I intimated this in an earlier column, and it’s now official: The multi-talented Hershey Felder, who recently completed a hugely successful run as Irving Berlin at La Jolla Playhouse, will return to San Diego this summer. This time, Felder will inhabit one of America’s most beloved composers/conductors/educators/raconteurs, Leonard Bernstein, in his own vehicle, titled “Hershey Felder as Leonard Bernstein in MAESTRO.” Joel Zwich directs the “pre-New York engagement” that plays at the Lyceum Stage, San Diego Repertory Theatre, Wednesday, July 6 to Sunday, July 17. You’re right; the show was mounted at The Old Globe Theatre in 2011. Reached in San Jose, where he’s playing Berlin through Feb. 14, Felder said that his Bernstein makes a stop in L.A. prior to New York. Though his show played here five years ago, he continues working on them once they open, learning more and more. “The Bernstein is in good shape now. It has worked well for a number of years, and it will be nice to install it at the Rep.” Felder and director Trevor Hay plan to attend the San Diego Critics Circle Awards, held in La Jolla Monday, Feb. 8, due to Felder’s nomination for his recent outstanding solo performance as Irving Berlin, which San Diego native Hay directed. Just up the road Darko Tresnjak, former artistic director of the Old Globe Shakespeare Festival, will stage (and create the scenic design of) Giuseppe Verdi’s “Macbeth” at L.A. Opera Saturday, Sept. 17 to Sunday, Oct. 16 at the Music Center. The great former tenor Placido Domingo sings the title role. Russian mezzo-soprano Ekaterina Semenchuck portrays Lady Macbeth, and Arturo Chacon-Cruz will play Macduff. James Conlon conducts. This is Tresnjak’s fourth production at L.A. Opera, where he staged “The Ghosts of Versailles” most recently. Now artistic director of Hartford Stage, Tresnjak received a Tony Award for his direction of “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder.” The names Itamar Moses and David Yazbek may sound familiar. Moses is author of “Bach at Leipzig,” which caused quite a stir at the Old Globe some years ago. As a novice musical theater composer, Yazbek wrote his first (lyrics and music) score for Jack O’Brien’s premieres of “The Full Monty” (libretto by Terrence McNally) and “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.” Moses (book) and Yazbek (music and lyrics) are now collaborators on a new musical titled “The Band’s Visit,” to premiere sometime this fall at New York’s Atlantic Theatre. David Cromer will direct. Closer to home On Saturday, Feb. 13, San Diego Opera opens its 51st season with Giacomo Puccini’s “Tosca” (additional performances Feb.16, 19 and 21), the first of the season’s two operas by that rock-star opera composer. The other is “Madama Butterfly,” which plays in April. In May comes “Great Scott,” present-day rock-star opera composer Jake Heggie’s new opera, with libretto by Terrence McNally, directed by Jack O’Brien. Kind of a full circle, isn’t it? Tickets are on sale for all three operas now at sdopera.org. Having seen Malashock Dance’s lovely evening titled “Signatures” Jan. 24 in the Abbe Wolfsheimer Studio at Liberty Station, I went to visit Malashock face to face. We’ve known one another since he returned to San Diego (he’s a graduate of La Jolla High School) and founded his own dance company in 1988. Dedicated in March, the performance space is in Dance Place, one of two Liberty Station buildings dedicated to dance, the other being anchored by Jean Isaacs San Diego Dance’s White Box Theatre. In between is the former Luce Auditorium. No use crying over spilled milk, but Luce Auditorium, which performing arts patrons and presenters had hoped would be developed as a theatrical venue, is under construction now, being developed by La Jolla-based Backlot Hospitality into a six-screen cineplex, due to open this fall.