(Credit: Carli Kadel) I have learned that — outside the cultural mecca of Manhattan, in summer — amazing operatic performances can be found in what might be regarded as unlikely places. And my recent weekend in upstate New York confirmed that once again. I first experienced this with the new production at Glimmerglass of Verdi’s mid-career masterpiece, “La Traviata.” Revisiting {…}
There are four operas that rarely get performances in North America, making them all the more essential viewing for the weekend. Here are our top five operas to see this weekend (in alphabetical order by company). Billy Budd – Central City Opera Britten’s masterwork kicks off on Saturday with a production conducted by John Baril and directed by Ken Cazan. {…}
Festival season is in full swing and this weekend’s major offerings come from some of the most exciting summer festivals in North America. Here are our top five offerings (in alphabetical order by company). Madama Butterfly – Central City Opera The famed Puccini masterpiece opens on Saturday with Raquel González, Annie Rosen, Cody Austin, Troy Cook, and Joseph Gaines. Adam {…}
The Glimmerglass Festival has announced its 2020 festival featuring four mainstage works and two brand new ones. The Festival will also welcome Isabel Leonard and William Burden as Artists in Residence for the 2020 season. The 2020 Festival opens with Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “The Sound of Music” in a new production directed by Francesca Zambello with associate director and choreographer Eric {…}
It’s an interesting question: should opera companies stage musicals? On one hand — especially for US opera companies and festivals — you can argue that it is a uniquely American art from, this descendant of operetta that entertains audiences all the way from Broadway and the West End, to Sydney and Shanghai. And, you might also argue that it is music, {…}
The World Cup Final will take place on Sunday, which is likely to captivate a major part of the world’s attention. But for those who would prefer a night at the opera, there are plenty of offerings. You might recognize a few company names if you’ve been following steadily these past few weeks. The offerings remain excellent as ever. Without {…}
It’s a busy weekend filled with a plethora of amazing choices for opera audiences around North America. The selections feature a wide-range of repertoire, from newer operas to classic repertory gems. Here are our top five for the weekend, in alphabetical order by company. The Magic Flute – Central City Opera The CCO opens its summer season with Mozart’s famed {…}
The Glimmerglass Festival has announced its 2019 season. Mainstage The festival will open with Hammerstein’s “Show Boat,” directed by Francesca Zambello and E. Loren Meeker and conducted by James Lowe. Eric Sean Fogel will be the choreographer to the musical and the production will be sponsored by Beth and Gary Glynn. Next on the lineup will be “La Traviata” directed {…}
The 2017-18 season comes to an end. Now what do you do? Or more like where do you go? Opera lovers know that there are a plethora of festivals to check out, but many are distant from their own traditional opera companies and it can turn into a challenge trying to figure out where to fly out to in the {…}
If you read last weekend’s preview, this week’s might look awfully familiar. The reality? A lot of the same companies are going strong and showcasing the same repertoire. But before we dive into those, let’s look at the new addition of the weekend, Seagle Music Colony’s production of “My Fair Lady,” which will play on Friday throughout the day. The Bard {…}
It will be another busy weekend in the US on the opera front. The Glimmerglass Festival continues its run of performances with “Oklahoma!” on Friday, “Xerxes” and “The Siege of Calais” on Saturday, and “Porgy and Bess” and “Scalia / Ginsberg” closing out the weekend on Sunday. There will also be a showcase of “Robin Hood” on Friday. Over at {…}