Elizabeth – Sunday night I attended my first Richard Tucker Foundation Gala, but first we got warmed up with drinks at the Empire Hotel with about 30 students, donors and fans of a certain baritone. We arrived at Lincoln Center with our entourage and watched opera fans greeting one another and meeting favorite singers. Of course,… [Read More]
Man and Woman Meld Musically: The Premiere of As One at BAM
In BAM’s Fisher Space the moving new opera As One had its world premiere. Composed by Laura Kaminsky with Mark Campbell and Kimberly Reed as co-librettists, As One tells the story of transgender Hannah from her childhood up through adulthood when she transitions to living as a woman. I entered the Fisher Space with… [Read More]
The Passenger at the Park Avenue Armory
Elizabeth – Houston Grand Opera brought composer Mieczyslaw Weinberg’s and librettist Alexander Medvedev’s The Passenger to the Park Avenue Armory. Wow what a tremendous space to hold this opera. The space alone lends gravitas, and the acoustics really worked for the opera. The percussion at the opening of the opera sounds like gunfire; it echoes ominously… [Read More]
Waxen Smiley People Holding Hands: Rameau’s Pygmalion at Madame Tussauds.
Elizabeth – I grew up here in New York City, but I’ve never been to Madame Tussauds as I absolutely hate Times Square, tourist mecca of the world. Plus I find wax figures kind of creepy. But curiosity overcame my hatred of Times Square for an evening when On Site Opera invited us to check out… [Read More]
2013-14 Season Recap
After a New York City opera Season of big breasted bankruptcies, last second cast changes, Super Bowl singing mermaids, unexpected career making performances and all things colorful and gay here is a recap of our favorites and not so favorites from the 2013-14 season. Elizabeth- This past season there were many terrific opera performances, but two… [Read More]
Looming Strikes and Sterling Tenors: La Cenerentola at the Metropolitan Opera
Elizabeth – The Premiere of La Cenerentola last night was spectacular. Not for the high end fashion (I didn’t see much of that), nor the celebrity crowd (although I’m sure there were some), but solely because of Javier Camarena and Joyce DiDonato. Monday night was the first that I experienced the pure joy of opera, complete… [Read More]
Sorta, Quasi, Pseudo, Meta-Theatre and Cartwheeling Sopranos: La Sonnambula at the Metropolitan Opera
Elizabeth – The Met’s revival of Bellini’s La Sonnambula has great choreography, brilliant singers and neat scenery, but the staging and some of Mary Zimmerman’s production didn’t make sense to me. The problem started with the italicized note before the synopsis in the program. We are told that the Met’s production is set in a contemporary… [Read More]
Baroque Maelstroms, Bearded Gods and Smart Phone Battles: The Enchanted Island at the Metropolitan Opera
Elizabeth – Jeremy Sams’ Enchanted Island is a pastiche opera, taking storylines from two Shakerspeare plays, mixing them, along with various baroque music to form one new storyline and opera. I thought it was a fun new take on opera, but apparently this is actually a throwback to the early days of opera. Apparently back in… [Read More]
A Different Kind of Demon Barber: Sweeney Todd at Avery Fisher Hall
Elizabeth – As I looked around Avery Fisher before Sweeney Todd started, I was a bit irritated about having paid $220 for a ticket. Growing up, Avery Fisher is where my parents took us for Mostly Mozart festival performances and other classical music concerts. It was “safe” for kids in that (at least at the time)… [Read More]
Mental Illness, Murder and Bronchitis: Wozzeck at the Metropolitan Opera
Elizabeth – In the premiere of Wozzeck Thursday evening, Matthias Goerne stepped in for Thomas Hampson in the titular role. Initially I was disappointed to hear the news as I adore Hampson and was looking forward to hearing him in this new role. But Hampson’s loss was the Met’s gain as the German stepped in… [Read More]
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