BAM to Feature Spacey, ATYS, Merce Cunningham, Lully & More in 2011-2012 Season

The Brooklyn Academy Of Music has set part of its 2011-2012 150th anniversary season.  Productions include Sam Mendes' production of Richard III starring Kevin Spacey as part of the summer's Bridge Project series, Jean-Baptiste Lully's Baroque opera Atys from Les Arts Florissants and Opéra Comique, and the final performance of The Merce Cunningham Legacy Tour paying tribute to Cunningham's lifetime achievements, and more.

The season opens with Atys at BAM's Harvey Theatre and runs September 18-September 24, directed by Jean-Marie Villégier, musical directed by William Christie, choreographed by Francine Lancelot and Béatrice Massin, and designed by Carlo Tommasi (scenic),Patrice Cauchetier (costume), and Patrick Méeüs (lighting).

Christie's vocal ensemble, Le Jardin des Voix, performing selections from Lully's ballets and operas takes the stage on Sept. 25. Additional programming includes Jennifer Homans, author of "Apollo's Angels: A History of Ballet," talk, "Lully Was a Dancer," and the Merce Cunningham Legacy Tour in December including Roartorio; Second Hand and Biped; and Pond Way, RainForest, and Split Sides.

Set for 2012, BAM will also present the opera "Einstein on the Beach" by Philip Glass and Robert Wilson.

For more information, visit www.bam.org.