Rufus to Perform at True Colors Cabaret

Rufus is performing at the True Colors Cabaret on Monday, January 11th at 8:00 pm and 10:30 pm in New York City at Feinstein's at Loews Regency.   The evening will also feature a performance by Tony Award winning actress/singer Karen Olivo (West Side Story, In The Heights) and will be hosted by Film and Broadway actress Piper Perabo.  

The True Colors Cabaret is a monthly series in support of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) equality and is a collaboration between the Cyndi Lauper's True Colors Tour, Feinstein’s at Loews Regency, Broadway Impact and the True Colors Fund.  Each show intertwines performers from the world of Broadway and popular music, along with a celebrity host.   100% of the net proceeds from each show will go directly to the True Colors Fund (www.truecolorsfund.org) and Broadway Impact (www.broadwayimpact.com)

Each show only holds 130 people, so tickets will sell fast!   A special pre-sale for will begin at 2 pm EST today, Thursday, December 17th and general ticket sales begin at 5 pm EST tomorrow, Friday, December 18th.  The shows have a $40.00 cover with a limited number of $60.00 premium seats available, both with a $25.00 food and beverage minimum.  A limited number of VIP ticket packages, which includes a front row table of 4 and meet & greet with Rufus, are available for $500.  For tickets, please visit www.truecolorstour.com or call (212) 339-4095.   Pre-sale password is CABARET2009.

Feinstein’s at Loews Regency is located at 540 Park Avenue at 61st Street in New York City.  Jackets are suggested but not required.

Rufus' New Studio Album, UK Tour This April!

Rufus' eagerly anticipated forthcoming album, 'All Days Are Nights: Songs for Lulu,' is in the stage of completion now, with release set for Spring of 2010. Sign up HERE to find out more details about the new record including pre-orders, release date, exclusive formats and tracklisting.

Armed and dangerous with a piano and microphone, Rufus will embark on a 11-date solo UK tour in April in support of the new album. Here are the tour dates:

April 2010
 
Tue 13th      LONDON at Sadler's Wells
Thu 15th     GLASGOW at Royal Concert Hall
Fri 16th        EDINBURGH at Usher Hall
Sat 17th      SHEFFIELD at City Hall
Mon 19th   GATESHEAD at The Sage
Tue 20th      BIRMINGHAM at Symphony Hall
Thu 22nd     MANCHESTER at Apollo
Fri 23rd         BRISTOL at Colston Hall
Sun 25th       NOTTINGHAM at Royal Concert Hall
Mon 26th     OXFORD at New Theatre
Thurs 29th   IPSWICH at Regent Theatre

Your chance to purchase tickets before the public on-sale starts Wednesday, December 16 at 10am UK time. Click HERE to purchase these pre-sale tickets before they go on sale to the general public on Friday, December 18. You can also reach ticket sales at this phone number: +44 (0) 871 230 0333.

Sundance Channel Premieres Rufus Wainwright Documentary

Sundance Channel is kicking off the premiere of a Rufus Wainwright biopic! The film entitled, Rufus Wainwright:Prima Donna, will follow Rufus' professional and personal growth from theatrical pop sounds, to the creation of his first classical opera Prima Donna!

Don't miss out! Catch it at these days and times:
Monday, December 21 at 9PM ET/PT
Tuesday, December 22 at 3:15AM ET/PT
Sunday, December 27 at 2:30PM ET/PT

See the trailer HERE!

Rufus on MTV2's Subterranean

Please be sure to watch Rufus host MTV2’s Subterranean this weekend: 

Sunday, December 20, 2009
 
It airs at 2am ET/PT on MTV2 and repeats on MTV2 and MTV Hits several times throughout the week. 
 
Time Warner New York - Channel 128
Time Warner  Los Angeles - Channel 99

Prima Donna in London at Sadlers Wells

We are delighted to announce the London premiere of Rufus' debut opera, Prima Donna, at Sadler's Wells on April 12, 14, 16 and 17 of next spring in 2010. An exclusive ticket pre-sale is now open - go HERE to buy tickets!

Tickets for Prima Donna at Luminato Festival Now On Sale!

PRIMA DONNA at the 2010 Luminato Festival
Composed by Rufus Wainwright

Purchase tickets to the North American premiere of the stunning debut opera from Rufus Wainwright by clicking HERE!

