Chicago, IL -  Rick Heintz and Michael Hampton have been cast as Marty and Spence in the Chicago premiere of J. Julian Christopher’s insightful new work Man Boobs, a dark comedy about love, body image, and acceptance.

Michael Hampton (Marty) was last seen as Santa Claus in Rudolph the Red Hosed Reindeer, and in staged readings of Pig and The Ritz for Pride Films and Plays. He is an ensemble member of Hell In a Handbag Productions and he just won the Chicago Broadway World award for Best Actor in a Musical (non-equity) for his portrayal of Santa Claus last year.

Rick Heintz (Spence) has been “bearing it all” for the last year over a four-state area in a show he created called “FurrLesque.” Having taken off more than 8 years from his on-stage antics, Rick has been very active in the LGBT community fighting for equality and riding his bicycle to end HIV/AIDS. While hiding from the spotlight, he wrote/co-produced “The Family Business” for the 48-Hour Film Project Los Angeles (Audience Favorite Award) and worked for TV Guide Network in Hollywood producing such shows as “Fashion Wrap with Joan and Melissa Rivers,” “Idol Tonight,” “Reality Chat,” and Red Carpet coverage from everything from the Academy Awards to the Country Music Awards.

David Zak directs Man Boobs, PFP’s second staged production, as part of PFP’s exploration of “what’s new and what’s next” in LGBT theater and film.  Zak, PFP’s Executive Director, predicts, “As we celebrate and nurture new voices in American theater, Mr. Christopher’s fresh and provocative work will be resonating for many years to come.”

Developed at New York’s Public Theater and at workshops at East L.A , Man Boobs ran in New York City at The Fresh Fruit Festival in 2010.  It premiered in Montréal at The Rialto Theatre in 2011 and currently part of Australia’s Midsumma Festival.

Every Saturday from February 18 – March 10 + Thursday, March 8th. Shows start at 7:30 pm at Mary’s Attic, 5446 N. Clark, Chicago.

Previews, Thursday, February 16 and Friday, February 17.  Tickets can be purchased by calling 1.800.838.3006 or online www.BrownPapertickets.com.

Source: Press Release

Right: George Hamilton (L) and Christopher Sieber (R):  photo by Paul Kolnik

by David Cohen

The 1978 French-Italian film adaptation of the 1973 play La Cage aux Folles by Jean Poiret, won over the hearts of millions all over the world. In the most positive way, the film portrait a tender, touchy of a real relationship of an openly gay couple Renato Baldi, the manager of a Saint-Tropez drag entertainment nightclub, and his lover Albin Mougeotte the star attraction named Zaza. The madness and the complications all begin when Renato’s real son announced his intention to marry his fiancée, and brings her and her ultra-conservative parents to meet his “not so typical family.”

In the film, the chemistry between the gay couple was magical, and so believable making this film to remained the #1 spot for foreign film released in the United States forever. Unlike the film production of La Cage aux Folles, the stage production version by Jerry Herman and Harvey Fierstein does not have the energy or the impact of the French film that I love so much. Regardless, the show manages to deliver a funny, sad, and insightful perspective of a real long-term gay relationship with all the highs and lows.

George Hamilton in the role of Georges is way too stiff, and doesn’t have what it takes to play this role. He is too old for this part, and he is lacking the charisma that his character needs. His voice is too flat and monotonous. Unfortunately, you need more than just a name to be good in this role. You need to be able to project, have some “Joie de vivre” and to be convincing as Georges. He is a total casting mismatched to Christopher Sieber in the role of his “wife” Albin.

With his extraordinary acting ability and impressive commanding voice range, Sieber is the savior of this production. He is hilarious, and gives Zaza all the jesters a “Drag Queen Diva” should posses. He is the one who brings the show to life, and he is the anchor of every sense. Sieber ignites the stage with his own fire, energized all the other drag queens, and give “La Cage” the essence of what that show should be. After all, there aren’t many actors who could do justice to this role .

