AListArts.com

Madama Butterfly

November 2, 4m, 7, 9, 11m

A young geisha turns her back on everything she has known and experienced and, in her marriage to an American naval officer, attempts to recreate herself. In the ensuing clash of cultures, the results are ultimately tragic. Her psychological journey is evoked through music of compelling lyric strength and devastating pathos that reveal her obsessions, her fragility, and her endless capacity for love.

Soprano Yunah Lee makes her BLO debut in her signature role as Cio-Cio San, and mezzo-soprano Kelley O’Connor debuts as Suzuki.

Così Fan Tutte

March 15, 17m, 20, 22, 24m

Set on a sunny Neapolitan beach under the looming threat of Mount Vesuvius, two young men gamble that their fiancées will remain faithful, even under the utmost pressure. Così Fan Tutte is light, airy, ravishing and yet, in the end, moving and serious; proof that love is, indeed, a dangerous game.

British baritone Thomas Allen makes his BLO debut as the production’s stage director as well as onstage in his signature role, Don Alfonso. Allen is an established star of the world’s greatest opera houses, recently celebrating his 40th anniversary with the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. BLO favorites Caroline Worra and Sandra Piques Eddy return as the sisters Fiordiligi and Dorabella.

The Flying Dutchman

April 26, 28m, May 1, 3, 5m

A sea captain doomed by a curse to an existence of eternal wandering, a yearning heroine desperate to escape her restricting world – set against the uncontrolled violence of the sea. Their passionate encounter is a story of compelling tension and musical intensity. This early masterpiece of Wagner’s, presented in the US premiere of the 1841 critical edition and in honor of his bicentennial, ends the season on a note of high drama.

The new production is directed by Michael Cavanagh and stars Alfred Walker, Gregory Frank, and Allison Oakes who will make her Beyreuth Festival debut next summer!

The Lyric Stage Company of Boston presents
the Best Local Artists from
the Worlds of Musical Theatre and Opera
in

The Mikado
Music by Arthur Sullivan
Libretto by W.S. Gilbert
September 7 – October 13, 2012

Performances begin Friday, September 7, 8pm
Press opening Sunday, September 9, 3pm

DESCRIPTION:
Three little maids from school, a wandering minstrel, a pompous government official, and the Lord High Executioner . . . just some of the hilariously absurd characters in Gilbert & Sullivan’s most beloved work, The Mikado. Set in the fictional town of Titipu, The Mikado is a tale of the beautiful school girl Yum-Yum who is engaged to be married to Ko-Ko despite her love for the romantic wandering minstrel, Nanki-Poo. Will these two young lovers find their happily-ever-after . . . or will heads roll? This DELICIOUSLY WITTY MUSICAL SATIRE of social mores and politics is sure to delight audiences of all ages!

“As a piece of stage show, The Mikado is, perhaps, the best of all!” – Times of London, 1885

CREATIVE TEAM:
Directed by Spiro Veloudos
Musical Director, Jonathan Goldberg
Scenic Design, Janie Howland**
Costume Design, Rafael Jaen**
Lighting Design, Karen Perlow

FEATURING:

Timothy John Smith*……………..The Mikado of Japan
Davron S. Monroe*………………..Nanki-Poo (his son, disguised as a wandering minstrel; in love with Yum-Yum)
Bob Jolly*……………………………….Ko-Ko (Lord High Executioner of Titipu)
David Kravitz………………………….Pooh-Bah (Lord High Everything Else)
Rishi Basu………………………………Pish-Tush (A Noble Lord)
Erica Spyres*…………………………Yum-Yum (Ward of Ko-Ko)
Teresa Winner Blume……………Pitti-Sing (Ward of Ko-Ko, sister of Yum-Yum)
Stephanie Granade……………….Peep-Bo (Ward of Ko-Ko, sister of Yum-Yum and Pitti-Sing)
Leigh Barrett*……………………….Katisha (an elderly Lady, in love with Nanki-Poo)

Ensemble:
Christina English, Joelle Kross, Kathryn McKellar, Brandon Milardo, Brian Richard Robinson*, Matt Spano*

*Member of Actors Equity Association (AEA) ** United Scenic Artists (USA-Local 829)

WHEN: September 9 – October 13, 2012
Wednesdays, Thursdays – 7:30pm
Wednesday matinees – 2pm, September 12 and October 10
Fridays – 8pm
Saturdays – 3pm & 8pm
Sundays – 3pm
Post-show talkbacks: Sundays, September 9, 23 after 3pm performance
Press opening: Sunday, September 9, 3pm
VIP Opening: Wednesday, September 12 – 7:30pm (post-show reception with cast and crew — open to all ticket holders)

WHERE: The Lyric Stage, 140 Clarendon Street, Copley Square, Boston, MA 02116

TICKETS: $25 – $62.
Seniors – $5 off regular price.
Student rush – $10.
Group rates available.
Box Office: 617-585-5678
website: lyricstage.com

American Repertory Theater Announces Schedule for
2012-13 Season ASL and Audio Described Performances

Cambridge, Mass —American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) has scheduled American Sign Language (ASL) interpreted performances and Audio Described performances for productions during the A.R.T.’s 2012-13 Season at the Loeb Drama Center.