Rufus on ZDF Theaterkanal and 3sat

Rufus' collaborative project with Robert Wilson, Shakespeare Sonnets (which premiered at Berliner Ensemble), will be broadcast on German television's ZDF Theaterkanal this month, on December 15 and 27 at 7:40pm. Rufus was also interviewed for a documentary on his favorite opera, Verde's La Traviata. This documentary will air on ZDF Theaterkanal on December 26th at 3pm. If you can't watch it then, it will also air on European channel 3sat on January 5, 2010 at 7:20pm.

Rufus in New Zealand

Catch Rufus perfom solo in New Zealand in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch this coming February! See the Events page for more details.

More tickets for A Not So Silent Night released!

More tickets for A Not So Silent Night show at Royal Albert Hall in London have just been released! Click HERE to buy tickets to this special evening with Rufus, family, and friends on December 9th.

Pre-sale for Prima Donna at Luminato Festival

PRIMA DONNA
Composed by Rufus Wainwright
North American Premiere at the 2010 Luminato Festival

Purchase tickets to the North American premiere of the stunning debut opera from Rufus Wainwright before the public on-sale! Sign up today for special access to an exclusive seven-day pre-sale period. Click HERE to sign up!

True Colors Cabaret

Due to an unexpected personal conflict, Rufus has had to cancel his appearance on behalf of Cyndi Lauper's True Colors Cabaret at Feinstein's at Loews Regency on November 29th. Cyndi has graciously agreed to step in for Rufus at these performances. Rufus very much looks forward to re-scheduling in the near future.

NPR's Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me

Rufus was the special guest on National Public Radio's (NPR) popular weekly quiz program, Wait Wait.. Don't Tell Me! Go HERE to hear Rufus' appearance streaming online.

Rufus on Dame Shirley Bassey's new album

Dame Shirley Bassey's newest album, The Performance, was released this week and includes a song written by Rufus especially for DSB. It is called "Apartment".

The full tracklisting for ‘The Performance’ is below:

Almost There [Tom Baxter]
Apartment [Rufus Wainwright]
This Time [Gary Barlow]
I Love You Now [Kaiser Chiefs]
Our Time Is Now [John Barry/Don Black]
As God Is My Witness [David Arnold/David McAlmont]
No Good About Goodbye [David Arnold/Don Black]
The Girl From Tiger Bay [Manic Street Preachers]
Nice Men [KT Tunstall]
After The Rain [Richard Hawley]
The Performance Of My Life [Pet Shop Boys]

A Not So Silent Night

‘A Not So Silent Night’ Featuring Kate McGarrigle, Rufus & Martha Wainwright at Royal Albert Hall, December 9th

Boy George, Dawn French, Guy Garvey, Jennifer Saunders, and The Thompsons (Linda and Kami) are just a few of the special guests and friends announced for the hotly anticipated first London, UK Wainwright/McGarrigle Family Christmas concert, ‘A Not So Silent Night’ at the Royal Albert Hall, December 9th.

This special seasonal Royal Albert Hall show will also include performances by Ed Harcourt, International soprano and ‘Prima Donna’ star Janis Kelly, Jenni Muldaur plus human beatbox Shlomo.

In the US, Christmas has practically become synonymous with the bi-annual Wainwright/McGarrigle Carnegie Hall shows. The New York Times has called the show an “enactment of a family gathering: motley, full of overlapping agendas, a little sentimental, a little fractious but harmonious in the end.”

“It is an off-the-cuff evening of friends and family kind of popping on and off stage as if the stage was our living room,” said Rufus Wainwright.

Tickets are on sale now priced from £35-£70. The concert will be presented by Artist Ticket. Tickets are available online from www.artistticket.com by phone on 0871 230 0333 and to personal callers to the Royal Albert Hall Box Office.

A limited number of exclusive A Not So Silent Night VIP Packages are available. They include excellent seats for the concert, entry to an intimate post-show cocktail with the performers, and unique gift bags.

These packages can be obtained by making a donation of £500 to benefit cancer research through the Kate McGarrigle Fund.

For more information, call Cléa Desjardins at the McGill University Health Centre Foundation on 00-1-514-931-5656 or visit the A Not So Silent Night website at www.anotsosilentnight.net

or email Clea at anotsosilentnight@gmail.com. This is organised by the McGarrigle/Wainwright family and friends, a supporter of Cancer Research UK.

The Kate McGarrigle Fund is a non-profit organization dedicated to cancer care and research and affiliated with the McGill University teaching hospitals and Cedars Cancer Institute in Montreal, Canada.