For the mainstream audience the costumes, the dancing, the dirty talk, the heavy-duty make up, the high heels and beautiful thin legs that every woman would kill for  is nothing but a joyful mystery. As an openly gay guy who traveled the world extensively I was blessed to see some of the best drag shows in the world. “La Cage” could have been a total winner if the producers would have been more careful by choosing the right actors that would have make you wonder if they are men or women.  After all, a drag show is always fun, even if it doesn’t have the best talent.

The music of “La Cage” will always be inspiring and will always be a draw. The music is simply great and enjoyable.  Overall, “La cage” is a fun show, and it is a good choice for the holiday spirit. At the end, you will leave the show with a smile on your face, and that is not an illusion!

The show will run through January 1, 2012, at the Bank of America Theatre, 18 W. Monroe. Tickets at $32-$100. Call 800-775-200 or visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

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by David Cohen Publisher

In 1982, Leslie Jordan stepped off a Greyhound bus and said “hello” to Hollywood and has never looked back since. Growing up in the hills of  Tennessee, his mother always assured him that “he was special.”  With his innate ability to be funny, Jordan instantly became an recognizable face in the film and television industry.

PINK: Why did you come to Hollywood in 1982?

Leslie Jordan: I had a degree in theater from my hometown—the University of Tennessee. And I thought, I either have to go to New York or Los Angeles and if I’m going to starve, I am going to starve with a  tan. So, I got on a bus. I literally could not afford a plane ticket, I had $1,400 that I had saved waiting tables during college pinned  into my underpants so that I wouldn’t get robbed on the bus.

PINK: What  did you do upon your arrival?

L  J:  I stepped off at the corner of Hollywood and Vine.  I enrolled in an acting class that would teach you how to do  sitcoms.

PINK: Did you know you were going to make it?

L J:  I never had a doubt.

PINK: What made you so sure?

L J: I don’t know. I had wonderful parents who would tell me that I was special and that I could achieve anything. I had always been funny. I learned to be funny to keep the bullies away because I was such a little sissy; I had learned to be funny, so I knew I had that.

PINK: How was it to work as an openly gay man when you first arrived in LA ?

L J:  You know, everybody was gay—my agent. the casting directors, and the producers were all gay. Nobody talked about it, and it was very important on camera to not come off as “too gay.”  It was wink-wink.  My agent would say to me, “Now listen, keep your feet on the ground and keep your hands at your side.  You’ve got to butch it up for this one you know.”

PINK: What was the first role that gave you your big break?

L J:  The first thing the teacher in my sitcom class said to me was, “You’re a commercial gold mine! You should be doing commercials, television commercials!”  “Oh no, no, no! I want to do big movies and television,”  I said. She then told me, “Well honey, you have to start somewhere.”   So I got  an agent who only handled TV commercials for me.  There was a very famous commercial back in 1982, for Wendy’s Hamburgers with this old lady eating a hamburger and she lifts up the bun and says, “Where’s the Beef?”

PINK: I remember that commercial—it was real funny.

L J:  Well, that was the director who kind of ushered  in this whole new era in commercials where  they wanted characters. They wanted funny, funny characters. They thought you had to be gorgeous so everyone would say, “Oh, I want to look like him so I’ll brush my teeth with that toothpaste.”  Well, the directors realized funny makes people laugh and  they’ll remember  the product.   So I started working. The first year I was in Hollywood I did nine national television commercials.  I was the bellhop, the beach boy, the window washer and usually I didn’t speak.  Then they discovered I had this very thick, sort of southern accent.

PINK: Something a little bit more serious?

L J:  Yeah.  So my first job was a commercial for Aunt Jemima pancakes. Actually it was Aunt Jemima syrup. I was lost at sea, the ship had gone down, and I am floating in a life raft dreaming about pancakes.

PINK: So, what happened next?

L J:  I start doing all these commercials. People would recognize me, “Oh, there’s that guy. There’s the guy from the commercials.” From there I got on  a TV show called The Fall Guy, which starred a very young Lee Majors who went on to do the bionic man or the six million dollar man. I was a murderer.

PINK: Why do you call yourself the gayest person in the world?

