BEST BETS: JULY 21st – JULY 27th

This week’s Best Bets: July 21st – July 27th contain a few firsts: a first-time visit by a centuries old orchestra; a legendary soprano makes her directorial debut and a novel considered to be one of the best crime dramas ever becomes a play. Additionally, the music of Sammy Cahn is celebrated and one singular sensation turns 50.

Here are my Best Bets: July 21st – July 27th:

VERSAILLES ROYAL OPERA ORCHESTRA – Multiple Venues – July 21^st – July 29^th

For the first time since its creation in 1770, The Royal Opera of the Palace of Versailles is having a (mini) tour of North America. To think it only took 255 years! Here are their events:

July 21^st: Versailles in Printemps: The Affair of the Poisons – Printemps – New York, NY

This immersive show from Death of Classical centers around Louis XIV’s court. The palace is alive with stories leading up to a plot that implicates one of Louis’ many mistresses. The program includes music by Rossini, Couperin and Pierre Rode.

This event is sold out, but you can add your name to the waitlist. For more information, please go HERE.

July 23^rd: Versailles at L’Alliance – L’Alliance – New York, NY

This full concert performance, also from Death of Classical, finds The Versailles Royal Opera Orchestra, conducted by Stefan Plewniak, performing works by Paolo Bonfichi, Saverio Mercadante, Giuseppe Nicolini, Pierre Rode, Gioachino Rossini and Niccolò Antonio Zingarelli. Countertenor Franco Fagioli is the featured soloist.

For tickets and more information, please go HERE.

July 26^th: Festival de Lanaudiére -Amphithéâtre Fernand-Lindsay Ville de Joliette – Montreal, Quebec, Canada

This is the same program being performed on July 23^rd. For tickets and more information, please go HERE.

July 29^th: Koerner Hall – Toronto, Ontario, Canada

This is also the same program and is presented under the title The Last Castrato: Giovanni Battist Valluti who was a singer for whom numerous composers wrote operas including Rossini.

For tickets and more information, please go HERE.

COSÌ FAN TUTTE – Aspen Music Festival – Aspen, CO – July 21^st – July 26^th

Normally I wouldn’t include another production of Mozart’s widely performed opera in Best Bets. But who isn’t curious about Renée Fleming’s directorial debut?

Yes, one of the world’s most beloved sopranos is directing her first-ever opera production. She has plenty of experience with this opera having sung the role of Fiordiligi early in her career.

Her debut as a director was meant to have happened in February 2021. But we all know why that got cancelled. It was her idea to try to make it happen at Aspen with a cast of rising artists.

Peter M. Barber sings Don Alfonso; Ashlyn Brown sings Dorabella; Lauren Carroll sings Fiordiligi; Laura Miah sings Despina; Jonghuyn Park sings Fernando and Finn Sagal sings Guglielmo.

Patrick Summers conducts.

For tickets and more information, please go HERE.

JEFF HARNAR – Multiple Venues – July 22 – August 6^th       

Vocalist Jeff Harnar, easily one of the most thoughtful and talented of singers, is doing a quick stop in Southern California this week and a couple of shows in the Midwest in August.

He’s celebrating his latest album, Jeff Harnar Sings Sammy Cahn: The Second Time Around. Cahn is the songwriter behind such songs as All the Way, Come Fly With Me, My Kind of Town and Saturday Night (Is the Loneliest Night of the Week).

He’ll be joined by his music director and pianist Alex Rybeck.

On July 22^nd he’ll be at Vibrato Grill Jazz in Los Angeles. On July 24^th he’ll b e a Coachella Valley Repertory in Cathedral City (near Palm Springs). On August 6^th he’ll be at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights (Chicago area) and on August 8^th he’ll be at Blue Strawberry in St. Louis.

For tickets and more information, please click on the name of each venue above.

To see what Harnar has to say about his work, check out my 2022 interview with him HERE. You can also watch the full interview on our YouTube channel HERE.

THE DAUGHTER OF TIME – Charing Cross Theatre – London, England – July 25^th (Opening Night) – September 13^th

Josephine Tey’s novel, first published in 1951, is considered one of the best crime dramas ever published. There have been two radio adaptations of the novel, but never a play. Until now.

M. Kilburg Reedy is the playwright taking on this story set in London in 1950. 

While in the hospital with a broken leg, Inspector Alan Grant (Rob Pomfret) gets a suggestion from an actress friend (Rachel Pickup) to investigate a mystery from throughout history. He chooses Richard III believing, from Richard’s face alone, that he couldn’t have been the villain he has long been made out to be.

With the help of other actors and the nurses in the hospital, Grant tries to uncover the truth about Richard III. He might just find a bit more than that, too.

Given how highly-regarded this story is, one hopes the play will be just as engaging.

Jenny Eastop directs.

For tickets and more information, please go HERE.

A CHORUS LINE OFFICIAL 50^th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION – Shubert Theatre – New York, NY – July 27^th

This legendary musical, which was once the longest running show in Broadway history, is being celebrated with a reunion of original cast member and a starry line-up of Broadway stars.

The original cast members appearing are Kelly Bishop (Sheila), Wayne Cilento (Mike), Baayork Lee (Connie), Priscilla Lopez (Diana) and Donna McKechnie (Cassie).

Amongst the Broadway stars appearing are Annette Bening, Charlotte d’Amboise, Ariana DeBose, Mandy Gonzalez, Robyn Hurder, Francis Jue, Bebe Neuwirth, Brad Oscar, Krysta Rodriguez and Tony Yazbeck.

Baayork Lee directs this fundraiser for The Entertainment Community Fund.

This event is currently sold out, but you never know when additional tickets might get released. For tickets and more information, please go HERE. If money is no issue, there is an auction of two front-row tickets plus the after party benefitting ECF. This auction ends on July 22^nd. To bid on these tickets, please go HERE.

That’s all for Best Bets: July 21st – July 27th.

Enjoy your week and go see a show!

Main Photo: A Chorus Line on Broadway (photo by Martha Swope/Courtesy New York Public Library Archives)