A Constellation of LOSD Stars Take the Stage in 2010 Season

Have you renewed your Lyric Opera subscription yet?

Just in case you needed more motivation, here are some casting tidbits from next year’s shows. We think you’ll see some of your LOSD faves in this list!

Benjamin Robinson made his LOSD debut as Frederic in last season’s fabulous Pirates of Penzance and we couldn’t wait to bring him back, so you’ll enjoy him as Gastone in Gigi alongside our own J. Sherwood Montgomery as Honoré (the Maurice Chevalier role) and Laura Bueno (last seen as Hope in 2009’s Anything Goes in the delightful title role of Gigi!

Another Pirates debut last year was the wonderful bass Ashraf Sewailam as the Pirate King. We’re bringing him back in The Barber of Seville as Don Basilio, and the beauteous Emily Douglass (last seen in Daughter of the Regiment, 2008) returns as Rosina. Robert Boldin gets to let his hair down as Count Almaviva, after pouring out his suffering on stage as Henrik in last season’s A Little Night Music. Our own Walter DuMelle will crack you up as Doctor Bartolo.

As the dashing leads Marco and Giuseppe in Gilbert and Sullivan’s Gondoliers, Benjamin Robinson steps in again, well matched with Jordan Miller (Mr. Lindquist from last season’s A Little Night Music). These two are definitely easy on the eyes AND ears!

Oodles of talent and decades of experience will collide on stage in Fiddler on the Roof as our own Leon Natker as Tevye, Broadway star Jimmy Ferraro as Lazar Wolf, and LOSD’s hometown girl Fan Hartshorn as Golde. Another reason to cheer: alumni from our Summer Academy will fill children’s roles in both Gigi and Fiddler on the Roof. With all this to look forward to, what are you waiting for? Renew or buy your subscription today.

We blush at the praise in this review. But we agree! Thanks, Uptown News!

Raves for "A Little Night Music"

We're back! Opening weekend of "A Little Night Music" went off beautifully. We never get tired of this beautiful show and our cast is simply magnificent. Don't take just our word for it:


"Mr. Gregory made for a very likable Fredrik, and Mr. Ayers lived up to his advance billing as someone who is going places, both as a singer and as an actor. Ms. Chappell was both sly and regal as the worldly-wise countess. As Désirée, Ms. Huber was luminous and her take on "Send in the Clowns," probably the most popular song in the Sondheim canon, was entirely fresh." - Bill Eadie, sandiego.com 


"Among the principals, Andrea Huber’s Désirée Armfeldt is an unalloyed delight, by turns earthy and wise, glamorous and giddy."  "Raymond Ayers as Count Malcolm threatened to take over the show every time he was onstage, singing with a big, punchy baritone and acting with a sure sense of style."  "...a rewarding evening in the theater." - Marcus Overton, San Diego Union-Tribune


"A Little Night Music" has four performances left this week and weekend, so if you haven't bought your tickets yet... you know what to do.

"A Little Night Music" Photos

Last night's final dress rehearsal of "A Little Night Music" has us inordinately excited about opening night tomorrow. The show is beautiful to look at, beautifully staged, and the cast is one of the finest we have ever assembled. (Above: Scott Gregory as Frederik and Andrea Huber as Desiree.)


We've posted Ken Jacques' photos on our Facebook page, so you can see for yourself. (While you're there, become a Fan!)

Sondheim on "Send in the Clowns"

Speaking of "Send in the Clowns," here's an interesting video featuring composer Stephen Sondheim talking about how he wrote the song from "A Little Night Music" that became his biggest commercial hit.

Valentine's Day Dinner Package at West Coast Tavern

     LOSD fans, here's a great Valentine's Day special offer: How about a pair of tickets to "A Little Night AND dinner for two at West Coast Tavern for just $115!

     Come to the Valentine's Day matinee show at 2:30pm and then follow it up with a delicious prix-fixe dinner right across the lobby, at West Coast Tavern at 5pm. On the menu: choice of Dungeness crab cakes with spicy remoulade or steak tartare with traditional accompaniments; choice of pan-roasted pork tenderloin with molasses mustard glaze, smashed sweet potatoes and sauteed greens or lemon spice-crusted scallops with citrus beurre blanc, crispy potato cakes and grilled asparagus; and choice of panna cotta with strawberry balsamic reduction or chocolate flourless torte with raspberry coulis.