L J:  I don’t think I ever said that, and that’s been in every article.  It’s so funny that somebody in the media  twisted what I meant.  I think it came from my one-man show where I say, “I fell out the womb.  I landed in my momma’s high heels, and I am probably the gayest personI know.”  From that, someone took it and said that I used to say that I was the ‘gayest person in the world’. What I meant by that was there’s no choice here.  These right-wing Christians talk about how we have a choice.  Honey, I’ve been on the prance ever since.

PINK: Surronded by hot guys, have you ever had a crush on anyone, and how was it to work with him?

L J:  My show, My Trip Down the Pink Carpet is all about that. I have a theory that straight guys got to flirt when they were young and they learned healthy ways to deal with love affairs.  They would date this girl then break-up, and their heart would be broken.  The way gay people  in my generation  do it—all of our love affairs were in our head.  We’d sit and stare at the football players.  I don’t know about other gay people but I had fantasies.

PINK: Talking about fantasies—who would be your fantasy and why?

L J:  George Clooney.  I did a movie with George Clooney, where he knew I was in love with him.  I mean he knew. He’s very gay friendly though.

PINK: Did he tease or flirt with you?

L  J:  Oh my God, he would flirt with me and pat me on the bottom.  He used to say, “You’re just a little butthole bandit.”

PINK: People say he’s gay. What do you  think—is he gay?

L J: Of course not. He’s totally straight, and completely surrounded by gay men. I saw him one time at Tom’s Steakhouse.  It was George Clooney and about 14 gay men. I said, “What did you do?  Bring the gay bar with you?” and he said, “No, these are the men that work for me.  You know, my publicist, my this, my that.”  He is so gay friendly, but he loves motorcycles, and he’s all man.

PINK: So, you can’t have Clooney, Who else would you invite on a  romantic dinner date?

L J:  Ben Cohen. Do you know who that is?  He’s a beautiful rugby star. I’ve seen him because he is going to be at the opening of the Softball Gay World Series ceremonies with me. I didn’t know who he was but when  I saw him I said, “Oh My God!”

PINK: Are you currently single, or are you in a relationship ?

L J:  No, I live with a straight boy.  He’s the best relationship I’ve ever had.

PINK: Why a straight man? How old is he?

L J:  He’s 34. I’ve lived with him for years and years.  We’ve been through everything—went through cancer when he was diagnosed.  He’s presently straight, in my building  he’s every girl’s dream.  I just adore him; he takes wonderful care of me. People ask me how can he be straight? Well, I screwed girls in high school, does that make me straight?  Not one bit.  My friends keep telling me I need to find a nice gay boy, but I say, “Honey, I am perfectly happy with the boy I have.”

PINK: Have you ever been in a relationship?

L J:  No, not really.  I am a recovering drug addict and alcoholic. Fifteen years clean. I could have had a relationship. I was out at the bars every night and always hunting for Mr. Right, but when you all in the throes of drinking  and doing drugs you can’t have a relationship. I tried couple  of times.

PINK:  Do you like being single?

L J:   I love being single.  I think the problem with gay people is that we’re always hunting for Mr. Prince Charming, and he’s just not out there.

PINK: Do you think it’s a fantasy?

L J:  We look for people to make us feel better about ourselves. You have to be perfectly content with yourself.

PINK: What do you think about gay marriage?

L J:  I think it’s wonderful for the younger generation. I have no interest in it at all.  I had this discussion with Lily Tomlin because we were the generation that went against anything of the establishment. We didn’t want to be conservative.  We were gay; we wanted to be out there. So now all the younger gays are really kind of conservative. They want to get married, they want to have children.  You know, for the younger generation I will fight with my dying breathe for gay marriage. I will fight, fight, fight for you.  If you want to get married you should have the right, “abso-fucking-lutely.”  For me personally, I have no interest.  God knows that if we could have gotten married when I was young, I would have ended up in Las Vegas with some hustler, married.  Honey, I would have been married 20 times. I would have been just like Elizabeth Taylor, I would have married all of them.

