Lainie Kazan to appear in Dennis
Nahat ballet Lainie Kazan, multi-award winning entertainer in film, television and on stage, has signed to appear in Dennis Nahat’s In Studio D, one of three original dances by Ballet San Jose Artistic Director Dennis Nahat which is slated to open the 2002-03 Season, October 17-20 at San Jose’s Center for the Performing Arts. Ms Kazan will appear live on stage singing eight songs by Peter Wright who was commissioned to create the musical numbers for the ballet. In Studio D is a touching tribute to life in the theatre based on Nahat’s real-life experiences as a young dancer in a New York City rehearsal hall. “All performers’ lives have one thing in common,” says Nahat, “…the studio. When one spends as much time in a studio as a choreographer or a dancer does, perhaps eight to twelve hours a day, one’s world becomes very intense. Life in the studio becomes life itself.” The music and lyrics of Peter Wright will be sung onstage by Ms. Kazan, who comments on and interacts with the dancers. The piece is set on ten dancers and was first performed by Cleveland Ballet, October 16, 1985 at the State Theatre in Cleveland, Ohio. Also on the evening’s program are Starlight, a classically romantic ballet by Nahat set to selections from Alexander Glazunov; and Nahat’s new setting of Prince Igor—“Polovtsian Dances” set to the haunting melodies of Alexander Borodin. In recent years Lainie Kazan has been best known for her acting (Films: My Big Fat Greek Wedding, My Favorite Year, Delta Force, One From the Heart, and the soon to be released Gigli with Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez, Al Pacino and Christopher Walken. Television: Will & Grace, Veronica’s Closet, The Nanny, Touched By An Angel, St. Elsewhere for which she received an Emmy nomination, and The Paper Chase for which she received a CableACE nomination.) But it is Kazan’s singing that first brought her fame. She began her Broadway career in 1964 as Barbra Streisand’s understudy in Funny Girl and she received a Tony nomination for reprising her role in My Favorite Year. She has played most of the legendary, big-name nightclub and hotel rooms in the country (including the hungry i and the Plush Room in San Francisco) and has appeared on virtually every top variety and talk show in network television (including an unparalleled 26 appearances on The Dean Martin Show.) She has sung with such symphonies as The Boston Pops, The Palm Beach Pops and The Cleveland Symphony and has recorded two CDs including Body and Soul and Lainie Kazan—In The Groove. “The Choreography of Dennis Nahat” (which includes In Studio D with Lainie Kazan) will be presented for five performances only, October 17-20, 2002 at Center for the Performing Arts, 255 Almaden Boulevard in downtown San Jose. Tickets are $22 to $68 with discounts available for seniors, students, and groups. Single tickets go on sale September 16th. Subscriptions for the full season are available now. For tickets and information call the Ballet Box Office at (408) 288-2800 or visit the Ballet San Jose Silicon Valley website at www.balletsanjose.org. Single tickets will also be available through TicketMaster at (408) 998-TIX or (415) 421-TIXS. FACT
SHEET STARLIGHT IN STUDIO
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- "POLOVTSIAN DANCES" SHORT BYTE: Ballet San Jose Silicon Valley presents its season opening program, "The Choreography of Dennis Nahat," October 17-20, 2002 at San Jose Center for the Performing Arts. Featured is the premiere of Dennis Nahat’s Prince Igor—"Polovtsian Dances" set to the music of Alexander Borodin. Also on the program are Starlight, set to selections from "The Seasons" and "Raymonda" by Alexander Glazunov, and In Studio D, choreographed to the music and lyrics of Peter Wright. Performance
Dates & Times Location Tickets Photos of all dancers now available electronically by calling publicist Lee Kopp 408.288.2820 x 210. lkopp@balletsanjose.org. Images are PhotoShop, JPEG, 300dpi, 4X5 format.
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