MasterVoices will open its 2023-24 season this November at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater, with three performances of The Frogs.
MasterVoices (formerly The Collegiate Chorale) was founded in 1941 by legendary American choral conductor Robert Shaw. Under the artistic direction of Tony Award winner Ted Sperling since 2013, the group is known for its versatility and a repertoire that ranges from choral masterpieces and operas in concert to operettas and musical theater. Season concerts feature a volunteer chorus of 100+ members from all walks of life alongside a diverse roster of world-class soloists fromacross the musical spectrum, including Julia Bullock,Dove Cameron,Anthony Roth Costanzo,Renée Fleming,John Holiday,Jennifer Holliday,Norm Lewis, Victoria Clark, and KelliO’Hara.
Under Sperling’s direction the group has created cross–disciplinary collaborations with such diverse creative minds aslegendary lyricist Sheldon Harnick,VogueEditor-at-Large Hamish Bowles, fashion designer Zac Posen, Silk Road visual artist Kevork Mourad, illustrator Manik Choksi, stage designer Doug Fitch, and choreographers Doug Varone and Andrew Palermo. Roger Rees was the group’s Artistic Associate from 2003–2015, and in 2021 the group received a New York Emmy Award nomination and a Drama League Award nomination for its multi-genre digital concert production of Adam Guettel’sMyths and Hymns.
Known for its presentation of lesser-known artistic treasures such as Scott Joplin’sTreemonisha,and Tchaikovsky’sMaid of Orleans, the group has received recent accolades for productions of rarely-heard works such as last season’s New York City premiere of Sheldon Harnick’s full English translation of Bizet’sCarmen,Lady in the Darkby Kurt Weill and Ira Gershwin, Victor Herbert’sBabes in Toyland, the Gershwins’Let ‘Em Eat Cake, Stephen Sondheim and Arthur Laurents’sAnyone Can Whistle, and Gilbert and Sullivan’sIolanthe. They also commission and premiere new works; recent examples include choral works by Ricky Ian Gordon, Marisa Michelson, Tariq Al-Sabir, and Randall Eng.
As one of the country’s first interracial and interfaith choruses, MasterVoices (as The Collegiate Chorale) performed at the opening of the United Nations and has sung and recorded under the batons of esteemed conductors including Serge Koussevitzky, Arturo Toscanini, and Leonard Bernstein, among others. It has been engaged by top-tier orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic and the Israel Philharmonic, and has appeared at the Verbier and Salzburg Festivals.
MasterVoicesopens its 2023-24 season onNovember 3 and 4at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater, with three performances of a concert staging ofStephen SondheimandBurt Shevelove’sThe Frogs, as adapted byNathan Lane.Ted Sperling, celebrating his tenth season as MasterVoices’ Artistic Director, directs and conducts the 120–memberMasterVoiceschorus, an 18-piece orchestra, and an all-star cast of MasterVoices favorites. In addition to the two performances initially announced for Saturday, November 4, MasterVoices has added a third performance on Friday, November 3, at 8 PM.
The boisterously hilarious yet poignant musical was inspired by the ancient Aristophanes play of the same name.With the world at war and civilization imperiled, Dionysos, god of wine and theater, feels something drastic must be done. He journeys to the underworld with his servant Xanthias to find the world’s best playwright, who will inspire and save mankind. Along the way, the two travelers encounter many well-known mythic characters. This musical presentation of Aristophanes’ comedy was “freely adapted” byBurt Shevelove and Stephen Sondheimin 1974 and “even more freely adapted” byNathan Lane and Sondheimfor its 2004 staging at Lincoln Center Theater. The script will be further adapted by Nathan Lane for MasterVoices’ concert performances.
The Frogs has a rich and varied score with a substantial role for the chorus; it includes one of Sondheim’s most beautiful love songs, “Ariadne.”
“There’s something in this piece right now– where the country is and for me in particular– there’s something idealistic about the notion of believing that the arts can make a difference. You can affect a change. And in The Frogs, that is Dionysos’ dream– to go down to Hades and bring back this great writer. The belief that that could actually have an effect on the world is noble and touching and crazy– all at the same time.”
Nathan Lane, 2004
The Frogsis hopping with top Broadway veterans. Tony Award nomineeDouglas Sills, last seen in MasterVoices’ 2022 revival ofAnyone Can Whistle, is Dionysos. Tony Award nomineeKevin Chamberlin, last seen in MasterVoices’ concerts ofOf Thee I SingandLet ‘Em Eat Cake,is Xanthias.Peter Bartlett,who played Pluto in the 2004 production at Lincoln Center Theater, steps back into his toga to reprise the role.Tony and Emmy Award nomineeDylan BakerisGeorge Bernard Shaw; Tony Award winnerChuck Cooper, who also performed inOf Thee I SingandLet ‘Em Eat Cake,is Charon; and Tony nominee and Drama Desk Award winnerMarc Kudisch, seen in MasterVoices’ 2014Not the Messiah (He’s a Very Naughty Boy), is Herakles. Tony nomineeJordan Donicais William Shakespeare and Ariadne is played by MasterVoices chorus memberCandice Corbin.Nathan Lane, the three-time Tony Award-winning actor, will host the evening and provide narration. The choreography is by award-winning choreographerLainie Sakakuraand the sound design is byScott Lehrer.Tracy Christensenis the costume designer and the lighting design is byShelby Loera.
