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Dance In America: NY Export: Opus Jazz: Interview with Creators Ellen Bar and Sean Suozzi

colin fitzpatrick — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 17:02:32 +0000

In this interview, the film’s creators Ellen Bar and Sean Suozzi explain their film adaptation of Jerome Robbins famous, but seldom performed, 1958 ballet about being young in New York City. The interview was conducted for the NY Export: Opus Jazz premiere at SXSW 2010 on Saturday, March 13. The film airs nationally for GREAT PERFORMANCES on PBS on March 24th at 8pm (check local listings). More from PBS at SXSW can be seen at video.pbs.org/sxsw.

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GP at the Met: Les Contes d’Hoffmann: Preview the Opera

colin fitzpatrick — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:46:54 +0000

The Metropolitan Opera’s new production of Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann, conducted by Met Music Director James Levine and directed by Tony Award winner Bartlett Sher, premieres on THIRTEEN’S Great Performances at the Met series. Joseph Calleja sings the title role, joined by Anna Netrebko as both Antonia and Stella, Kathleen Kim as Olympia, Ekaterina Gubanova as Giulietta, and Kate Lindsey as Nicklausse/The Muse. Alan Held sings all four villain roles. In a recent review, The New York Times called the Met’s new Hoffmann “a musically gratifying and visually theatrical staging,” and notes “there are many subtleties to Mr. Sher’s new staging of the work…public and private spaces overlap in this production. Other scenic touches… provide continuity among the acts.” Les Contes d’Hoffmann airs on THIRTEEN’S Great Performances at the Met in primetime on PBS on Wednesday, March 24 at 9 p.m. (check local listings).

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Great Performances at the Met is a presentation of THIRTEEN in association with WNET.ORG – one of America’s most prolific and respected public media providers.

Sher, whose Great Performances at the Met debut production of Il Barbiere di Siviglia was an audience favorite, created the new staging for Offenbach’s final masterpiece, which he calls “a magical journey in which the title character works out different manifestations of his psyche…The opera is often approached in terms of the crazy imagination of Hoffmann,” Sher says, referring to the early German romantic polymath whose stories are used for the opera’s episodic plot. “I’m more interested in why Offenbach, who had been a very popular operetta composer, was seeking to write a serious work to gain acceptance. Why, so late in his career, did he feel this need to be accepted? That led me to consider Offenbach’s sense of being Jewish and an outsider. Whatever group he was in, he always appears as an outsider who never feels like he belongs, never feels like he’s connected.” The ambiguities and split identities of the characters figure in Sher’s vision of the piece.

Offenbach died before a definitive score for Les Contes d’Hoffmann was established, though he left many sketches of possible additions and replacements which have led to different performing versions over the years. This production uses the same version that was used in the Met’s most recent revival, in 1999-2000, with the Olympia act first, followed by the Antonia act, then Giulietta placed third. Maestro Levine says of the musical version, “The music is so inspired, and I think we have made effective choices in the absence of an authentic, fully realized original version.” Great Performances at the Met: Les Contes d’Hoffmann is the fifth of 10 productions airing this season during the 2009-2010 series. The performance is sung in French with English surtitles. Set designer Michael Yeargan and costume designer Catherine Zuber, both Tony Award-winners who worked with Sher on his acclaimed Great Performances at the Met production of Il Barbiere di Siviglia, are also on the production team for the new Les Contes d’Hoffmann. James F. Ingalls joins them as the lighting designer, and the choreography is by Dou Dou Huang.

Great Performances is funded by the Irene Diamond Fund, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, public television viewers and PBS. Corporate support for Great Performances at the Met is provided by Toll Brothers, America’s luxury home-builder®. Major support for the telecast was also provided by the Annenberg Foundation.

For the Met, Mia Bongiovanni and Elena Park are Supervising Producers, and Louisa Briccetti and Victoria Warivonchik are Producers. Peter Gelb is Executive Producer. For Great Performances, Bill O’Donnell is Series Producer; David Horn is Executive Producer.

