by Lucy Foster
24 August 2008

   The award-winning and world’s best-selling soprano Sarah Brightman is scheduled to perform at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, November 23rd, 2008 as part of her “Symphony World Tour” that highlights her latest album release, Symphony. The concert event is scheduled for 7:30 pm with ticket prices ranging from $44.00 to $259.50. 
   Sarah Brightman’s latest album, Symphony, is her first release in 5 years. The album features 13 all new songs that range from beautiful ballads to pop rock to duets with Andrea Bocelli, Mexican tenor Fernando Lima and Paul Stanley from the group Kiss. Sarah Brightman performs on this latest album songs in four languages; Spanish, Italian, French and German. Her concerts are known to be more of a show filled with several costumes changes, special lights and set designs, and great choreography. Her repertoire ranges from pop to broadway to classical selections. 

by Lucy Foster
18 August 2008

   The much anticipated Metropolitan Opera 125th Anniversary Opening Night Season Gala will continue its three year tradition of broadcasting the event live in High Definition in select movie theaters. Tickets for the Metropolitan Opening Night Gala as well as 20 additional Met Opera broadcasts in movie theaters will go on sale to the general public Friday, August 22nd, 2008. Tickets can be purchased at the participating movie theater box offices or online at www.FathomEvents.com. A list of participating movie theaters can be viewed by clicking here.
   The season opening night gala stars soprano Renee Fleming performing in three operas: La Traviata (Act II), Manon (Act III), and Capriccio (Final Scene). The celebrated soprano will be joined by her colleagues tenor Ramón Vargas and baritones Thomas Hampson and Dwayne Croft in the three fully staged opera performances. The evening’s gala will be conducted by James Levine and Marco Armiliato. The gala is 3 hrs. 37 minutes and has 2 intermissions. The gala begins at 6:30 pm. on Monday, September 22nd, 2008.

Photo: (c) Caroline P. Digonis 2008
  

by Lucy Foster                          Address:    35 East 76th Street
18 August 2008                                          New York, NY 10021
                                                                Phone:  (212) 744-1600

   The Cafe Carlyle, has announced their line up of live entertainment for the fall 2008 season. Below is the schedule of upcoming performers. Visit their website  http://www.thecarlyle.com/entertainment.cfm for any event changes.

 Sept. 8 – Dec. 15 – WOODY ALLEN & THE EDDY DAVIS NEW ORLEANS JAZZ BAND – Every Monday at 8:45 p.m. Woody Allen swings on his clarinet with the Jazz band for the cover charge of $100.00. 

 Sept. 9 – Nov. 1 – JOHN PIZZRELLI & JESSICA MOLASKY – Performing Tuesday-Thursday at 8:45 p.m., Friday & Saturday at 8:45 p.m. & 10:45 p.m. The popular husband and wife team perform their clever jazz renditions of Broadway hits.

 Nov. 4 – Dec. 31 – STEVE TYRELL – Performing Tuesday & Wednesday at 8:45 p.m., Thursday-Saturday at 8:45 p.m. & 10:45 p.m. The smooth vocalist Steve Tyrell returns for evenings of popular standards.

   The Cafe Carlyle is located within the Carlyle Hotel between Madison and Park Avenues.

by Lucy Foster
18 August 2008

    The Metropolitan Opera will be honoring the memory of the late Luciano Pavarotti with a free to the general public performance of Verdi’s Requiem Mass on September 18th, 2008. The special concert event will be conducted by Maestro James Levine with soloists soprano Barbara Frittoli, mezzo-soprano Olga Borodina, tenor Marcello Giordani, and bass James Morris along with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus.
   Tickets will be distributed in a random drawing beginning at 12 noon on Wednesday, August 20th, 2008. Entries for the free tickets are available in the Met Opera lobby, on the Met Opera website or by calling the Met at 212-362-6000 on August 20th. Met lobby entries may be filled out ahead of time and dropped in a box. Met Opera website and phone entries will start at noon on Wednesday, August 20th, 2008. The drawing is limited to one entry per person. Early Met lobby entries will not have any advantage. Winners will be announced on Monday, September 8, 2008 and will receive two free tickets. A list of the winner names will be posted on the Metropolitan Opera website.  
   The commemorative concert will be broadcast live on the Sirius Satellite Radio-Metropolitan Opera channel 78.

Photo: (c) Caroline P. Digonis 2008

By Lucy Foster
5 August 2008

   On September 24th, 2008 Carnegie Hall will open its 118th season with guest performers soprano Dawn Upshaw, vocalist Christine Ebersole, baritone Thomas Hampson, and cellist Yo-Yo Ma along with the San Francisco Symphony for an evening of Bernstein classics. Under the baton of conductor Michael Tilson Thomas, the evenings All-Bernstein program will include selections from West Side Story, On the Town, Fancy Free, Songfest, Trouble in Tahiti, A Quiet Place, and Mass. Tickets for the opening night gala concert, to be held in the Stern Auditorium, range from $56–$190. Additional ticket options may be reserved for a pre-concert reception (5:30 PM) in the Rohatyn Room at Carnegie Hall and/or the Black-Tie Dinner (9:30–11 PM) held in the Grand Ballroom at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. Reservations can be made by calling Carnegie’s special events at 212–903–9682.
    The opening night gala program at Carnegie Hall kicks off a series of concerts along with the New York Philharmonic celebrating the 90th anniversary of Leonard Bernstein’s birth and his 50th anniversary as the music director of  the New York Philharmonic. The series, Bernstein: The Best of All Possible Worlds, will feature several citywide events from September 24th thru December 13, 2008 celebrating the career of Leonard Bernstein. More information on the series is available by visiting the Carnegie Hall website or the New York Philharmonic.