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Carnegie Hall News
Back to Press Release List > 02/11/2008 - Show Boat, 6/10/08
CARNEGIE HALL PRESENTS JEROME KERN & OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN’S
SHOW BOAT
IN CONCERT FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY: TUESDAY, JUNE 10 AT 8:00 P.M.
Performance to Benefit Carnegie Hall’s Artistic and Music Education Initiatives
Cast Includes Nathan Gunn, Marilyn Horne, Jessica Bogart, and Carolee Carmello;
Production is Directed by Francesca Zambello with Musical Direction by Paul Gemignani
Carnegie Hall presents Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein’s Show Boat on Tuesday, June 10 at 8:00 p.m. in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage. A gala benefit for Carnegie Hall, this is a one-night-only concert performance of the landmark musical based on the Edna Ferber novel. The cast includes Jessica Bogart (Ellie May Chipley), Carolee Carmello (Julie LaVerne), Nathan Gunn (Gaylord Ravenal), Marilyn Horne (Old Lady on the Levee), Gavin Lee (Frank Schultz), Alvy Powell (Joe), and Celena Shafer (Magnolia Hawks), among others; the full cast will be announced at a later date. Francesca Zambello (Broadway’s The Little Mermaid) directs the production with Paul Gemignani (Assassins and the feature film Sweeney Todd) serving as musical director and conductor. Musical staging is by Robert Longbottom with concert adaptation by Doug Wright. Sound design is by Acme Sound Partners, and the lighting designer is Alan Adelman.
The performance of Show Boat is a Gala Benefit providing support for Carnegie Hall’s artistic programming and the music education initiatives of The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall. Co-chaired by Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Howe, the evening includes a pre-concert cocktail reception and dinner at Remi Restaurant, 144 West 54th Street, beginning at 6:00 p.m., followed by the concert performance of Show Boat at Carnegie Hall. Gala Benefit tickets, priced at $2500, $1500, and $1000, include dinner and prime concert seating and can be purchased by calling 212-903-9679.
Beginning April 21, a limited number of concert-only tickets in the Dress Circle and Balcony, priced at $36, $44, and $58, will be available by calling CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800, at the Carnegie Hall Box Office, or online at carnegiehall.org. (These locations are currently available for purchase by Carnegie Hall donors and subscribers.)
Show Boat is a milestone of American musical theater. The epic masterpiece, composed by Jerome Kern, with a libretto and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, features such magnificent standards as "Make Believe," "You Are Love," "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man," and "Ol' Man River." Based on Edna Ferber's sprawling novel, and spanning the years from 1880 to 1927, Show Boat concerns the lives, loves, and heartbreaks of three generations of show folk as their floating theater, the Cotton Blossom, plies the mighty Mississippi. Since its premiere in 1927, this seminal stage work has continued to evolve along a journey that has reflected the ongoing development of the lyric theater, confirming its status as a pivotal work bridging operetta and the contemporary musical. This concert of Show Boat marks the first time the musical has been heard in New York since its triumphant Broadway revival more than a decade ago.
Francesca Zambello is an internationally recognized director of opera and theater. Ms. Zambello's American directorial debut took place at the Houston Grand Opera with a production of Fidelio in 1984. She subsequently made her debut in Europe at Teatro la Fenice in Venice with Beatrice di Tenda in 1987 and has since staged new productions at major theaters and opera houses in Europe and the US. Her recent credits include The Little Mermaid for Disney on Broadway as well as the world premiere of An American Tragedy, Cyrano, and Les Troyens for the Metropolitan Opera. Ms. Zambello previously directed Show Boat in a fully staged production at London’s Royal Albert Hall in summer 2006. Collaborating with outstanding artists and designers and promoting emerging talent, she takes a special interest in new music theater works, innovative productions, and in producing theater and opera for wider audiences.
Paul Gemignani has been the music director for more than 38 Broadway and West End shows, including Candide, Evita, Dreamgirls, Merrily We Roll Along, Into the Woods, and Kiss Me Kate, among others. Mr. Gemignani is a regular guest conductor at the New York City Opera, New York City Ballet, Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Royal Opera Company, and has guest conducted the Boston, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Baltimore, London, and Royal Philharmonic orchestras. His work for television and film includes Sondheim: A Musical Celebration at Carnegie Hall; Follies; Live at the Philharmonic and A Little Night Music for Live From Lincoln Center on PBS; A Celebration of the American Musical for PBS’s Great Performances; Into the Woods and Sunday in the Park with George for Showtime; and Passion for “The American Song Book” series, for which the show received an Emmy Award. His feature film credits include Reds, A Little Night Music, Kramer vs. Kramer, Eye Witness, and, most recently, Sweeney Todd. Mr. Gemignani received the 2001 Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, as well as the Los Angeles Drama Critics Award in 1994 and a special Drama Desk Award in 1989. In 2006, he received a Prime Time Emmy Award for Best Musical Direction for PBS’ Great Performances presentation of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific at Carnegie Hall.
The Cast
Jessica Bogart’s Broadway roles include Jenny in In My Life (original cast), Ado Annie in Oklahoma! (2002 revival cast), Eponine in Les Misérables, Philia in …Forum (1996 revival cast), Maureen in Rent, Belle (cover) in Beauty and the Beast, and Petra in A Little Night Music at New York City Opera and the Los Angeles Opera. Ms. Bogart’s acting credits also include productions at Williamstown Theatre Festival, the Goodman, Geva, and the Apple Tree Theatre in Chicago.