PINK: If you had the choice to work with anyone in Hollywood, who would it be and why?

L  J:  Dolly Parton. I have a long, long love affair with Dolly.  It’s so funny, I knew she was gay friendly long before she ever said so. When I was a little kid growing up in Chattanooga, and she’s from right about Knoxville, I was a country music fan and she always looked like a little drag queen to me. I just did a documentary called Hollywood to Dollywood.  It’s about these two identical twins who take off in search of  Dolly.  Because of that movie, she gave us 14 songs to use for free, that’s probably worth a million dollars right there.

PINK: Are you involved with any charity work?

L J:  Everything. I have three charities that I work with a lot.  One is HRC, the Human Rights Campaign. I go all over the place for them. The second charity I work with is the Trevor Project for suicidal kids.  You know, when the Trevor Project plugged in, they were overwhelmed, and this was years ago. They had almost 15,000 calls in the first couple of months.  Do you know where the calls came from?  The Bible Belt.  See, that’s my story.  I learned to hate myself in the pew of a church. The third charity I work with is a recovery center out of San Diego called Stepping Stone, which deals with gay people addicted to crystal meth and alcohol.

PINK:  What makes you really happy?

L J:  Work, I love working, I am married to my career.

PINK:  Out of all the roles you’ve done, which  one means the most to you and why?

L J:  It would probably be the part of Beverley Leslie on Will & Grace.  When I won the Emmy, I received wonderful accolades for my work as an actor. This television show helped gay people.  In my opinion, this is where the tide turned. People started watching Will & Grace all over the country.  The character I played was probably the first openly gay person in many people’s living rooms, even though it was on TV. The people  loved those characters. Through them, a lot of progress was made and  the show ran for eight successful years. At the beginning, straight guys would always come up to me and say, “My wife watches  that show or my girlfriend watches it, and you’re so funny.”  By the end of the show, I would have these big straight guys come up to me and say, “You are so funny.  I love that show. It’s such good writing.”  And it was.  Funny is funny. One time Rosie O’Donnell came to see my stand-up comedy act, and she said, “You should do the casinos. You’d make a lot of money.” I said, “The casinos,but my stuff is so gay.”  She said, “Funny is Funny. That’s like saying my stuff is too black.”

PINK: So, what can we expect from you in the near future?

L J:  I’ve got a great big movie opening in a couple of weeks called The Help.  Mr. Steven Spielberg produced it with Chris Columbus, who did all the Harry Potter movies.  It’s going to win every award known to man.  It’s been testing higher than The Color Purple or Forest Gump.

PINK: What part do you play?

L J: Well, I have a tiny part. I play the editor of the hometown newspaper with a wonderful actress named Emma Stone. The Help will open August 10, 2011.  I’ve been working all this week on a Disney kid’s show, which has been so much fun.  It’s called Shake It Up and it takes place in Chicago. It’s a little dance troupe for kids.  We did our taping last night and oh, the kids! I really didn’t want to do it, but it was good money and I had the time.

PINK: What message would you give to the gay community?

L J:  Okay, here’s the message.  A big source of my shame is I was 42 years old before I ever voted.   I was of that generation that said  ‘who had time to vote?’  My generation marched in the streets and we accomplished a lot, but we learned that it has tc come from within. You have to work within the establishment, you have to vote.  These kids have got to get up!  There’s too much at stake for us not to vote.  That’s my new platform for all the young gay people:  You have to register; you have to be involved so that we can make the change so that you can vote for our rights and have a say. Otherwise, you can’t complain. If you want to sit around and complain about things, ask yourself, did you vote? We’ve got to make it happen, but we’ve got to make it happen within.  You can march in the streets until the cows come home, but that may not change the system, but voting will.  So vote for our gay existence!”