Rufus on WHYY TV12's On Canvas

Check out WHYY TV12's On Canvas show at 8pm EST on Wednesday, October 28th to see an interview and live footage from Rufus' recent concert at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA. This episode will re-air on Sunday, November 1st at 2PM. You can also watch it online HERE.

Rufus and the San Francisco Symphony

Rufus' previously scheduled performances with the SF Symphony next April have been postponed until November 2010 due to a scheduling conflict with his opera. His Five Shakespeare Sonnets, commissioned by the San Francisco Symphony, will be given its world premiere at their November 2010 concerts. Please contact the SF Symphony box office regarding exchanges or additional information. The box office phone number is (415) 864-6000.

Rufus on WNYC's Sound Check

Listen in to an interview with Rufus and WNYC's John Schaefer on his program, Sound Check on 93.9FM by clicking HERE.

True Colors Cabaret

Rufus is performing at the True Colors Cabaret on Sunday, November 29th at 8:00 pm and 10:30 pm in New York City at Feinstein's at Loews Regency.   The evening will also feature a performances by Lea Michele & Jonathan Groff, stars of the Spring Awakening, the 2007 Tony Award winner for Best Musical.  

The True Colors Cabaret is a monthly series in support of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) equality and is a collaboration between the Cyndi Lauper's True Colors Tour, Feinstein’s at Loews Regency, Broadway Impact and the True Colors Fund.  Each show intertwines performers from the world of Broadway and popular music, along with a celebrity host.   100% of the net proceeds from each show will go directly to the True Colors Fund (www.truecolorsfund.org) and Broadway Impact (www.broadwayimpact.com)

PLEASE NOTE: both shows are now SOLD OUT.

Feinstein’s at Loews Regency is located at 540 Park Avenue at 61st Street in New York City.  Jackets are suggested but not required.  

 

Get Your FREE DOWNLOAD!!!

Now's your chance to buy Rufus Wainwright's latest release, Milwaukee At Last!!!
As of today, it is now out in the U.S, Italy and Japan! The CD and DVD can be purchased on  Amazon and you can also purchase it on iTunes( Rufus Wainwright iTunes Link )

Also, don't forget to get your FREE download of "I Don't Know What It Is" from Amazon.com -- this is an exclusive BONUS track that is NOT on the MIlwaukee At Last!!! CD or DVD! The offer is still up! Go get it here.

Rufus at the New York City Opera Gala

Join Rufus Wainwright in celebrating the New York City Opera's return to the stage at the renovated David H. Koch Theater at their opening night gala on Thursday, November 5th. This event is called American Voices and will include a performance by Rufus. "Les Feux D'artifice," the final aria from his opera, Prima Donna, will also be performed by a guest soprano.

The New York City Ballet and several other artists will also be performing at this event, including Amy Burton, Joyce Castle, Anna Christy, Joyce DiDonato, Lauren Flanigan, Anthony Dean Griffey, Marc Kudisch, Samuel Ramey, and maestros George Manahan and Julius Rudel.

All festivities will take place at the David H. Koch Theater (formerly the New York State Theater) at Lincoln Center (West 63rd St & Columbus Avenue in NYC). For tickets to the Theater Debut celebration, including the concert and black tie dinner, contact the New York City Opera Special Events Department at 212-870-5595.

Rufus at Carnegie Hall with Gavin Friday and Friends on October 4th!

On October 4th, 2009, Rufus will be part of a special event with Gavin Friday and Friends at Carnegie Hall in NYC. This special benefit concert is a (RED) Nights Event, with a portion of the proceeds going to help eliminate AIDS in Africa through the (RED) Foundation. Other guests include Martha Wainwright, Laurie Anderson, Antony, Bono, The Edge, Flo & Eddie, Joel Grey, Bill Frisell, Scarlett Johansson, Courtney Love, Lydia Lunch, Patrick McCabe, Shane MacGowan, Eric Mingus, Larry Mullen, Jr., Chloe Webb, and more to be announced.

Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased HERE

Rufus at New Yorker Festival 2009

On Sunday, October 18th at 3 pm, The New Yorker Festival presents a special panel discussion called Radical Opera featuring Rufus Wainwright as a guest speaker. The panel is moderated by Alex Ross and other speakers include Lisa Bielawa, Nico Muhly, and Peter Sellars.

Location: City Winery, 155 Varick Street, NYC

Tickets are $35 and are available starting 12 noon EST on Friday, September 18th, at newyorker.com/festival or by calling 800-440-6974. Tickets will also be sold during Festival weekend at event doors and from noon to 4 pm on Friday, October 16th, at Cedar Lake Theatre, 547 West 26th Street in NYC. Please note that purchases are subject to service charges.

