Director Lee Blakely has died at the young age of 45, due to a heart attack. The famed director of opera and musical theater, among other things, was well-known for his work at the Santa Fe Opera where he was the man behind productions for “Madama Butterfly,” “The Pearl Fishers,” and “Rigoletto.” He was also a regular at other North {…}
You can tell who the real Handel lovers are by those who remain for the entirety of a three hour and 40-minute performance. However, at Santa Fe Opera’s production of “Alcina” on August 2, the house remained mostly full all the way to the curtain call. When it comes to Baroque performed in the 21st century, it helps to rely on {…}
The festival season keeps on rolling along with a number of performances across the states. At the Glimmerglass Festival you can get your helping of bel canto with “The Siege of Calais” or modern opera with “Scalia Ginsburg” on Friday. You can enjoy a musical in the form of “Oklahoma” or Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess” on Saturday with an offering {…}
It will be another busy opera weekend as we enter the home stretch of the summer season. But this one is special because it will feature the first fully staged production of an opera by a beloved Czech Composer. Dvorak’s “Dimitrij” will make its first staged production in the US as part of the Bard Summerscape with performances on Friday {…}
When “The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs” makes it world premiere on July 22, 2017, at the Santa Fe Opera, there will be two musicians in the pit of varying operatic experience. On one hand will be composer Mason Bates, known for a wide-range of symphonic works. He will be showcasing his electronic orchestral colors in his very first opera. On {…}
A major world premiere takes place this weekend, as the summer opera season continues around the US. The big premiere is none other than Santa Fe Opera’s “The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs,” which gets its first performance on Saturday, July 22, 2017. Pittsburgh Festival Opera will unveil “Intermezzo” for two performances on Friday and Sunday while Glow Lyric Theatre showcases {…}
Steve Jobs is one of the most revered and enigmatic personalities in recent history. He created one of the biggest companies and is responsible for some of the most popular products in modern society. After numerous film adaptations with different actors, Edward Parks will have the task of portraying the figure in Mason Bates’ first opera, “The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs.” {…}
The summer festival season continues with a few companies putting on new and exciting productions. Portland Opera showcases its new production of “Così fan tutte” on Friday, while Wolf Trap Opera unveils its own “Tosca.” Pittsburgh Opera Festival debuts its own “Xerxes” production that same night. Charlottesville Opera continues its production of “Rigoletto,” as does Central City Opera with “Carmen,” {…}
The summer continues its torrid pace with a number of major companies showcasing production premieres. The Glimmerglass Festival kicks off its 2017 season on Friday with “Porgy and Bess,” which stars Musa Ngqungwana. The same goes for the Pittsburgh Festival Opera, which debuts that same night with “Sweeney Todd,” which also plays on Sunday. Meanwhile, Des Moines Metro Opera showcases {…}
As we get deeper into the summer, the opera world starts to slow down ever so slightly in North America. But there are still some major events taking place over the weekend, including a historic one. San Francisco Opera closes out its run of “Don Giovanni” which features a stellar cast that includes Ildebrando d’Arcangelo and Ana María Martinez among {…}
Now that that most of the major opera companies in the U.S are about to finish their 2016-17 season, most opera lovers will be left searching for what to see. While most festivals take place in Europe, many companies and festivals will be active introducing new works, bringing old classics and discovering new talent. The following is a list of {…}