New season roundup

Here's a listing of new seasons of note in and around Los Angeles, plus a few worth traveling for. (This listing is based on my own personal interests.) By all accounts, 2007-2008 will be a year to look forward to, though if nothing is outright new and interesting in LA, most of it is solid staples.

My pick for best season: UCLA Live has a fantastically interesting season, with some great, edgy companies like Pina Bausch, but then also some strong bigger ticket names like Royal Shakespeare Company and Nina Ananiashvili's State Ballet of Georgia.

List updated June 7, 2007.

LA AREA

CENTER THEATRE GROUP: AHMANSON THEATRE (link)
· Avenue Q - Sept 6 to Oct 14, 2007
· The History Boys - Nov 7 to Dec 9
· The Color Purple - Dec 27, 2007 to March 9, 2008
· Sweeney Todd - March 11 to April 6, 2008
· My Fair Lady - April 9 to 27, 2008
· A Chorus Line - May 21 to July 6, 2008
· The Drowsy Chaperone - July 8 to July 20, 2008

CENTER THEATRE GROUP: KIRK DOUGLAS THEATRE (link)
· Clay - Sept 13 to Oct 14, 2007
· En Un Sol Amarillo - Oct 26 to Nov 25, 2007
· Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson - Jan 13 to Feb 17, 2008
· No Child.. - March 6 to April 13, 2008
· A Waitress in Yellowstone - May 11 to June 8, 2008
· Of Equal Measure - June 29 to July 27, 2008

CENTER THEATRE GROUP: MARK TAPER FORUM (link)
Closed for renovation, to reopen Sept 2008

UCLA LIVE: DANCE (link)
· Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company - Oct 12 to 13, 2007
· Pina Bausch Tanztheater Wuppertal: Ten Chi - Nov 8to 11, 2007
· Gamelan Cudamani: Odalan Bali, an Offering of Music & Dance - Nov 18, 2007
· Company Ea Sola: Drought & Rain Vol 2 - Jan 25 to 26, 2008
· State Ballet of Georgia: Mixed Rep, w/ Chaconne, new Possokhov, new Ratmansky - Feb 21; Giselle - Feb 22 to 24, 2008
· La La La Human Steps: Amjad - April 4 & 5, 2008
· Ultima Vez: Spiegel - May 2 & 3, 2008

UCLA LIVE: THEATER (link)
· National Theatre of Scotland: Black Watch - Sept 18 to Oct 14, 2007
· Dood Paard: medEia - Sept 19 to 23, 2007
· The Fortune Teller, by Erik Santo - Oct 18 to 28, 2007
· Royal Shakespeare Company: King Lear & The Seagull, in repertory starring Ian McKellen - Oct 17 to 28, 2007
· Teatr Zar: Gospels of Childood - Nov 27 to Dec 2, 2007
· Aurelia's Oratorio - Apr 9 to 12, 2008

UCLA LIVE: MUSIC (link)
Selected list only, mostly classical stuff.
· Yo-Yo Ma - Nov 17, 2007
· Deborah Voight - Jan 16, 2008
· Academy of St. Martin in the Fields - March 29, 2008

LA OPERA (link)
· Fidelio (Beethoven) - Sept 8 to Oct 6, 2007
· Jenufa (Janacek), w/ Karita Matilla - Sept 30 to Oct 13, 2007
· Don Giovani (Mozart) - Nov 24 to Dec 15, 2007
· La Boheme (Puccini) - Nov 25 to Dec 16, 2007
· Tristan und Isolde (Wagner) - Jan 19 to Feb 10, 2008
· Otello (Verdi) - Feb 16 to March 9, 2008
· Der Zerbrochene Krug/Der Zwerg - Feb to March, 2008
· Bryn Terfel in Recital - April 20, 2008
· Tosca (Puccini) - May 17 to June 29, 2008
· La Rondine (Puccini) - June 7 to 28, 2008

METROPOLITAN OPERA MOVIE THEATRE BROADCASTS (link)
· Romeo et Juliette (Gounod), w/ Anna Netrebko & Rolando Villazon - Dec 15, 2007
· Hansel & Gretel (Humperdink) - Jan. 1, 2008
· Macbeth (Verdi) - Jan 12, 2008
· Manon Lescaut (Puccini) w/ Matilla - Feb 16, 2008
· Peter Grimes (Britten) - March 15, 2008
· Tristan und Isolde (Wagner), w/ Deborah Voight - March 22, 2008
· La Boheme (Puccini), w/ Angela Gheorghiu and Ramon Vargas - April 5, 2008
· Le Fille du Regiment (Donizetti) - April 26, 2008

DANCE AT THE MUSIC CENTER (link)
· David Michalek's Slow Dancing, a video installation on the Music Center Plaza - Sept 17 to 26, 2007
· Mark Morris Dance Group: Mozart Dances - Oct 20 to 22, 2007
· American Ballet Theatre: Swan Lake - March 27 to 30, 2008
· Complexions Contemporary Ballet - April 11 to 13, 2008
· Teatro alla Scalla Ballet: Romeo & Juliet, with Vishneva on opening night - July 2 & 3, 2008