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

Did you miss seeing Rufus perform on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on September 14th? Have no fear, you can watch it here.

Milwaukee At Last!!! release dates

Recorded on 2007’s 'Release The Stars' tour at the Pabst Theatre. 'Milwaukee At Last!!!' is a very special release from one of the world's most acclaimed artists, Rufus Wainwright. Keep an eye out for Milwaukee At Last!!!, available at record stores in the following countries:

Monday, September 7:  Canada, UK*, France, Denmark, Sweden
Tuesday, September 8: Spain
Friday, September 11: Germany
Tuesday, September 22: US, Italy, Japan

Other countries to be announced soon...

You can also purchase Milwaukee At Last!!! digitally via iTunes.

*The 'Milwaukee At Last!!!' deluxe box is released in the UK on September 7th as a luxury fan edition. It contains the live DVD, CD, and four exclusive postcards. Click HERE to order your copy from Amazon.

Rufus & Norah Jones at Watermill Center

Rufus Wainwright and Norah Jones, two of today’s most beautiful and celebrated pop voices, will sing together for the first time at Watermill Center's Last Song of Summer show, taking place at 5:00 P.M. on Saturday, August 29th. Rufus' sister, Martha Wainwright, will also showcase material from her new project of rare Edith Piaf songs, a collaboration with Hal Willner.

Benefit tickets range from $125 to $500, the latter price including access to a backstage meet-and-great with the artists after the show. For tickets, please call the Byrd Hoffman Watermill Foundation at 212.253.7484 ext 10 or email benefit@watermillcenter.org. More info can be found HERE.

The proceeds allow the Watermill Center to grow its ambitious artist residency program, which enables emerging artists to explore new interdisciplinary approaches. Watermill aims to be a haven for the creative process and supplies its residents with a network of like-minded institutions to further develop and expand their work.

Note from Rufus about Milwaukee At Last!!!

Well folks, the fateful time has almost arrived when the great state of Wisconsin will all of a sudden physically crack open and  spew out pairs of high heeled shoes, striped suits, brooches, lederhosen (this has occurred before), horn sections and of course fluffy white bathrobes. Sorta like a massive exploding Faberge Kinder Egg. And of course since most of us live on the coasts or near Eurasia, we will have to be content with merch in the form of either a CD or DVD.  I'm happy to announce that "Milwaukee At Last!!!" hits the stores in September, and for those select masses who weren't at the original show, this is your opportunity to finally start actually living a decent life. Just to let you know, those who were present at the original taping have since been transformed into Egyptian gods and are worshipped in Vegas. Hope you enjoy!  Love Rufus.

Rufus on Bons Baisers De France on Radio-Canada!

Head over to Radio Canada's website to see Rufus' appearance on Bons Baisers De France on Radio-Canada!

Rufus on Pete Seeger's 90th Birthday Celebration from Madison Square Garden!

On May 3, Rufus Wainwright joined a multi-generational roster of artists at Madison Square Garden to celebrate Pete Seeger's 90th Birthday. Fans in the New York City and Los Angeles area can tune in to PBS tonight, July 30th, to view the celebration! Click here for more information and to check out a preview!

Make sure to check your local listings to see when it airs in your viewing area!

Rufus on Twitter!

Want to be up-to-date with all of the latest news and events pertaining to Rufus Wainwright? Click HERE to follow him on Twitter @rufuswainwright !

Q Radio with Jian Ghomeshi

Listen to a interview podcast of Rufus on CBC's Q Radio with Jian Ghomeshi by clicking HERE!

Rufus on BBC's The Culture Show

Rufus Wainwright talks about his first opera, Prima Donna, with host Miranda Sawyer on BBC 2's The Culture Show this Wednesday, July 15th at 7pm BST. Tune in!

Rufus Interviewed on BBC News

Click Here to view Rufus' recent interview with BBC News about the background and motivation for his new opera, Prima Donna. After reading the article, be sure to give a listen to Vincent Dowd's audio interview with Rufus.

Special Concert in Manchester on July 12th

SPECIAL CONCERT JUST ANNOUNCED: RUFUS WAINWRIGHT - SOLO GIG on Sunday 12 July at 9.30pm at the Pavilion Theatre, Albert Square, Manchester.

