John Fleck rose to a certain type of fame when he was labeled one of the NEA (National Endowment for the Arts) Four. Conservatives didn’t like the art he was creating and were up in arms about his receiving money from the NEA. That didn’t stop him and nothing has slowed him down since that controversy erupted in 1990. We spoke about his show It’s Alive, It’s Alive! and his career. He’s wildly entertaining.

Before Joshua Henry joined the Encores! production of Into the Woods, we spoke with him about his Broadway career which included In the Heights, The Scottsboro Boys and a revival of Carousel.

We first got to know Wayne Cilento as an original member of the Broadway cast of A Chorus Line. He’s the director behind the upcoming revival of Bob Fosse’s Dancin’ which will open on Broadway in 2023. This production began its life at The Old Globe in San Diego. So we talked all things Fosse (and perhaps a little A Chorus Line).

Adam Pascal is best-known for originated the role of Roger in Rent. This year he was on the road in the musical Pretty Woman. We talked about Rent, Pretty Woman and coming to grips with the ups and downs of fame.

Bobby Conte had just finished his run in Company on Broadway when we caught up with him before he was performing his show Along the Way. He talked about Sondheim, LuPone (Patti, of course) and his approach to music.

If anyone had a Cinderella story this year it was Broadway star Julie Benko. She was Beanie Feldstein’s understudy in Funny Girl before taking on the role full time until Lea Michelle joined the show. We spoke with her and husband Jason Yeager about their album Hand in Hand, but you don’t think we ignored Funny Girl do you?

Julie Halston is one-of-a-kind. She’s also a Broadway star, has a recurring role on And Just Like That, and a wonderful conversationalist. This might be our most purely enjoyable interview of the year.

John Rubinstein originated the role of Pippin in the Stephen Schwartz musical directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse. He’s currently on stage in his first one-man show as President Dwight D. Eisenhower in Los Angeles. We talked Ike, Fosse and politics!

Those are just some of our Stage Interview Highlights from 2022. Be sure to go to our YouTube channel to check out all of our interviews to date and to subscribe.

Tomorrow we conclude our interview highlights with some of our favorite interviews from the world of opera!

Photo: Jared Grimes and Julie Benko in Funny Girl (Courtesy Polk and Company)

The post Stage Interview Highlights 2022 appeared first on Cultural Attaché.

Our personal favorite nominations are those going to the shows Caroline, Or Change, Company and A Strange Loop in the musicals category. In the plays we’re thrilled to see Dana H., For Colored Girls Who Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf and The Lehman Trilogy amongst the nominees.

We’ve had conversations with many of this year’s nominees and you might want to take another look at what they shared with us. They include:

Simon Russell Beale who is nominated for his performance in The Lehman Trilogy.

“I’m a slightly stocky, middle-aged Englishman with a beard and I’m now pretending to be all sorts of different things just because I say so, rather than with any other help. And that’s quite fun. It’s not about emotional expression or effort. It’s about just keeping the mind focused. If you make a mistake, and I don’t think we’ve ever done a perfect performance actually, but if you make a mistake, you just have to forget it and move very quickly on.”

A side note: Beale is nominated as are his on-stage colleagues Adam Godley and Adrian Lester. Separating one performance from another is a fool’s game. They should have been nominated as a trio in the same way in which the three boys who originated the role of “Billy Elliot” in the musical of the same name were.

Shoshana Bean who is nominated for her performance in the Jason Robert Brown musical Mr. Saturday Night.

“I think that I’m a culmination of all the things I’ve soaked up in my life. I’m very Streisand, there’s Frank Sinatra, Chrissie Hyde, John Mayer, Aretha Franklin…while it may seem original, we’re all using the same ingredients. What matters are your proportions. I go left when people think I’m going right. I don’t look at it as strategic decisions, it’s what I’m lead to do. It’s literally been what felt like it needed to happen.”

Dale Franzen who is a co-producer of nominees Caroline, Or Change and For Colored Girls Who Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf.

“I would say I am much more leaning into stories like that that I feel have such a harder time of being told. Let’s be honest, men aren’t telling those stories. They keep telling the stories that they want to see and I think that women have been shortchanged. I want to be part of changing that. That is not to say that if I’m sent something that I feel is really extraordinary and it happens to be written by a man or it’s a male story that doesn’t mean I won’t get involved. But I would say right now what I feel drawn to moving our stories forward.”

Matt Doyle who is nominated for his brilliantly comedic performance in the revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Company.

“I have a lot of experience in being incredibly anxious over general anxiety disorder and panic disorder. And I know the feeling very well of the surprise and the fear that Jamie experiences during that song. Also the staging is so smart and so brilliant. I think half of what you’re seeing on stage is me turning that kind of delight and excitement and thrill of what I get to do and what the audience gets to see every night into something that is coming off as surprise.”

Deirdre O’Connell who is nominated for her breath-taking performance in Dana H.

“It does feel like there is an infinite number of discoveries to be found. As a ride it’s pretty endless. I feel like it would be interesting to try to do a long run of it. It think you’d have to build breaks into it. the way the fatigue manifests itself is more like it sounds echo-y to me or I’m having a hard time hearing it right now. I could be wrong. It could be easier in terms of the doing it.”

Jayne Houdyshell who is nominated for her performance in the revival of The Music Man.

“I really am a creature of theatre. I came up in the theatre. I chose the life of an actress because of my love of the theatre. It’s always been foremost home for me. I’ve had a few small opportunities to do television and film work. While I appreciate it very much, I don’t feel like the real trajectory of my career is about that or will probably ever be about that. I just am most a home in the theatre.“

To read the full interviews with each artist, please click on the link built into their name.

Once again, congratulations to all 2022 Tony nominees!

Main Photo: Opening Night of “Company” (Photo by Rebecca J. Michelson)

The post Congratulations 2022 Tony Nominees appeared first on Cultural Attaché.

Henry received nominations for his performances in The Scottsboro Boys, Violet and the 2018 revival of Carousel. He’s an original cast member of In the Heights and has toured in Hamilton. Some of his other Broadway credits include The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess and Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed. Most recently he became the first Black actor to play the role of Dr. Pomatter in Waitress.

I took this occasion to talk to Henry, who was just announced along with Adrienne Warren as the Broadway stars to announce this year’s Tony nominations, about his first-ever stage role, to look back on his career so far and to also look forward to where and what Broadway might and should become. What follows are excerpts from our conversation that have been edited for length and clarity.