ORANGE COUNTY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER: DANCE (link)
· Fall For Dance Festival - Oct 11 to 14
· Tango Buenos Aires - Nov. 8 to 11, 2007
· Diana Vishneva - Feb. 12-13 & 15-17, 2008
· Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre - March 11 to 16, 2008
· Teatro Alla Scalla Ballet - June 17 to 22, 2008
· American Ballet Theatre - July 29 to Aug. 3, 2008

ORANGE COUNTY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER: BROADWAY (link)
· Jersey Boys - Nov. 13 to Dec.1, 2007
· Radio City Christmas Spectacular - Dec. 13 to 30, 2007
· Blast! - Feb 5 to 10, 2008
· Twelve Angry Men - Feb. 26 to Mar. 9, 2008
· The Phantom of the Opera - March 26 to April 20, 2008
· My Fair Lady - June 4 to 15, 2008
· A Chorus Line - Aug. 26 to Sept. 7, 2008
plus:
· Victoria Clark - Oct 11 to 14, 2007 (samueli)
· Sutton Foster - Feb 14 to 17, 2008 (samueli)
· Joshua Bell - Feb 23, 2008 (concert hall)

GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE: MAINSTAGE (link)
· 365 Days/365 Plays - Sept 10 to 14, 2007
· Third, by Wendy Wasserstien, with Christine Lahti - Sept 11 to Oct 21, 2007
· Atlanta, by Marcus Hummon and Adrian Pasdar - Nov 20 to Dec 30, 2007
· The Female of the Species, by Joanne Murray Smith, with Anette Bening - Feb 5 to March 16, 2008
· To be Announced - Apr 15 to May 18, 2008
· The Elephant in the Room, by Donald Marguiles - June 17 to July 25, 2008

GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE: SKIRBALL THEATER (link)
· The Quality of Life, by Jane Anderson - Oct 2 to Nov 18, 2007
· Emergen-See!, by Daniel Beatty - Dates TBA

PASADENA PLAYHOUSE (link)
· Can Can, music by Cole Porter - June 29 to Aug 5, 2007
· Matter of Honor - Aug 24 to Sept 30, 2007
· Ray Charles Live, A New Musical - Oct 31 to Dec 9, 2007

BROADWAY/LA (link)
· Camelot - Sept 11 to 23, 2007 (UCLA Royce)
· The Rat Pack Live at the Sands - Dec 4 to 11 (Wilshire)

IN THE REGION

LA JOLLA PLAYHOUSE (SAN DIEGO) (link)
· Carmen, dir. Franco Dragone - June 5 to July 22, 2007
· The Deception - July 17 to Aug 19, 2007
· after the quake - July 24 to Aug 26, 2007
· The Adding Machine - Sept 11 to Oct 7, 2007
· Cry Baby (pre-Broadway) - Oct 30 to Dec 16, 2007
· The Seven (chor. Bill T. Jones) - Feb 12 to March 16, 2008

OLD GLOBE THEATRE (SAN DIEGO) (link)
· Avenue Q - June 30 to Aug 5, 2007 (Spreckels Theatre)
· Hay Fever - July 14 to August 19, 2007
· Bell, Book and Candle - Aug 4 to Sept 9, 2007
· A Catered Affair (new musical by Harviey Fierstein, dir. John Doyle) - Sept 20 to Oct 28, 2007
(only annouced through 2007)

SAN FRANCISCO BALLET (link)
· Program 1: Filling Station (Christensen), New Tomasson, Diamonds (Balanchine) - Jan 29 to Feb 9, 2008
· Program 2: Divertimento No. 15 (Balanchine), Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes (Morris), Firebird (Possokhov) - Jan 31 to Feb 10, 2008
· Program 3: Giselle - Feb 16 to 23, 2008
· Program 4, Robbins Tribute: Fancy Free, In the Night, West Side Story Suite - March 6 to 19, 2008
· Program 5: After the Rain PdD (Wheeldon), Carousel (Wheeldon), TBA Tommasson, Eden/Eden (McGregor) - March 7 to 18, 2008
· Program 6, Visiting companies: A Delicate Battle (Kudelka, NBOC), Duo Concertant (Balanchine, NYCB), Altro Canto (Maillot, Les Ballets de Monte Carlo) - April 1 to 6, 2008
· NEW WORKS FESTIVAL: Ten World Premieres by ten choreographers, Three seprate programs - April 22 to May 6, 2008

CAL PERFORMANCES, UC BERKELEY: DANCE (link)
(Twyla Tharp 'festival' in Oct/Nov)
· Mark Morris Dance Group: Mozart Dances - Sept. 20 to 23, 2007
· Joffrey Ballet: Deuce Coupe, Billboards excerpt, Pas de Deesses - Oct 4 to 6, 2007
· Guangzhou Ballet: Mei Lanfang - Oct 19 to 21, 2007
· Miami City Ballet: Sinatra Suite (Tharp), In the Upper Room (Tharp), Agon (Balanchine) - Oct 26 to 28, 2007
· American Ballet Theatre: Program A: Clear (Welch), Ballo della Regina (Balanchine), Fancy Free (Robbins) - Nov 7 & 8, 2007; Program B: Baker's Dozen, Sinatra Suite (both Tharp), Glow-Stop (Elo) - Nov 9 to 11, 2007
· Pina Bausch Tanztheater Wuppertal: Ten Chi - Nov 16 to 18, 2007
Mark Morris Dance Group: The Hard Nut - Dec 14 to 23, 2007
· Nina Aniashvili & The State Ballet of Georgia: Mixed rep with Chaconne (Balanchine) and Possokhov, Ratmansy - Feb 14; Giselle - Feb 15 to 17, 2008
· Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre - March 5 to 9, 2008
Tchaikovsky Perm Ballet: Natalia Makarova's Swan Lake - March 28 to 30, 2008

