Happy New Year! This is a time of excitement, introspection, and probably a dose of anxiety as we all figure out how we might want to live this next chapter in our lives. There are so many directions our lives can take at a given moment with our priorities constantly shifting. So here’s an opera quiz where you can see {…}
The Seattle Opera is the first major opera company to announce its 2019-20 season, which will feature five operas and a special concert. Productions Verdi’s “Rigoletto” will open the season in August with a cast that features Lester Lynch and Giuseppe Altomare in the title role. Madison Leonard and Soraya Mafi take on Gilda while tenors Yongzhao Yu and Liparit {…}
Tosca. Mimí. Rodolfo and his bohemian friends. Musetta. Suor Angelica. Manon Lescaut. Gianni Schicchi. Turandot. Cio-Cio San. The list goes on and on when it comes to Puccini’s iconic characters. Each and everyone is crucial to the composer’s output and the way that he gives them each unique voices are a part of the reason for his transcendence. In honor {…}
Giacomo Puccini lived during the age of Verismo, but he couldn’t easily be pinned down to said opera genre. In fact, much like Verdi before him, he was far greater because he defies categorization. Puccini’s works strive for the same exoticism that we find in composers that preceded him and like Verdi’s forays into “Ancient Egypt” or Rossini’s into Algiers {…}
Puccini is undeniably one of those names that will forever be linked with opera. Born on Dec. 22, 1858 (his full name was Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini) in Lucca, Italy, he was set to occupy the position of maestro di cappella after his father’s death. However, he was only six-years-old and unable to occupy the position his {…}
POP, the acronym for Los Angeles’ youthful Pacific Opera Project has a number of meanings. It can stand for Pop-up Theater (Pacific Opera Project’s productions can take place in a variety of venues and even at short notice). It can also mean “popular” (POP makes opera accessible for audiences whose principle interest might simply be an affordable night out). Over {…}
The Amore Opera has announced its 2018-19 season celebrating its 10th anniversary. This year the company will perform six productions that include opera classics, neglected gems of the repertoire, appealing children’s fare, and ever-popular Gilbert & Sullivan. Here is a look at what the season has to offer. Productions The season opens with Puccini’s “La Bohème” in a production co-directed {…}
Puccini’s “La Bohème” was revived on Thursday, Nov. 29 with a cast of predominantly American stars in Franco Zeffirelli’s iconic production. There isn’t much to remark about the production that hasn’t already said, though it must be noted that the singers, in conjunction with revival stage director J. Knighten Smit did seem to attempt some new staging at different junctures {…}
Audiences around the globe will get a chance to check out Franco Zeffirelli’s iconic production of “La Bohème,” live from the Vienna State Opera on Thursday, Nov. 29, 2018, as part of the company’s live streaming service. The famed production will feature Benjamin Bernheim as Rodolfo, Marina Rebeka as Mimì, Clemens Unterreiner as Marcello, and Mariam Battistelli as Musetta. Bernheim {…}
Soprano Elizabeth Caballero has announced that she will be appearing in Puccini’s “La Bohème” on Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018. She will be stepping in for soprano Adrienn Miksch, who was originally billed to sing. “Yup, it’s been an exciting morning today. Last time I sang Mimì it was on the Met stage. All kinds of feels are rolling in my {…}
The Lyric Opera of Chicago has added performances of Puccini’s “La Bohème.” The two performances will take place on Tuesday, Jan. 29 and Jan. 31, 2019 to make up for the canceled shows from last week when the company had experienced a strike from the members of the orchestra. Per a press release, casting will be announced at a later {…}