Latest news with #RichardRodgers
Glasgow Times
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Glasgow date for showcase of 'best musicals of all time'
'When you look at Richard Rodgers, and the sheer volume of songs to pick from - The Sound of Music, Climb Ev'ry Mountain, Oh What a Beautiful Morning, People Will Say We're in Love – I mean, it's 3000 songs,' he says, in awe. 'The level of accomplishment is astonishingly high. So yes, choosing 24 is extraordinarily difficult.' Prepare to be enchanted this June, as John and his famous orchestra, Sinfonia of London, return to Glasgow with his UK tour of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Greatest Hits. This spectacular concert will feature songs from the greatest musicals of all time, including South Pacific, The Sound Of Music, Oklahoma!, Carousel (which celebrates its 80th anniversary in 2025), and The King and I. (Image: CHRIS CHRISTODOULOU) 'Because Richard Rodgers was so celebrated, the movies spared no expense in terms of the scores, so they were recorded by the best musicians of the day,' says John. 'To have a go at recreating them in a live arena, is a gift." John is renowned for his passion and expertise in interpreting music from the Golden Age of Hollywood, and he has been celebrated for bringing a fresh yet faithful sound to classic scores. John Wilson (Image: Sim Canetty-Clarke) "The majority of my musical life is spent in that period from the 30s to the 60s, for the simple reason that those were musicals with orchestras," he says. "Once you get to the 60s and the 70s, the advent of rock and pop musicals, they didn't use orchestras any more, with the occasional exception." He adds: "The change started with Oklahoma!, which was really the first musical where the songs grew out of the plot and developed the characters - although they do still all stand alone as fantastic songs too. They are all hits." John Wilson (Image: Sim Canetty-Clarke) He smiles. "And audiences will have the chance to hear them, the exact arrangements from the films, played by our 70-piece orchestra. They are outstanding, I'm very proud of them." Sinfonia of London, reformed by Wilson in 2018, is comprised of some of the UK's leading musicians. It has received rave reviews for its previous performances, including an exhilarating appearance at last year's Proms in the Albert Hall in London. John agrees it is 'always a thrill to play at the Proms' but he is also keenly looking forward to his Glasgow concert, which will take place on June 28 at the Royal Concert Hall. READ NEXT: Tragic story behind Glasgow comedy club's new home READ NEXT: The unusual way Glasgow pupils are celebrating city's 850th birthday READ NEXT: 6 photos which tell story of great Glasgow department store Lewis's 'I love the Concert Hall,' he says, enthusiastically. 'I don't get much time to guest conduct any more because I am so busy with my own orchestra, but I do still try to come to the RSNO, because I love the orchestra and I love the hall. 'Glasgow audiences are kind of famous, they want to be entertained, so you can't short-change them.' He adds: 'There is always such a buzz, and that kind of reciprocity between stage and audience is what makes a great concert.' Born in Gateshead, John studied composition and conducting at the Royal College of Music. His desire to conduct his own orchestra was "always there", he says. "Someone once said, you're either a conductor or you're not and I have always felt like I am," he says, simply. "Even when I was really young, 14, and really terrible at it, I felt like I was a conductor. "I went to college and studied it, and realised how difficult it is, and I have never really stopped practising since." John and the orchestra will be joined on the tour once again by special guest soloists Louise Dearman, Nathaniel Hackmann and Scarlett Strallen. 'When I find singers I admire and trust, who really respect the material, I tend to hang on to them,' he says smiling. 'This will be such a lot of fun. Music is one of the great civilising forces - it offers solace, it uplifts.' He adds: 'When the world is in a mess, you want to make it better, and I think the only thing me and my orchestra can do is to keep on trying to do exactly that." John Wilson and Sinfonia of London will perform Rodgers & Hammerstein Greatest Hits at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on June 28.
