The Dramatist Guild Foundation held its first annual “toast” concert in honor of composer Stephen Schwartz’s 70th birthday and the New York Pops marked its 35th annual gala by honoring composer Alan Menken.
All in Notes
NOTES: “King Lear” at BAM
The Royal Shakespeare Company is at the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Harvey Theater with the U.S. premiere of their well-appointed 2016 production of “King Lear”, starring Sir Antony Sher. Director Gregory Doran presents a stately and unfussy production with a refreshingly diverse ensemble and striking visuals.
NOTES: The New York Pops does Blockbuster film scores
Tonight at Carnegie Hall, the New York Pops closed out its 35th season with a concert featuring a selection of blockbuster film scores curated by music director and conductor Steven Reinke.
NOTES: Celebrating the Rich Tapestry of American Music with MasterVoices' "Our America"
Earlier this evening, The Great Hall at The Cooper Union provided an august and auspicious setting for MasterVoices’ presentation of “Our America”, an original concert celebration of the importance of immigrants and their contributions to the rich tapestry of American music.
Jule Styne's "Subways Are for Sleeping"
"Subways Are for Sleeping", Jule Styne and Comden and Green's 1961 flop musical, triumphantly closed out the York Theatre Company's 3-musical "Musicals in Mufti" celebration of lesser-works by composer Jule Styne. Bizarre, but pure musical comedy joy, "Subways" contains several gem songs.
NOTES: An Evening of Percussive Delight with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra
The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra’s debut concert at Carnegie Hall last night showcased the pulsating power and syncopated joy of percussion in a program featuring a heavy dose of Latin American flavor as part of Philip Glass’s residency as the 2017–2018 Composer’s Chair.
NOTES: “Bar Mitzvah Boy”? Hadn’t heard of it.
"Bar Mitzvah Boy" was the second offering in the York Theatre Company's annual "Musicals in Mufti" series dedicated to composer Jule Styne; not performed in New York since 1987, this sweet and charming musical received an excellent production using a 2016 revised book, but could benefit from some musical trimming.
NOTES: Philip Glass Ensemble, “Music with Changing Parts”
The Philip Glass Ensemble returned to Carnegie Hall last night for the first time in a decade to present “Music with Changing Parts” (1970), an oft-overlooked and rarely performed early masterpiece from Mr. Glass’s prolific repertoire.
NOTES: “Heart and Soul” with the New York Pops
Tonight, the New York Pops gloriously kicked off Black History month and blew the roof off Carnegie Hall with "Heart and Soul", a joyful concert in tribute to the greatest voices in R&B featuring guest vocalists Capathia Jenkins and James Monroe Iglehart.
NOTES: "Hallelujah, Baby!" makes a rare NYC appearance
Jule Styne, Arthur Laurents, Betty Comden, and Adolph Green's 1968 Tony Winning Best Musical "Hallelujah, Baby!", now largely forgotten, receives an excellent concert production as part of the York Theatre Company's annual "Musicals in Mufti" series, which is dedicated to composer Jule Styne this year.
NOTES: “The Phantom of the Opera” Celebrates 30 Years!
Thirty years ago tonight, on January 26, 1988, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s hit musical "The Phantom of the Opera" opened at the Majestic Theatre on Broadway; on Wednesday night, I attended the special 30th anniversary gala performance.
NOTES: A radiant “Tosca” at the Met Opera
On New Year's Eve, the Met Opera premiered a new "Tosca" in a bid for redemption following a controversial 2009 production of this Puccini classic; director Sir David McVicar and designer John Macfarlane deliver beauty and grandeur, and singers Sonya Yoncheva and Vittorio Gregorio are energetic and radiant. This is a must see for the opera fan or those interested in the form.