As a Manchester International Festival special, Rufus is doing a solo acoustic concert in the intimate Pavilion Theatre as a 'thank you' to his fans. Prima Donna ticket buyers will be entered in to a prize draw and the winners pulled at random. The deadline to enter the draw is Thursday 9 July 12 noon. You must have bought your tickets by this time to be entered. Winners will be contacted on Friday 10 July. For more info, visit www.mif.co.uk

Rufus documentary to air on Alan Yentob’s TV show, Imagine, on BBC1

On July 7, 2009 at 10:35 p.m. (and at 11:05pm in Scotland and Wales) on UK's BBC One, Alan Yentob explores the rapid rise of one of modern music's most mercurial talents, Rufus Wainwright. Wainwright talks candidly about his background, his family of musical luminaries. The film also follows his journey into the classical world as he creates his very first opera, Prima Donna.

For more info on this documentary, please go to the BBC TV site HERE.

Rufus on BBC's Jonathan Ross Show!

Tune in to BBC1's program on July 10th at 10:30pm, Friday Night with Jonathan Ross for an exclusive interview with Rufus! Click HERE for more info.

Also, Rufus recently was a guest on Jonathan Ross' BBC Radio 2 show, which you can check out streaming HERE.

Note from Rufus regarding Blackoutsabbath

Dearest Sabbathites:

    (Try saying THAT without a lisp!) Rufus here writing to you from the beautiful garden of the Berlin Ensemble where I've come to survey and perform in a TV taping of the Sonnets project I did with Bob Wilson. Don't know when it will air but stay posted and ready for more improved Anglo-German relations, hopefully there will be subtitles and we can really forget about the whole thing! Anyway, I suppose I should steer away from world history and focus on what's making history: the second annual Blackoutsabbath is upon us! Since I'm in and out of this play thing I'm going to have to keep this message short and save up my literary genius for a later date when I can recount my first Blackoutsabbath on an English moor. Yes, that's right! I'm presently living on a Bronte-esque patch of land, like, 1000 acre patch: opted for the eternal charms of the British countryside rather than the fast streets of downtown Leeds.

     So, I have to make a confession: as well as being Blackoutsabbath, Saturday June 20th is also the first official tech run through of my opera, Prima Donna. Jorn is flying in and it's the first time all will see the whole thing with movement and without people reading the music. It's going to be pretty amazing and alas, I cannot miss it. Thus accordingly, my own personal Blackoutsabbath will start at 2 pm! Now, this obviously does not mean that everyone has to start later. Those who begin at noon feel free to start the blackout wave (sounds like some kind of plague). In reality, the fact that I'm starting late is, in fact, a great message for those of you who couldn't start at noon and can now follow the Master and begin when you can. So good luck, and good Blackoutsabbath, but most importantly (and this is serious!), candles can kill so be vigilant.   

Love,  Rufus.  

Prima Donna Ticket Giveaway

From Guardian.co.uk :

The second Manchester International Festival, sponsored by the Guardian, takes place across the city between 2 and 19 July.

Among the 2009 Festival's 20 world premieres is Prima Donna, Rufus Wainwright's debut opera and we have eight pairs of tickets for the opening night performance on Friday 10 July to give away. Click HERE to enter!

Set in Paris on Bastille Day in 1970. Régine Saint Laurent, once the world's most revered operatic soprano, is preparing for her return to the stage after six years of silence. But in doing so, Régine is forced to confront the ghosts of her past. Can she defeat the demons that destroyed her career, and emerge triumphantly once more into the spotlight?

Martha Sings Piaf

The critically acclaimed singer/songwriter (and Rufus' sister), Martha Wainwright, will pair with producer Hal Willner to make a live record of rare Edith Piaf songs over three intimate performances at the newly relocated Dixon Place Theater, which has contributed to the artistic legacy of New York City over the past 20+ years by continuously presenting original works of theatre, dance, music and literature. Martha sites the French songstress as one of her biggest influences, will be backed up by a great group of New York musicians including pianist Thomas Bartlett, electric guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Doug Wieselman, and the bassist Brad Albetta.

Sunday, June 14 @ 8:00 PM
Monday, June 15 @ 8:00 PM & 10:00 PM

DIXON PLACE THEATER
161 Chrystie Street, Ground Floor
New York, NY 10002
212-219-0736
www.dixonplace.org

Prima Donna

Manchester International Festival has announced its commission for the World Premiere of Rufus Wainwright's debut opera, PRIMA DONNA. Prima Donna is a portrait of a fading opera singer, set in Paris and sung in French. Rufus wrote the opera and composed and arranged the music. It will be directed by Daniel Kramer, conducted by Pierre-André Valade and designed by Antony McDonald. Prima Donna will feature the noted soprano Janis Kelly, taking the lead role Madame. Soprano Rebecca Bottone, tenor William Joyner and baritone Jonathan Summers are also featured. Please note that Rufus will not be performing in Prima Donna.

