Diana Damrau News

If God is in the details, Christine Jones must certainly be praying at the right church. As the scenic designer for the Metropolitan Opera's new RIGOLETTO, Jones has taken the concept that director Michael Mayer sold to the Met--the '60s Las Vegas of Sinatra's Rat Pack vs. the 16th century Mantua of the original--and flown it to the moon. The result is a smart production that is fun to watch and works visually even when certain directorial details--Rigoletto doesn't live up to his billing as a 'Don Rickles-type'--seem tenuous.

The Met: Live in HD Series continues on Saturday, Feb 17 at the Warner's Nancy Marine Studio Theatre with The Met's new production of Verdi's Rigoletto.

Tony Award-winning director Michael Mayer will make his Met debut with a new production of Verdi's Rigoletto, in a staging that moves the opera's tragic events from a decadent 16th-century Italian court to the glitzy, depraved setting of the Las Vegas strip circa 1960. Check out the video below of Director, Michael Mayer, talking about the production.

Como ya es tradicion, la Metropolitan Opera House de Nueva York esta llevando a cabo las transmisiones Live in HD en el Auditorio Nacional. Y en esta ocasion la produccion que se presentara el proximo sabado 16 de febrero de 2013 sera Rigoletto de Giuseppe Verdi, con una atrevida propuesta del director Michael Mayer.

Rigoletto, one of Verdi's most famous and popular operas, will be broadcast live on the Peterborough Players big screen on Saturday, February 16, 2013, at 1:00 pm, as part of the Metropolitan Opera's The Met: Live in HD 2012-13 season. Tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for students.

In a bold new production, Tony Award winning director Michael Mayer has set Verdi's towering tragedy in the bright lights and seedy underbelly of 1960's Las Vegas.

Tony Award-winning director Michael Mayer will make his Met debut with a new production of Verdi's Rigoletto, in a staging that moves the opera's tragic events from a decadent 16th-century Italian court to the glitzy, depraved setting of the Las Vegas strip circa 1960. Mayer stopped by PBS' THIRTEEN to talk about the new production. Watch the interview below!

Full disclosure: I'm not fond of updating operas. Most of them simply don't work, because the directors appear to have a disdain for the art form or, at least, for the particular opera they're staging. They assume that trashing 'Un Ballo in Maschera,' 'Don Giovanni' or 'La Sonnambula' is the only way to get anyone under 50 into an opera house. On the other hand, Michael Mayer, the Broadway director best known for his work on the musical 'Spring Awakening,' seems to actually like opera and is making his splendid Metropolitan Opera debut with the bold and brassy new production of Verdi's RIGOLETTO, which opened on January 28.

Tony Award-winning director Michael Mayer will make his Met debut with a new production of Verdi's Rigoletto, in a staging that moves the opera's tragic events from a decadent 16th-century Italian court to the glitzy, depraved setting of the Las Vegas strip circa 1960.

Today, January 28, the Arnold & Marie Schwartz Gallery Met will open George Condo'sJesters, presented in conjunction with the new Metropolitan Opera production of Rigoletto. Condo has created 9 original ink-on-paper drawings of jesters for the show, which will be on display through May 11. The Met's new production of Rigoletto, Verdi's opera about a court jester whose life unravels after his insults go too far, will premiere today, January 28.

On Monday, January 28, the Arnold & Marie Schwartz Gallery Met will open George Condo'sJesters, presented in conjunction with the new Metropolitan Opera production of Rigoletto. Condo has created 9 original ink-on-paper drawings of jesters for the show, which will be on display through May 11. The Met's new production of Rigoletto, Verdi's opera about a court jester whose life unravels after his insults go too far, will premiere January 28.

Tony Award-winning director Michael Mayer will make his Met debut with a new production of Verdi's Rigoletto, in a staging that moves the opera's tragic events from a decadent 16th-century Italian court to the glitzy, depraved setting of the Las Vegas strip circa 1960.

I missed the debut and broadcast of Andre Previn's operatic setting of Tennessee Williams' "A Streetcar Named Desire" from the San Francisco Opera back in 1998. But I can't say that anything I've read would compel me choose it over a couple of hours with Brando and Leigh on TCM or even a less than stellar [Stella?] production of the play. The fact is, how can Previn's score compare with the music of Williams?

BroadwayWorld brings you the Best of Austria in the year 2012. Check out the Top Theatre Stories from each month during in the year 2012. We look forward to another exciting year of theatre in 2013!

Washington National Opera (WNO) presents American baritone Nathan Gunn in concert as part of its Celebrity Series today, September 23 at 4 p.m. in the Kennedy Center Opera House. Accompanied by the WNO Orchestra under the baton of Tony Award winner Ted Sperling, Gunn will perform selections from operas by Mozart, Rossini, and Bizet, plus songs by Sondheim and other Broadway composers. American tenor William Burden will join him for a few duets. All three artists will make their WNO debuts with this performance.

Washington National Opera (WNO) continues its 2012-2013 season with Mozart's Don Giovanni, tonight, September 20 to October 13 in the Kennedy Center Opera House. Powerhouse Russian bass Ildar Abdrazakov stars in the title role for most performances, while Tony Award® winning Brazilian baritone Paulo Szot (South Pacific) sings the title role on October 9. This WNO production, last seen in 2007, is directed by John Pascoe and conducted by WNO Music Director Philippe Auguin.

Washington National Opera (WNO) opens its 2012-2013 season with Gaetano Donizetti's Anna Bolena, tonight, September 15 to October 6 in the Kennedy Center Opera House. Celebrated American soprano Sondra Radvanovsky returns to WNO to make her role debut as Anne Boleyn. This striking production, new to Washington, is directed by Stephen Lawless, and the WNO Orchestra will be led by Italian conductor Antonello Allemandi in his WNO debut.

Washington National Opera (WNO) presents American baritone Nathan Gunn in concert as part of its Celebrity Series on Sunday, September 23 at 4 p.m. in the Kennedy Center Opera House. Accompanied by the WNO Orchestra under the baton of Tony Award winner Ted Sperling, Gunn will perform selections from operas by Mozart, Rossini, and Bizet, plus songs by Sondheim and other Broadway composers. American tenor William Burden will join him for a few duets. All three artists will make their WNO debuts with this performance.