Leslie Jordan will appear at the Opening Ceremonies of the Gay Softball World Series. The  ceremonies will be held at the Ball Room on Navy Pier Monday, August 29, 2011.  So, come and see Mr. Jordan, and find out why I have crowned “her” as “The Queen of Comedy.”

by David Cohen, Publisher/Owner of Pink Magazine and Pink Pages

The internationally acclaimed Aspen Santa Fe Ballet (ASFB) returns to the Harris Theater for one night only, Tuesday, May 24 at 7:30 p.m. A leader in the next generation of American contemporary ballet, the company will present a highly anticipated, exhilarating program of three contemporary dances exemplifying its commitment to groundbreaking work by world-renowned choreographers;  Jirí Kylián’s Stamping Ground, Jorma Elo’s Red Sweet and Nicolo Fonte’s Where We Left Off.

“As we celebrate our 15^th anniversary season, it was important for us to stop in Chicago” said Jean-Philippe Malaty the company director. “We were so well received here four years ago, we thrilled to be here again and share our new work with the warm Chicago audience.”

With a distinguished level of maturity and impressive technical ability, ASFB will present three pieces showcased by it’s ten brilliant dancers. The repetoire will include  the company’s signature piece Red Sweet, premiered in 2008 in Santa Fe, and choreograh by Jorma Elo one of the most sought-after choreographers in the United States and Europe. Music by Vivaldi.

A rarely seen piece,  Stamping Ground is the work of one of the world’s foremost living famous master choreographer Jiri Kylián. Stamping Ground is the third piece commisioned from Kylián to be added to the company’s repertoire. Music by Carlos Chavez.

Where We Left Off, is the 8th piece ASFB commissioned from choreographer Nicolo Fonte. The piece premiered in 2011 in Aspen, CO. with music by Philip Glass.

Tikets are available at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Millennium Park, 205 E. Randolph Dr. Cost: $32-$72 (handling fees extra). For tickets or more information, visit harristheaterchicago.org or call 312.334.7777.

Photos by Rosalie O’Connor. Top L: Aspen Santa Fe Ballet dancers Billy Cannon, Emily Proctor and Joseph Watson in “Stamping Ground.” Top R: Aspen Santa Fe Ballet dancers Sam Chittenden and Nolan McGahan DeMarco in “Where We Left Off.” Bottom: Billy Cannon, Sam Chittenden, Katherine Bolanos, Katie Dehler Aspen Santa Fe Ballet performs “Red Sweet.”

Last night, PINK went to see White Noise at Royal George produced by Whoopi Goldberg. Finally, someone got the guts to convey hate into edgy musical. This production is more than life, it’s a mark in history. With an outstanding cast White Noise is remarkable, even for those who can’t diegest it. It’s a must. It makes us thing, wonder and questioned life. It’s one of the best shows I have ever seen. Bravo! (David )

‎PINK Magazine and friends went to see Whoopi Goldberg’s White Noise last night at The Royal George Theater. A powerful message full of truths about what hate can breed. Difficult to digest but, a necessary message to our society. Great job to the cast. The performance was spectacular! It’s a must see show! Did PINK send you to the show? Comment on our page tell us what you thought! (Allen)

Here are some  comments from our followers:

Thanks again for the tickets-John and I went today and we enjoyed it.  I am not surprised to hear that is closing early – it is kind of a hard sell of a show to a mainstream audience.  I was actually shocked a couple of times at some of the songs but the shock quickly disappeared.  I actually thought the songs were pretty good and I was surprised to see who was in it-the girl Eva used to be on  Bold and the Beautiful and the sister Eve I met in NYC when she was in Rock of Ages-I have a picture with her on my facebook page.  Overall I thought it was enjoyable-thanks for the tickets!! –David Roberts

Announces First “Live Broadcast” Concert From The Theatrical Stage in Celebration Of  Final Week In Chicago Wednesday, May 11, 2011

White Noise, the provocative and powerhouse new musical produced by Whoopi Goldberg playing at The Royal George, announces a first time event from the theatrical stage—-a live broadcast concert on Wednesday, May 11 at 3:00pm (CST) featuring cast commentary and six musical numbers from the show, including the show-stopping “Mondays Suck,” “Hip Hop Country,” pop/hip hop tuners “Welcome to Eden,” “Life, Liberty & Happiness,” and “W.T.F.”, and the newly added romantic ballad “Fireworks.” Theatre-lovers and music-aficionados can screen the event at www.whitenoisemusical.com/live. This live event is provided in conjunction with Ustream, the world’s largest live streaming broadcaster that receives over 60 million unique visitors/month.