There will be five performances of Prima Donna at Manchester's Palace Theatre in 2009: July 10th, 14th, and 17th (in the evening), as well as July 12th and 19th (matinee).

Tickets are available for purchase HERE or by phone +44 (0)844 815 4960.

See Rufus on Spectacle: Elvis Costello With...

Here's your chance to catch the episodes of Spectacle: Elvis Costello With... featuring Rufus on CTV in Canada. His episode will be airing on the following days and times next month:

-Friday, May 15th on CTV (main network) at 10pm eastern (but check local listings as the time varies across the country)
-Saturday, May 16th on Bravo! at 8pm eastern and 1:15am eastern (Sunday morning)
-Sunday, May 17th on Bravo! at 6pm eastern.

Click HERE for more info.

Do you have a photo of Rufus in lederhosen?

Then hit us with your best shot! We're on the lookout for a great photo of Rufus in lederhosen from the 2007/8 Release The Stars Tour. If you took a great live photo of Rufus performing in his lederhosen outfit, please email it to: releasethestars2@gmail.com . Weblinks are preferred but JPG and TIF files are also OK.

A Not So Silent Night 2009

We're happy to announce information on this year's holiday show...

"A Not So Silent Night" featuring
Rufus Wainwright, Martha Wainwright, Kate McGarrigle, Family & Friends

This special show will take place at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England on Wednesday, December 9th. Click HERE to purchase tickets.

Shakespeare Sonnets in Berlin

Rufus' collaboration with Robert Wilson on Shakespeare Sonnets will premiere this Sunday, April 12th in Berlin at the Berliner Ensemble. Click HERE for more details.

Rufus to perform at Osheaga

Rufus will be performing at the Osheaga Festival Musique Et Arts on August 2nd in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Other featured artists performing include Coldplay, Jason Mraz, The Roots, Beastie Boys, The Decemberists, Elbow, and many others...

Tickets are available for purchase starting at noon tomorrow (April 3rd). Click HERE for more info.

Prima Donna at Luminato

In addition to Prima Donna premiering at the Manchester International Festival this July, Rufus' first opera will have its North American premiere at Luminato (Toronto Festival of Arts and Creativity) in June of 2010. More details to follow.

Prima Donna in The Independent

Click HERE to read a nice article in The Independent on Rufus and his first opera, Prima Donna. Here's an excerpt of the article below.

Wainwright's first opera to get world premiere in UK

By Jonathan Brown and Arifa Akbar
Friday, 20 March 2009

An opera by the singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright is to have its world debut in Manchester after being turned down by the New York Met. The Canadian's first foray into the world of opera, Prima Donna, was commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera in New York, but was not performed after Wainwright refused to change the libretto from French to English.

Instead it will be performed at the second Manchester International Festival as one of its highlights, alongside a collaboration between the Mercury Prize winners Elbow and the Hallé Orchestra, and the first-ever full-length concert featuring Lou Reed and his new wife, Laurie Anderson.

Wainwright has spent the past year writing and orchestrating the piece, which will be performed in two acts at Manchester's Palace Theatre, which is set to be the new northern home of the Royal Opera House.

It tells the story of a faded operatic soprano about to return to the stage after a six-year lay-off. Speaking at the launch yesterday, Wainwright said he hoped to reach new audiences with the work. "Opera seems to have been hijacked by intellectual elements," he said. "For a long time I wanted to make it a little less intellectual and have more emotional engagement. You have to remember it was a populous form, like the bandstand of its time."

He said of the Met's decision to pull out: "When I started writing the opera it was in French and it takes place in Paris. It made sense – I was brought up in Montreal and I can speak French. The music started to reflect the language. But the Met wanted to commission an American work."

Rufus' Five Shakespeare Sonnets in SF

The world premiere of Rufus Wainwright's performance of Five Shakespeare Sonnets will take place April, 2010 with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. Former San Francisco Symphony Resident Conductor Edwin Outwater will be leading the orchestra.

Subscription series tickets for the San Francisco Symphony’s 2009-10 season is already on sale to renewing subscribers and the general public. Ticket information is available through the San
Francisco Symphony Web site at www.sfsymphony.org, through the SFS Ticket Services Office at 415-864-6000, and at the box office at Davies Symphony Hall. 

