Gary Halvorson Movies

New York's legendary Metropolitan Opera mounted this elaborate production of Georges Bizet's Carmen, with a production by Richard Eyre, and a cast that includes Elina Garanca in the title role, Roberto Alagna as Don José, Barbara Frittoli as Micaëla, and Teddy Tahu Rhodes as Escamillo. Rob Howell designed the sets and costumes; Christopher Wheeldon did the choreography. The production features accompaniment by the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Chorus, and Ballet, with Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducting and Donald Palumbo serving as chorus master. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

Acclaimed director Franco Zeffirelli (Otello) mounted and designed the sets for this 2009 stage production of Giacomo Puccini's 1926 opera Turandot, with a cast that includes Maria Guleghina in the title role, Marina Poplavskaya as Liù, Marcello Giordani as Calaf and Samuel Ramey as Timur. The Metropolitan Opera, Orchestra, Chorus and Ballet lend accompaniment, with Donald Palumbo serving as chorus master and Andris Nelsons conducting. Gary Halvorson directs for the stage and Chiang Ching created the choreography. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

Two operatic icons - diva Renée Fleming and divo Thomas Hampson - headline this 2009 Metropolitan Opera production of Jules Massenet's 1894 Thaïs, a romantic tragedy set in fourth-century Alexandria, Egypt. The opera dramatizes the struggle between the spirit and the flesh of the monk Athanaël (Hampson), and the spiritual redemption of the courtesan Thaïs (Fleming). This particular production also stars Michael Schade as Nicias, Alain Vernhes as Palémon, and Alyson Cambridge as Crobyle. The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Chorus and Ballet lend added accompaniment on the stage with Jesús López-Cobos conducting and Donald Palumbo serving as chorus master ; Sara Jo Slate choreographed; and Gary Halvorson directs for the stage. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

New York's legendary Metropolitan Opera hosted this 2009 rendition of Gioachino Rossini's 1817 dramma giocoso La Cenerentola, known in English as Cinderella and originally adapted from the folk tale of the same name. Rossini used as a basis Charles Perrault's 17th century French-language folk tale, arguably the most popular version at the time of the opera's premiere. Cesare Lievi mounted this particular production; it stars mezzo-soprano El?na Garan?a in the title role, Lawrence Brownlee as Don Ramiro, Simone Alberghini as Dandini and Alessandro Corbelli as Don Magnifico. Maurizio Balò designed the sets, Daniela Schiavone choreographs and Sharon Thomas directs for the stage. The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus provide musical accompaniment. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

As hosted and narrated by classical music scholar Michael Tilson Thomas, this program travels inside the life and work of early 20th Century American Modernist composer Charles Ives (1874-1954). Thomas unveils a grand paradox at the core of Ives's life: the fact that, although he nominally celebrated the idea of "surviving the assault of one's own success" and "going it alone," these were principles that Ives never really lived out: he made a steady living from insurance and never relied exclusively or even predominantly on his musical income. The program then uses Ives's Holidays Symphony (performed here by the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra) as the basis for a musical journey across New England in spring, summer, fall and winter. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

Giuseppe Verdi's 1871 opera Aida receives an interpretation by the Metropolitan Opera in this production from 2009. As directed for the stage by Gary Halvorson, and executive produced by Peter Gelb, it stars Roberto Scandiuzzi as Famfis, Johan Botha as Radamès, Dolora Zajick as Amneris and Violeta Urmana in the title role. The Metropolitan Opera, Orchestra, Chorus and Ballet lend accompaniment, with Donald Palumbo serving as chorus master and Daniele Gatti conducting. Gianni Quaranta designed the sets, Dada Saligeri created the costumes, and Alexei Ratmansky choreographed. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

The Metropolitan Opera mounted this 2005 production of John Adams's groundbreaking, controversial opera Doctor Atomic, which explores the stress and anxiety experienced by workers at Los Alamos in the days leading up to the first Atomic Bomb test. This particular interpretation utilizes a libretto by Peter Sellars, with a cast that includes Richard Paul Fink as Edward Teller, Gerald Finley as J. Robert Oppenheimer, Thomas Glenn as Robert Wilson and Roger Honeywell as Captain James Nolan. The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Chorus and Ballet lends musical accompaniment under the baton of Alan Gilbert, with Donald Palumbo serving as chorus master. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

This classical gala concert, filmed at New York's famed Carnegie Hall on opening night, 2008, finds an all-star ensemble paying homage to the eminent composer-conductor-pianist Leonard Bernstein, with a line up of Bernstein's best-known compositions including "What a Movie" from Trouble in Tahiti, "The Symphonic Dances," and "Gee, Officer Krupke" from West Side Story, and "Danzón" from Fancy Free. Participating musicians include vocalists Christine Ebersole (Mac & Me), Dawn Upshaw and Thomas Hampson; cellist Yo-Yo Ma; and the San Francisco Symphony. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

Hosted by Michael Tilson Thomas, Keeping Score: Copland and the American Sound documents the life of the celebrated American composer Aaron Copland, showcasing how his life affected his unique style that fused classic and modern sounds. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

Imagine The Honeymooners with four-letter words and All in the Family with full-frontal nudity, and you'll have a pretty good idea of what to expect with the half-hour HBO sitcom Lucky Louie. Debuting June 11, 2006, the series was created by Emmy-winning comedy writer Louis C.K., the man responsible for the cult-movie favorite Pootie Tang. The creator also played the leading role of Louie, a blue-collar oaf who held down a part-time job as a muffler-shop mechanic while his wife, Kim (Pamela S. Adlon), a full-time nurse, provided most of the family's income. Louie spent much of his time in his dingy little apartment, looking after his ill-mannered daughter, Lucy (Kelly Gould), and matching half-wits with his various friends and neighbors. These included his fully employed friend (and boss) Mike (Mike Hagerty) and Mike's wife, Tina (Laura Kightlinger), who doled out sex to her husband on a strictly conditional basis; his African-American neighbors Walter (Jerry Minor) and Ellen (Kim Hawthorne), who had their hands full caring for their own daughter, Lisa; Kim's rudderless brother, Jerry (Rick Shapiro), who was unemployed and often imposed on Kim and Louie for everything from food to the use of their shower; and Louie's pal Rich (Jim Norton), who still lived with his mom and supported himself with a variety of illegal business ventures. The series was greeted with uniformly devastating reviews, with most critics harping on its stereotypical treatment of working-class families and its overbearing obsession with sex and sex-talk (the first episode found Louie masturbating to a picture of Jessica Simpson -- imagine Ralph Kramden doing that). For diehard HBO fans, the series' surprise element was not its surfeit of nudity and profanity but the fact that Lucky Louie was the network's first sitcom to be filmed with multiple cameras in front of a live audience. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Upon discovering that she can now legally change her name to anything she likes, new bride Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) assumes the identity of "Princess Consuela Bananahammock," much to the bemusement of her husband, "Crap Bag" -- er, Mike (Paul Rudd). Elsewhere, a morose Joey (Matt LeBlanc) turns to an unlikely source for comfort as he prepares to bid farewell to Monica (Courteney Cox) and Chandler (Matthew Perry). And while Ross (David Schwimmer) gets good news at his job, Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) gets bad news at hers...at least until she runs in to an old flame who makes an extremely tantalizing offer. ~ Rovi