This trailblazing concert celebrates the final performances of White Noise, which, in preparation for its next stage of development will play its final performance in Chicago on Sunday, May 15, 2011.  Says Director/Choreographer Sergio Trujillo, “Our time in  Chicago  has been remarkable. White Noise is the type of show that redefines our ideas of what musical theatre is, and what it can do. We look forward to our next steps and we thank our Chicago audiences for the role they have have played in the development of White Noise.”

White Noise pulls back the curtain at a major record label where a top-selling producer stirs up an explosive cocktail of shock and spin with a splash of controversy to package talented artists into blockbuster stars. Steadily baited by the lure of mainstream fame and power, two diametrically opposed groups—“White Noise,” an irresistible pop band that churns out catchy tunes of coded rhetoric and “Bloodbrothas,” the hip-hop-turned-gangsta rap duo—meet at the top of the charts and collide with consequence. Inspired by real life, White Noise is a timely and cautionary tale that challenges conventional notions of free speech, media and the power of pop culture.

White Noise features a book by Matte O’Brien and music and lyrics by Robert Morris, Steven Morris and Joe Shane. White Noise, was originally conceived by Ryan J. Davis, has a story and characters by Joe Drymala.  The production features musical direction by Jesse Vargas, set design by Robert Brill, costumes by Paul Tazewell, lights by Jason Lyons, sound by Garth Helm, and multi-media design by Raj Kapoor.

The Final performance schedule is: ** Live Stream Concert, www.whitenoisemusical.com/live ** Wednesday 5/11at 3:00pm • Wednesday 5/11 at 7:30pm, Thursday 5/12 at 7:30pm, Friday 5/13 at 8:00pm • Saturday 5/14, at 5:00pm and 8:00pm • Sunday 5/15 at 2:00pm and 5:00pm

Tickets available at the Royal George,  1641 N. Halsted Street,  (312) 988-9000, or  at www.whitenoisemusical.com.   Student Rush tickets are available at the Royal George box office for $20. Must be purchased in-person with a student I.D.

Follow White Noise on Twitter, twitter.com/wnbroadway and on Facebook, facebook.com/wnbroadway.

The most memorable films in which actress Meryl Streep starred are given a new interpretation on stage by a bunch of guys, each actor giving his own interpretation of his favorite Meryl Streep monologue. On its second year, the show promises new and exciting pieces and more Merylmania, interacting with the audience via games and prizes.

Click here and print the coupon for 50% off tickets to “Streep Tease.”

Bang Theater: 457 N. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles, 323.653.6886

“A Twist of  Water,” which has enjoyed a sold out run at Theater Wit, transfers to the Mercury Theater with previews April 14, and re-opening May 1, for a limited engagement through June 5.

“Twist’s” run marks the grand re-opening of the Mercury Theater as well as the theater’s new commitment to the Chicago arts scene.  Executive Director Walter Stearns states: “The new Mercury Theater will not only welcome commercial theatre productions, but will also offer a home to Chicago artists, as is the case with the transfer of this homegrown production.”

“A Twist of Water” features Stef Tovar as Noah, a gay, widowed history teacher, raising his adopted African-American daughter Jira, played by Falashay Pearson, alone in the wake of his husband’s death in a car accident. When Jira decides that she wants to seek out her birth mother, Noah’s already grief-stricken and strained relationship with his child is pressed to the breaking point. As he struggles to hold on to and rebuild his family, a burgeoning new romance with a younger man, played by Alex Hugh Brown, serves to complicate matters, but may also be a saving grace.

A tribute to Chicago and its unique history, this Jeff Award-recommended production is a deeply funny and profoundly touching story of fathers and daughters, and what it means to be a family. Written by Caitlin Montanye Parrish and Directed by Erica Weiss who is also the co-creator, the production features Route 66 Artistic Director Stef Tovar, with Falashay Pearson, Alex Hugh Brown and Lili-Anne Brown.