Note from Rufus

Hey all:

 Back in town to ride out the rest of this utterly un-global warming winter. Wow, was secretly expecting a few sunning sessions in the park in January, not the "no wearing metal earrings due to the cold" warnings I witnessed in Germany. Ah well, I guess all this environmental crap isn't really happening! So good day and good luck, see you on the slopes. No, no, no, of course we all know that the term "global warming" is a bit of a misnomer and that in fact the whole situation is more about extremes of weather, saving wildlife, and a huge island of plastic bottles that has developed up in the Arctic. But for kicks, and to momentarily appease the nay-sayers, let's assume that all will go swimmingly well down the line in a nice pleasant backstroke kind of way and that no drastic measures are needed. In this case, I propose that Blackoutsabbath is STILL a vital force in the evolution of man and womankind! Blackoutsabbath is really more about rehabilitating the lost art of simple daily labor and all the benefits that are incurred to heal a crowded mind. Face it! Too much importance is placed on theories and concepts which have nothing to do with our daily lives, but to really think, or more importantly, to act on a very simple concept, the concept of conservation, I believe clears up a lot of muck in terms of what one should and shouldn't do in life. To me, it boils down to the  idea of just making a list and checking off that which you have done, thinking about how you can do more, and taking your time in the matter. It's as simple as that. Let me run through my Blackoutsabbath list with you and show you what I have and haven't done this year:

1. DRYING CLOTHES ON A LINE:

This I have totaly switched to! I LOVE drying my clothes this way. Feels like I'm in an Italian movie and Marcello Mastrianni is my cheating husband.

2. CHANGE LIGHTBULBS

OK, I've bought all the ones I need and have changed about 5 lights in my house. Took some time to get the right brightness without my bathroom looking like an interrogation chamber, but I finaly got it. Should take an afternoon to do the rest! Have till the morning of the 20th of June!

3. LESS CABS

Hard to do living in NYC. I could really work more on this. Last night, after an amazing Antony and the Johnsons show, it was frightfully cold and running around for a cab was impossible, so I took the subway: it was great!!!! I forgot how romantic (and safe!) the subway is at night after a show. Makes you reflect on the world relating to what you just witnessed on stage. This is a good place to start: NO TAXIS AFTER SHOWS, ONLY SUBWAYS!!!! See, I'm learning along the way too.

4. BUY FOOD LOCALLY

Once again, a trouble spot. It's impossible in restaurants to know where the food is from and frankly with the cost of food being so high, it seems sometimes ridiculous to spend so much on lettuce. My original idea, which I still have to look into before the 20th, is to contact a farm in New York State that can somehow deliver produce. Will do! Who knows, maybe Jorn and I will meet some cute farm boys and order a lot of cucumbers!

5. ECO FRIENDLY SOAPS:

Done in terms of house cleaning stuff. Body stuff a little harder: it's Jorn's fault, he's got a thing for Kiehl's

6. GET POWER BARS (OR STRIPS) FOR PLUGS:

Now, I've heard and am assuming that doing this cuts down on energy use. Am I right or wrong? Need to find out first if this is worth it. Any advice is welcome. See, even I don't know everything!!!!

7. REALLY RECYCLE:

OK, this is a baddy. I try, very leisurely, to recycle. This I believe is a spot where it's just going to take some good old fashioned discipline to accomplish. Maybe since I totally completed the "clothes drying" thing and it was at the top of my list, this year recycling will take that coveted position and that will somehow help. Whatever it takes!!!!

8. USE OWN BAG TO SHOP:

I was really doing good at this for a while and then it kinda fell by the wayside. Definitley have to strike it back up. I think one of the answers is to find a truly elegant man-purse that I absolutely cannot leave the house without. With shopping as a way of enabling this point, I'm pretty sure it's gonna get done. I also think one has to perhaps suffer through it a bit as well, you know: carry a quart of (soy) milk, 3 apples and a pound of coffee (in its own bag of course) home and face the ridicule of the masses.  

9. GIVE MONEY TO ECO CAUSE:

This is easy enough to figure out and do.