     Click on this link and scroll down for details and to purchase the package - NOT AVAILABLE THROUGH OUR BOX OFFICE. Happy Valentine's Day!

There Should Be Clowns…

“A Little Night Music” may be one of Stephen Sondheim’s many Broadway hit shows, but it stands out from all the rest because it is the show that gave Sondheim his only pop hit to date: the ballad “Send in the Clowns.”

Even those who have no idea who Stephen Sondheim is, and who have never heard of “A Little Night Music,” instantly recognize “Send in the Clowns,” which has become a jazz standard performed by everyone from Judy Collins and Frank Sinatra to Kenny Rogers and, most famously, Barbra Streisand. From the very first bars and the opening line, “Isn’t it rich?”, audiences know they are in for a musical and vocal treat that is also achingly romantic and bittersweet.

The principal character, Desirée, sings the ballad in Act II of “A Little Night Music.” She reflects on the ironies and disappointments of her life, reacting to her former lover Frederik’s rejection after she urges him to leave his young wife and reunite with her. The song is later reprised as a coda after Frederik’s young wife runs away with his son, and Frederik is finally free to accept Desirée’s offer.

Sondheim wrote the lyrics and music over a two-day period during rehearsals for the play's Broadway debut. He wrote the song specifically for the actress Glynis Johns, who created the role of Desirée on Broadway. According to Sondheim, “Glynis had a lovely, crystal voice, but sustaining notes was not her thing. I wanted to write short phrases, so I wrote a song full of questions,” and the song’s melody is within a small music range. It became Sondheim’s most popular song after Judy Collins (right) recorded it in 1975. Subsequently, many other famous artists have recorded the song, and it has become a jazz standard.

Click here to see a video clip of Barbra Streisand sing "Send in the Clowns."

Is it, in fact, a song about the circus, as some assume from the title? Uh, no. The “clowns” symbolize fools, as Sondheim has explained in various interviews: when it comes to love, we are all capable of being fools. In the song, Desirée experiences both deep regret and furious anger, allowing artists a wide range of interpretations to play with in performing the song.

“Send in the Clowns” can now be found on more than 900 recordings by hundreds of performers, including Frank Sinatra, Shirley Bassey, Bing Crosby, Frida (of ABBA), Grace Jones, Mel Tormé, Frankie Laine, Elizabeth Taylor (for the 1978 film adaptation of “A Little Night Music,” in which she starred); Carmen McRae, Many Patinkin, Angela Lansbury, Barbra Streisand, Bryan Ferry, Glenn Close, Tom Jones, the Tiger Lilies, and even Krusty the Clown on “The Simpsons.” We’re sure you have your favorite version. But we’re also quite sure hearing the gorgeous Andrea Huber sing it LIVE on our stage will be an experience to remember. Buy your tickets… now!

Dinner and a Play for Valentine’s Day! What Could Be More Romantic?

If you’re planning a perfectly romantic evening with your sweetie, look no further than our production “A Little Night Music” at the Birch North Park Theatre, combined with dinner or dessert at one of the fabulous restaurants within steps of the theatre.

“A Little Night Music” includes some of the most romantic music ever written for Broadway, including the bittersweet “Send in the Clowns,” made famous by Barbra Streisand and countless other great jazz and pop singers. The play itself is a wonderful tribute to love of all kinds – young love, unrequited love, lost love, and the incomparable happiness of lost love regained after the rekindling of an former romance. Although each couple takes the audience along on an emotional roller-coaster ride throughout the show, in the end true love triumphs and all is as it should be. What could be more fitting on Valentine’s Day weekend?

As for dinner, there are so many options in our vibrant neighborhood that the hardest part is deciding where to eat. Of course, there’s the lively West Coast Tavern right in our lobby, where a full bar and bistro menu make a great casual meal. Steps away on neighboring streets, choices include Urban Solace, Sea Rocket Bistro, The Linkery, the brand-new North Park Fish Market & Grill, Rancho’s Natural Foods, Spread, and Peking House, to name just a few. And for coffee and dessert after the show, there’s Starbucks on our corner, Claire de Lune Coffee Lounge right across the street, and the aptly named Heaven Sent Desserts one block away. Make it an evening to remember with theatre tickets and a wonderful meal! Happy Valentine’s Day!