Of the 1975 documentary film by the Maysles Brothers that inspired the musical Grey Gardens, actress Rachel York says, “It is important for the audience to know that this was the purest form of reality television. There was a camera on them the whole time.”
The “them” she refers to are Edith Bouvier Beale and her similarly named daughter who...
When Disney first explored the idea of doing Broadway productions, they had a long tradition of in-park shows under their belts. In 2013, when Frozenbecame a worldwide phenomenon, it seemed inevitable that the House of Mouse would look to do a Broadway musical version of the film (the production is slated to hit The Great White Way in the...
What opera comes with an advisory that the production features nudity, violence, mature themes and adult language? (Spoiler: it’s not The Magic Flute.) But that’s exactly the advisory you’ll get ahead of Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Lang’s new opera, Anatomy Theatre.
“When we started this ten years ago,” Lang says, “we wanted to have a really proper execution. The executions of criminals have...
“The fact that it starts at 3 p.m. and goes to 10:45 p.m. seems like a long time,” George Lopez says of the Playboy Jazz Festival. (He’s allowed to comment—he’s the MC.) “It amazes me how fast that amount of time can go by.” It also amazes him that he’s spending his fourth year as the event’s Master of...
What will the monarchy in England be after Queen Elizabeth dies? How will the transition to Charles be handled? What kind of King will he be? These are only a few of the questions asked (and answered) by playwright Mike Bartlett in his Tony-nominated play, King Charles III.
Written mostly in blank verse, Bartlett sees parallels between the present-day monarchy...
In 1989, when he was just 15 years old, actor/tap dancer/choreographer Savion Glover landed his first Tony Award nomination. But he had to wait seven years before taking one home (for Best Choreography for Bring in ‘Da Noise, Bring in ‘Da Funk). This year, at the age of 42, he is nominated again for his choreography for the musical...
It sounds like the set-up for a bad joke: a failing president, a former assassin, and a former terrorist meet up at a park in Maryland. But that’s what really happened in 1978 when American President Jimmy Carter convinced Anwar El Sadat, President of Egypt, and Menachem Begin, Prime Minister of Israel, to meet at Camp David to discuss...
Al Dubin, the man who wrote lyrics for “Tiptoe Through the Tulips,” “Forty-Second Street” and “Lullaby of Broadway,” fought a well-documented battle against drug and alcohol addiction. So while it may seem like an unlikely story for a musical, Dubin’s life and lyrics are front and center in I Only Have Eyes For You, which opens tonight at the Montalban...
Anne Sofie von Otter is no stranger to collaborating. The Grammy-winning mezzo-soprano has an impressive list of creative cohorts, including jazz pianist Brad Mehldau (they worked on the album Love Songs) and Elvis Costello (they teamed up on For the Stars). On Wednesday, May 11, she’ll link up with conductor Nicholas McGegan of the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra for Philharmonia Baroque:...
When you see “commissioned by” written on a concert program, you can bet that the name of a performing arts or philanthropic organization will follow, since those are the groups that typically support the creation of new pieces of music. However, the L.A. Chamber Orchestra is trying something different with its Sound Investment campaign. Members of the community are offered...