The schedule is as follows:

Marie Antoinette:
ASL Interpreted performance: Sunday, September 23 @ 2:00pm and Tuesday, September 25 at 7:30pm
Audio Described performance: Wednesday, September 26 @ 7:30pm and Saturday, September 29 @ 2:00pm.
A Touch tour of costumes and production materials will be held in the West Lobby one hour prior to curtain.

The world premiere production by David Adjmi, directed by Rebecca Taichman provides a peek into the life of everyone’s favorite representative of the 1% — the infamous Queen of France and cake enthusiast. Though she delights and inspires her subjects with her three-foot tall wigs and extravagant haute couture, times change and even the most fashionable queens go out of style.

Marie Antoinette ASL Team Biographies:

Lucy Annett is a Boston-based ASL interpreter. Her theater interpreting credits include Coriolanus (Commonwealth Shakespeare Company), Candide (Huntington Theatre Company), and Hair the Musical (Broadway Across America-Boston). She previously interpreted Wild Swans forthe A.R.T. and is thrilled to return to this stage. She has worked in collaboration with many ASL consultants including Patrick McCarthy,Lana Cook, and Shira Grabelsky.

Michael Krajnak, CDI and ASL coach, has previously coached at the A.R.T. the world premiere of Wild Swans, The Snow Queen, and the 2012 Tony Award winning production of The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess. He has been seen in and acted in numerous productions in NYC including Off-Off Broadway at the New York DeafTheatre, Ltd. in The Mystery of Irma Vep. He has consulted for many theatre productions in the New England areaover the past 15 years including at Providence Performing Arts Center, Trinity Repertory Theatre, Perishable Theatre, Foothills Theatre, Wheelock Family Theatre, Stoneham Theatre, Boston University Theatre, The Opera House, and the Colonial Theatre. Among the productions he has interpreted are Fiddler on the Roof, The King and I, and To Kill a Mockingbird.

Janine Sirignano returns to the theatre after years spent exploring the Boston, D.C., and New York Deaf communities as a freelance interpreter. Her work has ranged from government and employment settings touniversity classrooms and wilderness environments. Her last theatre appearance was in 2002, interpreting George Bernard Shaw’s Heartbreak House at the Huntington Theatre Company. This is her A.R.T. debut.

Marie Antoinette Primary Audio Describer Biography:
Alice Austin has been describing visual media for people who are blind and visually impaired for twelve years. Beginning at WGBH’sDescriptive Video Service, she described countless hours of film and television programming, including The Sixth Sense, You’ve got Mail, Dracula, The Cider House Rules, and PBS’s Masterpiece Theatre, NOVA, and Mystery. Alice also provided live description for PBS’s coverage of the 2000 PresidentialInauguration. As a freelance audio describer, Alice has described museum exhibits, works of art, presentations, and educational videos, and providedlive description of the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston. Her extensive work describing theatre has been heard at such venues as The Weston Playhouse, The Huntington Theatre Company, Commonwealth Shakespeare Company, The Wang Center, The Colonial Theatre, The Opera House, and New Repertory Theatre.

Pippin:
ASL Interpreted performance: Tuesday, January 8 @ 7:30pm and Sunday, January 13 @ 2:00pm.
Audio Described performance: Wednesday, January 9 @ 7:30pm and Saturday, January 12 @ 2:00pm

The Tony Award-winning musical by Stephen Schwartz, directed by Diane Paulus is a bold new staging of the dark and existential musical you thought you knew. Pippin, on a death-defying journey to find his “corner of the sky,” must choose between a life that’s ordinary or a flash of singular glory.

The Glass Menagerie:
ASL Interpreted performance: Tuesday, February 26 @ 7:30pm and Sunday, March 3 @ 2:00pm
Audio Described performance: Wednesday, February 27 @ 7:30pm and Saturday, March 2 @ 2:00pm

The exquisite family drama is presented in a new staging directed John Tiffany, with Cherry Jones as Amanda Wingfield. While Amanda desperately struggles to provide her fragile daughter with at least one “gentleman caller,” her son, Tom, dreams of escaping from his job at a warehouse and his oppressive life at home.

Hansel & Gretel: Sunday, December 30 at 11:00am and Thursday, January 6 at 11:00am.

In the tradition of last season’s sold-out holiday hit The Snow Queen, the A.R.T. brings another classic children’s story to life—this time, the Brothers Grimm tale of a brother, a sister, a breadcrumb trail, and a suspicious gingerbread house in the woods. Graduate acting students from the A.R.T. Institute for Advanced Theater Training star in this energetic and interactive re-telling, sure to be a sweet holiday treat for the whole family.

Further information with listings of ASL and audio describers for Pippin, The Glass Menagerie, and Hansel & Gretel will be announced at a later date.

The Loeb Drama Center, located at 64 Brattle Street, Harvard Square, Cambridge, is accessible to persons with special needs and to those requiring wheelchair seating or first-floor restrooms. Deaf and hard-of-hearing patrons can alsoreach the theater by calling the toll-free N.E. Telephone Relay Center at 1-800-439-2370.