There’s so much more to hear from Henry, so I strongly encourage you to watch the full interview on our YouTube channel for stories about Carousel, tick…tick…Boom!, Stephen Sondheim and more.

I want to start by asking you about something that Harold Hill says in The Music Man, the first role you ever played which was at Florida Bible Christian School. He says “A man can’t turn tail and run just because a little personal risk is involved.” It strikes me as though that is the journey every actor takes to try to get on Broadway. What are the kind of risks that you feel you’ve taken that have been most successful for you in getting this career that you have now? 

I love that quote. I would say one of the biggest risks that I took was when I was doing In the Heights and it was my first Broadway show and Lin-Manuel [Miranda’s] first Broadway show. We had just won the Tony Award for Best Musical. I was in the ensemble and I had the opportunity to go to a principal role on Broadway in Godspell and play Judas. [In the Heights] was going to run for a long time. But I was like, Oh, I definitely see myself as a principal.

So I decided to put in my four weeks notice, leave and go do Godspell. And this was in 2008. Long story short, the show lost its investment and it didn’t happen. So I find myself in between these two amazing things, just right in the middle of a valley. That’s one of the biggest risks I took. I’m so glad that I took it early on because it showed me the highs and lows of the business and how I need to find something to sustain myself beyond the highs and lows. 

When you think of Broadway as it was back when you were doing In the Heights and Broadway as it is today, pandemic aside if that’s possible, what do you miss most from the way it was and what do you like most about what it is now? 

That’s a good question. I’ll start with what I love about what it is now. I think we’re just much more aware of bringing lots of voices to the table creatively and management wise and producing wise. For instance, Black folks are much more in control of their narrative and the way that they run their shows. I think that’s really important.

What do I miss about what was pre-pandemic or even 2008? For me, it was just this incredible community. It’s still an incredible community, but what struck me when I just got here was how it was just fun. It was just absolute fun. I came from Miami, Florida and coming up to New York in 2006 it was just this world of wonder. And I think now it’s not just fun for me anymore. It’s trying to do the right thing. It’s also fun, but now I’m much more aware and I’m much more strategic in how I’m trying to amplify different voices.

Last year I saw the revival of Caroline, Or Change, a show I loved when it was first on Broadway. But it felt like time and audiences had caught up with it in a way they didn’t the first time around. If The Scottsboro Boys was given a revival today do you think this awareness you mentioned might breathe new life into the show?

100 percent correct! Caroline, Or Change is a great example, it depends on the moment. The audiences in 2010 didn’t want to hear about this true story. I bet you now if Scottsboro Boys is on Broadway right now, oh my goodness! Art sometimes lines up with what’s going on. I’m so sad that I missed Caroline, Or Change because I heard it was incredible. Scottsboro Boys went to the West End and won some Oliviers there. It’s had a great regional life since I did it again at the Ahmanson Theater. It all depends on the moment and I do believe that if Scottsboro Boys came back right now that it would do really well.

You’re on Billy Porter‘s album The Soul of Richard Rodgers, which is completely a pop approach. I’m wondering how important you think it is for projects like that to exist so that people don’t think that Rodgers and Hammerstein or moving forward, even someone like Stephen Sondheim, is part of a previous generation or generations past, and that there’s still something viable about what these songs have to say and that young audiences should be paying attention to them.

The great thing about Stephen Sondheim music, Richard Rodgers music, is it’s just phenomenal storytelling, phenomenal lyric, incredible melodic lines. As someone who grew up in the 90s listening the R&B, pop, rock, jazz, I’m going to see great material through my lens and I’m going to want to interpret it like that, just like Billy Porter or Michael McElroy would want to in their lenses. And I think incredible material that speaks to us will stand the test of time and genre interpretation.

I’m glad to be part of a school of thought that wants to bring those incredible composers as current as possible just to people that don’t know and just think that that’s way back. And I hope that a lot of institutions now understand that and we can rethink some of these classics. They’re fine on their own. But what we’re talking about is bringing them to a newer audience and that’s going to take a little more fine tuning.

Do you remember your first audition for a Broadway show and the song you sang? What was it and what do you think your perspective would be on both how you think you performed it then and how you might perform it now?

Oh gosh, my first Broadway show was off-Broadway at the time, but it was In the Heights. I sang the song “Hear Me Out.” That was a song that Benny sang to Nina’s dad to be like, “Hey, listen. I can handle some more responsibility and I can handle your daughter. Just trust me.” It didn’t make it to Broadway, but that song it’s very hip hop and R&B.

It’s funny that the the title “Hear Me Out” means so much more to me now. I have a hat I was just wearing and it says, “Be Heard.” So like, hear me out, you know? Now I think about it in terms of Broadway. I want to be heard in a different way now. I want more voices to be heard.

If I’m going to sing that song now, though, oh gosh. You know what, Craig? I think I’m going to cover that. I’m going to cover that song. I’m going to put it on Tik Tok because I haven’t thought about it in a little while and I’m going to text Lin. I’m going to be like, “Yo, check this out.” I’m so glad that you brought that up. 

To watch our full interview with Joshua Henry, please go here.

Photo: Joshua Henry (Courtesy his Facebook Page)

The post Joshua Henry Talks All About Broadway appeared first on Cultural Attaché.

Also on tap are two great (and very different ballets); two great jazz concerts; a contemporary classical music festival; a celebration of playwrights and a reading of a rare comedy from the 17th century that seems as topical as ever.

Here are our Top Ten Best Bets: June 11th – June 14th

*TOP PICK* MUSICAL REVUE: Show of Titles – Broadway’s Best Shows – June 13th – 7:00 PM ET/4:00 PM PT

What exactly is a Show of Titles? Simply put, a show featuring title songs from some of Broadway’s biggest musicals. For instance, Oklahoma has a well-known title song. Dear Evan Hansen does not. The Light in the Piazza does. Gypsy does not.

