The Teatro Real opened the 2020-21 season with Verdi’s masterpiece, “Un Ballo in Maschera.” Only the second opera performed at the theatre since the global lockdown due to the pandemic, it marks a hopeful beginning for the company’s season. As the regulations have changed, the production—complete with full sets and dancers—had to be adjusted. Dancers wore protective masks because they {…}
“Crescendo!,” a short documentary about the Michael Fabiano is set to world premiere at DOC NYC. The documentary tells the story of Fabiano as he faces concerns about living openly as a gay man within the traditionally conservative culture of his field. The documentary was directed by Alex Mallis and produced by Perri Peltz. In a statement, Fabiano noted, “It’s {…}
(Credits: Chris Singer / Jiyang Chen) The Teatro di San Carlo in Napoli has announced a full cast for the concert performance of Puccini and Adami’s opera “La Rondine” set for Oct. 16-18, 2020. The opera will star Ailyn Pérez in the role of Magda, Ruth Iniesta as Lisette, Michael Fabiano in the role of Ruggero, Marco Ciaponi as Prunier, {…}
On Sept. 18, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg died at the age of 87. Ginsburg was known as a fearless leader who fought for gender equality and women’s rights and served on the Sumpreme Court for 27 years. She was also a lover of opera and frequently attended performances. She even made her operatic debut in 2016 in a {…}
(Credits: Michael Cooper / Lourdes Balduque / The Israeli Opera official website / Silvia Beltrami – Mezzosoprano Facebook Page) Russian soprano Tatiana Serjan has cancelled performances as Amelia in Verdi’s “Un Ballo in Maschera” at the Teatro Real. Per the official statement on the company’s website, the Russian soprano has withdrawn from the production due to illness. Sondra Radvanovsky, Saioa {…}
As Europe shifts into full-on live performance mode, you will notice that many of the streams on offer tend to shift toward U.S.-based companies. Of course, many of those performances on offer are quite exciting and we are going to be continually bringing them the attention they deserve. And speaking of continuing to bring attention to truly deserved streams, we {…}
This week there will be a mix of live streams with older performances also shown on various streaming platforms. And just a reminder to not forget to check out important discussions taking place regarding issues of race and equality in opera. We continue to recommend checking out several online shows such as Karen Slack’s “KikiKonversations,” Kenneth Overton’s “Black Opera Live,” “The {…}
(Credit: Javier del Real) The Teatro Real is scheduled to present a live worldwide broadcast of Verdi’s “La Traviata.” The broadcast, which will be in co-production with TVE, MOVISTAR, and the Teatro Real, will be held on July 15 and will star Marina Rebeka, Michael Fabiano, and Artur Rucinski. Nicola Luisotti conducts the Teatro Real’s Chorus and Orchestra. The broadcast {…}
(Credit: Javier del Real) (This review is for the performance on July 4, 2020) After 90 days of closure, the Teatro Real de Madrid reopened on July 1 with a semi-staged production of “La Traviata.” With the theater at half capacity due to the social distancing protocols instituted, the atmosphere on opening night was enthusiastic and hopeful. The Teatro Real {…}
(Credit: Tristram Kenton) The Royal Opera House has announced that it will stream its production of Gounod’s “Faust” on July 17, 2020. The performance, which dates back to the 2018-19 season, stars Michael Fabiano in the title role with Erwin Schrott as Méphistophélès and Irina Lungu as Marguerite. The performance was conducted by Dan Ettinger. The opera can be streamed {…}
Five years ago, tenor Michael Fabiano embarked on a business venture to create an app designed to help artists find work. According to Fabiano, he worked on the technology with several engineers for 40-50 hours a week throughout 2014-15, all while balancing a career as one of the world’s burgeoning opera stars. The app never came to fruition. “Because I {…}