For further information call 617-547-8300 or visit http://www.americanrepertorytheater.org

Longwood Symphony Orchestra
Celebrates 30th Anniversary Season in 2012-2013

Four-concert series at New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall
The debut of new Music Director Ronald Feldman
Four gifted, early-career soloists from Young Concert Artists
Concerts benefiting four Boston nonprofit organizations

(BOSTON, August 30, 2012) – The Longwood Symphony Orchestra (LSO) announces its 2012-2013 season, featuring four concerts at New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall. Established in 1982, the LSO is a distinctive organization in Boston’s cultural landscape recognized for its musical quality, innovative programming, and unique business model of community engagement. Positioned at the crossroads of the arts and the sciences, the orchestra’s membership is composed mainly of health-care professionals, including doctors, medical students, research scientists, nurses, therapists, and other caregivers.

2012-2013 SEASON
The Longwood Symphony Orchestra’s 30th season marks the beginning of the orchestra’s relationship with conductor Ronald Feldman, who in July was appointed Music Director from a pool of more than 100 candidates. Each of the concerts on the LSO’s four-concert series at New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall features a winner of the renowned Young Concert Artists international auditions as soloist. Each concert also benefits a Boston-area health-related nonprofit organization.

Read on for information on the LSO’s 2012-2013 concert programs, ticketing information, soloists, community initiatives, Community Partners, and new Music Director Ronald Feldman. For more information, visit www.longwoodsymphony.org.

ROMEO AND JULIET
Saturday, October 13, 2012, 8:00 p.m.
New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall
Louis Schwizgebel, piano
A concert to benefit the Sharewood Project

Robert Kyr: Fanfare for a New Dawn
W.A. Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major, K. 467
Sergei Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliet Suite No. 2

New Music Director Ronald Feldman opens the season with works by Robert Kyr, Mozart, and Prokofiev. Praised by The New York Times for his “dazzling fingerwork,” Swiss pianist Louis Schwizgebel joins the LSO to perform Mozart’s beloved Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major.

BEETHOVEN VIOLIN CONCERTO
Saturday, December 1, 2012, 8:00 p.m.
New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall
Benjamin Beilman, violin
A concert to benefit Triangle, Inc.

John Cage: 4’33’’
Ellen Taaffe Zwilich: Concerto Grosso
Karel Husa: Two Sonnets from Michelangelo
Ludwig van Beethoven: Violin Concerto, op. 61

The LSO performs John Cage’s pioneering 4’33” and then explores the music of Pulitzer Prize-winning American composers Ellen Taaffe Zwilich and Karel Husa. Violinist Benjamin Beilman closes the program with Beethoven’s virtuosic Violin Concerto.

TRIBUTE TO CARL MARIA VON WEBER
Saturday, March 16, 2013, 8:00 p.m.
New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall
Narek Arutyunian, clarinet
A concert to benefit Jack’s Magic Bean Fund

Michael Gandolfi: “The Willow Twist” from The Garden of Cosmic Speculation
Carl Maria von Weber: Clarinet Concerto No. 2 in E-flat major, op. 74
Weber: Turandot Overture and March
Paul Hindemith: Symphonic Metamorphosis on Themes by Carl Maria von Weber

The LSO presents a Grammy-nominated composition by Boston-based composer Michael Gandolfi before launching into two pieces by German composer Carl Maria von Weber. Featuring clarinetist Narek Arutyunian performing Weber’s exciting Clarinet Concerto No. 2, the program will conclude with Paul Hindemith’s Symphonic Metamorphosis on themes by Weber.

DAPHNIS ET CHLOÉ
Saturday, May 11, 2013, 8:00 p.m.
New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall
George Li, piano
A concert to benefit the Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence

Lukas Foss: Salomon Rossi Suite
Felix Mendelssohn: Piano Concerto No. 2 in D minor, op. 40
Igor Stravinsky: Scherzo à la russe
Maurice Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé Suite No. 2

The LSO’s season finale features Boston native George Li performing Mendelssohn’s Piano Concerto No. 2, a perennial audience favorite. Music Director Feldman brings his first season with the LSO to a close with works by Foss, Stravinsky, and Ravel.

TICKETING INFORMATION
Subscribers save! Subscriptions and ticket sales are available by visiting www.longwoodsymphony.org and by calling (617) 667-1527.

Four-concert subscription series at New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall
Adult: $160, $105
Senior: $125, $90
Student: $90, $55

Single-concert tickets at New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall
Adult: $45, $30
Senior: $35, $25
Student: $25, $15

Group discounts are available for groups of 10 or more single-concert tickets and subscriptions. Call the LSO at (617) 667-1527 for more information.

MUSIC DIRECTOR RONALD FELDMAN
Two-time winner of the League of American Orchestras’ ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming of Contemporary Music, Ronald Feldman has achieved critical acclaim for his work as a conductor and cellist. He has appeared as a guest conductor with major orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Pops Orchestra, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, the St. Louis Symphony, and the Quebec Symphony, as well as many regional orchestras, including the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra and the symphony orchestras of Springfield (MA), Albany, and Amarillo.

After successful appearances as a guest conductor for three consecutive seasons at Symphony Hall and Tanglewood, Feldman assumed the post of Assistant Conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra. He served as assistant to Boston Pops Principal Conductor and composer John Williams from 1989 to 1993.

Seiji Ozawa, Conductor Laureate of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, called Feldman “an outstanding conductor…with a deep musical mind, which is clearly conveyed through his performances.” John Williams regarded Feldman as “a brilliant conductor who displays the best leadership qualities…and an outstandingly high level of musicianship that imbues his conducting style with strength, taste, and imagination.”