CNN
14-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
Leslie Odom Jr. to reprise his Tony-winning role in ‘Hamilton' this fall
Leslie Odom Jr., one of the original cast members of the mega-hit Broadway musical 'Hamilton,' is coming back for another shot, a role he says 'gave me life.' Odom, who played Aaron Burr opposite Lin-Manuel Miranda's Alexander Hamilton, will return to his Tony Award-winning role at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on Sept. 9 through Nov. 23. 'I was born on the stage of the Richard Rodgers in so many ways. It gave me life in a way,' he tells The Associated Press. 'I'm really looking forward to it.' Odom and Miranda both left the show in July 2016 after the same performance. Odom had been with 'Hamilton' since it first began performances in early 2015 off-Broadway. 'I look back on it fondly, I do,' he says. 'It was the start of so much for me. It was the start of a career that I always dreamed of. It's just the beginning. It's the genesis.' He estimates he played Burr some 500 times, but it never got boring: 'It still had revelation for me, and it still gave me reason to look a little deeper and focus a little harder.' When he returns, he'll be with a new company of actors and will bring to the audience his willingness to discover in the moment, something he says he learned doing 'Hamilton.' 'I want them to see something exciting and alive. And the best way for me to do that is to be open and present in that moment,' he adds. Odom earned another Tony nomination last year for the comedy 'Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch' by Ossie Davis. After 'Hamilton,' he was on the big screen in 'Glass Onion' with Daniel Craig and 'The Many Saints of Newark' with Alessandro Nivola, and portrayed Sam Cooke in 'One Night in Miami.' He lent his voice to the animated series 'Central Park' and starred opposite Kate Hudson in Sia's 'Music. ' His TV credits include 'Abbott Elementary' and 'Blue's Clues & You.' Odom, who studied at Carnegie Mellon University, became the youngest cast member in the Broadway company of 'Rent.' Before 'Hamilton,' he appeared on TV in the series 'Smash' and 'CSI: Miami,' in the film 'Red Tails' and on Broadway in 'Leap of Faith.' During the pandemic, Disney+ broadcast a filmed version of the original Broadway cast of 'Hamilton,' who Miranda has called 'an incredible '28 Yankees of actors'. The Broadway show won 11 Tony Awards, including best new musical, best book and best score. The cast album has been a blockbuster, and the show has toured to packed houses. The musical charts the rise and fall of statesman Hamilton and stresses his orphan, immigrant roots — 'Immigrants. We get the job done!' is one line that gets huge applause — as well as his almost Greek tragedy of a fall, fed by ambition. Based on a biography by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Ron Chernow and developed during the presidency of the first Black president, the show was optimistic and ambitious, tweaking Broadway traditions but respecting them, too. Odom says he's rereading Chernow's biography to get ready. Many in the cast alongside Odom were relatively unknown to the wider world when they hit the stage: Daveed Diggs, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Jonathan Groff, Christopher Jackson, Okieriete Onaodowan, Anthony Ramos and Phillipa Soo. Even Miranda wasn't yet a brand name. Odom, who shoots Hamilton dead, sang on many of the musical's best songs, including ″Wait for It,″ ″Dear Theodosia,″ ″The Room Where It Happens″ and ″Your Obedient Servant.″ He says he often sings the songs during concerts but will have to relearn the score. 'One of the most important gifts that it gave me was this association with some recognizable tunes that people like to hear,' he says.
CNN
14-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
Leslie Odom Jr. to reprise his Tony-winning role in ‘Hamilton' this fall
Leslie Odom Jr., one of the original cast members of the mega-hit Broadway musical 'Hamilton,' is coming back for another shot, a role he says 'gave me life.' Odom, who played Aaron Burr opposite Lin-Manuel Miranda's Alexander Hamilton, will return to his Tony Award-winning role at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on Sept. 9 through Nov. 23. 'I was born on the stage of the Richard Rodgers in so many ways. It gave me life in a way,' he tells The Associated Press. 'I'm really looking forward to it.' Odom and Miranda both left the show in July 2016 after the same performance. Odom had been with 'Hamilton' since it first began performances in early 2015 off-Broadway. 'I look back on it fondly, I do,' he says. 'It was the start of so much for me. It was the start of a career that I always dreamed of. It's just the beginning. It's the genesis.' He estimates he played Burr some 500 times, but it never got boring: 'It still had revelation for me, and it still gave me reason to look a little deeper and focus a little harder.' When he returns, he'll be with a new company of actors and will bring to the audience his willingness to discover in the moment, something he says he learned doing 'Hamilton.' 