Friday, November 3, 2023, 8:00 pm
Saturday, November 4, 2023, 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm
Rose Theater, Jazz at Lincoln Center
Ted Sperling, Director and Conductor
MasterVoices Chorus
MasterVoices Orchestra
Choreography byLainie Sakakura
Sound design byScott Lehrer
Costume design byTracy Christensen
Lighting design byShelby Loera
CAST
HOST,Nathan Lane
DIONYSOS,Douglas Sills
XANTHIAS,Kevin Chamberlin
PLUTO,Peter Bartlett
GEORGE BERNARD SHAW,Dylan Baker
CHARON,Chuck Cooper
HERAKLES,Marc Kudisch
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE,Jordan Donica
ARIADNE,Candice Corbin
Tickets priced from $30, may be purchased onlineatjazz.org, at the Jazz at Lincoln Center box office, Broadway at 60thStreet, or by calling 212-721-6500.
Artistic Director of MasterVoices, Tony Award-winning Maestro Ted Sperling is a classically trained musician whose career has spanned from the concert hall and the opera house to the Broadway stage. He has led such symphony orchestras as the New York Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Boston Pops, San Diego Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Dallas Symphony, the Iceland Symphony, Czech National Symphony, and BBC Concert Orchestra, as well as New York City Opera and Houston Grand Opera. Formerly Principal Conductor of the Westchester Philharmonic, Mr. Sperling is a multi-faceted artist also known for his work as orchestrator, singer, pianist, violinist, violist, director, and music director.
With MasterVoices, Maestro Sperling has ledacclaimed productions of rarely-heard gemsas both director and conductor. These include Kurt Weill’sThe Firebrand of Florence, Knickerbocker Holiday,The Road of Promise(based onThe Eternal Roadand subsequently recorded on Navona Records), and the sold–out three–performance run ofLady in the Darkat New York City Center. Other notable productions with the group include Carnegie Hall performances of Stephen Sondheim’sAnyone CanWhistle, George and Ira Gershwins’ satirical musicalsOf Thee I SingandLet ‘Em Eat Cake,a reconstruction of Victor Herbert’sBabes in Toyland, andSong of Norway;the New York City premieres of David Lang’sbattle hymnsat the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum; and Ricky Ian Gordon’s operasThe Grapes of Wrathat Carnegie Hall and27at New York City Center.
During the 2020-2021 season, Maestro Sperling spearheaded a filmed production of Adam Guettel’sMyths and Hymnsfor MasterVoices, producing and music directing 24 short musical films and directingroughlyhalf of them.This project wasnominated for a Drama LeagueAward, and featured over 100 artists collaborating remotely, including Renée Fleming, Take 6, Jennifer Holliday and Julia Bullock. Now that live performances are back, Maestro Sperling is supervising national and international productions ofMy Fair Lady, The King and I,andFiddler on the Roof.He has symphonic engagements in the U.S. and Europe and continues to teach at NYU,conducting three different orchestras and training the next generation of Broadway musicians and conductors.
Sperling has conducted multiple concerts for PBS’sLive From Lincoln Center, the American Songbook Series at Lincoln Center, and theLyrics and Lyricistsseries at the 92nd Street Y. He conducted Audra McDonald in a double bill ofLa Voix Humaineand the world premiere ofSend: Who Are You? I Love You?at the Houston Grand Opera.He won the 2005 Tony and Drama Desk Awards for his orchestrations of Adam Guettel’sThe Light in the Piazza, for which he was also Music Director.
In addition to his directing work with MasterVoices, Mr. Sperling’s work as a stage directorincludes the world premieres of four critically acclaimed original musicals Off-Broadway—includingThe Other Josh CohenandSee What I Wanna See—and a noted production ofLady in the Darkat the Prince Theater in Philadelphia, starring Andrea Marcovicci. He graduatedsumma cum laudefrom Yale University, and received the Faculty Prize at The Juilliard School.He made his Broadway stage debut as Wallace Hartley inTitanicand appeared as Steve Allen in the finale of Season Two of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.”
Find tickets for the season’s opening, The Frogs, by clicking here.
For more information about the 2023-24 MasterVoices season, click here. Or, connect with MasterVoices onFacebook,TwitterandInstagram(@mastervoicesny).
Tori Baker84 posts0 comments
Victoria Baker has been involved in music since she started (and hated) piano lessons in kindergarten. Her tears in piano led to her love of violin and electric guitar, as well as musical theatre. Now pursuing a degree in writing at Syracuse University, she is happy to combine her two passions-- music and writing-- in her every day life.
