Jonas Kaufman, Reverse Scalpers, Onstage Protests and Inside Views: Our Most Popular Posts of the Year

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From Jonas Kaufman’s adventures with the Reverse Scalpers to the protests and madness of the Met’s snow day make-up premiere of Iolanta and Bluebeard’s Castle to our handy dandy Met Online Rush Ticket Walkthrough to a spy in the loving house of the International Opera Awards here are our top four most viewed posts of… [Read More]

Wild Audiences, Roses and Spectacle: Il Trovatore and Turandot at the Metropolitan Opera

The Met’s opera season has commenced and while we have seen several performances already, we have not yet posted our thoughts due to cat chemotherapy appointments and our own personal illnesses.  Finally, however, we are back with our reflections on the opening week at the Met. Elizabeth – Turandot was our opening night at the Met… [Read More]

Protests Offstage and On: Iolanta and Bluebeard’s Castle at the Metropolitan Opera

Elizabeth – Protesters and police once again greeted us at the Met, though for Thursday’s premiere of Iolanta and Bluebeard’s Castle the protesters were much smaller in number than this fall’s Klinghoffer protest. The anti-Putin protesters did have great art, though, and a long list of grievances for Russian conductor Valery Gergiev and Russian soprano Anna… [Read More]

Cancellations and Opera Cosplay: The Richard Tucker Foundation Gala 2014

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]

Scorned Love Letters and Snowy Duels: Eugene Onegin at the Metropolitan Opera

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Elizabeth – Before seeing Eugene Onegin I did not read the libretto nor a synopsis.  Normally I do, but a conductor friend suggested that I avoid the libretto or any analysis of operas new to me.  As he put it, there is only one time in my life that this opera will be completely new to… [Read More]

Metropolitan Opera Season Preview 2013-14 (Special All Girl’s Edition)

I recently thought to myself, who needs yet another overly cerebral, highly jaded heterosexual drag queen like me blathering about the upcoming Metropolitan Opera season on the internet?  So I thought we’d let the my future wife and her soon to be mother-in-law have a go solo. Elizabeth –  Ticket exchange for Met subscriptions began… [Read More]

A Catholic School Girl’s Musings on Parsifal at the Metropolitan Opera

We were particularly excited to see Parsifal this past week at the Met—as both Jonas Kaufmann and Rene Pape are in it and the production was getting rave reviews.  And the Met’s Parsifal did not disappoint.  This was my first time seeing Parsifal and Shawn’s first time seeing any Wagner opera and so we went… [Read More]

The Martina Arroyo Foundation Gala 2012

This week we were guests of Martina Arroyo at The Martina Arroyo Foundation Gala held at the lovely 583 Park Avenue.  583 is so lovely in fact, we’re considering having our wedding reception there.  The mission of The Martina Arroyo Foundation is to prepare and counsel young singers in the interpretation of complete operatic roles… [Read More]