Leonard Slatkin Leads Staged Production Of Scenes From Peter Shaffer's Play Directed By James Robinson
THURSDAY, JULY 20 at 8 PM
Concert Sponsored by Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts;
Media Sponsor is K-Mozart 105.1
Neil Patrick Harris, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, and Michael York headline the cast of Amadeus Live, a staged production of scenes from Peter Shaffer's play Amadeus featuring the Los Angeles Philharmonic conducted by Leonard Slatkin on Thursday, July 20 at 8 p.m. at the Hollywood Bowl. The evening of Mozart favorites, which celebrates the composer's 250th birthday, is directed by James Robinson and stars Harris as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Williams-Paisley as Constanze Mozart, and Michael York as Antonio Salieri. Also featured are soprano Mary Dunleavy, pianist Shai Wosner, Kevin Bailey as Venticello II, Douglas Fisher as A Majordomo, Richard Leighton as Venticello I, Michael McCarty as Count Franz Orsini-Rosenberg, Gregory North as Joseph II, Emperor of Austria, Tony Pasqualini as Baron Gottfried van Swieten, Sam Zeller as Count Johan Kilian von Strack, Christopher Carroll as Kapellmeister Bonno, and Talmadge Ragan as Teresa Salieri.
Musical selections include the Overture to Don Giovanni; "Adagio" from Serenade No. 10 in B-flat major for 13 winds, K. 361, "Gran Partita"; "Alleluia" from Exultate, jubilate, K. 165; the finale from Symphony No. 25 in G minor, K. 183; Rondo-finale from Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major, K. 488; March of the Priests from The Magic Flute; "Ach, ich fuhl's" from The Magic Flute; and the final movement of the Symphony No. 41 in C major, K. 551 ("Jupiter"). The evening also includes excerpts from The Abduction from the Seraglio, Symphony No. 29, the Sinfonia Concertante for violin and viola, Don Giovanni, and the Requiem.
NEIL PATRICK HARRIS (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart) most recently headlined Arthur Miller's All My Sons at the Geffen Playhouse. He previously starred in Jonathan Larson's musical Tick, Tick…Boom! at London's Menier Chocolate Factory and starred in the Tony Award-winning revival Assassins, which marked his third return to Broadway in as many years, having previously performed in Cabaret at Studio 54, as well as in the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Proof at the Walter Kerr. Additional theater credits include Tobias in Sweeney Todd (Lincoln Center, with the N.Y. Philharmonic); Mark in Rent (Ahmanson, La Jolla Playhouse); and Romeo in Romeo and Juliet (Old Globe Theatre). Harris' feature film credits include the comedy Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, Undercover Brother, The Next Best Thing, Starship Troopers, and Clara's Heart (Golden Globe nomination). On television, Harris stars as Barney in the CBS comedy series How I Met Your Mother and he previously portrayed the title role on ABC's Doogie Howser, M.D. (People's Choice Award, Golden Globe nomination).
Currently co-starring in the hit ABC Television sitcom According to Jim, KIMBERLY WILLIAMS-PAISLEY (Constanze) first lit up the screen as the radiant young bride in the comedy feature film series Father of the Bride and Father of the Bride Part II. Williams-Paisley recently wrote and directed and starred with Patrick Dempsey in the short film Shade, for which she won the Director's Choice: Outstanding Directing and Acting in a Short at the Sedona International Film Festival. In addition, she just filmed a starring role opposite Tom Cavanagh in How to Eat Fried Worms, the film adaptation of the popular young children's book. She has a starring role in the coming-of-age comedy Eden Court, filmed on location in Illinois and slated for release in 2006. Williams-Paisley made her Broadway debut in the Tony Award-winning The Last Night of Ballyhoo and has appeared on stage in The Vagina Monologues and in All in the Timing.