Feldman joined the Boston Symphony as a cellist at the age of 19 and played with the orchestra until 2001. He has appeared as a soloist with numerous orchestras, performing a wide range of concerto repertoire from Dvořák to Ligeti. His many chamber music affiliations have included performances with the Boston Symphony Chamber Players, Collage New Music, the Boston Conservatory Chamber Players, and the Williams Chamber Players. Other performances have included collaborations with violinist Gil Shaham, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and pianists Emmanuel Ax and Garrick Ohlsson.

Feldman recorded an all-Mozart album with the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra of Bucharest, which received excellent reviews in the American Record Guide and Fanfare Magazine. In his review, Steven Ritter of the American Record Guide asserted, “the Mozart Symphony No. 29 is given a dazzling reading, effulgent and scintillating, with articulation and note length all in sync.” Bernard Jacobson of Fanfare Magazine wrote, “Feldman secures a polished and alert account of the Mozart Symphony No. 29.” Feldman also conducted the London Symphony Orchestra and virtuoso trumpet player Arturo Sandoval in a recording of music by John Williams and Kevin Kaska.

In 2001, Feldman left the Boston Symphony Orchestra to pursue other musical interests. He has served as Music Director of the New England Philharmonic and the Worcester Orchestra. Feldman joined the Longwood Symphony Orchestra as Music Director in July 2012 and also serves as Music Director of the Berkshire Symphony Orchestra, a regional orchestra in residence at Williams College. In addition to serving on the faculties of the New England Conservatory of Music and the Berklee College of Music, Feldman is Artist in Residence, Lecturer in Music, and Chamber Music Coordinator as a faculty member of Williams College.

SOLOISTS FROM YOUNG CONCERT ARTISTS
For more than 50 years, Young Concert Artists (YCA) has held international auditions to identify promising young musicians on the brink of careers as international soloists. Audition winners become members of the YCA roster and receive career guidance and management services. Notable YCA alumni include pianist Emmanuel Ax, violinist Pinchas Zukerman, soprano Dawn Upshaw, and many others.

SHA NA NA ROCKS REAGLE MUSIC THEATRE SEPTEMBER 22
LEGENDARY DOO WOP GROUP KICKS OFF FALL CONCERT SEASON

Information at a Glance
Who: Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston
What: SHA NA NA featuring Boston area native Jocko Marcellino*
When: Saturday, September 22 at 2 pm
Where: Robinson Theatre, 617 Lexington Street, Waltham, Mass.
Price: $50, $43, $38, $35 for adults; $3 off for seniors; youth (age 5-18) $20
Discounts: Groups call 781-894-2330; student rush 50% off at box office one hour before curtain,
valid college ID required
Box Office: Call 781-891-5600 or order online at www.reaglemusictheatre.org
Season: Includes Remembering the ’40s October 13-14; The Rat Pack November 11;
ChristmasTime December 7-16

Concert Features

Show is performed in two acts.

Songs include “At the Hop,” “Peppermint Twist,” “Tequila,” “Love Potion No. 9,” “Come Go with Me,” “Sandy,” “Hand Jive,” “Get a Job,” “Lucille,” and “In the Still of the Night.”

Audience members participate in a sing-along, a dance contest, and the hilarious “Greaser Olympics.” Fun prizes are awarded.

Boston Playwrights’ Theatre
2012/2013 Season Announcement
Presenting New Plays in Boston for 31 Years!

BOSTON, MA – Boston Playwrights’ Theatre presents its 31st season of new plays in Boston starting with a collaboration with Company One, Underground Railway Theater and Central Square Theater. Written and performed by Danny Bryck, No Room for Wishing is a one-man show about the joys and perils of protest, in particular the Occupy Boston movement. Presented at Company One (Boston Center for the Arts, Sept. 13-22), at Underground Railway Theater (Central Square Theater, Sept. 30-Oct. 9), AND for one night only (September 24) at Boston Playwrights’ Theatre. Join us in celebrating this up-and-coming talented young actor in his response to the important demonstrations in our country’s cities.

Our at-home opener begins with recent BPT alumna Jaclyn Villano’s biting (pun intended) comedy of manners, The Company We Keep. We can joke all we want to about attorneys and sharks, but here the metaphor is apt. New to Georgetown with a law professorship and a freshly renovated home, attorneys Harry and wife Ellie are having difficulty settling their 12-year-old son into the new school. When their best friends Katherine and Greg come to the housewarming with surprises of their own, what ensues tests the bonds of friendship, marriage, and parenthood in surprising, even shocking ways.

We continue our fall season with Obie-nominated author Richard Schotter’s The Sussman Variations. Charlie Sussman has got it made. He’s turning 75, and thankfully his family is joining the celebration. Or maybe that’s the problem. His kids hate his second wife, his son Jonathan is at war with his own daughter about college exams and with his wife about everything, Harry’s daughter is afraid to come out of the closet, and none of them forgive Harry for divorcing their mother. Oh, and nobody wants to hear the songs from his latest musical. If only Harry could write the libretto for his Life, maybe he’d be able to celebrate. Featuring Ken Baltin as Charlie, with original music by Phil Schroeder and direction by Jeff Zinn.

