Symphony Space Announces 2022-2023 Season Featuring Kelli O'Hara, Misty Copeland, a Sondheim Tribute & More

Symphony Space has announced highlights of its 2022-23 season, an array of live events that bring literature to life, spark conversation, and provide intimate encounters with wide-ranging musical artists. The programming features acclaimed authors, actors, musicians, comedians, and other luminaries in the kind of original productions that, over the course of more than four decades, have made Symphony Space a beloved New York City institution: thrilling events that happen one time only, and only at Symphony Space. In the new season, Symphony Space continues its commitment to the hybrid presenting model it inaugurated in 2021-22, with select live events streamed in real-time and high definition to audiences around the world.

Executive Director Kathy Landau says, "The 2022-23 season is a testament to the joys of the shared experience. Reuniting in-person last year, after so much time apart, was exhilarating. As we continue to invite authors, actors, and musicians to convene and grow their own work and communities at Symphony Space, we are committed to celebrating both individual artists and the power of the arts as a whole. We know that each event can be a source of delight, hope, and connection to all."

Symphony Space's best-known series, Selected Shorts, was conceived over 35 years ago with a simple premise: take great stories by well-known and emerging writers and have exceptional actors perform them live. The 2022-23 season includes a celebratory opening night dedicated to back-to-school stories (September 28); an evening devoted to unpacking the art of friendship hosted by Jane Kaczmarek (October 19); an engagement with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Andrew Sean Greer (Less, The Story of a Marriage), celebrating the acclaimed The Best American Short Stories 2022 collections (November 16); and a centennial celebration of writer and activist Grace Paley, hosted by Lauren Groff (Matrix, Fates and Furies) (December 7). These programs arrive after a momentous Spring 2022 season of Selected Shorts in which Symphony Space presented the series as a Wall to Wall marathon program featuring 35 new commissions, which comprise the book Small Odysseys: Selected Shorts Presents 35 New Stories, published last year by Algonquin Books. In February of this year, Symphony Space announced bestselling author Meg Wolitzer (The Wife, The Interestings) as the new host of the Selected Shorts broadcast and podcast.

Another favorite Symphony Space literary series, Thalia Book Club, brings readers and writers into intimate conversations about compelling new books and classics in fiction, essays, memoirs, and more. The Book Club begins this season with a celebration of the launch of acclaimed author Celeste Ng's (Little Fires Everywhere) newest novel, Our Missing Hearts, which she described in Entertainment Weekly as being about "keeping a sense of shared humanity alive in dark, cynical, and isolating times" (October 3). It continues with an evening with Man Booker Prize-winning author George Saunders (Lincoln in the Bardo, Tenth of December: Stories), speaking with audiences about his latest work, Liberation Day-his first short story collection in a decade (October 18). In another series highlight, authors Elif Batuman (The Idiot, Either/Or), Fiona Davis (The Magnolia Palace, The Lions of Fifth Avenue), Min Jin Lee (Pachinko, Free Food for Millionaires), and Colm Tóibín (The Magician, Brooklyn) come together in honor of the 150th anniversary of George Eliot's Middlemarch (January 18).

Special literary events are programmed throughout the season, including an online conversation with Sarah J. Maas (Crescent City series, A Court of Thorns and Roses series), speaking with Sarah MacLean (Love by Numbers series, The Rules of Scoundrels series), surrounding A Court of Silver Flames, the fifth entry in Maas' A Court of Thorns and Roses series (September 8); iconic satirist Andy Borowitz (The Republican Playbook, The Borowitz Report - The Big Book of Shockers) reading from his contemporary American politics-skewering book Profiles in Ignorance (September 15); New York Times Chief Theater Critic Jesse Green (The Velveteen Father: An Unexpected Journey to Parenthood, O Beautiful), author Meg Wolitzer, and Tony Award-winning actress Kelli O'Hara (The King and I) joining for an evening of music and readings in honor of late Broadway legend Mary Rodgers (Freaky Friday, Once Upon a Mattress) and her just-published memoir, co-written by Green (September 18); a celebration of the 125th anniversary of influential publisher Doubleday hosted by Helen Ellis (Southern Lady Code, American Housewife) with a star-studded lineup of writers including Dan Brown (Inferno, The Da Vinci Code) David Grann (The White Darkness, The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon), John Grisham (The Pelican Brief, The Firm), Colson Whitehead (The Nickel Boys, The Underground Railroad), Hanya Yanagihara (To Paradise, A Little Life), and more (November 2); history-making American Ballet Theatre principal dancer Misty Copeland discussing her new book, The Wind at My Back (November 15); comedian and actress Natasha Leggero (Another Period) in an evening of comedy and conversation celebrating her new book of essays, The World Deserves My Children (November 17); and actor, comedian, and writer Rob Delaney (Catastrophe), speaking about his candid and profound memoir A Heart That Works (November 30).

