rose brings BMOP's award-­??winning orchestra, renowned soloists, and influential composers to the stage of New England Conservatory's historic Jordan Hall in a series that offers orchestral programming of unmatched diversity. The musicians of BMOP are consistently lauded for the energy, imagination, and passion with which they infuse the music of the present era. For more information, please visit BMOP.org. About Odyssey Opera Founded in 2013 by Artistic Director/Conductor Gil Rose, Odyssey Opera presents adventurous and eclectic works that affirm opera as a powerful expression of the human experience. Its world-­??class artists perform the operatic repertoire from its historic beginnings throughlesser-­??known masterpieces to contemporary new works and commissions in a variety of formats and venues. Odyssey Opera sets standards of high musical and theatrical excellence and innovative programming to advance the operatic genre beyond the familiar and into undiscovered territory. Odyssey Opera takes its audience on a journey to places they've never been before. For more information, please visit odysseyopera.org.

'Eric Bentley's Brecht-Eisler Songbook,' the debut CD from soprano actress Karyn Levitt, will be available from Roven Records today, October 30.

Arriving on the scene after the French New Wave, with emotionally raw, tumultuous films that reflect his own life and personality, Maurice Pialat (1925-2003) was widely acclaimed in France, but underappreciated in the United States.

Arriving on the scene after the French New Wave, with emotionally raw, tumultuous films that reflect his own life and personality, Maurice Pialat (1925-2003) was widely acclaimed in France, but underappreciated in the United States.

'Eric Bentley's Brecht-Eisler Songbook,' the debut CD from soprano actress Karyn Levitt, will be available from Roven Records on October 30.

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey will present George Bernard Shaw's comedy Misalliance, directed by Artistic Associate/Casting Director Stephen Brown-Fried. Performances begin Wednesday, August 5th and continue through Sunday, August 30th at the F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre, 36 Madison Avenue (at Lancaster Road) in Madison. Individual tickets and subscriptions can be purchased by calling the Box Office at 973-408-5600 or by visiting ShakespeareNJ.org.

Art & culture are vital to our existence and Seattle Theatre Group's 2015-2016 season features ample offerings of live performance experiences from arts provocateurs, global masters, cultural icons, and contemporary legends.

Following critically-acclaimed runs at London's National Theater and Philadelphia's The Wilma Theater along with recognition in Israel and throughout Europe, The Temple Emanu-El Skirball Center and the Polish Cultural Institute New York present a one-night-only staged reading of Our Class by Tadeusz S?obodzianek. The cast includes Emmy, Oscar and Tony-winner Ellen Burstyn; Obie winner Alvin Epstein; Tony-nominee Boyd Gaines; Mamie Gummer (The Good Wife, Emily Owens, M.D.); Randy Harrison (Queer as Folk); Grant Kretchik; Obie winner Brian Murray; John Pankow (Episodes, Mad About You); Obie winner Austin Pendleton. The staged reading is directed by Cosmin Chivu and includes original music by Jesse Selengut performed by Tatiana Eva-Marie (vocal), Marius Mihalache (cimbalom) and Stefan Zeniuk (clarinet). Previously announced performers, Nina Arianda, Kim Cattrall and Hunter Parrish, are no longer available to participate in the reading.

National Recording Registry To “Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive”. Joan Baez, Sly Stone, Steve Martin Recordings Named American Treasures

Called 'a cabaret icon' by NBC Chicago, After Dark Award-winning vocalist Joan Curto performs her new tribute show Joan Curto Sings Sondheim- everybody says don't, that will be marking the 85th birthday of celebrated composer Stephen Sondheim (March 23, 1925).

Following critically-acclaimed runs at London's National Theater and Philadelphia's The Wilma Theater along with recognition in Israel and throughout Europe, The Temple Emanu-El Skirball Center and the Polish Cultural Institute New York present a one-night-only staged reading of Our Class by Tadeusz Slobodzianek. The cast includes Tony-winner Nina Arianda; Emmy, Oscar and Tony-winner Ellen Burstyn; Golden Globe winner Kim Cattrall; Obie winner Alvin Epstein; Obie winner Brian Murray; television stars John Pankow and Hunter Parrish; Obie winner Austin Pendleton. The staged reading is directed by Cosmin Chivu with original music by Jesse Selengut.

Called 'a cabaret icon' by NBC Chicago, After Dark Award-winning vocalist Joan Curto performs her new tribute show Joan Curto Sings Sondheim- everybody says don't, that will be marking the 85th birthday of celebrated composer Stephen Sondheim (March 23, 1925).

