OPERA SHOWS - PLAYS

by Richard Sasanow - May 13, 2024

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. Could it be a classic? I wanted to hear it again, though not too soon, to give it a chance to settle in its own skin. Lucky us—lucky me—that the Met broug...

by Erica Miner - May 13, 2024

an enchanted evening that will be remembered for many decades as an occasion that was memorable in every way...

by Erica Miner - May 05, 2024

Without a doubt the highlight of, and a perfect ending to, the company’s season...

by Joe Sarafolean - May 05, 2024

What did our critic think of LA BOHÈME at MN Opera?...

by Ron Bierman - May 03, 2024

Puccini’s Madama Butterfly is one of the most popular operas ever written. It has a wonderfully lyrical score, familiar arias and a story that remains compelling even after often heard. San Diego Opera’s most recent production played to a full house on opening night, and under the direction of Jose ...

by Richard Sasanow - April 28, 2024

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. And it was. No worries about whether her voice would translate from Europe’s smaller houses to...

by Richard Sasanow - April 24, 2024

Back in December, I saw the chamber version of John Adams’s EL NINO—dubbed EL NINO: NATIVITY RECONSIDERED—at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Pared down to its essence, it was wonderful, starred two of the singers who made their debuts in the premiere at the Met, soprano Julia Bullock and bass-...

by Perry Tannenbaum - April 22, 2024

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...

by Alexander Cohen - April 22, 2024

Nadine Sierra’s enthralling central performance helms this nerve-jangling revival....

by Richard Sasanow - April 20, 2024

It’s easy to understand why Neal Goren, founder and artistic director of Catapult Opera, was immediately taken with LA VILLE MORTE. (His program notes say, “Upon receiving the piano-vocal score, I found myself sighing in ecstasy…”) First, the name Nadia Boulanger is magic in 20th century music—in mu...