Symphony Space's Music Residency Program invites the most creative artists of our day to develop new ideas, take risks, and collaborate across disciplines. In the 2022-23 season, artists-in-residence include bandleader, composer, drummer, and dhol player Sunny Jain (January 28 and February 4 and 9).

A rare concert experience, Richard Thompson: All Requests Live! (December 15, 16, and 17) invites audiences to submit song requests for the world-renowned singer, songwriter, and guitarist to perform. The requests remain unknown to Thompson until they are given to him onstage .

In evenings throughout the season, laughter and heated debate-of such pressing topics as Cats Vs Dogs (October 11), Dreamers Vs Doers (December 6), Save Vs Spend (February 7), Remote Vs In-Person (April 11), and Introverts Vs Extroverts (June 13)-flourish in Symphony Space's absurd comedy series, Uptown Showtown, hosted by Matthew Love.

Symphony Space 2022-23 Season Highlights

[Literature in Performance]

Sarah J. Maas, A Court of Silver Flames

Thursday, September 8

7pm

Virtual

Sarah J. Maas and Symphony Space join online in honor of the paperback release of A Court of Silver Flames, the fifth installment in the sexy, richly imagined Court of Thorns and Roses series. In this special virtual event, Maas pulls back the curtain on the vivid universe she's created-a world seared by war and plagued with uncertainty and, in this case, possibly romance as well. In conversation with Sarah MacLean (Heartbreaker).

[Literature in Performance / Comedy]

Andy Borowitz: Profiles in Ignorance

Thursday, September 15

7pm

Peter Jay Sharp Theater

Hailed as "one of the country's finest satirists" by The New York Times, Andy Borowitz ("The Borowitz Report") takes a close look at ludicrous leaders in this lively evening of across-the-aisle absurdity featuring a reading from the book and a conversation with the audience.

In-person tickets come with a copy of Profiles in Ignorance.

Companion tickets available

[Literature in Performance]

Jesse Green, Shy: The Alarmingly Outspoken Memoirs of Mary Rodgers

Sunday, September 18

5pm

Leonard Nimoy Thalia theater

The New York Times Chief Theater Critic Jesse Green and author Meg Wolitzer join us for an evening of music, readings, and conversation about the new memoir of Broadway legend Mary Rodgers. As the composer of the wildly entertaining musical Once Upon a Mattress, author of the hilarious children's novel Freaky Friday, and daughter of another rather legendary composer, Rodgers holds nothing back in this fascinating hybrid of her own words and commentary by Green. Featuring a special reading from the memoir by Tony Award-winner Kelli O'Hara.

[Literature in Performance]

Selected Shorts: Back to School Stories

Wednesday, September 28

7pm

Peter Jay Sharp Theater

First-day jitters, all-night cram sessions, unrequited crushes, and awkward school dances: Selected Shorts gets nostalgic with an evening of hilarious and moving short fiction about making the grade. Grab your #2 pencil and get ready to hit the books as we explore the secret lives of teachers and students.

[Literature in Performance]

Kelly Ripa, Live Wire: Long-Winded Short Stories

Thursday, September 29

7pm

Peter Jay Sharp Theater

Join Daytime Emmy-Award winning host Kelly Ripa and friends for the release of her new book, Live Wire! In conversation with Anderson Cooper.

Entrepreneur, host, actress and producer, Kelly Ripa, is one of the most powerful voices in media. A beloved household name for over two decades, Ripa has a wide-ranging career both on and off camera, getting her start on All My Children and spanning over thirty years at ABC. Read all about her love story with Mark, the sexism she faced in the industry, her Jersey pride, and more than a few embarrassing incidents that prove even being on screen five days a week doesn't protect you from self-induced humiliation.

Surprising, at times savage, a little shameless and always humorous, Live Wire shows Kelly as she really is offscreen-a very wise woman who has something to say.

Tickets to this event include a copy of Live Wire (published by HarperCollins, a $29 value).

Produced in partnership with Creative Artists Agency.

[Literature in Performance]

Thalia Book Club: Celeste Ng, Our Missing Hearts

Monday, October 3

7pm

Peter Jay Sharp Theater

The number-one bestselling author of Little Fires Everywhere introduces her new novel, a suspenseful and heartrending tale about the unbreakable love between a mother and child in a society consumed by fear. In Our Missing Hearts, Bird has grown up disavowing his mother and her "unpatriotic" poems, but when he receives a mysterious letter containing only a cryptic drawing, he is pulled into an unforgettable quest to find her. In conversation with Mira Jacob (Good Talk).

