Leslie Fazin - Page 6

Anna Netrebko reprises her celebrated portrayal of Norina, the irresistible and clever romantic heroine of Don Pasquale, in a revival of Donizetti's comic opera that begins performances Friday, October 29. James Levine, in his first-ever performances of this opera, will conduct a cast that also features Matthew Polenzani as the lovelorn Ernesto, Mariusz Kwiecien as the duplicitous Dr. Malatesta, and John Del Carlo as the title character. Renowned Austrian director Otto Schenk will return to the Met to direct the first revival of his production, which The New York Times praised as 'wonderful' and 'insightful' when it premiered in 2006.

Pablo Heras-Casado returns to Walt Disney Concert Hall to lead the Los Angeles Philharmonic in three performances, Friday, November 5, at 11 a.m.; Saturday, November 6, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, November 7, at 2 p.m. Acclaimed pianist Peter Serkin performs Stravinsky's Concerto for Piano and Winds as well as riverrun, which was written by Japanese composer Toru Takemitsu for Serkin and the LA Phil in 1984. The program also features Debussy's Jeux and Stravinsky's popular Suite from The Firebird.

The Library of Congress honored baritone Thomas Hampson with its Living Legend medal during a concert on Thursday, October 28, in the Library's Coolidge Auditorium. Hampson, with pianist Wolfram Rieger, celebrated the birth anniversaries of Samuel Barber and Gustav Mahler, as well as offering a selection of American favorites.

In December 2010, The New York Philharmonic This Week - the two-hour, national, weekly radio program of concerts by the New York Philharmonic, hosted by actor Alec Baldwin - begins with conductor Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos leading the Orchestra in Glinka's Overture to Ruslan and Ludmila; Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto, with Leonidas Kavakos as soloist; Debussy's Nocturnes, with the Women of the New York Choral Artists; and Stravinsky's 1919 Suite from The Firebird.

Gotham Chamber Opera, Music-Theatre Group and the Opera Company of Philadelphia announced the commission of a new American opera, DARK SISTERS, composed by Nico Muhly with libretto by Stephen Karam, conducted by Neal Goren, and directed by Rebecca Taichman at The Chelsea Art Museum on Thursday, October 28. The three organizations have co-commissioned and will co-produce the opera, which will have its World Premiere in November 2011 at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College, 899 Tenth Avenue, NYC, one of the first works to be presented at the Theater following the creation of a new lobby at the space. The cast will be headed by Caitlin Lynch and Kevin Burdette, with Kristina Bachrach, Jennifer Check, Eve Gigliotti, Brenda Harris, and Jennifer Zetlan. Dark Sisters will also be presented in June 2012 as part of the Opera Company of Philadelphia's chamber opera series at the Perelman Theater.

Scott Foley (THE VIOLENT HOUR, THE CHERRY ORCHARD) has been cast in a major recurring role on ABC's Grey's Anatomy, according to EW.com. Foley, who has guest-starred on NBC's Scrubs and ABC's Cougar Town, will join the cast as a potential love interest for Kim Raver's Dr. Teddy Altman

The record-breaking, Tony Award-winning, international musical smash CHICAGO will usher in the holiday season as it celebrates its 14th anniversary on the Great White Way. CHICAGO, which opened to rave reviews on November 14, 1996, now has the distinction of being the second longest-running production currently playing on Broadway, the sixth longest-running production in Broadway history, and Broadway's longest-running musical revival...and it shows no sign of slowing down.

Atlantic Theater Company (Neil Pepe, Artistic Director; Jeffory Lawson, Managing Director) is proud to announce that Atlantic Theater Company members Larry Bryggman and Matt McGrath and guest artists Lisa Emery, Rebecca Henderson and Darren Pettie will star in its first main stage production of the 2010-2011 season, THE COLLECTION & A KIND OF ALASKA: TWO PLAYS BY Harold Pinter, directed by Atlantic founding member Karen Kohlhaas. THE COLLECTION AND A KIND OF ALASKA will begin previews Wednesday, November 3; officially open Monday, November 22; and play a limited engagement through Sunday, December 12 Off-Broadway at Classic Stage Company (136 East 13th Street) while its main stage Linda Gross Theater undergoes renovation.

A little bit burlesque, a little bit farce and a whole lot funny, Mark Twain's Is He Dead? will be performed by Deep Dish Theater Company now until November 13. This witty satire, adapted by David Ives and directed by Marc Williams, continues the company's tenth season at University Mall.

In THE NANJING RACE, Philip (Marcus Ho), a gay Japanese-American businessman, visits Nanjing China in 1988. Yu Ahn (Ian Wen), a hotel 'floor-boy' befriends Philip in the hope of being sponsored to go to America. But it is Bao (James Chen), another floor-boy, who intrigues Philip. Trapped in their social and racial identities, the three men struggle to come to terms with their desires and prejudices. THE NANJING RACE depicts an intimate culture-clash at an intriguing moment in recent Chinese history.

PROMISES, PROMISES star Molly Shannon will join Tina Fey, Ana Gasteyer and Rachel Dratch, among other SNL favorites, in a new special that will showcase the numerous women who have graced the studio 8H stage over the show's rich 35-year history. The two-hour special, 'The Women of SNL' is set to air on NBC on Monday, November 1 at 9 pm.