The cast of Broadway stars performing in this show, directed by Lonny Price, includes Annaleigh Ashford, Stephanie J. Block, Kerry Butler, Len Cariou, Glenn Close, Gavin Creel, Darren Criss, Dame Edna, Santino Fontana, Kelsey Grammar, David Alan Grier, Jake Gyllenhaal, Joshua Henry, Isabelle Huppert, Norm Lewis, Patti LuPone, Rob McClure, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Melba Moore, Jessie Mueller, Eva Noblezada, Kelli O’Hara, Laura Osnes, Steven Pasquale, Michael Rupert, Ernie Sabella, Lea Salonga, Phillipa Soo, Will Swenson, Aaron Tveit, Leslie Uggams, Vanessa Williams and Patrick Wilson.

There will also be special appearances by Debbie Allen, Broadway Inspirational Voices, Candice Bergen, Danny Burstein, Bryan Cranston, Tony Goldwyn, Adam Guettel, John Kander, Angela Lansbury, John Leguizamo, John Lithgow, Lindsay Mendez, Phylicia Rashad, Chita Rivera, Ben Stiller, Charles Strouse, Richard Thomas, Blair Underwood, BD Wong, and Florian Zeller.

The link to this event goes to Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles. There are two options for tickets: a $29 ticket allows purchasers to view Show of Titles on demand for 96 hours. (An appropriate number with the film adaptation of In the Heights opening this weekend. A show that not only has a title number, but also a song called 96,000).

A $39 ticket will include a ticket to stream Sarah Ruhl‘s Dear Elizabeth which begins on June 17th and reunites Kevin Kline with Meryl Streep (they appeared on screen together in Sophie’s Choice and Rikki and the Flash). That ticket also allows you to stream it for, you guessed it, 96 hours.

JAZZ: Coltrane: A Love Supreme – Jazz at Lincoln Center – Now – June 16th

Many many years ago I attended the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. One of the concerts I went to – not on the fairgrounds – was a performance by Wynton Marsalis and his band. They were the last of several performers and concluded their main set around midnight. As an encore he announced they would be performing A Love Supreme.

I’m well-acquainted with John Coltrane’s masterpiece and assumed he meant they would perform one of the tracks (they all include A Love Supreme as part of their title). I was wrong. They performed the entire album from start to finish. It was exhilarating and one of the best concerts I’ve ever attended.

Marsalis will once again perform A Love Supreme with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra as the final concert of their virtual season.

This performance will be feature big band arrangements with saxophonist Camille Thurman serving as guest soloist. Sherman Irby will lead the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.

Tickets are $20 and allow for streaming through June 16th. Tickets can be purchased here.

BALLET: Giselle of Loneliness – Ballez/The Joyce Theater – Now – June 23rd

Perfectly timed for Pride Month is this presentation of Giselle of Loneliness by Ballez. The decade-old dance company is comprised of queer, transgender, non-binary and gender non-confirming artists.

As you might imagine from the title, Giselle of Loneliness uses a key moment from that classic ballet as its inspiration.

The dancers in this work, choreographed and directed by Katy Pyle (founder of Ballez), are all auditioning to win the title role of Giselle. To do so, they have to come up with their own version of the insanely challenging mad scene from that ballet.

In what seems to be a bit of a nod to and a twist on A Chorus Line, the dancers have to come face-to-face in this work with their desire to perform within an industry that doesn’t welcome them. It begs the question, how much personal degradation and rejection of your identity will you undergo to continue to do what you love.

The dancers performing in Giselle of Loneliness are Charles Gowin, Meg Harper, Maxfield Haynes, Matthias Kodat, Deborah Lohse, MJ Markovitz, Janet Panetta, Ash Phan, Alexandra Waterbury, and Nat Wilson.

Tickets are $25 and allow for viewing through June 23rd at 11:59 PM ET/8:59 PT.

BALLET: Balanchine and Robbins – Royal Opera House – Debuts June 11th – 2:30 PM ET/11:30 AM PT

The Royal Ballet will live stream their June 11th performance of a trio of works under the title Balanchine and Robbins. Which means, of course, that the works were either choreographed by George Balanchine or Jerome Robbins.

The evening begins with a performance of Apollo by Balanchine set to the music of Igor Stravinsky.

Four dancers are featured in this work which had its world debut in 1928. In this performance the ballet will be danced by Matthew Ball, Claire Calvert, Melissa Hamilton and Fumi Kaneko.

Next up is another work by Balanchine entitled Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux. No need to tell you who wrote the music. This short work had its world premiere in 1960. For this performance the dancers are Vadim Muntagirov and Marianela Nuñez.

The performance concludes with Jerome Robbins’ Dances at a Gathering. This hour-long work, set to the piano music of Frederic Chopin, had its world premiere at New York City Ballet in 1969. Reece Clarke, Teo Dubreuil, Benjamin Ella, James Hay, Fumi Kaneko, Mayara Magri, Yasmine Naghdi, Anna Rose O’Sullivan and Romany Pajdak are the dancers.

Tickets are $18.50. The performance will remain available for streaming through July 11th.

JAZZ: Brian Blade and the Fellowship Band – SFJAZZ – June 11th – 8:00 PM ET/5:00 PM PT

This week’s Fridays at Five concert from SFJAZZ features a 2016 performance by Brian Blade and the Fellowship Band.

Drummer Blade formed this band in 1997 with pianist Jon Cowherd, bassist Chris Thomas, saxophonists Myron Walden and Melvin Butler, guitarist Jeff Parker and pedal steel guitarist Dave Easley.

All but Easley join him for this show that features a five-song set featuring two traditional songs arranged by Blade and three original compositions by Cowherd.

Those songs are Landmarks found on the album of the same name from 2014; Duality from their 2017 album Body and Shadow and Return of the Prodigal Song from their 2008 album Season of Changes.

There is an encore showing of this concert on Saturday, June 12th at 1:00 PM ET/10:00 AM PT. Tickets for either show require either a monthly digital membership ($5) or an annual membership ($50).

If you join to watch this Brian Blade concert you will also have access to a special matinee broadcast on Sunday featuring Marcus Shelby and His Orchestra in a tribute to Duke Ellington. That concert will stream at 2:00 PM ET/11:00 AM PT. You can find details about that show here.

CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL MUSIC: Kronos Festival – June 11th – 10:00 PM ET/7:00 PM PT

The renowned Kronos Quartet launches a virtual festival this year on Friday with a 45-minute concert. Included in this program are several world premieres and one classic work closely associated with Kronos.