All in-person tickets come with a copy of Our Missing Hearts.

Produced in cooperation with Barnes & Noble

[Comedy]

Uptown Showdown:

Cats Vs Dogs

Tuesday, October 11

7pm

Leonard Nimoy Thalia theater

The claws come out as Uptown Showdown revisits one of its very first debates with an all-new cast of comics lauding the virtues of feline versus canine. Words (and fur) will fly-it's gonna get ruff ruff ruff!

[Music / Theater]

Wall to Wall Stephen Sondheim

October 15, 2022

3-11pm

Peter Jay Sharp Theater

Symphony Space presents Wall to Wall Stephen Sondheim, a tribute to one of musical theater's greatest composers/lyricists. This free marathon celebration features music, dance, and conversation honoring Sondheim, from his earliest works to his later musical masterpieces. Get ready for a thrilling journey through the life and work of a one-of-a-kind musical icon.

[Literature in Performance]

Thalia Book Club: George Saunders, Liberation Day

Tuesday, October 18

7pm

Leonard Nimoy Thalia theater

Booker Prize-winning author George Saunders, hailed the "best short story writer in English" (Time), returns to Symphony Space to discuss his first collection since The New York Times bestseller Tenth of December.

In-person tickets come with a copy of Liberation Day.

[Literature in Performance]

Selected Shorts: Friendship!

Wednesday, October 19

7pm

Peter Jay Sharp Theater

Selected Shorts favorite Jane Kaczmarek invites pals to celebrate the art of friendship with an evening of stories devoted to new acquaintances, chosen family, and everything in between. Actors from stage and screen perform funny, moving, captivating short fiction about finding and holding on to your people.

[Literature in Performance]

Doubleday at 125

Wednesday, November 2

7pm

Peter Jay Sharp Theater

Founded in 1897, Doubleday has published some of the greatest writers of the ages, including Bram Stoker, Joseph Conrad, Upton Sinclair, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Daphne Du Maurier, Chester Himes, Vladimir Nabokov, and Margaret Atwood. We celebrate the 125th anniversary of this revered publishing house with a star-studded lineup of writers including Dan Brown, David Grann, John Grisham, Jane Mayer, Colson Whitehead, and Hanya Yanagihara. Hosted by Helen Ellis.

[Literature in Performance]

Misty Copeland, The Wind at My Back

Tuesday, November 15

7pm

Peter Jay Sharp Theater

The celebrated ballerina and New York Times bestselling author discusses her latest book, a heartfelt memoir about her friendship with trailblazer Raven Wilkinson. This beautiful and wise intergenerational story tells the story of two unapologetically Black ballerinas, and how they changed each other-and the dance world-forever.

In-person tickets come with a copy of The Wind at My Back.

[Literature in Performance]

Selected Shorts: The Best American Short Stories 2022 with Guest Editor Andrew Sean Greer

Wednesday, November 16

7pm

Peter Jay Sharp Theater

Pulitzer Prize winner and bestselling novelist Andrew Sean Greer (Less) hosts an evening honoring the highly anticipated annual collection that celebrates the best of the form. Greer's literary picks come to life in this special evening pairing together some of the most exciting short stories and actors of today.

[Literature in Performance / Comedy]

Natasha Leggero, The World Deserves My Children

Thursday, November 17

7pm

Leonard Nimoy Thalia theater

Actress and comedian Natasha Leggero (Another Period) joins us for an evening of comedy and conversation in honor of the release of her laugh-out-loud funny collection of insightful and razor-sharp essays on motherhood in our post-apocalyptic world.

In-person tickets come with a copy of The World Deserves My Children.

[Literature in Performance]

Rob Delaney, A Heart that Works

Wednesday, November 30

7pm

Peter Jay Sharp Theater

Actor, comedian, and writer Rob Delaney comes to Symphony Space with his intimate, unflinching, and fiercely funny memoir on transplanting his family to London while filming the hit series Catastrophe and caring for his son, who had been diagnosed with a brain tumor. In this exquisite exploration, Delaney grapples with the fragile miracle of life, the mysteries of death, and the question of purpose for those left behind.

[Comedy]

Uptown Showdown: Dreamers Vs Doers

Tuesday, December 6

7pm

Leonard Nimoy Thalia theater

They say it takes all kinds, but which is superior-the fantastical or the practical? In this debate, purveyors of the impossible square off against the automatons of production.