10. DRINK TAP WATER:

I've been pretty diligent on this front, but recently on a trip to LA I hung out with my friend and co-librettist Bernadette Colomine who actualy carries around a thermos all day with water in it. Definitely going on next Blackoutsabbath list!!!! I mean if people can do it with a flask of booze, water should work too? I suppose there's a slight difference, maybe I'll put the water in a flask so people think I'm a cool drunk, when in fact I'm actualy just cool! (As in hydrated)  

11. MAKE SURE TIRE PRESSURE IS GOOD ON CAR:

Now that Obama is President, you have to do what he says. If he jumps off the Empire State Building the entire nation must do it (imagine the line!). No, that's not true, but still, I thought his comments about checking one's tire pressure and the subsequent "frat boy" attack they received by macho Republicans was a pretty good indication of the new versus the old way of thinking. Think of your tires as if they are your butt cheeks, tight and taut or saggy and slack? You make the choice. Oh yes, and by the way... I haven't yet BUTT WILL before the 20th of June.

12. READ A BOOK ABOUT ENVIRONMENTALISM:

Presently I'm reading "Bleak House" by Dickens basically because I've never read anything by Dickens. Dickens: totally overwrought silly sentimentality mixed with absolutely brilliant character studies. You really have to read it and imagine all the virtuous maidens as camp drag queens and the young pure boys as Monty Python sketches, then it gets really good. Other issue is that I've read over 300 pages and I'm not even halfway done! But I promise that once I have, there's a book called "The Lazy Environmentalist" (which obviously I am) which I will read and finish before June 20th. And you know what? I'm going to keep the reading a book thing on my list for next time so I read another book. SO THERE!!!!


All right, so basically I haven't done that well yet, but that's all part of the process and frankly, I consider the awareness show at City Winery the starting point of really focusing on the list. So, take heart: I'm just or maybe even more lame then you are, but together, all of us, we will be able to screw in that lightbulb!   


 Love Rufus. X

Steps For Blackoutsabbath

Steps to take:

    1. Log onto the Blackout Sabbath site and check out the proposal and links.

    2. Go to the unamplified candle lit concert on March 4th featuring me and my family and many others such as Sean Lennon, Teddy Thompson, Jenni Muldaur, Sloan Wainwright, Lucy Wainwright Roche and other special guests! at the City Winery.

    3. Make plans for what you will do on the day of Blackout Sabbath (June 20th), i.e. what you will cook ahead of time, who you will spend it with, etc.

    4. On June 20, 2009 starting at 12 noon, turn off the lights, unplug your fridge, walk or bike everywhere, do as much as you can to "live off the grid" for the day. But still, even if you just turn off one light, that will be an effort and a contribution.

    5. As darkness descends: light your candle, take out your pencil and pad and write down your list of things that you will do in the next year to contribute to the earth's well-being.

    6. Put the list on your fridge with a magnet and keep it there for a year.

    7. At midnight, resume your life and try and keep your promises.

    8. This exercise will be repeated the next year, at which point you can review your list and make a NEW one!

Sean Lennon confirmed to perform Blackoutsabbath

We're happy to announce that Sean Lennon will performing as a special guest at this year's Blackoutsabbath performance at the City Winery (NYC) on March 4th!

Blackoutsabbath 2009!

One of the most important voices of the last decade, Rufus Wainwright is spearheading a grassroots energy conservation initiative to help save the planet and its environment. Wainwright is suggesting that people turn off all electricity and refrain from all energy expending activities that could harm the environment for twelve hours on June 20, 2009 (noon to midnight). He’s dubbed the no energy day, Blackoutsabbath.

To raise awareness for Blackoutsabbath, a concert billed as Rufus Wainwright, Family and Friends will take place on March 4th at City Winery on Varick St. in New York City. The show will be staged and performed completely without electricity. Scheduled to appeared to appear with Wainwright for this second annual event will be Teddy Thompson, Jenni Muldaur, Lucy Wainwright Roche and Sloan Wainwright with others to be announced.

Blackoutsabbath was partially inspired by Rufus’ love of New York’s blackout of 2003 which Wainwright says he found, “incredibly invigorating, spiritual and practical at the same time: we all had to pay attention to each other!”  He also feels action must be taken. “Basically, all the money in the world can’t really solve this problem. In fact, I think it only makes things worse. It has to be a grassroots movement!”

Tickets for the March 4th concert will be available starting Tuesday, February 10th at 10am EST on www.citywinery.com/events . For more information on Blackoutsabbath, please go to blackoutsabbath.org .

"Hallelujah" to be released digitally on iTunes and Amazon

Rufus' profoundly touching cover of the Leonard Cohen song, "Hallelujah" will soon be available as a single digital download through iTunes and Amazon.com for the first time ever. It will be released on Tuesday, January 27th in the US. Check back soon for a direct link to the downloads.