Works by Nicole Lizée (Are You From Here Or Just Visiting?), Soo Yeon Lyuh (Tattoo), Hawa Kassé Mady Diabaté (Wawani) and Mahsa Vahdat (Vaya, Vaya) are given their debut performances.

Stacy Garrop’s Glorious Mahalia; Clint Mansell’s Lux Aeterna; Jlin’s Little Black Book and Pete Seeger’s Where Have All the Flowers Gone? are also being performed.

There is no charge to watch this, or any, performance. There is also a kids concert on Sunday, June 13th at 2:00 PM ET/11:00 AM PT.

The festival will continue with performances on Wednesday, June 16th at 10:00 PM ET/7:00 PM PT and Friday, June 18th at 10:00 PM ET/7:00 PM PT. The evening concerts are 45 minutes and the kids concert is 30 minutes.

All performances will remain available for viewing online through August 31st.

PLAY/FUNDRAISER: Connections – Ojai Playwrights Conference – June 12th – 8:00 PM ET/5:00 PM PT

The works of playwrights Luis Alfaro, Jon Robin Baitz, Father Greg Boyle, Bill Cain, Culture Clash, Stephen Adly Guirgis, Danai Gurira, Samuel D. Hunter, David Henry Hwang, Julia Izumi, James Morrison (with his son Seamus), Jeanine Tesori and Charlayne Woodard will be performed in this 90-minute celebration from the Ojai Playwrights Conference.

Liza Powel O’Brien is also contributing a piece.

Performing their work will be a mix of the playwrights themselves and some well-known actors: Brian Cox, Culture Clash, Eileen Galindo, Danai Gurira, Francis Jue, James and Seamus Morrison, Tony Okunghowa, Rose Portillo, Samantha Quan, John C. Reilly, Israel López Reyes, Nikkole Salter, Samantha Sloyan, Jimmy Smits, Phillipa Soo, A. Zell Williams and Charlayne Woodard.

The theme of the show, as the title would suggest, is human connections moving forward in a post-pandemic world.

This is a one-time only event. There is a requested donation of $20 to watch Connections.

Looking forward the Ojai Playwrights Conference New Works Festival will take place August 5th – August 15th.

PLAY: 1 Hour Photo – East West Players – June 12th – 11:00 PM ET/8:00 PM PT

Tetsuro Shigematsu’s 1 Hour Photo had its world premiere in 2017 at Vancouver’s The Cultch. The ostensibly one-man play tells the story of Mas Yamomoto, a man who owned and operated multiple Japan Camera stores which promised processing of film in one hour. (Remember those? Remember film?)

His conversations with Mas, a much older man, covered a lot of territory of personal and racial history of the 20th century. What starts as a humorous catch-up to outdated 1970s technology riff turns into a very personal and emotional story.

To help tell the story Shigematsu incorporates models, miniatures and some very interesting effects.

Shigematsu has now created a 75-minute film version of 1 Hour Photo and East West Players in Los Angeles will offer five virtual screenings of the film beginning on Saturday, June 12th. (Additional shows are on Sunday, June 13th; Friday, June 18th; Saturday June 19th and Sunday June 20th – times vary). Tickets are $34.99.

BROADWAY VOCALS: Matthew Morrison – Seth Concert Series – June 13th – 3:00 PM ET/12:00 PM PT

I’ve seen Matthew Morrison in three Broadway musicals: Hairspray, The Light in the Piazza and South Pacific. Perhaps the only thing they have in common is that he appeared in all three.

For many people Morrison may be best known for his role as Mr. Schuester on Glee.

All four projects allowed him to showcase one thing he does very well: sing. As will this weekend’s Seth Concert Series with Seth Rudetsky.

Yes there will be some conversation sprinkled amongst the performances, but it will mostly be about the music.

If you are unable to see the live stream on Sunday at 3:00 PM ET, there is an encore showing at 8:00 PM ET/5:00 PM PT the same day. Tickets for either are $25.

PLAY READING: Volpone, or The Fox – Red Bull Theater – Debuts June 14th – 7:30 PM ET/4:30 PM PT

17th-century playwright Ben Johnson may not be the best-known writer today, nor are his works commonly performed, but time hasn’t dulled his quick wit and ability to skewer the foibles of human behavior.

Take for example Volpone, or the Fox. The title character loves nothing more than gold. And he will stop at nothing to get as much of it as he can. With the assistance of his servant Mosca, the men of Venice who should know better inevitable fall for his schemes and his charm. It seems as nothing can outwit Volpone.

André De Shields (who won the Tony Award for his performance in Hadestown) plays Volpone. He’s joined by Jordan Boatman, Sofia Cheyenne, Franchelle Stewart Dorn, Clifton Duncan, Amy Jo Jackson, Peter Francis James, Hamish Linklater, Roberta Maxwell, Sam Morales, Kristine Nielsen and Mary Testa for this reading.

Jesse Burger, the Founder and Artistic Director of Red Bull directs. He and Jeffrey Hatcher have made some tweaks to Johnson’s play. (The press release calls them “emendations & elaborations.”)

After the live performance on Monday, June 14th, the show will be available for streaming through June 18th at 7:00 PM ET/4:00 PM PT. There is a suggested donation of $25.

A small bit of trivia: Larry Gelbart, who co-wrote Tootsie and was instrumental in the long-running television show M*A*S*H, wrote an updated version of Volpone that went by the name Sly Fox. It had its Broadway debut in 1976 with George C. Scot in the title role.

That concludes our official Top Ten Best Bets: June 11th – June 14th. But a few reminders before we go:

The film version of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights is now in theaters and streaming on HBO MAX.

Los Angeles Opera’s Signature Recital Series has now unveiled all five recitals for streaming with Russell Thomas, Susan Graham, Christine Goerke, Julia Bullock and J’Nai Bridges. They will remain available through July 1st. You can find details here.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic has added a newly-announced episode for the second season of Sound/Stage. Debuting on June 11th is a performance by the LA Phil with the Youth Orchestra Los Angeles and the band Weezer. They will be performing songs from their album OK Human. Rob Mathes leads the LA Phil and did the orchestrations.

This weekend’s offerings from the Metropolitan Opera are the 2012-2013 season production of Thomas Adés’ The Tempest on Friday; Verdi’s Falstaff from the 2013-2014 season on Saturday and the 2017-2018 season production of Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte on Sunday.