Michael Bublé Meets Madison Square Garden: Christina Ha Interviews Michael Bublé

colin fitzpatrick — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 18:02:42 +0000

Grammy-winning singing sensation Michael Bublé comes to Great Performances this week (Thursday, 10pm) for an unforgettable Madison Square Garden concert.

Bublé sat down with WNET.ORG’s SundayArts host Christina Ha to discuss his music and the importance of Public Television.

Preview the breaks below:

In the first clip, Bublé talks about his recent Grammy win, his long, but solid path to stardom, and the early days of his career — including some of the obstacles he overcame:

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Bublé discusses his album sales success, the mistake of labeling him a “jazz musician,” his latest CD, Crazy Love and the music he loves:

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In the final clip, Bublé gives viewers a look into his songwriting process and the emotion involved and explains why artists such as himself want their concert on Public Television:

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Don’t miss Great Performances: Michael Bublé Visits Madison Square Garden, premiering on THIRTEEN on Thursday, 3/4 at 10pm.

Dance In America: NY Export: Opus Jazz: “Passage For Two”

colin fitzpatrick — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 23:10:20 +0000

“Passage for Two” is the fourth movement in NY Export: Opus Jazz, featuring the choreography of Jerome Robbins and music by Robert Prince. This excerpt was shot in June 2007 before the opening of the new High Line park in New York City, when the former elevated railway was overgrown with wild weeds and grass. Watch New York City Ballet soloists Rachel Rutherford and Craig Hall dance this landmark piece on one of New York City’s own historical landmarks.

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GP at the Met: Turandot: Preview the Opera

colin fitzpatrick — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 19:54:57 +0000

Franco Zeffirelli’s glittering production of Puccini’s Turandot, with Maria Guleghina in the title role and Marcello Giordani as Calàf, makes its debut on THIRTEEN’S Great Performances at the Met. Marina Poplavskaya sings Liù, Samuel Ramey is Timur, and conductor Andris Nelsons makes his Great Performances at the Met debut. With its grand, dazzling sets, the production by Franco Zeffirelli has been an audience favorite since its premiere at the Metropolitan Opera in 1987 and the New York Times has called this Turandot “the Met at its best.”

Turandot airs on THIRTEEN’S Great Performances at the Met on PBS on Sunday, February 28 at noon EST (check local listings).

Watch a preview:

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Great Performances at the Met is a presentation of THIRTEEN in association with WNET.ORG – one of America’s most prolific and respected public media providers.

Great Performances at the Met: Turandot is the fourth of 10 productions airing this season during the 2009-2010 series. The performance is sung in Italian with English surtitles. The set designs are by Zeffirelli. Costume designs are by Anna Anni and Dada Saligeri, and the lighting designer is Gil Wechsler. Chiang Ching is the choreographer and supervisor of stylized movement, and the stage director is David Kneuss.

Great Performances is funded by the Irene Diamond Fund, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, public television viewers and PBS. Corporate support for Great Performances at the Met is provided by Toll Brothers, America’s luxury home-builder®.

For the Met, Mia Bongiovanni and Elena Park are Supervising Producers, and Louisa Briccetti and Victoria Warivonchik are Producers. Peter Gelb is Executive Producer. For Great Performances, Bill O’Donnell is Series Producer; David Horn is Executive Producer.

Harlem in Montmartre: The Story of Louis Mitchell

colin fitzpatrick — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 22:40:58 +0000

In conjunction with Black History Month in February, Great Performances presents a special encore telecast of Harlem in Montmartre: A Paris Jazz Story on Sunday, February 7th at 10 p.m. (check local listings).

In connection the upcoming rebroadcast, Great Performances talked to Alice Sparberg Alexiou, scholar and author, to discuss the importance of Louis Mitchell. Mitchell is most famous for recording the first jazz record (1922) in Paris, the iconic “Ain’t We Got Fun” re-enacted in the video.

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Funding for video provided by ITVS.

