Lynn Wyatt News

The groundbreaking ceremony for the Alley Theatre's historic downtown building as the theatre undergoes its first major renovation since its opening in 1968 is set for July 8, 2014.

Kenneth Branagh's highly-anticipated New York stage debut in an immersive and visceral staging of Macbeth at the Park Avenue Armory officially opened last night, June 5. Branagh is a five time Academy Award nominee and will be making his NY stage-debut in this production. The production also stars Alex Kingston who is well-known for her role in Doctor Who, as well as Richard Coyle, Scarlett Strallen, Tom Godwin, Edward Harrison, Dylan Clark Marshall, and Kate Tydman. BroadwayWorld brings you photos from opening night below!

Houston's Brilliant Lecture Series motivates and inspires audiences by bringing in national and international leaders, roles models, philanthropists, artists, humanitarians, authors, and entrepreneurs to talk with Houston audiences. Gifting Houstonians with an hour of her time, the incomparable Bette Midler discussed her life as an entertainer and philanthropist.

The Brilliant Lecture Series, Inc. is a non-profit company that aims to inspire and educate Houston audiences by presenting them with prominent members of our society such as national and international leaders, artists, humanitarians, philanthropists, and role models. In the past, they have hosted such influential names as Dr. Maya Angelou, Linda Eder, Professor Stephen Hawking, Betty White, Betty Buckley, Sir Sidney Poitier, and Diane Keaton to name just a few. On par with their mission, in the past, Brilliant Lecture Series has also hosted BRiLL KiDS Talks, which teach children about a variety of subjects ranging from STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Seminars to sessions on Space Exploration and Financial Literacy. One of the central goals of this non-profit organization is to present audiences with speakers that can motivate them and can emphasize the importance of having a dream and following it.

Tomorrow, April 11, Houston Grand Opera presents Das Rheingold, launching the American debut of a visionary and groundbreaking treatment of Der Ring des Nibelungen by La Fura dels Baus. As the first staging of Wagner's epic cycle in HGO history, the event marks an important company milestone-one that HGO follows two weeks later with a new take on Carmen from Broadway sensation Rob Ashford. These two productions come at a time when HGO has once again been making headlines, not only for the world premiere of A Coffin in Egypt and an acclaimed revival of A Little Night Music, but by successfully appealing to new audiences. 'The most recent NEA survey shows that only 2% of Americans go to the opera each year. Yet HGO is bucking the trend. Since the 2009-10 season it has seen its attendances grow by 24 percent,' reported the Economist last month. As Houston History noted in a recent feature article, 'many arts programs across the nation are shutting down due to financial failure, [but] HGO has succeeded in remaining relevant.'

Houston Grand Opera presented the 2014 Opera Ball, Fleurs de l'Opera, Saturday, April 5, at 7 p.m. in the Wortham Theater Center. With more than six hundred guests in attendance, the sold-out gala raised $2 million to support the company's internationally renowned performances and community programs that distinguish HGO as one of America's great opera companies.

The new year has already brought notable success for Houston Grand Opera (HGO), where the hotly anticipated American premiere of the long-lost Holocaust opera The Passenger-hailed by the Associated Press as 'the latest coup for a company known for producing new works'-took the national and local press by storm, and where the company's Rigoletto revival was pronounced 'glorious' (Theater Jones). These accolades come at an exciting time for the company, which continues this season's extraordinary line-up with the launch of the first American presentation of a visionary and groundbreaking treatment of Das Rheingold by La Fura dels Baus; the world premiere of Ricky Ian Gordon's A Coffin in Egypt, named one of the twelve 'must-see opera events of the season' (Opera News); a new HGO production of Carmen from Broadway sensation Rob Ashford; and Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music, which boasts designs by fashion icon Isaac Mizrahi.

The critical response to Houston's American premiere production of The Passenger was overwhelming. Classical Voice America proclaimed the opera “a masterpiece,” and the Chicago Tribune found it an “engrossing, thought-provoking experience” that “deserves [a place] in the regular repertory.” Houston's production impressed the Houston Chronicle as one “that unites commanding performances and vivid, fast-paced staging,” while the Wall Street Journalcommended the way “conductor Patrick Summers shaped the evening with enormous care.” As for the performers, “top to bottom, the cast is excellent,” asserted the Dallas Morning News. Melody Moore “gave Marta's anguish lyricism and strength” (Wall Street Journal), “Michelle Breedt's instrument seemed ideally suited to the role of Liese” (Classical Voice America), and “Kelly Kaduce was mesmerizing” as Katya (Wall Street Journal). The Toronto Star concluded:

The new year has already brought notable success for Houston Grand Opera (HGO), where the hotly anticipated American premiere of the long-lost Holocaust opera The Passenger-hailed by the Associated Press as 'the latest coup for a company known for producing new works'-took the national and local press by storm, and where the company's Rigoletto revival was pronounced 'glorious' (Theater Jones). These accolades come at an exciting time for the company, which continues this season's extraordinary line-up with the launch of the first American presentation of a visionary and groundbreaking treatment of Das Rheingold by La Fura dels Baus; the world premiere of Ricky Ian Gordon's A Coffin in Egypt, named one of the twelve 'must-see opera events of the season' (Opera News); a new HGO production of Carmen from Broadway sensation Rob Ashford; and Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music, which boasts designs by fashion icon Isaac Mizrahi.

