Review: THE MATCHBOX MAGIC FLUTE at Shakespeare Theatre/Klein Theatre
What did our critic think of THE MATCHBOX MAGIC FLUTE at Shakespeare Theatre/Klein Theatre?
Opera Theater Reviews
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Review: OPERA À LA CARTE'S PRODUCTION OF LA BOHÈME at Tenth Avenue Arts Center In East Village
The first act of Opera À La Carte’s production of La bohème featured costuming and well-used furniture that made Rodolfo’s bohemian Parisian garret seem more real than the elaborate expensive sets and costumes of many other productions.
Review: TURANDOT at LA Opera
A sharp blade wielded threateningly, forced perspective creating looming palatial walls, the rotting heads of failed suitors, and a princess literally shrouded in mystery quickly orient us within Puccini’s iconic fairytale.
Review: What the Hades – the Met Brings Back Morris's Lovely ORFEO with Costanzo
Considering all the productions in the Met’s repertoire that have been conceived (or, perhaps more justly, concocted) by directors from other media who don’t seem to understand or like opera, Mark Morris is a gem.
Review: AN AMERICAN SOLDIER Is a Horror Story of Brutality and Abuse
“Why did I enlist? Why did I go to war?” are but two of the questions that Private Danny Chen asks himself in the powerful docu-opera, AN AMERICAN SOLDIER, by Huang Ruo and David Henry Hwang.
Review: L'OLIMPIADE, Royal Opera House
Irish National Opera bring a touring production to London in what might prove to be a show for the purists
Review: TURANDOT performed by Washington National Opera at Kennedy Center
Incredibly rich in detail --from staging to technical aspects-- and emboldened with Puccini’s soaring music and meticulous, intelligent direction by Francesca Zambello, Washington National Opera’s production of Turandot is a production for the ages.
Review: Exquisite THE HOURS by Puts Triumphs Again at the Met under Watanabe
When I first heard Kevin Puts’s gorgeous, melodic score for THE HOURS back in 2022, I was blown away, thinking it was almost too good to be true.
Review: SEATTLE OPERA 60TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT & GALA at McCaw Hall
an enchanted evening that will be remembered for many decades as an occasion that was memorable in every way
Review: THE BARBER OF SEVILLE at Mccaw Hall
Without a doubt the highlight of, and a perfect ending to, the company’s season
Review: LA BOHÈME at MN Opera
What did our critic think of LA BOHÈME at MN Opera?
Review: SAN DIEGO OPERA'S MADAMA BUTTERFLY at San Diego Civic Center
Puccini’s Madama Butterfly is one of the most popular operas ever written.
Review: Dizzying Night at the Met with Grigorian's Splendiferous BUTTERFLY in House Debut
Those of us who keep an eye on the comings and goings of singers at major opera houses around the world, have known that Friday’s debutant, Lithuanian soprano Asmik Grigorian, was going to be one to watch.
Review: John Adams's EL NINO Finally Arrives at the Met After World Travels
Back in December, I saw the chamber version of John Adams’s EL NINO—dubbed EL NINO: NATIVITY RECONSIDERED—at the Cathedral of St.
Review: TURANDOT at Belk Theater
Yes, a grand opera was inserted at Belk Theater as the clock or calendar was winding down! Around the world, Callas, Nilsson, and Sutherland are among the divas who have graced the powerhouse role of TURANDOT, and Franco Zeffirelli's production at the Met is as revered for its stateliness and splend
Review: LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR, Royal Opera House
Nadine Sierra’s enthralling central performance helms this nerve-jangling revival.
Review: Separated at Birth? Boulanger's VILLE MORTE and Debussy's PELLEAS Fall Similarly on the Ear
It’s easy to understand why Neal Goren, founder and artistic director of Catapult Opera, was immediately taken with LA VILLE MORTE.
Review: Lighter Side of the Fall of the Weimar Republic, in Death of Classical's TIERGARTEN?
I wouldn’t say that Andrew Ousley’s TIERGARTEN cabaret draws parallels between Weimar Germany—from World War I, leading up to the Nazification of the country and finally World War II—and the current political climate in the US.
Review: SHORTS – A FESTIVAL OF POCKET OPERAS at Artscape Arena Offers Bite-Sized Operatic Treats
While there are three mini-operas within the SHORTS programme, this reviews centres around two of them: LA VOIX HUMANE and THE IMPRESARIO.
Review: Blanchard-Lemmons' FIRE SHUT UP Makes Another Splash at the Met
It was tough separating the opera from the event when FIRE SHUT UP IN MY BONES opened the first post-Covid pandemic season at the Met.
Review: Heartbeat's Bio-Version EUGENE ONEGIN Dazzles under Director/Designer Dustin Wills
If you cross the traditional EUGENE ONEGIN by Tchaikovsky (great even when overfilled with drama and, yes, music music music, with Konstantin Shilovsky’s co-libretto) with a touch of Ken Russell’s 1971 “The Music Lovers” (the overwrought bio-pic of Tchaikovsky with Richard Chamberlin and Gle
Review: CARMEN, Royal Opera House
An old favourite brings the passion and the pain with beautiful singing and convincing acting
Review: Fine Singing Makes RONDINE Easy to Swallow under Scappucci
The first night of the Met’s revival of Puccini’s LA RONDINE (THE SWALLOW) was filled with surprises of one sort or another, under the baton of that smart conductor, Speranza Scappucci.
Review: Met's Laffont Competition Unleashes New Artists on Grateful Audience
No matter how many “star” performances the Met manages to muster in the course of a season, there’s nothing quite as exciting as the Laffont Grand Finals Concert—formerly known as the Met’s National Auditions Finals—which took place this past Sunday afternoon for its 70th season, when we
Review: THE BARBER OF SEVILLE, Wilton's Music Hall
In the week when an Arts Council England report lambasted the current state of opera and questioned its relevance to wider society, Charles Court Opera’s The Barber Of Seville stands as a stern rebuff to those who consider this art form to be dated and irrelevant.