Season 31 comes to a close with Legally Dead, a new black comedy from BPT alum Dan Hunter. Dad hasn’t been here for a while—five years, in fact—and some of the family wants him dead. Legally, that is. After all, you can’t sell the car dealership without a death certificate. Tommy’s back from prison and he’s sorry he ordered that hit man, Annie’s fresh from her divorce and she needs the dough, Rachel has found Jesus and needs to buy his love, and Mom…well, Mom’s closet holds the answer to everything—if only dog Walter would stop piddling in it. From the award-winning author of La Tango en la Noche and Red Elm, Legally Dead cracks with Cadillacs, closets, and a cockapoo.

—

ABOUT BOSTON PLAYWRIGHTS’ THEATRE

Founded in 1981 at Boston University by Nobel Laureate Derek Walcott, Boston Playwrights’ Theatre is an award-winning professional theatre dedicated to new works. At the core of our five programs is the MFA Playwriting Program. Our award-winning alumni have been produced in Regional and New York houses as well as in London’s West End, and our alumni productions have garnered many regional and Boston awards, including 11 IRNE Awards for “Best New Script” and five Boston Critics’ Association Elliot Norton Awards. In May, Boston Playwrights’ Theatre’s Artistic Director Kate Snodgrass received the Elliot Norton Award Prize for Sustained Excellence.

—

SEASON 2012/2013 AT A GLANCE:

Company One and Underground Railway Theater present
No Room for Wishing
Written & Performed by Danny Bryck
ONE NIGHT ENGAGEMENT
Monday, September 24 at 7:30pm
WHERE: Boston Playwrights’ Theatre – Odyssey Theatre
949 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA 02215

$30/General Admission – $25/ BU Faculty/Staff, Seniors (62+) – $10/Students (with valid ID)
Call 866.811.4111 or visit www.bostonplaywrights.org

Subscriptions Available – $47/Adult – $27/Student (25 and under with valid ID)

COMPELLING, FUNNY SOUTHIE STORY BY LOCAL PULITZER PRIZE WINNER COMES HOME TO BOSTON TO BEGIN HUNTINGTON THEATRE COMPANY’S 31ST SEASON

(BOSTON) – Good People, Pulitzer Prize-winning Boston native David Lindsay-Abaire’s humor-filled Broadway hit about identity, fate, and class, comes home to Boston to open the Huntington Theatre Company’s 31st season. Nationally renowned Kate Whoriskey (Ruined and How I Learned to Drive Off Broadway) directs the Huntington’s production of the New York Drama Critic’s Circle award winner that features Johanna Day (God of Carnage and Carol Mulroney at the Huntington) as Margie Walsh.

The cast also includes local favorites Nancy E. Carroll (Brendan and Present Laughter at the Huntington) and South Boston native Karen MacDonald (All My Sons and Before I Leave You at the Huntington) – on stage together for the first time in their long and illustrious careers – as Margie’s Southie friends, as well as Michael Laurence (Desire Under the Elms on Broadway) as the high school boyfriend Margie tracks down in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.

Called, “Enthralling and utterly gripping” by the Los Angeles Times, Good People takes place in South Boston where this month’s paycheck covers last month’s bills and bingo is a night on the town. Sharp-tongued single-mom Margie Walsh has just been let go from yet another job and is facing eviction. Scrambling to make ends meet for herself and her developmentally disabled adult daughter, she looks up an old flame – now a fertility doctor living in Chestnut Hill with his young wife – hoping he’ll help her make a fresh start. Lindsey-Abaire’s acclaimed drama explores how twists of fate determine our path. The Boston Globe says, “Good People maps the fault lines of social class with a rare acuity of perception while also packing a substantial emotional wallop.”

“David’s play explores complex social questions about class, luck, and escaping our roots with electric energy and sharp humor,” says Huntington Artistic Director Peter DuBois. “Our production marks a homecoming for him, Kate, and this local story.” Hear more from DuBois about Good People.

Good People paints a very different portrait than recent films and literature of the storied Boston neighborhood. Rather than gritty and crime-laden, as depicted in Good Will Hunting and The Departed, Good People’s image of South Boston is drawn from the neighborhood in which Lindsay-Abaire grew up – one populated by everyday people whose individual situations either held them in the neighborhood or offered them a path out. Lindsay-Abaire’s path out was forged in part by a scholarship from the local Boys and Girls Club to the prestigious Milton Academy. There, his gift for writing was nurtured, and he subsequently became a playwright, librettist, lyricist, and screenwriter.

“I spent many-a-summer with my dad selling fruit out of the back of his truck on a corner of Huntington Avenue right across the street from the Huntington,” recalls Lindsay-Abaire. “I would sell bags of plums to kids from BU and wonder what kinds of plays were performed inside. It was both thrilling and surreal to be inside that very theatre many years later, watching the Huntington’s wonderful production of my play Rabbit Hole.

“I’m excited to be back with Good People, especially since it’s very much about and inspired by my hometown. It’s about class in America. It’s about choices and luck, and lack of both. It’s about the good people sitting inside that building in plush theatre seats, and the equally good people selling fruit out on the corner. I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather see this play performed.”