Carolee Carmello is currently starring as Donna in the Broadway hit, Mamma Mia! She has also appeared on Broadway in City of Angels, Falsettos, 1776, Parade (for which she earned a Tony Award nomination and a Drama Desk Award), The Scarlet Pimpernel, Kiss Me Kate, and Urinetown. Her performance as Gabrielle in the Elton John/Bernie Taupin musical Lestat earned her Drama League, Drama Desk, and Tony Award nominations.
Nathan Gunn has made a reputation as one of the most exciting and in-demand baritones today. This season, he returns to the Metropolitan Opera as Mercutio in Roméo et Juliette, the Lyric Opera of Chicago as Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, and the London Symphony Orchestra as the title role in a concert version of Billy Budd. He also will perform at Carnegie Hall in concert with both the Atlanta Symphony and the Orchestra of St. Luke's, and make his recital debut in Zankel Hall. He is an alumnus of the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, where he still makes his home, and was recently awarded a professorship by the university.
Celebrated mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne was the only living artist selected by Harold Schoenberg for his New York Times list of the nine “all-time, all-star singers in the Met’s 100 years.” Throughout the course of her career, Ms. Horne has performed on the world’s greatest opera stages, in recital at the most celebrated venues, and in performance with all the major symphony orchestras. In 1994, she launched The Marilyn Horne Foundation to help breathe new life into the art of the vocal recital in the US; and in 1997, under the auspices of the Foundation, she began The Song Continues..., to further this endeavor. Ms. Horne has received many honors such as the Fidelio Gold Medal from the International Opera Directors, the Kennedy Center Honor, the Covent Garden Silver Medal for outstanding service, and the Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters from France’s Ministry of Culture.
British actor Gavin Lee is currently starring as Bert in Mary Poppins at the New Amsterdam Theatre on Broadway. Mr. Lee was chosen for this role because of his critically acclaimed performance as Bert in the West End production of Mary Poppins at the Prince Edward Theatre. In 2007, he was awarded the Drama Desk Award for Featured Actor in a Musical and an award for Outstanding Broadway Debut at the 63rd annual Theatre World Awards.
Alvy Powell is considered to be one of the world’s foremost interpreters of the role of Porgy in Gerswhin’s Porgy and Bess. He has performed the role over 1200 times with such companies as La Scala, New York City Opera (broadcast on Live From Lincoln Center), and the San Francisco, Cape Town, Sydney, and Houston opera companies to name a few. An accomplished interpreter of other operatic roles, Mr. Powell has appeared as Bartolo in Le Nozze di Figaro, Sharpless in Madame Butterfly, Coline in La Boheme, and Timur in Turandot. Combining his military career with his vocal performances, Sergeant First Class Alvy Powell is a soloist with The United States Army Chorus. He has sung at the White House on many occasions and first came to national prominence singing The Star Spangled Banner at the inauguration of President George H. W. Bush.
During the 2007–2008 season, soprano Celena Shafer will make debuts with the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra as Marzelline in concert performances of Fidelio conducted by David Robertson, and with the Seattle Symphony Orchestra in Handel's Messiah. Highlights from past seasons include her New York Philharmonic debut with Alan Gilbert, her debut with the Chicago Symphony under Michael Tilson Thomas, and a Los Angeles Philharmonic debut with Christoph von Dohnányi, among others. Ms. Shafer’s operatic highlights include engagements with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Los Angeles Opera, the Welsh National Opera, and Santa Fe Opera.
Program Information
Tuesday, June 10 at 8:00 p.m.
Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage
SHOW BOAT (in concert)
A BENEFIT FOR CARNEGIE HALL
Starring:
Jessica Bogart (Ellie May Chipley)
Carolee Carmello (Julie LaVerne)
Nathan Gunn (Gaylord Ravenal)
Marilyn Horne (Old Lady on the Levee)
Gavin Lee (Frank Schultz)
Alvy Powell (Joe)
Celena Shafer (Magnolia Hawks)
Remainder of cast to be announced
Orchestra of St. Luke's
Show Boat Ensemble
Paul Gemignani, Musical Director and Conductor
Francesca Zambello, Director
Musical Staging by Robert Longbottom
Acme Sound Partners, Sound Design
Alan Adelman, Lighting Designer
Scott Pask, Scenic Consultant
Tara Rubin, Casting Consultant
Gregg Barnes, Costume Consultant
SHOW BOAT (in concert)
Music by JEROME KERN
Book and Lyrics by OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN II
Based on the novel Show Boat by Edna Ferber
Orchestrations by Robert Russell Bennett
Concert Adaptation by Doug Wright
Produced by Carnegie Hall in association with The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization.
Ernst & Young LLP is the corporate sponsor of the Show Boat gala evening.
This presentation is made possible, in part, by generous grants from Mr. and Mrs. Edward C. Forst, The Blanche & Irving Laurie Foundation, and Mr. and Mrs. Lester S. Morse Jr.
Bank of America is the Proud Season Sponsor of Carnegie Hall.
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Gala Ticket Information
Gala benefit tickets, priced at $2500, $1500, and $1000 include 6:00 p.m. cocktails and dinner at Remi Restaurant; 8:00 p.m. concert in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage. Tables are available to purchase and are priced at $50,000; $25,000; $15,000; and $10,000. All gala benefit tickets are available by calling 212-903-9679.
Concert Ticket Information
Beginning April 21, a limited number of concert-only tickets, priced at $36, $44, and $58, will be available at the Carnegie Hall Box Office, 154 West 57th Street, or can be charged to major credit cards by calling CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800 or by visiting the Carnegie Hall website, www.carnegiehall.org.
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