Monday the Met begins a week of operas to celebrate Father’s Day. The first production being streamed is Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra from the 1994-1995 season. We’ll have the full schedule and clips on Monday.

What inevitably follows another opening is another closing. Here ends this weekend’s Best Bets: June 11th – June 14th.

Update: This post has been updated to include newly announced participants in Connections

Photo: Jake Gyllenhaal in Sunday in the Park with George (Photo by Matthew Murphy/Courtesy IBDB.com)

The post Top Ten Best Bets: June 11th – June 14th appeared first on Cultural Attaché.

Enter MasterVoices, a choral group originally founded as an interfaith, interracial ensemble in 1941. Ted Sperling, the organization’s Artistic Director, has taken the group to new levels of success and with that, has lead MasterVoices into more adventurous projects.

Few organizations have been able to perform as full ensembles during the pandemic. The 150 singers of MasterVoices were no exception. So rather than just do a simple zoom call performance, Sperling had the idea of creating a series of films for the 23 songs that make up Myths and Hymns. The songs are broken up into four themes: Flight, Work, Love and Faith.

Guettel was inspired by Greek mythology and uses those stories and his own take on them for Myths and Hymns.

If Adam Guetell’s name sounds familiar, he’s the composer of the Tony Award-winning musical The Light in the Piazza (in which O’Hara starred and Sperling was co-orchestrator and Music Director). He also wrote the musical Floyd Collins and there are indications a first-ever Broadway production may happen in the next couple years. The show has been performed regionally for quite some time.

Sperling was also the Music Director when this work first debuted with the title Saturn Returns. The cast featured Vivian Cherry, Lawrence Clayton, Annie Golden, José Llana, Theresa McCarthy and Bob Stillman. Tina Landau directed the show.

Stephen Holden, writing for the New York Times, said of the work upon its debut:

“Broadly speaking, the songs evoke a kind of human yearning that is as piercing as it is unappeasable: yearning for immortality, true love and God, and yearning to win the game of life. The lyrics are shadowed by intimations of failure and disconnection symbolized by the astrological return of Saturn from its nearly-three-decade cycle around the sun.”

Both Golden and Llana are participating in these films. Joining them are Anderson & Roe, Shoshana Bean, Daniel Breaker, Julia Bullock, Anthony Roth Costanzo, Renée Fleming, Adam Guettel, Joshua Henry, Cheyenne Jackson, Capathia Jenkins, Mykal Kilgore, Norm Lewis, John Lithgow, Michael McElroy, Kelli O’Hara, Ailyn Pérez, Nicholas Phan, Elizabeth Stanley and Take 6.

I’ve long been a fan of Myths and Hymns. I’ve also seen the first two parts of the MasterVoices series and strongly recommend this series. I can’t wait for the other two.

Flight and Work are available on their YouTube channel. Love will debut on April 14th at 6:30 PM EDT/3:30 PM PDT. Faith will debut on May 26th at 6:30 PM EDT/3:30 PM PDT. All four pieces will remain available for viewing through June 30th.

Photo: Joshua Henry in a scene from Myths and Hymns (Courtesy MasterVoices)

The post Adam Guettel’s Myths and Hymns appeared first on Cultural Attaché.

We have links in the title for most of the events we have listed here. That will make it easy for you to find your way directly to these exciting performances.

So let’s get to it. Here are your Best Bets at Home: September 11th – September 13th:

This Is a Man’s World – Latino Theater Company – Now – September 17th

In Los Angeles-based Latino Theater Company’s ongoing series of streaming archived performances, this week they have added Sal Lopez’s one-person show This Is a Man’s World.

The play opened in 2015 and takes a look at masculinity. Lopez combines monologue and music to relay the important events in his life. These include the Watts Riots, falling in love and the birth of his son.

This Is a Man’s World was directed by Jose Luis Valenzuela

Table of Silence Project 9/11 – Buglisi Dance Theatre and Lincoln Center – September 11th – 7:55 AM EDT/4:55 AM PDT

For the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy in 2011, Jacqulyn Buglisi, Artistic Director of Buglisi Dance Theatre, created Table of Silence Project 9/11. The work found over 150 dancers gradually making their way to Lincoln Center’s Josie Robertson Plaza. The plaintive call of a conch shell brings them together as music from a flute, bass drums, a trumpet, bells and the sounds of a chorus fill the space.

Three of her collaborators – Composer/Music Director Daniel Bernard Roumain, spoken-word poet Marc Bamuthi Joseph, and Buglisi Dance Theatre Co-Founder/Principal Dancer Terese Capucilli – have re-worked Table of Silence Project 9/11 for 2020.

There will be a new Prologue which will feature dancers from Buglisi Dance Theatre, Ailey II, Alison Cook Beatty Dance, Ballet Hispánico’s BHdos, The Juilliard School, Limón Dance Company, Martha Graham Dance Company. In addition to other dancers from the NYC community, violinist Daniel Bernard Roumain and poet Joseph will be joining this year’s performance.

The entire event will be streamed live with the following program:

A Prologue, performed live from Lincoln Center; welcome remarks from industry leaders; an excerpt from Buglisi’s Requiem, (choreographed in 2001 as an immediate response to the events of 9/11); the World Premiere of Études, a new three-minute film featuring more than 100 dancers from around the world who have been inspired by the Table of Silence Project 9/11 to create and submit small scale works recorded during the month of August and, finally, the full presentation of the 2019 Table of Silence Project 9/11.

If you cannot watch the event live, it will be available on-demand after its premiere.

Amanda Green AF in Q – Birdland – September 11th – 7:00 PM EDT/4:00 PM PDT

If you don’t know Amanda Green by name, you might be familiar with some of her work. She wrote the lyrics for the musical High Fidelity; lyrics with Lin-Manuel Miranda for Bring It On: The Musical; music with Trey Anastasio and lyrics for Hands on a Hardbody; additional material for the 2019 revival of Cole Porter’s Kiss Me Kate and additional lyrics for the 2015 revival of On the Twentieth Century.

Green has a distinct connection to the last musical. Her father, the late Adolph Green, co-wrote the music and lyrics for On the Twentieth Century with his long-time writing partner Betty Comden. In the interest of being fair to both parents, her mother was the late Phyllis Newman, a Tony Award winner for her performance in the musical Subways Are For Sleeping.