GP at the Met: Aida: Preview the Opera

colin fitzpatrick — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 21:28:53 +0000

Aida makes its debut on THIRTEEN’S Great Performances at the Met with soprano Violeta Urmana singing the title role for the first time with the company and mezzo-soprano Dolora Zajick as Amneris, one of her most acclaimed signature roles. Heldentenor Johan Botha sings Radamès, a role for which he was acclaimed in the 2006 revival of the opera, joined by baritone Carlo Guelfi as Amonasro, bass Roberto Scandiuzzi as Ramfis, and bass Stefan Kocán, who makes his debut as the King. Italian maestro Daniele Gatti conducts Aida for the first time at the Met. It marks the return of the Italian maestro, who last appeared with the company in the 1994-95 season, when he made his debut with Madama Butterfly. Alexei Ratmansky, artist-in-residence with American Ballet Theatre and former artistic director of the Bolshoi Ballet, makes his Met debut creating new choreography for the Aida ballets, offering the finishing touch of “firsts” for the production.

Hosted by opera star Renée Fleming, Aida airs on THIRTEEN’S Great Performances at the Met on PBS on Sunday, January 31 at noon EST (check local listings).

Watch a preview:

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Great Performances at the Met is a presentation of THIRTEEN in association with WNET.ORG – one of America’s most prolific and respected public media providers.

Great Performances at the Met: Aida is the third of 10 productions airing this season during the 2009-2010 series. The performance is sung in Italian with English surtitles. The conductor is Paolo Carignani. The production is by Sonja Frisell; the set designer is Gianni Quaranta; Dada Saligeri created the costumes; the lighting designer is Gil Wechsler. Gary Halvorson directed for television.

GP at the Met: The Audition: Preview This Behind-the-scenes Documentary

colin fitzpatrick — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 22:40:50 +0000

Award-winning filmmaker Susan Froemke looks at the intense pressures young opera singers face as they struggle to succeed in one of the difficult professions in the performing arts in The Audition. The feature-length documentary takes you behind the scenes at the Metropolitan Opera’s National Council Auditions, where each year thousands of hopefuls compete for a cash prize, the chance to sing on the Met stage–and the opportunity to launch a major operatic career.

The Audition will air during primetime on THIRTEEN’S Great Performances at the Met in HD on Wednesday, January 20 at 9 p.m. EST on PBS (check local listings).

Watch a preview:

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Great Performances at the Met is a presentation of THIRTEEN in association with WNET.ORG – one of America’s most prolific and respected public media providers.

Great Performances at the Met: The Audition is the second of 10 productions airing this season during the 2009-2010 series. The film covers the dramatic week leading up to the finals of the 2007 auditions, focusing on three very different tenor contestants: Michael Fabiano, a fiery 22-year-old grappling with his inner demons; Alek Shrader, a 25-year-old with movie-star looks who attempts to sing nine high Cs in the fiendishly difficult aria that made Pavarotti a star; and Ryan Smith, who at the age of 30, and with little formal training, is pursuing his dream of an operatic career. The Audition is both a suspenseful competition narrative and a revealing backstage look at what it takes to make it as an opera singer.

The Audition is made possible by the generous support of Frayda B. Lindemann. Great Performances is funded by the Irene Diamond Fund, the National Endowment for the Arts, Vivian Milstein, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, public television viewers and PBS. Corporate support for Great Performances at the Met is provided by Toll Brothers, America’s luxury home-builder®.

For the Met,Mia Bongiovanni and Elena Park are Supervising Producers, and Louisa Briccetti and Victoria Warivonchik are Producers. Peter Gelb is Executive Producer. For Great Performances, Bill O’Donnell is Series Producer; David Horn is Executive Producer.

Passing Strange: “Come Down Now”

colin fitzpatrick — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 16:57:35 +0000

Watch a video of the ballad from Act 2 of Passing Strange, “Come Down Now,” sung by Heidi Rodewald and the character Desi (Rebecca Naomi Jones), The Youth’s lover during his time in Berlin.

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Passing Strange: “Amsterdam”

colin fitzpatrick — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 16:47:56 +0000

Watch the cast of Passing Strange perform the song “Amsterdam” in a scene that welcomes The Youth (Daniel Breaker) to Europe.

This clip contains adult content.

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