My Best Bets: July 28th – August 3rd features three world premiere events, the first-ever American production of a mid-19th century opera, a celebration of Sondheim and a unique version of an Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice musical.
Here are my Best Bets: July 28th -August 3rd
BILLIE JEAN – Chicago Shakespeare Theater – Now – August 10th
King. That’s the Billie Jean of the title here. The legendary tennis champion. She’s a fierce advocate for women’s rights and equality (just ask Bobby Riggs) and has had to do battle with those who felt her personal life was fair game.
This world premiere by Lauren Gunderson likely has its eyes on Broadway. And why should Flushing Meadows be the only place Billie Jean King has conquered in New York? If the play is half as good as King’s tennis, it’ll ace critic and audiences.
Chilina Kennedy plays Billie Jean; Dan Amboyer plays Larry King; Julia Antonelli plays Young Billie Jean and Elena Hurst plays Rosie Casals. The cast is rounded out by six women who play Woman One – Woman Six and two men who play Man One – Man Two.
Marc Bruni directs.
For tickets and more information, please go HERE.
THE DIANA MIXTAPE – Here at Outernet/London & Lowry/Salford – July 28th – August 21st
Princess Diana was such an icon that it takes five drag queens to play her in this musical that features music by Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, Jade, Kylie Minogue, Katy Perry and Britney Spears. All of them in service of Diana telling her own story of her life.
The queens are all veterans from RuPaul’s Drag Race: Courtney Act, Divina De Campo, Priyanka, Rosé and Kitty Scott-Claus. We’ve seen them all lip synch for their lives, now they’ll be singing for Lady Di’s life.
They are joined by Keala Settle as Queen Elizabeth II, Noel Sullivan as King Charles III and Lucinda Lawrence as Queen Camilla.
The show is the brainchild of Christopher D. Clegg and has its world premiere this week.
The Diana Mixtape will be at Here at Outernet in London from July 29th – August 10th. It opens at Lowry in Salford for a quick run from August 19th – August 21st. For tickets and more information, please go HERE.
FOUR EMERGING COMPOSERS – FOUR NEW WORKS – Orchestra of St. Luke’s – The DiMenna Center for Classsical Music – Cary Hall – New York, NY – July 29th
The future of contemporary classical music will be on display in this concert highlighting for composers from the Orchestra of St. Luke’s DeGaetano Composition Institute.
They are: Lukáš Janata, Paul Novak, Sofia Jen Ouyang and Zihan Wu. Orchestra of St. Luke’s is one of our finest orchestras. I trust their faith in emerging composers equals their talent.
Brad Lubman conducts.
For tickets and more information, please go HERE.
DALIBOR – Bard Fisher Center – Hudson Valley, NY – July 30th – August 3rd.
This rarely performed opera by Bedřich Smetana is having its first fully staged American production. This three-act opera had its world premiere in 1868 in Prague. The libretto is by Josef Wenzig and is based on the true story of a Czech knight who was sentenced to death in 1497 for taking in rebels. He was executed one year later.
The opera take some liberties with the true story before ending in an appropriately tragic way. It is opera after all.
John Matthew Myers sings the title role; Caide J. Bryan sings Milada, who falls in love with Dalibor. Terrence Chin-Loy sings the role of Vitek, the Czech King who orders Dalibor’s execution.
The production is directed by Jean-Romain Vespirini and the American Symphony Orchestra is led by Leon Botstein.
I listened to a recording of this opera while writing up this week’s Best Bets. If you can, you should watch and hear this opera. It’s quite good.
The July 30th performance will be live streamed at 2 PM EDT/11AM PDT. There will be a second broadcast of the opera on Saturday, August 2nd at 5 PM EDT/2 PM PDT.
For tickets (either in person or streaming) and more information, please go HERE.
BETH LEAVEL SINGS SONDHEIM – 54 Below – New York, NY – July 31st – August 3rd
Since I first saw Leavel in The Drowsy Chaperone in the role that won her a Tony Award, I knew I was watching someone who was a one-of-a-kind talent. Recently I saw her in Old Friends, the recent Sondheim review which played the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles before moving to Broadway.
All of that to say that Leavel can probably sing anything. She certainly can sing Sondheim. What Sondheim fan wouldn’t want to see her in these 4 performances at 54 Below?
Sadly, this isn’t one of the concerts available for streaming. Let’s hope this show is a success and Leavel will gradually make her way around the country doing this concert.
For tickets and more information, please go HERE.
NEWPORT JAZZ FESTIVAL – Newport, RI – August 1st – August 3rd
One of the world’s best known jazz festivals began in 1954 and it is still going strong. As this year’s line-up reveals:
August 1st some of the acts performing are Tyreek McDole, Kenny Garrett, Ron Carter Quartet, Louis Cato with John Scofield & Marcus Miller, Preservation Hall Jazz Band and The Roots.
August 2nd includes the Tyshawn Sorey Trio, Marcus Gilmore Presents: A Centennial Tribute to Roy Haynes, Pérez Patitucci Calvaire Trio, Terence Blanchard: Flow, Dianne Reeves, Flying Lotus and Janelle Monáe.
August 3rd includes Lakecia Benjamin, Stanley Jordan Solo, Christian McBride Big Band, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Esperanza Spalding and Jacob Collier.
All three days currently have a waitlist. For tickets and more information, please go HERE.
Reminder: JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR – Hollywood Bowl – August 1st – August 3rd
This is the toughest ticket in Los Angeles this week. Why wouldn’t it be with Cynthia Erivo as Jesus and Adam Lambert as Judas? Then add Josh Gad as King Herod, Phillipa Soo as Mary Magdalene, Milo Manheim as Peter and Raúl Esparza as Pontius Pilate. Later this week I will have an interview with Esparza about Jesus Christ Superstar and more. Check back for that.
Often times you can find last-minute tickets the morning of the performance at the Hollywood Bowl box office. No guarantees that will work for such an in-demand show. Let’s all hope they are at least recording it for those of us who can’t be there!
For tickets and more information, please go HERE.
That’s all for Best Bets: July 28th – August 3rd.
Enjoy your week and go see a show!
Main Photo: Tyshawn Sorey Trio: Aaron Diehl, Tyshawn Sorey, Harish Raghavan (Photo courtesy Opus3 Artists)