[Literature in Performance]

Selected Shorts: Grace Paley Centennial Hosted by Lauren Groff

Wednesday, December 7

7pm

Peter Jay Sharp Theater

In honor of the centennial of renowned writer and activist Grace Paley, Selected Shorts pays tribute to her enduring legacy with an evening of classic tales curated from her Collected Stories, a Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award finalist. Fellow National Book Award finalist and bestselling author Lauren Groff (Matrix) leads a cast of actors and admirers in celebrating Paley's unmatched talent for illuminating the real world through fiction, poetry, and essay.

[Music]

Richard Thompson: All Requests Live!

December 15, 16, and 17

8pm

Peter Jay Sharp Theater

Named by Rolling Stone as one of the top 20 guitarists of all time, Richard Thompson was co-founder of the ground-breaking Fairport Convention, which virtually invented British folk rock in the 1960s.

In this rare concert experience, it's anyone's guess what Thompson will play. Songs will be picked from selections submitted by the audience, and unknown to all (including Thompson) until the moment they're presented to him onstage. A totally unique show each night!

[Literature in Performance]

Thalia Book Club: George Eliot's Middlemarch Turns 150

Wednesday, January 18, 2023

7pm

Leonard Nimoy Thalia theater

In 1872, George Eliot published the final installment of Middlemarch, and it would come to be considered to be one of the greatest novels in the English language. Authors Elif Batuman, Fiona Davis, Min Jin Lee, and Colm Tóibín come together at the Thalia Book Club for a fascinating conversation on this extraordinary work.

[Music]

Sunny Jain Residency

January 28-February 9, 2023

Sunny Jain, whose music consistently spans cultures and genres, explores the melding of East and West through this illuminating residency.

Sunny Jain's Wild Wild East

Saturday, January 28, 2023

7:30pm

Leonard Nimoy Thalia theater

Bollywood, Spaghetti Westerns, Punjabi folk, jazz, and psychedelic surf guitar meld in this eclectic evening of music that explores the meeting of east and west, Jain's identity as a first-generation South Asian-American, and his own family's immigration story.

Sunny Jain's American Lullabies

Saturday, February 4, 2023

7:30pm

Leonard Nimoy Thalia theater

Sunny Jain explores the music of his American experience, melding the soundtrack of his childhood (Jain Bhajans, devotional songs from the 6,000-year-old Indian religion, Jainism) with progressive rock and jazz.

Sunny Jain's Dholusion

Thursday, February 9, 2023

7:30pm

Leonard Nimoy Thalia theater

Sunny Jain is joined by dancer Yamini Kalluri and Adam O'Farrill on trumpet, blending the Indian classical dance tradition of Kuchipudi with folk percussion and jazz. Based on musical improvisation, this project creates an entirely fresh sound.

[Comedy]

Uptown Showdown: Save Vs Spend

Tuesday, February 7, 2023

7pm

Leonard Nimoy Thalia theater

Can you make it rain if you've never saved for a rainy day? Is it possible to break bread if you have no dough? Two teams of comics ponder economic koans while debating whether it's better to aim for a frugal billionaire or lavish lifestyle.

[Comedy]

Uptown Showdown: Remote Vs In-person

Tuesday, April 11

7pm

Leonard Nimoy Thalia theater

Now that we've Zoom dated and worked from home is it really worth doing anything in person? Two teams of comics help us decide whether to ever appear in 3D again.

[Comedy]

Uptown Showdown: Introverts Vs Extroverts

Tuesday, June 13

7pm

Leonard Nimoy Thalia theater

​​Maybe you're the one at the party dancing, laughing, and hugging every new person you meet, or perhaps you're the person standing around wondering when it would be socially acceptable to go home. Who's to say which is better? Our two teams of comics will help you decide. Wallflowers and showboaters are all welcome.

About Symphony Space

Symphony Space is a multi-disciplinary performing arts center where bold programming, presented in a uniquely warm and welcoming environment, forges indelible relationships between artists and audiences.

Symphony Space's fundamental mission is to connect art, ideas, and community through their performances and their commitment to literacy and education through the arts. Known for an array of ground-breaking programs, including Selected Shorts, their immersive Wall to Wall concerts, and their innovative Global Arts education initiative, Symphony Space presents a full slate of original, affordable (and free) programming within New York City and in communities throughout the country through tours, public radio broadcasts, podcasts, and virtual events. On their stages and in the classrooms they serve, Symphony Space fosters access to the arts through all the disciplines.

Symphony Space was founded in the belief that the arts bring people together, transcend barriers, and celebrate both our similarities and differences. Through adventurous and impactful performances, commissions, and conversations, Symphony Space continues to invigorate these guiding principles, harnessing the power of the arts to engage, inspire, and build community.

Symphony Space is located at 2537 Broadway at 95th Street.