Stef Tovar, Route 66 Theatre Company’s Artistic Director said, “This is an amazing opportunity for our production and our theatre company.  We are thrilled that ‘A Twist of Water’ will have a new home and an opportunity to reach a wider audience and we could not have done this without the generosity of the Mercury theater.”

“A Twist of Water” plays at the Mercury Theater, 3745 N. Southport in Chicago, April 14-June 5, 2011. The performance schedule is Thursdays at 7:30pm, Fridays at 8:00pm, Saturdays at 4pm and 8:00pm, and Sundays at 4pm.  Tickets run $38.50-$44.50, available for sale at www.mercurytheaterchicago.com or at (773) 325-1700.

Source: press release

Riccardo Muti returns to Chicago April 7, 9, and 12, to lead Verdi’s penultimate operatic masterpiece, Otello, in a concert version with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Joining Muti and the CSO are the Chicago Symphony Chorus, under the direction of Duain Wolfe, and the Chicago Children’s Choir, under the direction of Josephine Lee.

Making their CSO debuts in the roles of Otello, Desdemona, Iago, and Emilia, are tenor Aleksandrs Antonenko, soprano Krassimira Stoyanova, baritone Nicola Alaimo, and mezzo-soprano Barbara Di Castri. Also making CSO debuts are tenor Juan Francisco Gatell as Cassio, tenor Michael Spyres as Roderigo, and bass Paolo Battaglia as Montano. Bass Eric Owens sings the role of Lodovico.

Based on Shakespeare’s tragic play, Othello, this opera is one of Verdi’s last and was nearly never written, since the composer had gone into retirement following the success of Aida. But librettist Arrigo Boito and Verdi’s publisher convinced the composer to write the opera, and Otello received its premiere at La Scala in Milan in 1887. Riccardo Muti is widely known as one of today’s foremost interpreters of Verdi’s work, and has led numerous performances from the great composer’s catalogue in some of the world’s most important venues, including La Scala, the Metropolitan Opera, the Salzburg Festival, and others.

Following the performances at Symphony Center, the CSO travels to New York’s famed Carnegie Hall for three performances with Maestro Muti—the Orchestra’s first concerts outside of Chicago with him since becoming music director. Both the Chicago Symphony Chorus and Chicago Children’s Choir join Muti and the CSO on Friday, April 15 at 8 p.m. for its only New York performance of Otello.

In addition to Otello, Muti also leads an additional program on Friday, April 8, at 1:30 p.m., of Cherubini’s Overture in G Major, a work by another of Maestro Muti’s favorite Italian composers. Liszt’s Les préludes follows, and the program concludes with Shostakovich’s mighty Fifth Symphony.

On Saturday, April 16 at 7:30 p.m., Muti and the Orchestra perform the all-Berlioz program that opened the 2010/11 season in Chicago: Symphonie fantastique and its lesser-known sequel, Lélio, with Gérard Depardieu as narrator. The final Carnegie Hall date—Sunday, April 17 at 3 p.m.—repeats the program of Cherubini’s Overture in G Major, Liszt’s Les préludes, and Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony.

Over the course of his extraordinary career, Riccardo Muti has conducted the most prominent orchestras in the world, from the Berlin Philharmonic to the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic to the Orchestre National de France. Maestro Muti made his debut with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at the Ravinia Festival in July 1973. His appointment as the CSO’s tenth music director was announced in May 2008, and in September 2010, he assumed the post for a five-year contract. Maestro Muti and the CSO’s first recording together—Verdi’s Messa da Requiem—on the CSO Resound label was awarded two Grammy awards, marking Muti’s first such honor. In March 2011, Riccardo Muti was selected as the second-ever winner of the Birgit Nilsson Prize, awarded by the Birgit Nilsson Foundation every two or three years to a singer or conductor who has had a significant impact in the classical field.

For more information  and to purchase tickets visit www.cso.org

Source: press release by CSO.