'I want them to see something exciting and alive. And the best way for me to do that is to be open and present in that moment,' he adds. Odom earned another Tony nomination last year for the comedy 'Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch' by Ossie Davis. After 'Hamilton,' he was on the big screen in 'Glass Onion' with Daniel Craig and 'The Many Saints of Newark' with Alessandro Nivola, and portrayed Sam Cooke in 'One Night in Miami.' He lent his voice to the animated series 'Central Park' and starred opposite Kate Hudson in Sia's 'Music. ' His TV credits include 'Abbott Elementary' and 'Blue's Clues & You.' Odom, who studied at Carnegie Mellon University, became the youngest cast member in the Broadway company of 'Rent.' Before 'Hamilton,' he appeared on TV in the series 'Smash' and 'CSI: Miami,' in the film 'Red Tails' and on Broadway in 'Leap of Faith.' During the pandemic, Disney+ broadcast a filmed version of the original Broadway cast of 'Hamilton,' who Miranda has called 'an incredible '28 Yankees of actors'. The Broadway show won 11 Tony Awards, including best new musical, best book and best score. The cast album has been a blockbuster, and the show has toured to packed houses. The musical charts the rise and fall of statesman Hamilton and stresses his orphan, immigrant roots — 'Immigrants. We get the job done!' is one line that gets huge applause — as well as his almost Greek tragedy of a fall, fed by ambition. Based on a biography by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Ron Chernow and developed during the presidency of the first Black president, the show was optimistic and ambitious, tweaking Broadway traditions but respecting them, too. Odom says he's rereading Chernow's biography to get ready. Many in the cast alongside Odom were relatively unknown to the wider world when they hit the stage: Daveed Diggs, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Jonathan Groff, Christopher Jackson, Okieriete Onaodowan, Anthony Ramos and Phillipa Soo. Even Miranda wasn't yet a brand name. Odom, who shoots Hamilton dead, sang on many of the musical's best songs, including ″Wait for It,″ ″Dear Theodosia,″ ″The Room Where It Happens″ and ″Your Obedient Servant.″ He says he often sings the songs during concerts but will have to relearn the score. 'One of the most important gifts that it gave me was this association with some recognizable tunes that people like to hear,' he says.
The Independent
14-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Leslie Odom Jr. to reprise his Tony-winning role in 'Hamilton' this fall
Leslie Odom Jr., one of the original cast members of the mega-hit Broadway musical 'Hamilton,' is coming back for another shot, a role he says 'gave me life.' Odom, who played Aaron Burr opposite Lin-Manuel Miranda 's Alexander Hamilton, will return to his Tony Award-winning role at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on Sept. 9 through Nov. 23. 'I was born on the stage of the Richard Rodgers in so many ways. It gave me life in a way," he tells The Associated Press. 'I'm really looking forward to it.' Odom and Miranda both left the show in July 2016 after the same performance. Odom had been with 'Hamilton' since it first began performances in early 2015 off-Broadway. 'I look back on it fondly, I do,' he says. 'It was the start of so much for me. It was the start of a career that I always dreamed of. It's just the beginning. It's the genesis.' He estimates he played Burr some 500 times, but it never got boring: 'It still had revelation for me, and it still gave me reason to look a little deeper and focus a little harder.' When he returns, he'll be with a new company of actors and will bring to the audience his willingness to discover in the moment, something he says he learned doing 'Hamilton.' 'I want them to see something exciting and alive. And the best way for me to do that is to be open and present in that moment,' he adds. Odom earned another Tony nomination last year for the comedy 'Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch' by Ossie Davis. After 'Hamilton,' he was on the big screen in 'Glass Onion' with Daniel Craig and 'The Many Saints of Newark' with Alessandro Nivola, and portrayed Sam Cooke in 'One Night in Miami.' He lent his voice to the animated series 'Central Park' and starred opposite Kate Hudson in Sia's 'Music. ' His TV credits include 'Abbott Elementary' and 'Blue's Clues & You.' Odom, who studied at Carnegie Mellon University, became the youngest cast member in the Broadway company of ' Rent.' Before 'Hamilton,' he appeared on TV in the series 'Smash' and 'CSI: Miami,' in the film 'Red Tails' and on Broadway in 'Leap of Faith.' During the pandemic, Disney+ broadcast a filmed version of the original Broadway cast of 'Hamilton,' who Miranda has called 'an incredible '28 Yankees of actors'. The Broadway show won 11 Tony Awards, including best new musical, best book and best score. The cast album has been a blockbuster, and the show has toured to packed houses. The musical charts the rise and fall of statesman Hamilton and stresses his orphan, immigrant roots — 'Immigrants. We get the job done!' is one line that gets huge applause — as well as his almost Greek tragedy of a fall, fed by ambition. Based on a biography by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Ron Chernow and developed during the presidency of the first Black president, the show was optimistic and ambitious, tweaking Broadway traditions but respecting them, too. Odom says he's rereading Chernow's biography to get ready. Many in the cast alongside Odom were relatively unknown to the wider world when they hit the stage: Daveed Diggs, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Jonathan Groff, Christopher Jackson, Okieriete Onaodowan, Anthony Ramos and Phillipa Soo. Even Miranda wasn't yet a brand name. Odom, who shoots Hamilton dead, sang on many of the musical's best songs, including ″Wait for It″ ″Dear Theodosia″ ″The Room Where It Happens″ and ″Your Obedient Servant.″ He says he often sings the songs during concerts but will have to relearn the score. 'One of the most important gifts that it gave me was this association with some recognizable tunes that people like to hear,' he says.