In one of the Radio Free Birdland! concerts filmed at the venue without an audience, Green performs along with her guests singer Natalie Douglas, singer/songwriter Curtis Moore and drummer Sean McDaniel. The music director is James Sampliner.

She’s working on a couple new musicals – including one with Jason Robert Brown and Billy Crystal. Perhaps there will be previews of the new material.

Tickets are $23.50.

The Royal Ballet’s Romeo and Juliet – Great Performances PBS – September 11th (Check local listings)

In 1965 legendary choreographer Kenneth MacMillan debuted his new ballet, Romeo and Juliet, with the Royal Ballet. It’s Shakespeare’s classic tale danced to the music of composer Sergei Prokofiev. It received phenomenal reviews and the company, which featured Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn, gave 43 curtain calls during the 40-minute standing ovation at the ballet’s completion.

For this film airing on Great Performances, the ballet leaves the stage and takes place in and around multiple locations and sets in Budapest, Hungary.

Dancing the role of Juliet is Francesca Hayward, William Bracewell dances Romeo and Matthew Ball dances the role of Tybalt. BalletBoyz Michael Nunn and Wiliam Trevitt directed the film.

As with all PBS airings, best to check your local listings for exact dates and times.

SHE – Latino Theater Company – September 11th – September 20th

Latino Theater Company also continues new readings of plays and this week it is SHE written by Marlow Wyatt. This is a sneak peak at a production that has been rescheduled for next year.

In the play the title character is a 13-year-old. She’s growing up in a small town where poverty is all-too-present. SHE uses her imagination to escape the trappings of her world by creating poetry. When she gets the chance to go to Vanguard Academy, a prestigious school, she comes face-to-face with the harsh realities of the real world. Her dreams have a price. But support comes from the most unlikely of places.

This reading is directed by IMANI.

Joyce DiDonato in Bochum, Germany – Metropolitan Opera – September 12th – 1:30 PM EDT/10:30 AM PDT

If you are a regular reader of Cultural Attaché (particularly the weekly listings of Metropolitan Opera nightly streams), you’ll immediately recognize the name of mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato. She has appeared in their streamed productions of Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Le Comte Ory, La Donna del Lago and La Cenerentola; Donizetti’s Maria Stuarda; Massenet’s Cendrillon and Handel’s Agrippina.

This Saturday she joins the Met Opera Stars Live in Concert series with a recital of her own from Bochum, Germany. Joining DiDonato for the performance will be pianist Carrie-Ann Matheson and chamber ensemble Il Pomo D’Oro.

Her program is scheduled to include works by Claudio Monteverdi, Hector Berlioz, Gustav Mahler, George Frideric Handel, Antonio Cesti, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Alberto Evaristo Ginastera, Louiguy and Rodgers and Hammerstein. There will also be the world premiere of a new work by Kenyatta Hughes with text by Langston Hughes.

Tickets are $20.

Moonlight Sonata Gala – Pasadena Symphony & Pops – September 12th – 9:00 PM EDT/6:00 PM PDT

Like many a gala in 2020, the Pasadena Symphony and Pops have gone on-line. Their Moonlight Sonata Gala will be free to watch, but you’ll have to register to do so. The registration does require you add credit card details. Your card will only be charged if you choose to bid on and win items in their auction.

The event will feature performances by Michael Feinstein, singer Catherine Russell, Broadway’s Cheyenne Jackson and others. Patti Austin will appear as will Pops conductor Larry Blank. Music Director David Lockington serves as host. After the event is over there is an after-party with Michael Cavanaugh who appeared on Broadway in the musical Movin’ Out.

Love in Action: A Telethon To Support the LGBTQ Community – KTLA TV – September 12th – 10:00 PM EDT/7:00 PM PDT

So what makes a telethon something to consider at Cultural Attaché? Well, any telethon that has a line-up like this one is bound to appeal to fans of culture:

Tony Award winners Cynthia Erivo, Cyndi Lauper, Leslie Odom Jr., Billy Porter and Lily Tomlin

Tony Award nominee Andrew Rannells

Drama Desk Award-winner Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Drama Desk nominee Anthony Rapp

Singers Melissa Etheridge, k.d. lang, Sia and the vocal ensemble Tonality

Actors Alexandra Billings, Wilson Cruz, Armie Hammer, Alec Mapa, Peter Paige, Pauley Perrette and Brian Michael Smith

Comedians Margaret Cho, Ilana Glazer, Jay Leno and Bruce Vilanch

Drag icons RuPaul, Miss Coco Peru and Shangela.

And a certain Oscar winner named Cher is also joining the fun.

Jane Lynch is hosting the two-hour event along with KTLA News anchor Cher Calvin. You know what they say, Cher and Cher alike.

For the Love of Lyric Concert – Lyric Opera of Chicago – September 13th – 7:00 PM EDT/4:00 PM PDT

Established in 1954, the Lyric Opera of Chicago has been a prominent part of the performing arts in Chicago. Like many an institution struggling to navigate the pandemic, they have chosen to go on-line with their gala this year. For the Love of Lyric Concert is this year’s program.

Soprano Renée Fleming, who has served as Creative Consultant to the Lyric Opera since 2010, will headline the event.

Joining her will be Ryan Opera Center alumna mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges, Heather Headley (Tony Award-winner for Aida); bass Soloman Howard and soprano Ailyn Pérez. Doug Peck is the music director.

The program is set to include music from opera, Broadway, popular songs and “some surprising sources.” I’m not quite sure what that means. I guess that is why it will be a surprise.

The event will stream for free on the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Facebook page a day after it virtually runs for sponsors.

Miscast20 – MCC YouTube Page – September 13th – 8:00 PM EDT/5:00 PM PDT

New York’s MCC Theater (Manhattan Class Company) annually holds an event that is one of the most popular and most-anticipated events every year. It is called Miscast. The concept is rather simple: actors perform songs from musicals that are performed by characters they would never get cast to play.

Take for example this video of Hamilton‘s Jonathan Groff performing Reno Sweeney’s title song from the Cole Porter musical Anything Goes:

I have no idea what songs are going to be performed and by whom during Sunday’s event. But, I can tell you who will be performing:

Tony Award winners Norbert Leo Butz (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels), Heather Headley (Aida) and Leslie Odom Jr. (Hamilton)

Tony Award nominees Robert Fairchild (An American In Paris), Joshua Henry (Carousel), Rob McClure (Mrs. Doubtfire), Lauren Ridloff (Children of a Lesser God), Phillipa Soo (Hamilton) and Adrienne Warren (Tina)

Also joining are Beanie Feldstein (Hello, Dolly!), Ingrid Michaelson (Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812), Isaac Powell (Once on This Island) and Nicolette Robinson (Waitress).

