Rossini Helps Launch "Muppets Now" Streaming On Disney +

Everyone Is a Critic: Show favorites Statler and Waldorf perched in their favorite box

It's time to play the music, It's time to light the lights. It's time to raise the curtain on the Muppet Show tonight! "Muppets Now is The Muppets Studio’s first unscripted series and first original series for Disney+. In the six-episode season, Scooter rushes to make his delivery deadlines and upload the brand-new Muppet series for streaming. They are due now, and he’ll need to navigate whatever obstacles, distractions, and complications the rest of the Muppet gang throws at him. Overflowing with spontaneous lunacy, surprising guest stars and more frogs, pigs, bears (and whatevers) than legally allowed, the Muppets cut loose in Muppets Now with the kind of startling silliness and chaotic fun that made them famous. From zany experiments with Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker to lifestyle tips from the fabulous Miss Piggy, each episode is packed with hilarious segments, hosted by the Muppets showcasing what the Muppets do best. Produced by The Muppets Studio and Soapbox Films, Muppets Now premieres Friday, July 31, streaming only on Disney+." The video trailer advertising the series makes use of music from Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia with music from Figaro's aria "Largo al factotum della città." Watch the trailer for the new series and a video of Dmitri Hvorostovsky singing the whole aria after the jump. Be sure to check out this feature that documents opera singers that appeared on the original series The Muppet Show by clicking here.

Get more information on Muppets Now by clicking here.

  

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Michigan Opera House Joins Prestigious List Of Historic Theatres

"The Tibbits Opera House in Coldwater has been included in the 2015 Membership of the League of Historic American Theatres (LHAT), a list that also includes all the major NYC Broadway houses operated by Disney, Nederlander, Shubert, and Jujamcyn. As an LHAT member, Tibbits Opera House staff will have access to professional development opportunities and national media attention and will be able to attend the National Conference of Historic Theatres taking place in Nashville this summer. 'I am delighted to include Tibbits Opera House as a member of the League,' said Ken Stein, Executive Director for LHAT. 'We constantly showcase the important contributions being made in arts and preservation from historic theatres throughout North America, and it will be great to include the contributions from Coldwater.' The League champions the preservation, restoration and ongoing operations of historic theatres across the United States and Canada. Tibbits Opera 1-louse is among the distinguished list of theatres that have proven to be economic drivers and cultural cornerstones in communities across the nation." [Source]

Puccini Inspires International Love Among Airplanes In Animated Film

Love at 10,000 feet above sea-level: Canada and Mexico

Director Klay Hall (King of the Hill, Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure, Father of the Pride, The Simpsons) brings Planes, a spin-off the popular Cars film, to the big screen with a host of eclectic characters voiced by some of Hollywood's star players. While the main character of the film is Dusty, "a cropdusting plane with a fear of heights lives his dream of competing in a famous around-the-world aerial race," it's two of his supporters that provide the romance in this comedic adventure: El Chupacabra (voiced by Carlos Alazraqui) and Rochelle (voiced by Julia Louis-Dreyfus). The two spot each other for the first time as the international planes arrive to begin the race around the world. As El Chupacabra admires Rochelle, the music cued under the scene is "Ancora un passo or via" from Puccini's opera Madama Butterfly. Commonly known as "Butterfly's Entrance," this operatic excerpt makes hearts swell. We're just glad the love affair between the two planes had a happier ending than that of Cio-Cio San and Pinkerton in the opera. Biographies and a scene featuring the two lovers can be found after the jump. Listen to a 1965 live performance of Pilar Lorengar singing the aria in a Munich production.