August 30, 2012

BSO OPENS ITS 132ND SEASON ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, AT 7 P.M.,
WITH ALL-BEETHOVEN PROGRAM FEATURING VIOLINIST
AND CONDUCTOR ITZHAK PERLMAN IN HIS FIRST SYMPHONY HALL
APPEARANCE ON THE BSO PODIUM

PROGRAM FEATURES SYMPHONY NO. 7 AS WELL AS
ROMANCES NOS. 1 AND 2 FOR VIOLIN AND ORCHESTRA

GALA OPENING NIGHT CONCERT TO OPEN WITH CELEBRATORY PRE-CONCERT RECEPTION FOR ALL CONCERT ATTENDEES AND ELEGANT POST-CONCERT DINNER FOR BENEFACTORS

Legendary Israeli-born violinist Itzhak Perlman, who has appeared many times with the Boston Symphony Orchestra since his Symphony Hall and Tanglewood debuts in the mid-1960s, now makes his first Symphony Hall appearance on the BSO podium to open the BSO’s 2012–13 season with an all-Beethoven program September 22, at 7 pm. Mr. Perlman leads the orchestra as both soloist and conductor in Beethoven’s lyrical Romances Nos. 1 and 2 for violin and orchestra, then takes up the baton to conclude the program with Beethoven’s perennially popular, dance-infused Seventh Symphony.

For complete programs, ticket information, photos, and artist bios, click here: https://www.box.com/s/bdc46390a330b3d7eba0.

GALA OPENING NIGHT PRE-CONCERT RECEPTION AND POST-CONCERT DINNER
The 2012-13 Opening Night gala has been designed in collaboration by the gala chairs—Trustee Stephen R. Weiner and his wife, Roberta—Rafanelli Events and the BSO. In celebration of the opening of the BSO’s 2012-13 season, the evening begins at 6 p.m. with a cocktail reception for all concert attendees, held in the various rooms of Symphony Hall, allowing patrons to explore the historic space. In conjunction with Boston Gourmet, Scampo’s Lydia Shire and Simon Restrepo have created the menu for the Opening Night Gala pre-concert reception and post-concert dinner. The reception will include passed white wine and sparkling water, as well as hors d’oeuvres such as Lydia’s Maple and Rum smoked salmon, roka shrimp, lobster popovers, and goat cheese and fresh fig tartlets with lavender honey. Following the concert, at 8:30 p.m., benefactor gala ticket holders are invited to an elegant dinner that will take place in a festively decorated tent reception space at Symphony Hall. Rafanelli Events has partnered with other local vendors including Be Our Guest, Port Lighting, and Winston Flowers to create an elegant space in the tent. Guest artist Itzhak Perlman will attend the dinner. The event will also feature two performances by small ensembles including members of the BSO, Boston Pops, Tanglewood Music Center, and Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra. For dinner, Ms. Shire and Mr. Restrepo are presenting a first course including over upland cress soft shell lobster tail and beet ravioli and crisp baked corn pudding and a main course featuring rack and saddle of Colorado lamb with parmesan sauce and mostarda Cremona with crisp endive leaves and crisped sage leaves. Trustee Stephen R. Weiner and his wife, Roberta, are serving as the gala chairs of the Benefactor Gala, which is expected to raise over $1,750,000 for the BSO.

The 2012-13 Opening Night at Symphony gala committee includes Alli and Bill Achtmeyer, Helaine B. Allen, George D. and Margo Behrakis, Peter and Anne Brooke, Gregory Bulger and Richard Dix, Katie and Paul Buttenwieser, Katherine Chapman and Thomas Stemberg, John F. Cogan, Jr. and Mary L. Cornille, Carol Cohen, Dr. Lawrence H. and Roberta Cohn, Donna and Don Comstock, Diddy and John Cullinane, Cynthia and Oliver Curme, Julie and Ronald Druker, Darlene and Jerry Jordan, Stephen B. Kay and Lisbeth L. Tarlow, Ted and Debbie Kelly, Cynthia and Robert J. Lepofsky, Joyce Linde, Elizabeth W. and John M. Loder, Richard and Nancy Lubin, Carmine A. and Beth V. Martignetti, Jane and Robert J. Mayer, M.D., Joseph C. McNay, Paul and Sandra Montrone, Sandra Moose and Eric Birch, Megan and Robert O’Block, Susan Paine, Mrs. Irene Pollin, Maureen and Joe Roxe, Arthur I. Segel, Gilda and Alfred Slifka, Stephen and Dorothy Weber, Frank Wisneski and Lynn Dale, and Rhonda and Michael J. Zinner, M.D.

BSO OPENING NIGHT PROGRAM DETAILS
The program begins with Beethoven’s relatively early Romances No. 1 and 2 for violin and orchestra, dating from 1798–1802 when the composer was beginning to be recognized—on the strength of his early piano sonatas and first pairs of symphonies and piano concertos—as a leading composer of the generation following the great masters Mozart and Haydn. The two Romances reflect a transitional style between Beethoven’s early Classical period and the “heroic” middle period.

The Opening Night at Symphony program concludes with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7, which was composed about a decade after the Romances, by which time Beethoven was firmly established as the greatest composer of his day despite having to end his performing career as a pianist and improviser due to his increasing deafness. Enshrined among the greatest of all symphonies, Beethoven’s Seventh—which the composer himself acknowledged as one of his finest pieces—whirls and leaps, saunters and skips through its four raucous, rhythmically charged movements like some sort of crazed dancer, hovering in a space between playful and furious that is unique to Beethoven’s monumental middle-period works.