There will also be a reunion of the original company of Hairspray including Laura Bell Bundy, Kerry Butler, Tony Award winner Harvey Fierstein, Jean Gambatese, Jackie Hoffman, Kamilah Marshall, Matthew Morrison, Tony Award nominee Corey Reynolds, Judine Somerville, Shayna Steele and Tony Award winner Marissa Jaret Winokur.

Presenters include Jocelyn Bioh, Raúl Esparza, Judith Light, Julianna Margulies, Piper Perabo and Thomas Sadoski.

If you enjoy Broadway musicals, this is truly a must-see event.

Jeremy Jordan with Seth Rudetsky – September 13th – 8:00 PM EDT/5:00 PM PDT

On June 14th, Jeremy Jordan was one of Seth Rudetsky’s first guests in his online concert series. He’s back with a new show as Rudetsky’s guest on Sunday.

In addition to his well-known roles in Broadway’s Bonnie & Clyde and Newsies, Jordan has also appeared in West Side Story, Rock of Ages and Waitress. He was a series regular on Smash and appeared with Anna Kendrick in the film adaptation of The Last Five Years.

Tickets for the show are $25. If you can’t see the show live on Sunday, there is an encore presentation on Monday, September 14th at 3:00 PM EDT/12:00 PM PDT.

Kritzerland 10th Anniversary Show – September 13th – 8:00 PM EDT/5:00 PM PDT

Fans of rare recordings of Broadway musicals and new recordings of lost musicals are well acquainted with Kritzerland Records. They have released recordings of the musicals Anya, Ilya Darling, The Grass Harp and restored recordings of the 1971 production of Follies, House of Flowers and more.

They will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of their live shows with an on-line concert. The show promises to include rarities, well-known material and a few songs that have never been heard before.

The cast includes Daniel Thomas Bellusci, Jason Graae (Wicked tour), Peyton Kirkner, Beth Malone (the 2018 revival of Angels in America), Pamela Myers (original cast of Company), Kerry O’Malley (Billy Elliot: The Musical), Hartley Powers, Sami Straitman, Adrienne Stiefel and Robert Yacko (Mark Taper Forum production of Parade).

They also have one very special guest: Petula Clark. In addition to having hit songs with Downtown and I Know a Place, she has appeared on stage in The Sound of Music, Sunset Boulevard and on Broadway in Blood Brothers.

This concert is free, but donations that will go to The Actors Fund are encouraged. Donations can be made here.

Those are my selections of your Best Bets at Home: September 11th – September 13th. I also have some reminders for you:

Los Angeles area residents can catch this week’s In Concert at the Hollywood Bowl on PBS SoCal on Friday, September 11th at 8:00 PM. This week’s theme is Musicals and the Movies and includes performances by Kristin Chenoweth, Audra McDonald and Brian Stokes Mitchell.

Here are reminders from this week’s Jazz Stream:

Red Baraat are featured in this week’s Fridays at Five from SFJazz on September 11th.

John Scofield Trio will perform from New York’s Blue Note on September 11th.

Bill Charlap Trio performs September 11th and 12th from the Village Vanguard in New York.

Pasquale Grasso Quartet performs September 13th from Smalls.

Here are reminders of this weekend’s schedule at the Metropolitan Opera:

Georges Bizet’s Les Pêcheurs de Perles on Friday; Hector Berlioz’s Les Troyens on Saturday and Jules Massenet’s Werther on Sunday.

Will that suffice? Do you have enough options to keep you entertained this weekend? I hope so and I hope you have enjoyed Best Bets at Home: September 11th – September 13th.

Montage of Miscast performers courtesy of MCC Theater

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This was the first of the topical references that came up when I spoke with her last week by phone about the recording. In addition to writing the songs, Stitt co-produced the album with Jeffrey Lesser, did all the orchestrations and music directing, plus she plays piano on 12 of the 13 tracks.

Stitt enlisted several good friends to sing these songs including Jessica Vosk, Joshua Henry, Kate Baldwin, Norm Lewis, Emily Skinner, Jeremy Jordan, Laura Benanti and Sutton Foster.

Here are edited excerpts from our conversation.

You could never have known when you selected a release date for A Quite Revolution what would be going on worldwide. How do you feel about putting this record out in the middle of this pandemic?

My hope is that whatever it means now lands one way, but certainly when I wrote the songs they meant something different to me. With any luck they will withstand this chapter they are in and in a few years they will mean something else. This is just part of how they are born into the world.

A lot of attention has been given to the last song on the record, Stop, performed by Sutton Foster. But my feeling is that as prescient as that song is, most of the album plays like a soundtrack to our world today. How do you view A Quiet Revolution and its place in this time of our lives?

As we were putting it together in October, I looked at the songs I had and I wrote a few more. The overwhelming feeling I had is that the world is spinning so fast and I don’t know how to keep up. Everyone I know is trying to keep up and on their phone and connected digitally. That feels like a sign of our times. For the pandemic to arrive at the end of that feels like….Well, what I’m hoping it will mean is we shed some of what we don’t like about what we were. That was an idea brewing for me. All the songs are about how much we value human connection.

The Great American Black and White stood out to me for the way it depicts the divide in our country. Do you think we will ever break that circle you write about?

If I knew that I would fix politics! I am raising my children to see the gray area. That’s the essence of the album. We talk about Stop because of the moment we’re in. If we put people into categories of “you’re this, I’m that,” there’s no middle ground and we will never get past it. You see this person who doesn’t believe what I believe, but there’s a human there and I can connect. I think the core of this album is about when we start to see the human again. This humanity is the only way forward, but the only way forward is compromise and that means we all win something and we all lose something.

Several of the songs come from musicals you’ve written that haven’t yet been fully produced. When speaking with other composers and performers they mostly say that what Broadway lacks is bold producers, not great writers. Do you agree?

I don’t know. I know many bold producers. I think it is all connected to money. You can be bold, but if you are bold with someone else’s 18 million dollars, you can only be so bold. You have to sell in a commercial venue and most theatergoers are tourists. There’s a huge puzzle that has to be solved. The industry has to figure out who it is selling to.

