Opera tenor Stephen Costello takes his Romeo (by Charles Gounod) to the Metropolitan Opera March 3-18, in a popular new production of the Gounod opera directed by Bartlett Sher. Costello’s Juliet will be reprised by soprano Pretty Yende. San Diegans heard Costello at San Diego Opera in “Romeo and Juliet” (2010) playing opposite his then-wife, Ailyn Perez, with whom he also performed within “Faust” (2011) and to whom he presented a 2014 recital at the Balboa Theatre. Costello created the role of Greenhorn in the world premiere production of Jake Heggie’s “Moby Dick,” at Dallas Opera in 2010. Plan ahead: The U.K. premiere of Heggie’s exceptionally popular 2000 opera, “Dead Man Walking,” will be presented with an all-American company (headed by Joyce di Donato as Sister Helen) in a semi-staged performance Feb. 20, 2018, at The Barbican. Mark Wigglesworth conducts the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
Following an 11-year run, the Tony Award-winning La Jolla Playhouse production of “Jersey Boys” ended its Broadway engagement on Jan. 15, having played 4,642 performances.
On its heels, the Playhouse-sprung “Come From Away” opens in previews Feb. 18 at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre. See stories about the show, the artists, and director, Christopher Ashley, at www.comefromaway.com.
Meanwhile, opening Feb. 9 (through March 1) at the Old Globe, the young Pablo Picasso and the young Albert Einstein, aged 23 and 25, respectively, argue genius, art, and science in Steve Martin’s hilarious comedy “Picasso at the Lapin Agile.” Artistic director Barry Edelstein directs. The award-winning play originated at Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre, eventually making its way off-Broadway in 1995. In the Globe production, Hal Linden plays an old Frenchman with a penchant for sex and drink.
Now an area resident, Broadway veteran Mary Munger Taylor, who starred with Joel Grey in Hal Prince’s 20th anniversary production of “Cabaret,” presents “Old Friends and New,” a cabaret of Broadway songs by Gershwin, Porter and Berlin at 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, at La Jolla Community Center, 6811 La Jolla Blvd. Presented under the auspices of the charitable Bodhi Tree Concerts, proceeds benefit Ric Paredes’ Save a Life Foundation. Tickets are $20 ($10 military) and there is free valet parking, www.bodhitreeconcerts.org or 619-596-9359.
Effective Feb. 8, Vista native and actor/director/choreographer Colleen Kollar Smith is the new executive producer at Moonlight Stage Productions. It’s indeed a fitting appointment because she received her early theater experience
