NYS Music 202​0

Category: Classical

  • Disney+ Releases Trailer for Hamilton

    Disney + has just released their trailer for Hamilton: An American Musical which will be available for streaming on July 3.

    hamilton trailer

    First produced Off-Broadway at the Public Theater in 2015, Hamilton then moved to the Richard Rogers Theater on Broadway later that year. The show’s music, lyrics, and book were written by the musical’s star, Lin Manuel-Miranda based off of Ron Chernow’s biography of Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton is most famous for presenting America as it was in the 1700s, but in today’s light. Every character save King George is played by a BIPOC to highlight the diversity of America today.

    Hamilton took Broadway by storm and the hype has not yet let down. Due to the show’s popularity, tickets continue to be expensive: at one point, a premium seat went for $1,150. However, the show is famous for their memorable lottery, the #Ham4Ham, when lucky winners are given front row tickets for only $10, or one Hamilton. Fans have been anticipating the release of this recording for years, as Lin Manuel-Miranda confirmed that the show would be recorded in a tweet in 2016. The release of this high-quality recording makes Broadway more accessible to people who cannot experience it live for themselves.

    Hamilton was nominated for a record-breaking 16 Tony awards, and won 11 in total, including best musical, best book, and best score, as well as Leslie Odom Jr. (Aaron Burr) winning best actor, Daveed Diggs (Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson) awarded best featured actor, and Renée Elise Goldsberry (Angelica Schuyler) receiving the Tony for best featured actress. Many other members of the cast were nominated for Tonys, and they can all be seen in the original Broadway cast recording on July 3. 

    This is Lin Manuel-Miranda’s second Broadway show. In The Heights, a story about a predominately Hispanic neighborhood community living in Washington Heights, had its Broadway debut in 2008 also at the Richard Rogers Theater and was nominated for 13 Tonys and won 4, including best musical. In the Heights has just been adapted into a feature film as well, with Anthony Ramos (who plays John Laurens/Philip Hamilton in Hamilton), playing the lead role of Usnavi. In the Height, previously scheduled for release June 2020, will now be released on June 18, 2021.

    Hamilton will be available to stream on Disney+ on July 3.

  • Opera Saratoga Keeping the Love of Opera Alive with New Series

    Opera Saratoga has launched a new series of online programming called OPERA SARATOGA: CONNECT!. This comes in response to the recent limitations placed on many in the music industry from the Coronavirus Pandemic. Moving away from the standard path of releasing archived material that many other organizations have taken, Opera Saratoga has developed six new programs including Daily, Kids, Symposia, Classes, Trivia and Mentorship.

    Opera Saratoga’s Artistic and General Director Lawrence Edelson explained: “We have decided to launch programs for our audiences that have been created specifically for the way people engage online producing a combination of newly created video performances for social media, as well as new opportunities to enjoy and learn about opera that are more interactive. Opera Saratoga has always focused on building community. OPERA SARATOGA: CONNECT! was designed to allow us to do just that – connect digitally with our community. Each element of this initiative allows audiences to enjoy opera, classical vocal music, and musical theater in a different way, from short videos released every day throughout the summer featuring members of our Festival Artist program, to interactive trivia games, classes, and symposia, featuring guests from around the globe.”

    Programming will be a combination of free and a few paid activities to which there are scholarships available for those experiencing financial hardships during the pandemic. This will provide a wide opportunity for many to experience opera classical vocal music, and musical theater in many different ways right from your home. Complete details about each of the six programs as part of OPERA SARATOGA: CONNECT! may be found online. 

    For over 50 years Opera Saratoga, formerly known as Lake George Opera, has been a pillar in the upstate community for world class opera. Not only do they perform for more than 25,000 people at the annual Summer Festival but also have become the launching point for emerging operatic artists. They utilize not only their own stage but also the cultural, historic and natural resources of the surrounding Saratoga Springs, the Lower Adirondack and New York State Capital areas to bring unique and innovative opportunities to the public.  

    Check out below their newest opera ‘The Selfish Giant’ based on the classic children’s story by Oscar Wilde. This was produced remotely after the start of COVID-19 in partnership  with the New York City based company American Lyric Theater.

  • Adirondack Theatre Festival & Bloomington Playwrights Project Bring “In the Box” Virtual Experiences

    Adirondack Theatre Festival (ATF) & Bloomington Playwrights Project (BPP) have announced a brand new interactive virtual experience named ‘In The Box Entertainment’.  Beginning this September and running through February 2021, these from-your-couch experiences will include a cruise, hands-on-insane magic shows, a holiday talent show with live voting, an interactive hunt for a criminal, a film festival, and a “wine and canvas” night gone wrong. 

    Chad Rabinovitz, the Producing Artistic Director for ATF and BPP will create and direct the entire series. Also on the stellar team is; playwright Hank Greene (Knights of the Sales Office) and Jeffrey Small as the consulting producer. From Saratoga Springs, Mills Entertainment will ensure that these online experiences perform at high levels, taking Zoom from ‘a video chat to an interactive television experience’.