Associated Press
26-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
The Ark at the Shames JCC in Tarrytown Releases Spring Schedule of Events
TARRYTOWN , NY, UNITED STATES, March 26, 2025 / / -- Westchester's newest performance and events venue, The Ark, has released its spring 2025 schedule of programs, with events ranging from film festival screenings to performances honoring some of the greatest musicians of all time. Located in Tarrytown, NY at the Shames JCC on the Hudson, The Ark includes a 3,500 square foot primary event space and theater and a 2,500 square foot pre-function lounge area, the Cohen Family Atrium, with a café open from 8am-2pm, Monday-Friday. The Ark offers a full schedule of engaging and entertaining performances, concerts, movies, lectures, and exhibits open to the public. It is also available for corporate and private events, include bar and bat mitzvahs and other celebrations. Highlights of the spring 2025 schedule include: Sunday, March 30, 3:00pm – 5:00pm Rodgers: An Afternoon of Song and Story Broadway producer Jack Viertel, professional singers, and an orchestra will explore the life and work of Richard Rodgers, who wrote some of the most famous musicals of all time. From 'The Sound of Music' to 'South Pacific,' you'll hear his famous songs performed while learning the stories behind their creation. Tickets: $50 for JCC members; $60 non-members (tickets include post-show dessert reception). Friday, April 4, 6:00pm – 8:00pm Film Screening: The Paper Bag Plan The ReelAbilities Film Festival: New York showcases accessible international cinema by and about people with disabilities, reframing existing disability narratives. In The Paper Bag Plan, a father diagnosed with cancer is determined to secure his son's future and helps him build the skills needed for a job. Recommended for ages 18+ Tickets: $5 for JCC members, $8 for non-members. Sunday, April 6, 2:30pm – 4:00pm Film Screenings: We Are Athletes + The 17% The ReelAbilities Film Festival: New York returns with a screening of two shorts. We Are Athletes explores The Adaptive Sports Foundation in Windham, NY, showcasing innovative approaches to athletic training and competition. In The 17% , an entrepreneur with Down syndrome transforms workplace culture through her successful cookie company and builds an inclusive business model. Recommended for ages 18+ Tickets: $5 for JCC members, $8 for non-members. Thursday, April 24, 6:30pm – 9:00pm Documentary Screening: Blind Spot Blind Spot is the first documentary to expose campus antisemitism both before and after October 7. This timely film sheds light on the experiences of Jewish students and families navigating growing antisemitic harassment and incidents on college campuses. A discussion follows the screening with Lenny Gold, executive producer of the film, and Rachel Klein, executive director of Hillels of Westchester. Tickets: $5 for JCC members, $10 for non-members Friday, May 2, 7:00pm Family Pizza and a Movie Night: Luca Kick off the weekend with your friends at the J over pizza and a screening of the heartwarming coming-of-age story Luca! Wear your comfy clothes! Tickets $5-10 members, $8-12 non-members Saturday, May 3, 7:00pm American Tune: A Paul Simon Tribute Concert Renowned NYC-based musicians will perform the music of Paul Simon, one of the most influential and beloved American singer-songwriters of the 20th century. The band mirrors the range of Simon's music, bringing together artists with roots in gospel, R&B, jazz, rock n roll, and traditional world music. Tickets: $50 for JCC members, $75 non-members (tickets include post-show dessert reception). Sunday, May 4; 1:30pm -3:30pm The Especially Everyone Experience This sensory-friendly show features upbeat, positive tunes along with special accommodations to ensure those with sensitivities can actively and joyfully participate. Tickets: $ 25 for JCC members, $30 non-members The Ark is located within the Shames JCC at 371 South Broadway in Tarrytown, immediately adjacent to the I-287/Route 9 Tarrytown Exit and is easily accessible by car or train. For a full schedule of events, and to reserve tickets in advance, visit: ### About the Harold & Elaine Shames JCC on the Hudson: The Shames JCC on the Hudson is a non-sectarian community center, providing meaningful experiences for individuals and families throughout their lives. We are a welcoming, inclusive gathering place that enriches the greater community through social, recreational, educational, social action, supportive service, wellness, and cultural programs and resources guided by Jewish values. The Ark, its new theater and event space, is the ideal destination for joyous lifecycle events, celebrations, and performances. More information is available at: Burns Patterson HudsonPR email us here Legal Disclaimer:
