Two-Headed 2000

See first look photos Chicago Shakespeare Theater's The Winter's Tale, now in performances through December 12. The production launches the company's Shakespeare Repertory alongside A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Vangeline, founder of Vangeline Theater and New York Butoh Institute, appears in the new music video for A PERFECT CIRCLE's song TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN. The band launches an extensive North American tour.

Amanda Selwyn Dance Theatre announced a new Artist Pathway Series offering dance artists opportunities to develop and present work at its professional studio in Tribeca, including works-in-progress showings and a multi-day festival.

THE SMASHING PUMPKINS contributed an original track to THE HUNGER GAMES: SUNRISE ON THE REAPING (THE ALBUM), reuniting with producer Butch Vig for their first collaboration since 1993's SIAMESE DREAM.

Ensemble for These Times announced its 19th season program featuring world premieres by Alexander Malinas and Mary Bianco, Shostakovich selections in Yiddish, and new works by Andrea Casarrubios, David Garner, and Stella G. Gitelman Willoughby at Old First Concerts in San Francisco.

DIY punk and post-punk band Dead Air Network, featuring Pat A.V., Dave H., and Blanks 77 drummer Chad Phillips, releases new single drawing on decades of New Jersey punk history.

Former LATE NIGHT WITH DAVID LETTERMAN bandleader Paul Shaffer made quite a first impression on Ray Charles the first time they played together.

Canadian fiddlers Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy will perform at Columbus's Southern Theatre with their two eldest children, marking their return to the stage together.

It was an unusual night for San Diego and its symphony orchestra. The heavy rains of hurricane Rachel were headed our way, and rather than the usual short concert opener, Music Director and Conductor Rafael Payare jumped right into the compelling urgency of Aram Khachaturian’s violin concerto. It seemed appropriate, though a coincidence. Concert programs are scheduled long before the daily weather report. Khachaturian’s Violin Concerto Khachaturian was born in Armenia but spent most of his life in Russia, and I’ve tended to associate him with Prokofiev, Shostakovich and other Russians who became popular in American concert halls in the mid-20th century. Since I hadn’t heard the concerto in years, I listened to James Ehnes’s version of it the day before the concert, and Russian still seemed the right take. The composer worked with the legendary Russian violinist David Oistrakh to create a challenge for soloists. Armenian violinist Sergey Khachatryan passed the test. It was an exciting performance that changed my view of the work. His fiery opening had horse hairs flying off his bow before he got through the first four bars, and a crying vibrato in the concerto’s exotic softer moments clinched it. Armenia was more of an influence than Russia. Khachatryan’s approach made other interpretations seem almost polite. Payare and his musicians were all in with the violinist on ferocity. Following his lead, as percussion hammered rhythms the brass section blazed forcefully and clear in the hall’s fine acoustics. The pause was longer than usual following the first movement as the conductor applied a handkerchief to his heated brow while composing himself for the sensuous warmth of the second movement’s opening. Strings provided the Andante's rich warmth, and woodwinds a lighter contrast. Principal Clarinet Sheryl Rank’s gentle decoration and mirroring of the soloist’s mainline were especially appealing in calmer moments. The finale turns to lighthearted joy with a spritely waltzing theme in a major key. The lyrical second theme of the first movement returns briefly before brass and percussion voice a triumphantly optimistic conclusion; the sun was out after the storm. San Diego Symphony often has its musicians make the usual brief pre-concert announcements about cell phones, fire exits, and so on. Tuba Principal Aaron Mccalla’s had the mic on this evening, and after comparing the opening concerto to a hurricane, he observed that the ocean waves Rachel caused were like the waves of sound in Bruckner’s symphony. Bruckner’s Ninth Other great symphonists bring crescendos to well-defined climaxes. Bruckner constantly climbs toward what feels like a peak or just short of it, only to fall back into a trough of quieter, more thoughtful sounds. He does it over and over again in a wave pattern, as though searching for something he can’t quite find. Until a few years ago, I found that strange, and was unsure of how he meant listeners to feel. But I now believe it represents his religious fervor, and indeed, he dedicated his ninth 'to the beloved God' and sought musical perfection. Constant revision of prior works is a related characteristic. He’d been working on the ninth for nine years when he died, having completed three movements and sketched a fourth. Because of poor health, he was convinced the ninth would be his last symphony. It was, and he did not complete it partly because he was also revising his first, second, third, and eighth symphonies. No wonder conductors sometimes have trouble deciding which versions to use. Well-meaning followers have made it even more difficult by revising the composer’s orchestrations. The main options for the ninth are one of the completed three movement scores or one of many with a fourth movement based on the composer’s detailed sketch. There’s no doubt he wanted a fourth, but most conductors opt for three, as did Payare. He led the frequently performed Orel version of Bruckner’s last score as edited in 2000 by musicologist Benjamin-Gunnar Cohrs. Are the revisions done? I doubt it. An AI generated fourth movement is probably in the works. Bruckner makes even greater demands on the brass section than Khachaturian, and his unfinished ninth, nearly an hour long, calls for eight horns and a tuba in addition to the usual trumpets and trombones. Payare showed no mercy. An ex-horn player, he clearly glories in the way his brass section fills the hall. Demanding its best, and loudest, he rises en pointe and thrusts his arms toward heaven, the musical goal for both him and the devoutly religious Anton Bruckner. The first movement is labelled “Solemn, Mysterious.” It’s the lengthiest, with long sections of soft contemplation in the strings and woodwinds repeatedly interrupted by sudden drum rolls and brass calls. Swelling strings have a beautiful second theme which reappears briefly in the final movement. Payare brought the movement to an end with loud and commanding brass. The second and shortest movement is a scherzo. It begins with delicate pizzicato strings soon dismissed when the full orchestra unexpectedly interjects by pounding on a single note before the brass again takes command. The delicate-brutal pattern is repeated until the brass section finally says with determination, “enough of that” to end the movement. The third movement is marked “slow and solemn,” but again the brass section has its say, and here, as throughout the performance, Bruckner’s many abrupt and sudden transitions from fortissimo to pianissimo and back were smooth and effective. The symphony’s peak is reached with trumpet calls, clearly written in praise of God and thrilling under Payare’s baton. The movement ends with what seems Bruckner’s quiet acceptance of impending death. I understand why most conductors choose to leave it there, but Bruckner kept working on a final movement after completing the third and left extensive notes. I doubt we've seen the last attempt to complete his vision. If there is a heaven, he's already done that himself and revised it several times.

The Fisher Center at Bard, in association with the Center for Human Rights and the Arts at Bard College, will present EVIDENCE: 2026 LAB International Festival.

Vangeline, founder of the Vangeline Theater and New York Butoh Institute, appears dancing her solo Butoh Beethoven in the new music video for A PERFECT CIRCLE's 'TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN.'

Folk music pillars Gillian Welch and David Rawlings will perform in concert at the Nancy and David Bilheimer Capitol Theatre in Clearwater.

Members of DISTURBED, AEROSMITH, EXTREME, STAIND, and THREE DAYS GRACE will unite for a one-night-only benefit concert supporting mental health, suicide prevention, and addiction awareness at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida.

Director Telly Leung discusses DRACULA: A COMEDY OF TERRORS at Theatre Raleigh, starring Nick Adams, his return to the company after directing YELLOW FACE, and the immersive BITE ME Bar pre-show experience.

A PERFECT CIRCLE released a music video for "Starless," which has topped Active Rock radio for two weeks. The band launches its Latin America and Pacific Rim tour on November 25, with North American dates beginning April 13, 2027.

Act II Playhouse will present the Charlie Antalosky Award during its upcoming season, honoring the Philadelphia actor's legacy and contributions to the theater.

Electronic composer Jeff Mills performs his 2023 METROPOLIS METROPOLIS soundtrack live to Fritz Lang's 1927 silent film classic at Nikolaisaal in Potsdam.

The Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts announced CLASSIC ALBUMS LIVE will recreate LED ZEPPELIN II note-for-note, alongside the return of ONE NIGHT OF QUEEN: A TRIBUTE PERFORMED BY GARY MULLEN & THE WORKS.

What did our critic think of ADDAMS FAMILY YOUNG@PART at Red Curtain Theatre?

Building Your Best Inc. has announced that New York City stand-up comedian Kalliope Barlis has been named one of Top Ten Finalists in the 2026 Ladies of Laughter National Competition. She will perform before a panel of industry judges at the Laurie Beechman Theatre.

NOSTALGIA BAIT was an excellent night of fun that celebrated growing up as a theater kid in the early 2000s. Creative choices were made that enhanced the show into a full production.

The 25th anniversary tour of MAMMA MIA! will perform at Playhouse Square's Connor Palace. Based on ABBA's songs, the musical tells the story of a mother, daughter, and three possible fathers on a Greek island. Tickets are on sale.

The indie rock band released their first new music in over two years, a closing song for the stop-motion animated film based on frontman Colin Meloy's debut novel.

Both series will stream exclusively and for free on Tubi, with all 48 episodes of THE BROTHERS GARCIA and 10 episodes of THE GARCIAS available together on one platform.

Atlantic Records and Rockstar Games released two new singles for the upcoming GRAND THEFT AUTO VI: THE ALBUM soundtrack, featuring Cardi B's "Don't Chart" and FUERZA REGIDA's "Suzuki."