    “Our goal from the start was to create entertainment that isn’t a consolation prize for not having live theatre, but instead to develop an iteration of live theatre that benefits specifically from being digital.  We’re not putting our art form on Zoom, we’re creating an art form for Zoom,” states Chad Rabinovitz. 

    Shows will be live ticketed performances experienced within the comforts of your home.  Rounding out the unique experience will be a themed box mailed to the ticket holder prior to the show of their choosing.

    More information and ticketing can be found at the BPP, ATF or at www.intheboxentertainment.com.  Tickets may also be purchased by calling the Wood Theater Box Office at (518) 480-4878.

     In The Box Entertainment Lineup:

    Sep. 10-12 – Magic in a Box: Remote Control with Max Major A Virtual Mind Reading Experiment

    Sep. 15-19 – Magic in a Box: Glitches in Reality with Simon Coronel

    Oct. 15-18 – Film Festival in a Box: 5th Annual Adirondack Film Festival

    Nov. 3-14 – Cruise In a Box: Living Room Cruise Lines

    Dec .10 – Bloomington, IN – Talent in a Box: Holiday Family Talent Show

    Dec. 17 – Glens Falls, NY – Talent in a Box: Holiday Family Talent Show

    Jan. 12-23 – Mystery in a Box: Manhunt

    Feb. 9 -20 – Paint in a Box: Painting for One

  • ESYO Announces “Sounding Together” Digital Festival

    ESYO (The Empire State Youth Orchestra) announced their “Sounding Together” digital festival in celebration of the orchestra’s 40th birthday season.  The festival will last three days Thursday, June 11 through Saturday, June 13 and will stream across Facebook Watch and YouTube nightly at 7PM.

    “Sounding Together” festival will include thirteen ensembles and over 400 young musicians from around the region. The festival will feature student-produced videos as well as virtual performances of all 13 ESYO ensembles. There will also be a virtual premiere of an original composition by Carlos Ágreda who is the Music Director of ESYO. 

    Some of the highlights will include compositions of “Amazing Grace” by Jay Dawson and  “What a Wonderful World” by Concertino String. The festival will also include Senior Spotlights in honor of the ESYO Class of 2020. Students will reflect on playing through the pause caused by COVID-19. There will also be dedications to front line healthcare heroes, first responders, and Capital Region teachers.

    The “Sounding Together” digital festival was made possible by donations from University at Albany Foundation and the Metlife Charitable Foundation. ESYO is known regionally and nationally for challenging and inspiring young people to engage in a pursuit of musical excellence.

    For more information on ESYO and their “Sounding Together” festival please visit their website.

  • Movement to make The Apollo Theater an official Broadway House gains momentum

    There are 41 theaters on Broadway and they each have one thing in common: none are owned by African-Americans. The Apollo Theater, located on 125th street in Harlem, opened its doors to the public in 1914 and has been a vibrant piece of New York’s history and culture ever since. Many jazz, R&B, and soul legends began their paths to fame at the Apollo theater’s famous amateur nights. The theater has been both a state and city landmark since 1983 and still remains an important part of New York theater to this day. Despite this, it is not considered a Broadway theater.

    apollo theater broadway
    photo by Jamie Huenefeld

    The only thing which distinguishes Broadway from Off-Broadway is the number of a theater’s seats. All Broadway theaters must have 500 seats or more; theaters with 99-499 seats are deemed Off-Broadway. The Apollo Theater has 1,506 seats.

    A petition to make the Apollo Theater a Broadway theater has been attracting attention in the past few days. If it were a Broadway theater, yhe Apollo would be eligible for Tony Awards and become involved in Tony nominations. As the Apollo Theater works to represent the cultural diversity of New York City, many believe that more BIPOC actors and team members would be nominated for Tony awards were the theater given leeway in the nominations.

    The Apollo Theater is currently closed with no events scheduled through June 30.

  • Tanglewood cancels 2020 season; announce Online Festival

    The Berkshires will be a little quieter this summer, as the Boston Symphony Orchestra has announced they will not hold live performances and educational programs at Tanglewood this summer. The 2020 Tanglewood season was set to kick off on June 19 and run through August 27.

    In an effort to keep the spirit of the storied music season alive, Tanglewood will be offering a wide range of newly created and retrospective content with the Tanglewood 2020 Online Festival.

    The festival will include both free-of-charge archival offerings as well as newly created content available for purchase. Video and audio streams begin on Tanglewood.org July 1, with the ability to purchase starting on June 15. The groundbreaking digital series of audio and video streams includes newly created content to be recorded at Tanglewood’s Linde Center in June and July.

    Ticket holders to Tanglewood performances this summer who donate more than $100 worth of tickets to the BSO will receive complimentary access to the complete selection of paid and archival Tanglewood digital content and a tax receipt for the total ticket value contributed. Donations made by August 31 will also be matched by a group of generous donors who have joined together to help support musical artists and programs in these unprecedented times, amplifying your impact.

