Acknowledgments xiii Prologue: A Soaring Moment xvii 1 Transylvania Revisited 1 2 Growing Up in Timișoara 11 3 Israel 25 4 There Would Be Music 35 5 The New World Awaits 41 6 A Life-Altering Encounter 51 7 The Birth of Living Arts 63 8 So Much Depends Upon . . . 71 9 A Segovia Reprise 83 10 The Spoleto Years 93 11 Cross-Cultural Challenges: Swan Lake to A Chorus Line 111 12 The Mafia Reigns 131 13 Liza 139 14 Tamara, A Playful Scherzo 145 15 Porgy and Me 153 16 Black and White 165 17 Building Bridges 177 18 Harmony in Israel 189 19 Reflections 193 Notes 209 Bibliography 215 Index 217 About the Authors 227
Besides being a master impresario himself, whose extraordinary vision of "bridging differences among cultures through the shared passion of music and dance" has embraced audiences the world over, Peter is a wonderful storyteller. The reader is swept away by an intriguing journey of producing theater, from the seeds of the artistic inspiration to the excitement of opening night. Other than the trials and tribulations of show biz, the book is an adventure keenly woven into the backdrop of the social, cultural, and political climate of our times. Bravo, Maestro! A toast to The Last Impresario! Chin - chin Keith Ferrone Artistic Director Florence Dance Festival "The stars were aligned: the US had successfully used the performing arts as soft currency on the world stage. In the 1970s, Peter Klein, a recent immigrant residing in New York, captured this new fascination with cutting-edge US performing arts in Italy and then around the world. The backstage theatrics of these efforts in managing the international cultural, social, and political challenges of prestigious performing art companies during Peter's forty-five-plus-year career are fascinating." JONI CHERBO, PhD "Peter Klein's memoir is a page-turner in every sense-starting with Peter's extensive travels with preeminent guitarist Andrés Segovia, and continuing with fascinating stories from his years presenting artists such as Liza Minnelli, Arthur Mitchell, and Mikhail Baryshnikov. Above all, Peter chronicles the hard work, drama, and never-ending surprises of his two decades touring George Gershwin's masterpiece Porgy and Bess worldwide-from China to Israel, from Trinidad to Australia, and beyond." MICHAEL LORIMER, CLASSICAL GUITARIST "Peter Klein is a storyteller. He begins with the 'menacing oppression,' as he puts it, of Communist Romania, where he grew up. He was twenty-three when he found his calling in New York as a cultural ambassador for the arts, which, he learned, could break through barriers and borders. There are big names and adventures in his telling-the time he had to rush Andrés Segovia's spectacles to the White House for a performance, or tangled with the mob in Sorrento, or came up against the racism of theatrical unions when he toured Porgy and Bess. In the end, this is a tale of a life's passion, along with the determination and imagination it takes to create the situations in which artists and audiences can thrive." AMEI WALLACH
Peter Klein has been active in the performing arts for more than 40 years. He was among the first to export American dance, orchestrating American Ballet Theatre's first Italian engagement and working with icons ranging from Andrés Segovia to Martha Graham. He was also a pioneer in introducing American musicals to international audiences, serving as the force behind the first-ever non-State Department-run touring productions such as West Side Story and A Chorus Line. His groundbreaking production of George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess has been touring the globe since 1992. He resides in New York City and Toscana with his wife.Wikipedia: Peter Klein Impresario