ITZHAK PERLMAN
Undeniably the reigning virtuoso of the violin, Itzhak Perlman enjoys superstar status rarely afforded a classical musician. Beloved for his charm and humanity as well as his talent, he is treasured by audiences throughout the world who respond not only to his remarkable artistry, but also to the irrepressible joy of making music, which he communicates. In January 2009, Mr. Perlman was honored to take part in the Inauguration of President Barack Obama, premiering a piece written for the occasion by John Williams and performing with clarinetist Anthony McGill, pianist Gabriela Montero, and cellist Yo-Yo Ma. In December 2003 the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts granted Mr. Perlman a Kennedy Center Honor celebrating his distinguished achievements and contributions to the cultural and educational life of our nation. In May 2007, he performed at the State Dinner for Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, hosted by President George W. Bush and Mrs. Bush at the White House. In addition to his many orchestral and recital appearances throughout the world, Mr. Perlman performs as conductor with leading orchestras. He was Music Advisor of the St. Louis Symphony from 2002 to 2004, and he was Principal Guest Conductor of the Detroit Symphony from 2001 to 2005. He has performed as conductor with the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Boston Symphony, National Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and the symphony orchestras of San Francisco, Dallas, Houston, Pittsburgh, Seattle, Montreal, Atlanta and Toronto, as well as at the Ravinia and OK Mozart festivals. Internationally, Mr. Perlman has conducted the Berlin Philharmonic, Concertgebouw Orchestra, London Philharmonic, the English Chamber Orchestra, and the Israel Philharmonic. He proudly possesses four Emmy Awards and fifteen Grammy awards. He performed at the 2006 Academy Awards and at the Juilliard School Centennial gala, broadcast nationally on “Live from Lincoln Center.” One of Mr. Perlman’s proudest achievements is his collaboration with film score composer John Williams in Steven Spielberg’s Academy Award winning film Schindler’s List, in which he performed the violin solos.

TICKET INFORMATION
Patron tickets for Opening Night at Symphony are priced from $75 to $250 and include the pre-concert reception at Symphony Hall and the concert. Tickets may be purchased by phone through SymphonyCharge (617-266-1200 or 888-266-1200), online through the BSO’s website (www.bso.org), or in person at the Symphony Hall Box Office (301 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston).

Subscriptions for the BSO’s 2012-2013 season are available by calling the BSO Subscription Office at 888-266-7575 or online through the BSO’s website (www.bso.org). Single tickets are priced from $30 to $123. Regular-season Boston Symphony Orchestra concerts on Tuesday and Thursday evenings are priced from $31 to $113; Friday afternoons are priced from $30 to $108; concerts on Friday and Saturday evenings are priced from $33 to $123. Tickets may be purchased by phone through SymphonyCharge (617-266-1200 or 888-266-1200), online through the BSO’s website (www.bso.org), or in person at the Symphony Hall Box Office (301 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston). There is a $6.25 service fee for all tickets purchased online or by phone through SymphonyCharge.

A limited number of Rush Tickets for Boston Symphony Orchestra subscription concerts on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Friday afternoons are set aside to be sold on the day of a performance. These tickets are sold at $9 each, one to a customer, at the Symphony Hall Box Office on Fridays beginning at 10 a.m. and Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning at 5 p.m.

The BSO’s <40=$20 program allows patrons under the age of 40 to purchase tickets for $20. Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis on both the orchestra and balcony levels. There is a limit of one pair per performance, but patrons may attend as many performances as desired.

The Boston Symphony Orchestra offers groups advanced ticket reservations and flexible payment options for BSO concerts at Symphony Hall. Groups of 20 or more may take advantage of ticket discounts, backstage tours, clinics, and master classes. Pre- and post-concert dining options and private function space are available. More information is available through the group sales office at groupsales@bso.org

The BSO College Card and High School Card are the best way for students and aspiring young musicians to experience the BSO on a regular basis. For only $25 (College Card) or $10 (High School Card) students can attend most BSO concerts at no additional cost by registering the card online to receive text and email notifications of real-time ticket availability.

American Express, MasterCard, Visa, Diners Club, and Discover (in person or by mail) and cash (in person only) are all accepted at the Symphony Hall Box Office. Gift certificates are available in any amount and may be used toward the purchase of tickets (subject to availability) to any Boston Symphony Orchestra or Boston Pops performance at Symphony Hall or Tanglewood. Gift certificates may also be used at the Symphony Shop to purchase merchandise.

Patrons with disabilities can access Symphony Hall through the Massachusetts Avenue lobby or the Cohen Wing on Huntington Avenue. An access service center, accessible restrooms, and elevators are available inside the Cohen Wing entrance. For ticket information, call the Access Services Administrator at 617-638-9431 or TDD/TTY 617-638-9289.

SPONSORSHIPS
Bank of America and EMC Corporation are proud to be the Season Sponsors of the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s 2012-13 season. The Fairmont Copley Plaza Boston, celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2012, together with Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, is the Official Hotel of the BSO. Commonwealth Worldwide Chauffeured Transportation is the Official Chauffeured Transportation Provider of the BSO.