Gleeks who danced along to the Time Warp on Tuesday, October 26, contributed to the highest rating on FOX that night. Paying homage to Richard O'Brien's cult musical masterpiece, the Glee cast injected their distinctive style to such Rocky Horror Show classics as 'Damn it, Janet,' 'Whatever Happened to Saturday Night,' 'Touch A Touch A Touch A Touch Me' and, of course, 'Time Warp,' on a special Rocky Horror Show themed episode.

Set to debut on the silver screens in 2012, Antonio Banderas will begin production of his new film, a sci-fi psychological thriller, 'Solo,' next year, according to Variety.com. 'Solo' will mark Banderas' third directorial film, which follows 'Summer Rain' (2006) and 'Crazy in Alabama' (1999). Based upon Erik Jendresen's original screenplay, Banderas will play the film's lead, a Spanish colonel suffering a post-conflict trauma. To reach international markets world-wide, the film, which has an anticipated budget of $14 million, will be shot in English and will feature a cast comprised of all Spanish actors.

Joe Lodato and Matthew Morris, The Church of St. Paul the Apostle, GeekNerdWonk Charitable Foundation, and Sing for Hope will present 'You Are Not Alone' a star-studded concert to benefit the Trevor Project. The evening will feature performances from Betty Buckley, Ricky Ian Gordon, Andrew Keenan-Bolger, Marc Kudisch, Aaron Lazar, Erin Quill, Seth Rudetsky, John Tartaglia, Jeanine Tesori, and Tony Yazbeck, as well as Emily Albrink, Jeff Blumenkrantz, Attila Joey Csiki of Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, Jason Forbach, Constantine Germanacos, Joe Lodato, Matthew Morris, Todd Palmer, Kate Pazakis, Kathleen Tagg, Nurit Tilles, and Jennifer Zetlan. Michael Rader directs the concert with stage management from David M. Beris.

New York City Opera has announced that Cheyenne Jackson (XANADU, ALL SHOOK UP, FINIAN'S RAINBOW) will join the fall concert's cast of Lucky to Be Me: The Vocal Music of Leonard Bernstein, on Saturday, November 6 at 8 pm and Sunday, November 7 at 1:30 pm. The concert, which will be held at the David H. Koch Theater, is directed by Ted Sparling and conducted by City Opera music director George Manahan. This exciting concert examines the work of one of America's most influential composers, including music from the Kaddish Symphony, Mass, Songfest, Wonderful Town, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, On the Town, West Side Story, and more. It will feature the musical talents of Jackson and other Broadway favorites: Victoria Clark, Christine Ebersole, Kelli O'Hara, Donna Murphy, Michael Cerveris, Darius de Haas and Michael Urie. Marty Thomas (XANADU, WICKED, THE SECRET GARDEN) will host intermission and post-show festivities.

The star-studded cast of HBO's new film, 'Too Big To Fail,' welcomes two new additions, Bill Pullman (Oleanna, 'Independence Day,' 'Sleepless in Seattle') and Matthew Modine (The Miracle Worker, 'Married to the Mob,' 'And the Band Played On'), according to deadline.com. 'Too Big To Fail,' set to begin production in October, will date back two years, highlighting the 2008 financial crisis and the various power brokers -- Merrill Lynch, JP Morgan Chase, Lehman Bros., among others -- who drove the United States near financial destruction. Based on Andrew Ross Sorkin's book, also of the same name, the film will be directed by Curtis Hanson and will be led by Academy Award winner William Hurt as Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson.

The S.I.E. Lupus Foundation has announced the addition of Jane Krakowski, Tony award-winner and two-time Emmy nominee (of '30 Rock'), to perform at the 40th Anniversary Life Without Lupus Gala. Beginning at 6 p.m., the Gala will take place at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall on Monday, November 22, and will feature a cocktail reception, seated dinner and a live and silent auction. The evening will honor the founders -- the Golick family -- and Human Genome Sciences/ GlaxoSmithKline. The foundation has been serving the Lupus community since 1970, providing support for families coping with and suffering from this autoimmune disease; particularly those in and around the disadvantaged neighborhoods of New York City and Los Angeles. All proceeds from the Gala event will help in the Foundation's mission to promote and increase awareness, research and ongoing care.

Geffen Playhouse has announced the seventh and final cast of Love, Loss and What I Wore, running October 27 through November 19. Teri Garr and Sally Struthers will round out the show's Los Angeles production, along with Sandra Tsing Loh, Marianna Palka, and Mimi Rogers.

Welcome to Grand Canal Theatre, Dublin. This brand new 2,111 capacity purpose built theatre was designed by world renowned architect Daniel Libeskind and is an outstanding addition to Ireland's Theatre World. The Grand Canal Theatre presents the best of National and InterNational Theatre, Musicals, Drama, Opera, Ballet, Family Shows & Classical Concerts and has the facility to accommodate world class West End and Broadway productions for the first time in Ireland.

Since the Spring of 2007, Spike Hill has been quietly rocking Williamsburg. Located on the corner of Bedford and North 7th, Spike Hill's foundation rests on the nexus of Brooklyn's famous music scene. With its early shows advertised mostly by word-of-mouth, the 140 capacity venue has nurtured new talent from the corners of Brooklyn and beyond, becoming a welcome hotbed for New York's burgeoning concrete-country scene. With delectable pub food, gold-standard Guinness, pristine sound and two full bars, Spike Hill has flourished into a staple among the area's clubs while still maintaining its intimate atmosphere, proudly hosting Brooklyn's fastest-growing Open Mic each Wednesday night. Be a part of Williamsburg's best-kept secret!