The rebel wind quintet, WindSync, which won the 2012 Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition, will be making its Met Museum debut on Sunday afternoon, December 14, 3 p.m. at the Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium. The ensemble is comprised of Garrett Hudson, flute; Erin Tsai, oboe; Jack Marquardt, clarinet; Tracy Jacobson, bassoon; and Anni Hochhalter, horn.

American pianist Carolyn Enger will perform concerts on two prestigious series: The Kosciuszko Foundation, Thursday, November 6, 2014 at 7 p.m. and the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., Sunday, November 30, 2014 at 3:30 p.m. The Kosciuszko Foundation concert includes a tribute to American composer Ned Rorem for his 91st birthday, and the National Gallery program features music by mid-20th-century American composers.

Mint Theater's newest production is The Fatal Weakness by George Kelly. Jesse Marchesedirects a cast that features Cliff Bemis, Cynthia Darlow, Kristin Griffith, Sean Patrick Hopkins, Patricia Kilgarriff, and Victoria Mack. The Fatal Weakness has scenic design Vicki R. Davis, costume design by Andrea Varga, lighting design by Christian DeAngelis, original music & sound design by Jane Shaw, and properties design by Joshua Yocom. Performances will continue through October 12th. Opening Night is set for Monday September 15th (7pm) at Mint's home (311 West 43rd Street, just west of 8th Avenue).

Exactly one century since its 1914 London premiere, Flat Earth Theatre presents PYGMALION, George Bernard Shaw's classic comedy of manners, newly adapted and directed by local fiction writer and Flat Earth Company Member Devon Jones. This irreverent reimagining of Shaw's time-tested story will run today, August 22nd - 30th, 2014, and will be the third and final production in Flat Earth's 2014 Season, 'Literature in Dystopia.'

Mint Theater's next production will be The Fatal Weakness by George Kelly. Jesse Marchese directs a cast that features Cliff Bemis, Cynthia Darlow, Kristin Griffith, Sean Patrick Hopkins, Patricia Kilgarriff, and Victoria Mack. The Fatal Weakness will have scenic design Vicki R. Davis, costume design by Andrea Varga, lighting design by Christian DeAngelis, original music & sound design by Jane Shaw, and properties design by Joshua Yocom. Performances will begin tonight, August 19th and continue through October 12th. Opening Night is set for Monday September 15th (7pm) at Mint's home (311 West 43rd Street, just west of 8th Avenue).

Mint Theater's latest production The Fatal Weakness by George Kelly will begin performances Tuesday August 19th. Jesse Marchese directs a cast that features Cliff Bemis, Cynthia Darlow, Kristin Griffith, Sean Patrick Hopkins, Patricia Kilgarriff, and Victoria Mack. The Fatal Weakness will have scenic design Vicki R. Davis, costume design by Andrea Varga, lighting design by Christian DeAngelis, original music & sound design by Jane Shaw, and properties design by Joshua Yocom. Performances continue through October 12th only. Opening Night is set for Monday September 15th (7pm) at Mint's home (311 West 43rd Street, just west of 8th Avenue).

Exactly one century since its 1914 London premiere, Flat Earth Theatre presents PYGMALION, George Bernard Shaw's classic comedy of manners, newly adapted and directed by local fiction writer and Flat Earth Company Member Devon Jones. This irreverent reimagining of Shaw's time-tested story will run August 22nd - 30th, 2014, and will be the third and final production in Flat Earth's 2014 Season, "Literature in Dystopia."

Mint Theater's next production will be The Fatal Weakness by George Kelly. Jesse Marchese directs a cast that features Cliff Bemis, Cynthia Darlow, Kristin Griffith, Sean Patrick Hopkins, Patricia Kilgarriff, and Victoria Mack. The Fatal Weakness will have scenic design Vicki R. Davis, costume design by Andrea Varga, lighting design by Christian DeAngelis, original music & sound design by Jane Shaw, and properties design by Joshua Yocom. Performances will begin Tuesday August 19th and continue through October 12th. Opening Night is set for Monday September 15th (7pm) at Mint's home (311 West 43rd Street, just west of 8th Avenue).

Pittsburgh Public Theater's Masterpiece Season continues with George Bernard Shaw's sparkling comedy, Candida, directed by Ted Pappas. Candida runs today, April 17 - May 18, 2014 at the O'Reilly Theater, Pittsburgh Public Theater's home in the heart of Downtown's Cultural District.