Patrick Carfizzi News

The trials and tribulations of the Met's new take on Puccini's TOSCA have been well documented--with all three principals replaced along with two conductors--and it would be nice to be able to say that everything came out happily-ever-after. Alas. There's nothing wrong with the company's surprise-free new take on one of Italian opera's most famous works that a stronger director couldn't come in and cure.

The Pirates of Penzance--opera or operetta? The answer to that question seems important to some opera lovers who believe a 'serious' opera company doesn't do operettas. Too bad for them if their doubts made them miss out on San Diego Opera's hugely entertaining production. A nearly sold-out audience laughed frequently as Gilbert and Sullivan made fun of inept but kind-hearted pirates, cowardly policeman trying their best, and even Queen Victoria, who made a non-singing appearance with the signature rotation of the raised royal hand. While musicologists, historians and purists at home argued about the correct classification of the work, excellent operatic singers delivered clever lyrics and threw themselves into the light-heartedly silly plot.

Bass-baritone Patrick Carfizzi will be appearing in the San Diego Opera's production of Pirates of Penzance later this month. He and I met over an informal lunch to discuss that and much more.

Central City Opera continues its 2017 summer festival with the opening of a new production of Cosi fan tutte, Mozart's comedic opera about love, deceit, and fidelity, which runs in repertory in the Central City Opera House from July 15 through August 4.

Central City Opera's 2017 Summer Festival, which runs from July 8 through August 6, features Bizet's Carmen and Mozart's Così fan tutte performed in repertory in the historic Central City Opera House, and three one-act operas with limited runs—Britten's The Burning Fiery Furnace, Douglas Moore's Gallantry, and Amy Beach's Cabildo—performed in smaller venues located around the town of Central City. Complementing these five widely different operas are pre-performance lectures and talkbacks, staged opera scenes, elegant opening night dinners, and post-performance socials, which make for a full and enriching experience of entertainment and culture in one of Colorado's most historic mountain settings.  

Central City Opera continues its 2017 summer festival with the opening of a new production of Cosi fan tutte, Mozart's comedic opera about love, deceit, and fidelity, which runs in repertory in the Central City Opera House from July 15 through August 4.

General Director David Bennett's first complete season

Opera Philadelphia continues to combine cutting-edge new commissions with fresh takes on the classics. To conclude a 2016-17 season highlighted by the knockout success of its world premiere production of Breaking the Waves, the company turns to iconic Mozartean comedy, with a new co-production of The Marriage of Figaro (April 28–May 7). With Jack Mulroney Music Director Corrado Rovaris leading five performances at the historic Academy of Music, celebrated young singers Brandon Cedel, John Chest, Layla Claire, Ying Fang, and Cecelia Hall anchor a stellar cast in the new Stephen Lawless staging that has already proven “as beautiful as it is humorous, as sophisticated as it is raunchy” (Kansas City Star).

Opera Philadelphia's celebrated 2016-2017 Season comes to a humorous conclusion with a new production of one of the greatest operas ever written, Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro, with five performances at the historic Academy of Music from April 28-May 7. The screwball comedy complete with disguises, surprises, and compromises, comes to life with an impressive cast of singers, many making their company debut under the leadership of conductor Corrado Rovaris, Opera Philadelphia's celebrated Jack Mulroney Music Director.

Central City Opera's 2017 Summer Festival, which runs from July 8 through August 6, features Bizet's Carmen and Mozart's Così fan tutte performed in repertory in the historic Central City Opera House, and three one-act operas with limited runs—Britten's The Burning Fiery Furnace, Douglas Moore's Gallantry, and Amy Beach's Cabildo—performed in smaller venues located around the town of Central City. Complementing these five widely different operas are pre-performance lectures and talkbacks, staged opera scenes, elegant opening night dinners, and post-performance socials, which make for a full and enriching experience of entertainment and culture in one of Colorado's most historic mountain settings.  

Music Director Thierry Fischer and President & CEO Paul Meecham today announced the Utah Symphony's 2017-18 season, which includes a Saint-Saens symphony cycle recorded live for the Hyperion label, marking the first recording of the composer's complete symphonies by an American orchestra.

In the fall of 1987, Houston Grand Opera's world premiere of Nixon in China made political headlines and galvanized the opera world. Thirty years later, John Adams's trailblazing opera returns in a new-to-Houston production that sheds light on the electronic media's role in political history, just as a new media-savvy American president takes office.

In the fall of 1987, Houston Grand Opera's world premiere of Nixon in China made political headlines and galvanized the opera world. Thirty years later, John Adams's trailblazing opera returns in a new-to-Houston production that sheds light on the electronic media's role in political history, just as a new media-savvy American president takes office.

Take Puccini's LA BOHEME for granted at your peril. Sure, it has more gorgeous music per square inch than just about any other opera in the repertoire, but that doesn't mean that it always falls together, even at the Met. Lucky for those attending the current run of the opera, the stars are in alignment--with Kristine Opolais (Mimi), Piotr Beczala (Rodolfo), Brigitta Kele (Musetta) and Massimo Cavalletti (Marcello) as the stellar central quartet and not a weak link down the line.

Central City Opera's 2017 Summer Festival, which runs from July 8 to August 6, 2017, features Bizet's Carmen and Mozart's Così fan tutte in repertory, along with Benjamin Britten's The Burning Fiery Furnace, Douglas Moore's Gallantry, and Amy Beach's Cabildo in shorter runs. Celebrating the company's 85th season, the festival's productions offer a diverse and broad gamut of styles and time periods.

BWW Review: Houston Grand Opera opens the season with an eye-popping ELIXIR OF LOVE

Donizetti's ebullient comedy The Elixir of Love sets a celebratory tone as Houston Grand Opera's (HGO) 62nd season opener on October 21. The colorful production features tenor Dimitri Pittas and soprano Nicole Heaston, as well as the HGO debut of eminent English conductor Jane Glover. Performances run through November 4.  

Donizetti's ebullient comedy The Elixir of Love sets a celebratory tone as Houston Grand Opera's (HGO) 62nd season opener on October 21.

Houston Grand Opera (HGO) will host ¡Viva Rudy!, honoring HGO's late director of patron services, Rudy Avelar, who served the company for almost 40 years until his passing in June. Rudy represented everything HGO stands for: dedication, excellence, and service. This commemorative event will be held on Monday, September 19, 2016.

SEATTLE – Seattleites, you've been warned: There's a cheeky bad boy causing a ruckus this summer, and he's headed straight for McCaw Hall! Seattle Opera presents The Wicked Adventures of Count Ory—a brand-new production that packs the punch of a Broadway musical with a nod to the humor and visual style of Monty Python. This Rossini comedy takes place in a medieval French village—while the men are off fighting the Crusades, the ladies are easily enticed by the notoriously naughty Count Ory. Australian Stage Director Lindy Hume and Production Designer Dan Potra have let their imaginations run wild, creating a mashup of medieval France and psychedelic '70s flower power.