    Tickets for this year’s performances will be honored for the postponed date next year. Reschedule dates include:

    • Ringo Star (6/19/20), rescheduled for Saturday, June 19, 2021
    • Trey Anastasio with the Boston Pops and Keith Lockhart (6/20/20), rescheduled for Friday, June 18, 2021
    • Judy Collins and Arlo Guthrie (6/21/20), rescheduled for Sunday, June 20, 2021
    • Brandi Carlile (6/26/20), 2021 date TBA
    • Patti Labelle and Darlene Love (6/27/20), 2021 date TBA
    • The Mavericks with Los Lobos (6/28/20), 2021 date TBA
    • James Taylor (7/4/20), rescheduled for his annual July 4th performance during the 2021 season
    • Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me! with Peter Sagal and Bill Kurtis (8/27/20), rescheduled for Thursday, August 26, 2021
    • John Legend with special guests The War and Treaty (8/28/20), 2021 date TBA

    An overview of Tanglewood’s 2020 Online Festival programming can be found here.

    tanglewood 2020

  • Trey Anastasio postpones Tanglewood show to 2021

    Trey Anastasio postpones his upcoming concert with the Boston Pops at Tanglewood. While originally scheduled for June 20, 2020, the first ever performance for Trey with the Boston Pops will move to 2021 on Friday, June 18. Ticket holders will be able to use current tickets for next year’s event.

  • Proctors Collaborative Produces High School Musical Theatre Awards to be broadcasted on TV

    Throughout the many closings due to COVID-19, one that has particularly affected students interested in the arts is the cancellation of school musicals. The Proctors School of the Performing Arts, a celebration of regional scholastic productions, has decided to do something about it during their fourth annual High School Musical Theatre Awards. They plan to broadcast the awards over TV at 7 p.m. on Saturday,  May 16th.

    Unfortunately many of the original participating schools were unable to stage their performances before schools closed due to state COVID-19 executive orders, making it impossible to complete adjudication and award student actors, technicians and ensembles. However there will be 27 schools participating in the 2020 HSMTA, represented by 1,400 students participating in musicals.

    The televised broadcast features videos submitted by the schools showcasing rehearsals, solos, dance numbers and backstage activity. This televised event will end with a performance of “Finale B (No Day but Today)” from the musical Rent that will include at least one artist from each participating school. There is also a red-carpet-component on social media where students are also encouraged to participate from home in a virtual red carpet. Students can post a photo beginning at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, May 16 using the tag #HSMTAatProctors on Instagram to “walk” the red carpet on Proctors Instagram page.

    The High School Musical Theatre Awards can be viewed live at 7 p.m. Saturday on May 16 several ways. Spectrum subscribers can view it on Channel 1302 in Albany and Schenectady. It will be rebroadcast at later dates. Verizon Fios subscribers in the Albany area can view it on Channel 37. And a livestream will be available at openstagemedia.org/channels/live-stream. There is a suggested donation of $10 per household for the event, and viewers can text HSMTA to 41444 to donate.

    The hosts of the show are Philip Morris, CEO of Proctors Collaborative, and Rex Smith, editor at large of the Times Union, HSMTA’s presenting sponsor. The event is produced by the School of Performing Arts at Proctors and Collaborative Studios, an affiliate of Proctors Collaborative. 

    For more information please visit Proctor School’s Website.

  • Trey Anastasio announces additional Summer Symphony shows

    Trey Anastasio adds to an already busy summer of Oysterhead and Phish with three additional orchestra performances in June. In addition to the previously announced performance on June 20 at Tanglewood with the Boston Pops, Anastasio joins the National Symphony Orchestra on June 17 in Washington D.C., the Philadelphia Orchestra on June 23, and the North Carolina Symphony on June 26 in Raleigh.

    Tickets are now on sale at Trey.com

  • David Byrne’s ‘American Utopia’ will return to Broadway later this year

    David Byrne’s American Utopia will return to Broadway for a second engagement, beginning September 18, 2020 and lasting for a 17-week run, ending in January 2021. The most recent run, which was held at Hudson Theatre in Manhattan, saw the curtain close on Sunday, February 16.

    Based on Byrne’s 2018 album, American Utopia opened in October 2019, with Byrne joined by an 11-piece ensemble playing songs from the album, his solo material and Talking Heads works alike. 

    “It’s become obvious to us in the band, the crew and the producer team that audiences want, dare I say need, to see this show,” said Byrne. “They’re not ready to have it disappear just yet. We feel the same way, we love doing this show. So, it’s thrilling to us that we can announce that we’ll be back in September.”

    The producers of the show shared Byrne’s sentiments. “It has been a joy to bring American Utopia to Broadway. David Byrne is one of our greatest living artists and it’s cause for celebration that he has made his Broadway debut with this brilliant production. We have been blown away by the range of audiences of all ages and backgrounds who have come to see American Utopia.”

    For those unable to make the shows later this year, Spike Lee has announced that he will direct a filmed version of American Utopia. And later this month, Byrne is set to appear as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live on February 29, alongside host John Mulaney. 

    For more information on the return to Broadway of American Utopia, visit americanutopiabroadway.com