FARTHER AWAY

THE ROYAL BALLET (LONDON) (link)
· La Bayadere (Petipa/Makarova) - Oct 6 to 27, 2007
· Romeo and Juliet (MacMillan) - Oct 16 to Nov 25, 2007 & May 26 to June 13, 2008
· Jewels (Balanchine) - Nov 23 to Dec 7, 2007
· The Nutcracker (Wright/Petipa) - Dec 8, 2007 to Jan 19, 2008
· Les Patineurs (Ashton), Tales of Beatrix Potter (Ashton) - Dec 23 to Jan 12, 2008
· Sylvia (Ashton) - Jan 18 to March 31, 2008
· Chroma (McGregor), Different Drummer, Rite of Spring (MacMillan) - Feb 2 to 23, 2008
· New Wheeldon, Afternoon of a Faun (Robbins), A Month in the Country (Ashton) - Feb 28 to March 19, 2008
· The Sleeping Beauty (Mason/Newton/Petipa) - March 13 to May 14, 2008
· Serenade (Balanchine), New Brandstrup, Homage to the Queen (various) - April 23 to May 8, 2008
· The Dream (Ashton), Dances at a Gathering (Robbins) - May 17 to June 10, 2008

PARIS OPERA BALLET (PARIS) (link)
· Wuthering Heights (Belarbi) - Sept 21 to Oct 6, 2007
· Roméo et Juliette (Nureyev) - Oct 5 to 20, 2007
· Works by Preljocaj, McGregor - Oct 26 to Nov 10, 2007
· Casse-Noisette, aka The Nutcracker (Nureyev) - Nov 14 to Dec 29, 2007
· Paquita (Lacotte) - Dec 11 to 30, 2007
· Orphee et Eurydice (Bausch) - Feb 4 to 19, 2008
· Caligula (Noclas Le Riche) - March 15 to 28, 2008
· Raymonda excerpts (Nureyev/Petipa), The Four Temperaments (Balanchine), Artifact Suite (Forsythe) - April 4 to May 9, 2008
· Paris Opera Ballet school performance - April 13, 16 & 20, 2008
· Mats Ek mixed bill - April 26 to May 11, 2008
· La Dam aux camélias (Neuemeier) - June 21 to July 12, 2008
· Signes (Carolyn Carlson) - June 28 to July 14, 2008

KENNEDY CENTER: FESTIVALS (Washington DC) (link)
JAPAN! Culture & Hyperculture - Japanese Culture festival, Feb 2008

THE KENNEDY CENTER: BALLET (Washington DC) (link)
· Suzanne Farrell Ballet: Chaconne, et. al - Nov 20 to 25, 2007
· American Ballet Theatre: The Nutcracker - Dec 18 to 23, 2007
· Kirov Ballet: La Bayadere - Jan 22 to 27, 2008
· American Ballet Theatre: The Sleeping Beauty - Jan 29 to Feb 3, 2008
· New National Theatre Ballet of Tokyo: Mixed Rep & Raymonda - Feb 15 to 17, 2008
· New York City Ballet: mixed rep with Robbins celebration - Feb 27 to March 2, 2008
· Proteges II: Bolshoi, Royal, Paris schools and SAB - June 6 to 8, 2008
· Ballet Across America Festival: Regional ballet festival - June 10 to 15, 2008

KENNEDY CENTER: CONTEMPORARY DANCE (Washington DC) (link)
· Dana Tai Soon Burgess and Company - Oct 12 to 13, 2007
· Ballet Hispanico - Nov 5, 2007
· Tania Pérez-Salas - Jan 18 to 19, 2008
· Urban Bush Women and Compagnie Jant-Bi - Feb 1 to 3, 2008
· Jo Kanamori's Noism 08: NINA materialize sacrifice - Feb 7 to 8, 2008
· Sankai Juku - Feb 12 to 13, 2008
· Akira Kasai's Pollen Revolution - Feb 16 to 17, 2008
· Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater - Feb 19 to 24, 2008
· McCoy Tyner and Savion Glover - Feb 24, 2008
· Shen Wei Dance Arts - Mar 21 to 22, 2008
· Black Grace - Apr 25 to 26, 2008

KENNEDY CENTER: THEATER (Washington, DC) (link)
· Happy Days, with Fiona Shaw
· My Fair Lady (tour)
· August Wilson's 20th Century: Staged readings of all 10 of August Wilson's 10-play cycle - March 2008
· The Lion King