The opening months of 2014 bring into focus the strengths of Houston Grand Opera (HGO), which launches the new year with an extraordinary line-up. This comprises the world premieres of three important new commissions -Ricky Ian Gordon's A Coffin in Egypt, named one of the twelve "must-see opera events of the season" (Opera News), and two works exploring Houston's Vietnamese and Indian communities, courtesy of HGO's award-winning Song of Houston project; the hotly anticipated American premiere of Mieczyslaw Weinberg's long-suppressed Holocaust opera, The Passenger, in the production that took Europe by storm; the first American presentation of a visionary and groundbreaking treatment of Das Rheingold by Catalan's La Fura dels Baus; a new HGO production of Carmen from Broadway sensation Rob Ashford; a revival of Rigoletto; and a restaged production of Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music, which boasts designs by fashion icon Isaac Mizrahi. As the Houston Press recently noted, "Artistic and Music Director Patrick Summers is thinking bigger than ever."

Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene of Monaco finished her trip to the United States at the Princess Grace Foundation-USA (PGF-USA) Awards Gala last night at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York. HSH Princess Charlene presented the Prince Rainier III Award to Cicely Tyson, which recognizes a renowned leader in the arts whose own accomplishments are coupled with demonstrated service to the performing arts. Scroll down for photos!

The Princess Grace Foundation-USA (PGF-USA) is proud to announce that Cicely Tyson will accept the Prince Rainier III Award and filmmaker and New Arts Axis Director, Wendy Levy, and New York City Ballet Principal Dancer, Tiler Peck, will receive Princess Grace Statue Awards at the 2013 Princess Grace Awards Gala tonight, October 30, 2013, at Cipriani 42(nd) Street in New York City.

Houston Grand Opera (HGO) opens its 2013-14 season tonight with a revival of its classic production of Verdi's Aida. The production, which runs through November 9, is conducted by Italian maestro Antonino Fogliani and stars the National Opera of Ukraine's Liudmyla Monastyrska as Aida, the role that garnered her critical acclaim at the Metropolitan Opera last year. The New York Times described Monastyrska in her U.S. debut in the title role as "gifted with a luscious round soprano that maintains its glow even in the softest notes." Mezzo Dolora Zajick returns to one of her signature roles, Amneris; Italian tenor Riccardo Massi sings Radames; and Texas baritone and HGO Studio alumnus Scott Hendricks sings Aida's father, Amonasro. The production is designed by British designer Zandra Rhodes, directed by Jose Maria Condemi, and choreographed by Dominic Walsh in the inaugural collaboration between HGO and Walsh's Houston-based Dominic Walsh Dance Theater.

The Princess Grace Foundation-USA (PGF-USA) is proud to announce that Cicely Tyson will accept the Prince Rainier III Award and filmmaker and New Arts Axis Director, Wendy Levy, and New York City Ballet Principal Dancer, Tiler Peck, will receive Princess Grace Statue Awards at the 2013 Princess Grace Awards Gala on October 30, 2013, at Cipriani 42(nd) Street in New York City.

Susan Graham - winner of a Grammy, an Opera News Award, Musical America's Vocalist of the Year, and hailed by the New York Times as 'an artist to treasure' - returns for another compelling season, highlighted by three role debuts. As Houston Grand Opera's 2013-14 Lynn Wyatt Great Artist, she undertakes Prince Orlofsky in the company's first staging of Die Fledermaus in 30 years.

Houston Grand Opera's (HGO) 2013–14 season includes the launch of the company's first Ring cycle, in a visionary and captivating production by the Catalan company La Fura dels Baus; the hotly anticipated American premiere of Mieczyslaw Weinberg's Holocaust opera The Passenger; the world premiere of Ricky Ian Gordon's A Coffin in Egypt, based on the play of the same name by renowned Texas writer Horton Foote and starring iconic mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade; a new HGO production of Carmen from Broadway sensation Rob Ashford; revivals of Aida, Rigoletto, and Die Fledermaus; and, in tribute to the nation's homegrown musical theater tradition, Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music designed by fashion star Isaac Mizrahi. Through its HGOco S o n g o f H o u s t o n project—winner of the National MultiCultural Institute's Leading Lights Diversity Award—the company continues to celebrate Houston's cultural diversity with the world premieres of two new commissions exploring the city's Vietnamese and Indian communities as part of the East + West series.

Houston Grand Opera's (HGO) 2013-14 season includes the launch of the company's first Ring cycle, in a visionary and captivating production by the Catalan company La Fura dels Baus; the hotly anticipated American premiere of Mieczyslaw Weinberg's Holocaust opera The Passenger; the world premiere of Ricky Ian Gordon's A Coffin in Egypt, based on the play of the same name by renowned Texas writer Horton Foote and starring iconic mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade; a new HGO production of Carmenfrom Broadway sensation Rob Ashford; revivals of Aida, Rigoletto, and Die Fledermaus; and, in tribute to the nation's homegrown musical theater tradition, Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music designed by fashion star Isaac Mizrahi. Through its HGOco Song of Houston project-winner of the National MultiCultural Institute's Leading Lights Diversity Award-the company continues to celebrate Houston's cultural diversity with the world premieres of two new commissions exploring the city's Vietnamese and Indian communities as part of the East + West series.

Princess Grace Foundation Founding Trustee Lynn Wyatt visited with Cicely Tyson after a recent performance of The Trip to Bountiful. The play features the talents of Princess Grace Awards winners Michael Wilson (director) and Rui Rita (lighting design). Scroll down for a photo of Tyson and Wyatt!

For the first time in the orchestra's history, Mercury will feature Grammy Award-winning soprano, Ana Maria Martinez, in its upcoming Valentine's Day program tonight, February 14 & 15.

For the first time in the orchestra's history, Mercury will feature Grammy Award-winning soprano, Ana María Martínez, in its upcoming Valentine's Day program on February 14 & 15.