I just love to share the good news about the plethora of A&E events here and NY…I understand that there are many people who would love to share my enthusiasm but are sidelined by the economy.
No problem…here is the Brilliant Buzz Top 10 ways to get the best for less and in some cases even free.

10. BOSTIX
http://www.bostix.org/
Get tickets on line or at the Kiosk in Copley Square

9.TKTS.com
They are in NY. These are for matinee or evening performances the day of the show.
Lines are usually very long for the ½ price tix. The best time to go to the Times Square booth for evening performances is around 5:30 for the shortest wait. Downside: you hope that the tickets that you want are not sold out by then.

8. http://www.stubhub.com/
At Stubhub you can both buy and sell tickets for theatre, sports and other events. It’s in Boston and NY.They guarantee that they’ll be valid. Downside, you have to pick up the tickets at a location near the theatre. I picked mine up at a restaurant a block from the theatre in NY and was worried that they wouldn’t be there but they were right at the cashiers podium and the seats were good. It’s worth trying this for hot sold-out plays as well.

7. ArtsBoston.org


ArtsBoston.org features information on theatre, music, dance, visual arts, comedy, and free events. Find things to do in Boston.

6. Goldstar.com has a lot of interesting A&E events on their site.
Last minute you can do very well. Sometimes the tickets are no more than the price of a movie ticket.

5. BroadwayBox.com
You can find tickets in NY, London, Orlando and Las Vegas.
Go on line to BroadwayBox.com and get your free discount code.

4. There are 2 tips for #4.
tickets@telecharge.com or Playbill.com
These sites send info to your e-mail with current bargains.

…and how about this one?
3. www.wickedcheapboston.com
This is a great place where you can get Boston Symphony Tickets wicked cheap.

#2. With so many colleges and universities in this area the high caliber of performance is unbelievable. They need audiences so you will be doing good and doing well.
Check out the box office at Harvard’s Holyoke Centre on MA Ave , or Tufts Balch Arena Theatre. Other suggestions is to check out are Brandeis in Waltham, Boston College, Boston University, Emerson and one of my favorites
Boston Conservatory.org for their wonderful productions.
There are many more such as New England Conservatory who has free faculty concerts on the first Monday of every month.

And now my number one way to see great theatre….Drum roll please…………….USHERING! Write to

1. housemanager@bcaonline.org
and yes you sign up at the venue you want, for one day or the run of the play. Choose from either theatre. Boston University Theatre AKA the Huntington or the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA in the south end. You seat the people, then when the play starts you see it gratis. A great deal, I say, and they do fabulous work.

CONRATULATIONS TO the American Repertory Theatre.
ART gave birth to multiple Tony Award winners at this year’s big theatre event.
First BRAVO… was the Best Revival of a Musical…and the envelope please…Gershwins Porgy and Bess with the fabulous Audra McDonald winning for Best Actress in a Musical. I hope that you got a chance to see it when it was in town.
And how about the musical ONCE that was developed at ART last spring? IT won 8 Tonys.
Next season should be exciting as well for ART with the Stephen Schwartz musical Pippin revived and directed by Artistic Director Diane Paulus . Schwartz did the music and lyrics for WICKED. Also the ONCE director John Tiffany will be at the helm of The Glass Menagerie. Keep your eyes and ears open for Diane Paulus’s next BIG theatrical adventures. She always has some wonderful theatrical surprise up her sleeve.
(617) 547-8300

Opening July 24-August 19 at the Opera House in Boston is the Tony Award-winning play Billy Elliot. Billy Elliot is riveting. Rarely do musicals have great books but this one does. If you saw the movie you know it’s about a British lad who wanted to become a ballet dancer. He lived in a blue collar town and had an undeveloped harsh father. The young actor/dancers playing Billy are amazing. I saw it in London when it first opened and can’t wait to see it again. If you are expecting to see a happy go lucky dance show like 42nd Street this isn’t for you.
617-482-2787 or broadwayinboston.com

One of my favorite summer destinations is Tanglewood. The BSO celebrates its 75th Anniversary this year with an embarrassment of riches.
July 2,3,and 4 it’s James Taylor and his astonishing band. He has performed there in concert more than 30 times so he must be doing something right.

July 5 it’s the outstanding Emerson String Quartet and the season goes on like that More next month but get tickets early. The shed and lawn seats sell out too. CHECK OUT their entire. There is something special about seeing the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Pops in this pastoral setting.
(617) 266-1200 mybso@bso.org

The North Shore Music Theatre has the perennial favorite ANNIE July 17-29. Annie will be back on Broadway in the fall. Also appearing in Beverly MA is Steve Tyrell July 1, and much more.
978-232-7200

The Celebrity Series has tickets starting at just $30 per performance. You can lock in this price if you sign up for 3 events. It won’t be hard to choose 3 from the 40 they are presenting. How about the toe tapping wonder Savion Glover January 12 or fab opera star Renee Fleming and Susan Graham February 3. The Celebrity Series has brought us everyone from Bernadette Peters to Pavarotti over the years and they are not slowing down.
617 482 6661

We are so lucky to live so close to the Bershires with Tanglewood and Jacobs Pillow and Cape Cod with the Melody Tent, Dennis Playhouse and much more.
The Arts and Entertainment are my guilty pleasure. We have to enjoy this glorious season because before we know it, we will be sloshing through the snow. Perish the thought.
Happy Summer.