One of the songs on the album is called Palimpsest. What is the palimpsest* that you’d like A Quiet Revolution to leave behind in the years ahead?

Most of my own art that I look back on, that I have made, I feel is like a reflection of what I was then. I can say that’s how I thought about the world before children or marriage. I can see me in the old pieces. And musically that’s when I was exploring counterpoint or whatever idea.

I hope future me gets to look back and say that was me in 2020 when the world was so volatile and when that pandemic was over very quickly. I hope the future me recognizes who I was and can see how I grew. That marked a time from which we all grew. I think we are being challenged to reinvent ourselves. I don’t want to step out and go back to life as it was. That broke down. Rather than re-assemble, let’s move forward. Let’s be the best version of ourselves. If we all did that, I think of all the global improvements and the way we treat our planet and ourselves. I don’t want to be Pollyanna, but I’d like to think so.

A Quiet Revolution is available through streaming services now. Physical CDs will become available next week.

*something reused or altered but still bearing visible traces of its earlier form.

Photo of Georgia Stitt by Matthew Murphy/Courtesy of the artist

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Conductor and Artistic Director Rachael Worby carefully curates each program to engage the audience in a musical conversation.

The concert is expected to include music from John Williams’ scores for Saving Private Ryan, Amistad, Catch Me If You Can, Born on the Fourth of July and The Terminal. Songs scheduled to be on the program are “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” from Toy Story, “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, “Singin’ in the Rain” from the film of the same name, “Stayin’ Alive” from Saturday Night Fever, “As Time Goes By” from Casablanca and “Mrs. Robinson” from The Graduate.

Ben Hong, in addition to being Assistant Principal Cello with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, has performed regularly around Los Angeles. He also served as the technical advisor to actor Jamie Foxx for the film The Soloist.

Joshua Henry was nominated for Tony Awards for his performances in The Scottsboro Boys, Violet and the recent revival of Carousel.

The concert runs approximately 90 minutes with no intermission.

For tickets go here.

Photo courtesy of MUSE/IQUE.

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Saturday night MUSE/IQUE continues its summer season with a program called Moving/Pictures at The Huntington in San Marino. The program focuses on songs and music from feature films.  As with all of their concerts, Worby carefully curates the program. Joining the MUSE/IQUE Orchestra, which Worby will lead, will be three-time Tony Award nominee Joshua Henry (Carousel, Violet, The Scottsboro Boys) and LA Philharmonic cellist Ben Hong.

I recently spoke to Worby about her goals when she started MUSE/IQUE eight-and-a-half years ago, how she imagines the programs and what she plans to do for the tenth anniversary of the orchestra.

In a video on MUSE/IQUE’s website you said you have “ridiculously lofty goals.” If that’s your present-day point-of-view, what was your point of view in March 2011 when you founded MUSE/IQUE?

When I founded MUSE/IQUE I had a very specific notion in mind. I came to the belief over an extended period of time that live music needed to be within the purview of every human being. While that’s a notion that’s easy enough to speak, it requires a re-imagining of how and where events are going to be presented. I actually think in March 2011 my notion was to gather around me, from time to time, 40 or 50 people in a very democratic way – which is to say that the people sitting in front of me would be highly representative of our community and country. Then over the course of the rest of my life, making live art in front of a certain 40 people, another certain 50 people, moving around in different locations, somehow I would find a way to make an impact and cause the kind of social change for which I think America, at this point, is screaming for. That goal felt lofty because philosophically it was not deeply resonating with any of the arts organizations for which I worked.

You spent 11 years with the Pasadena Pops. When you left in 2010 did you have MUSE/IQUE in mind?

I had in mind a way to use my voice more provocatively. And to re-design the experience of live art. I guess I had, after many decades of working all around the globe and feeling successful, it was a nagging thing behind my heart that something was missing. That I was not really making the kind of change in people’s lives which that kind of platform seemed to demand. I felt almost irresponsible. I’m giving [audiences] a night of great music, but I’m not contextualizing it. I imagined that somewhere I could create a salon, an intimate salon, that would allow me to bridge this gap I felt existed between audience and music and musicians; all thinking and listening, hearing and imagining. I started to experience the world as being a planet full of human beings who were bit by bit losing this fantastic ability to hear and then synthesize the information they were hearing. Can I cause people to bring themselves – their souls, their minds, their ears… then they leave, we hope, feeling changed.

Saturday’s concert celebrates the movies. That’s a fairly common source of inspiration for concerts. What will make this concert different than other concerts centered on film music?

Before pictures moved they were tableaus and the frame was finite. When pictures began to move, the frame became infinite. Though the screen seems to have a frame, the experience of being a part of a motion picture makes the frame infinite. I think that movies basically can make us believe that anything is possible. When music and movies are married there is something sublime and magical. This show will be about the magic of our imaginations and understanding how a soundtrack can influence us. I think the film score is an unexpected expression of art.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic just concluded their 100th season. You are probably already in the planning stages for your 10th anniversary season. Where would you like to see MUSE/IQUE in 2021 and how do you plan to celebrate?

I don’t know. But I want to celebrate. Ten is not 100, but ten has to count for something when it was initiated in the 21st century. To not just be alive, but thriving. I really have to let my mind go. I want to make some kind of splash because I think it’s important for all the people who have invested in us – and those numbers are growing magnificently – to be able to look around and say, “Wow, we did it. Look at us now.” 

In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, J.K. Rowling gave Dumbledore the following line: “Ah music, a magic beyond all we do here!” What keeps the magic alive for you and by extension your audience?

Firstly…[there’s a long pause and she is clearly tearing up] my simplest answer is if you would know enough to connect the dots and ask me a question like that, that you understand my work and know that I want to keep some magic. And…I have to collect myself further to answer more eloquently. My nieces and my daughter are going to be overwhelmed that you asked me that question. My two nieces, who are sisters, have this as a tattoo. There are lot of quotes about music in the world, but you are pulling out one that they have as identical tattoos – each in the other person’s handwriting. My mascara is wrecked.

She takes a long pause before continuing.

I guess deep down where it really counts is that I believe change is possible. That’s a simply as I can put it.

For tickets go here.

All photos courtesy of MUSE/IQUE

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