Opening the season with a true musical treat to benefit the newly renovated, freshly invigorated Wilton Playshop, ?The Last Five Years,? with book, music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown, is a clever, touching, totally contemporary look at love?s brightest and darkest moments.

After lying dormant for most of the summer, the Classical Music Agenda stirs to life in the first week of September, as news of upcoming concerts filters into the mailbox. Washington offers an extraordinary number of free concerts most weeks, so we will start there. THE FREE KIND: You read earlier this week about the free simulcast of the opening night of Washington National Opera 's ...

When Music Was News to Me Stephen Kessler on KUSP's all-business decision to ditch midday music. N?z: Santa Cruz County News Briefs Town greenies unite against Santa Cruz parking garage plan, beleaguered Pajaro Valley water agency forestalls county meddling, Planet Cruz strikes back against East Coast chauvinism and a Santa Cruz delegate for Hillary discusses the vibe in Denver.

A new era in the cultural history of Dallas begins this week. Jaap van Zweden conducts his first local concerts as music director of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra: a big-ticket gala Wednesday evening, at which he'll also play the violin, and four concerts Thursday through Sept. 14.

Hi, Leonard! Welcome back, Margaret! Happy birthday, Ellen! While there's no dominant theme encapsulating metro Detroit's classical music scene for 2008-09, greetings and salutations are due on several fronts.