MICHAEL YORK (Antonio Salieri) has enjoyed a 40-year acting career. Among his 60 screen credits are Romeo and Juliet, Cabaret, The Three Musketeers, Logan's Run, and the Austin Powers films. Stage appearances include Britain's National Theatre and Broadway's Someone Who'll Watch Over Me, Bent, and Outcry. Television work encompasses numerous roles from The Forsyte Saga to Curb Your Enthusiasm. With over 70 audio book recordings, he is the author of an autobiography, Accidentally on Purpose, as well as A Shakespearean Actor Prepares, and recently Are My Blinkers Showing? He has performed Shakespeare at the Hollywood Bowl, Mozart at the Cincinnati May Festival, and concerts at music festivals worldwide, as well as lecturing on the arts. Awarded Britain's OBE, France's Arts et Lettres, he also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
American stage director JAMES ROBINSON (Director) is regarded as one of the finest of his generation for his inventive productions of works from the standard and modern repertoire. He has directed new productions of Norma and Elektra for the Canadian Opera Company, Carmen for Seattle Opera, and Argento's Miss Havisham's Fire for Opera Theatre of St. Louis. His production of Turandot has been presented at more than 25 theaters throughout the United States and Canada. Most recently, Robinson has directed Bernstein's Mass for the London Symphony Orchestra. Since 2000, Robinson has been artistic director of Opera Colorado in Denver. In the fall of 2005 the company moved into its new home, the Ellie Caulkins Opera House, where it continues to gain wide recognition for its adventurous programming and artistic excellence.
Combining the roles of internationally celebrated conductor, staunch advocate for music education, and champion of American music and musicians, LEONARD SLATKIN, music director of the National Symphony Orchestra, was named in 2005 to the newly created post of Principal Guest Conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl. He is the first to hold this post, a position that rotates on a two-year basis. Throughout his career, Slatkin has been praised by critics and audiences around the world for his imaginative programming and interpretations of a vast range of repertoire. Among his distinctions are a White House celebration honoring the National Symphony Orchestra and Slatkin for advocacy of America's artistic heritage; a Grammy for Best Classical Recording, awards for programming, and the National Medal of the Arts, the nation's highest honor for a performing artist. Slatkin has made regular appearances over the last two decades with virtually all the major international orchestras and opera companies, including the New York and Berlin Philharmonics, Cleveland Orchestra, and Amsterdam Concertgebouw, as well as the Metropolitan Opera and the Vienna Staatsoper. He is conductor laureate of the Saint Louis Symphony, following his highly successful 17-year music directorship and has just completed his tenure as Chief Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Slatkin's discography includes more than 100 recordings recognized with five Grammy Awards and more than 50 other Grammy nominations. Slatkin is also extremely active as a broadcaster on musical topics. During his career he has had his own radio program, his own television program, and has been a guest commentator on NPR's Performance Today.
EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:
THURSDAY, JULY 20, 8 p.m.
HOLLYWOOD BOWL, 2301 N. Highland Ave. in Hollywood
AMADEUS LIVE
Los Angeles Philharmonic
LEONARD SLATKIN, conductor
Neil Patrick Harris, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Constanze Mozart
Michael York, Antonio Salieri
James Robinson, director
Mary Dunleavy, soprano
Shai Wosner, piano
Kevin Bailey, Venticello II
Douglas Fisher, A Majordomo
Richard Leighton, Venticello I
Michael McCarty, Count Franz Orsini-Rosenberg
Gregory North, Joseph II, Emperor of Austria
Tony Pasqualini, Baron Gottfried van Swieten
Sam Zeller, Count Johan Kilian von Strack
Christopher Carroll, Kapellmeister Bonno
Talmadge Ragan, Teresa Salieri
Jason Braod, male ensemble member
Jenny Fahn, female ensemble member
Jens Kohler, male ensemble member
Peter Musante, male ensemble member
Nicole Reding, female ensemble member
Ali Spuck, female ensemble member
Concert sponsored by Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts;
Media sponsor is K-Mozart 105.1
Tickets ($1 - $93) are on sale now at the Hollywood Bowl Box Office, by calling Ticketmaster at 213.480.3232, at all Ticketmaster outlets (Robinsons May, Tower Records and Ritmo Latino locations), or online at HollywoodBowl.com. Groups of 12 or more may be eligible for a 20% discount, subject to availability; call 323.850.2050 for further details. For general information or to request a brochure, call 323.850.2000.
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Adam Crane, 213.972.3034; Rachelle Roe, 213.972.7310; Laura Stegman, 310.470.6321; For photos: 213.972.3034