Stephen Lord News

Richard Tucker Award-winner Stephen Costello made his role debut as Tonio in La fille du regiment at San Diego Opera last month. This auspicious start marked the first of the tenor's three Donizetti leads this year, the next of which sees him return to the Vienna State Opera to sing Nemorino in L'elisir d'amore opposite his wife and frequent co-star, Ailyn Perez, (March 1-8) before taking on Edgardo in David Alden's groundbreaking staging of Lucia di Lammermoor at the Canadian Opera Company (April 17-May 24).

The Canadian Opera Company unveiled its 2013/2014 season today at a press conference at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. The company's 64th season stars the world's best singers, conductors, directors and designers in a performance year with seven operas, including three COC premieres and three new COC productions. The COC presents Giacomo Puccini's La Bohème with a new production featuring some of Canada's brightest stars; COC Music Director Johannes Debus makes his Benjamin Britten debut when he conducts Peter Grimes with a production starring acclaimed Canadian tenor Ben Heppner in the iconic title role; Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Così fan tutte with a new COC production by renowned film and theatre director Atom Egoyan with Debus conducting; Giuseppe Verdi's Un ballo in maschera starring great Canadian diva Adrianne Pieczonka in a role debut; George Frideric Handel's Hercules with a COC premiere and new COC production by world-renowned director Peter Sellars with a star-studded cast; Gaetano Donizetti's Roberto Devereux with a COC premiere starring soprano Sondra Radvanovsky in a role debut; and Jules Massenet's Don Quichotte with a COC premiere featuring Debus in another conducting debut and the world's pre-eminent bass Ferruccio Furlanetto in the title role.

The St. Louis Theater Circle has just announced the nominees for the 2013 Louie Awards, honoring excellence in professional theater. The ceremony is set to take place on March 11 at the Gaslight Theater (358 North Boyle Avenue). To reserve tickets, email stltheatercircle@sbcglobal.net.

Tonight, September 8, at 7:30 p.m., Lyric Opera of Chicago will present its annual gift to the city, a free outdoor concert at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park. The concert annually attracts capacity crowds of 11,000+.

On Saturday, September 8, at 7:30 p.m., Lyric Opera of Chicago will present its annual gift to the city, a free outdoor concert at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park. The concert annually attracts capacity crowds of 11,000+.

Single tickets go on sale to the general public today, Aug. 1, for Lyric Opera of Chicago's 58th season. The internationally renowned company will present grand opera with exceptional casts and productions in its beautiful home, the historic Civic Opera House. Lyric will offer 68 performances of 9 operas in the 25-week season, including 6 new-to-Chicago productions, Saturday, October 6, 2012, through Saturday, April 6, 2013.

Single tickets go on sale to the general public Wed., Aug. 1, for Lyric Opera of Chicago's 58th season. The internationally renowned company will present grand opera with exceptional casts and productions in its beautiful home, the historic Civic Opera House. Lyric will offer 68 performances of 9 operas in the 25-week season, including 6 new-to-Chicago productions, Saturday, October 6, 2012, through Saturday, April 6, 2013.

The Canadian Opera Company has closed another successful opera season with 2011/2012 recording an average attendance of 91%. A total of 125,238 patrons attended the 67 performances of the company's seven mainstage productions in the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts: Gluck's Iphigenia in Tauris, Verdi's Rigoletto, Puccini's Tosca, Saariaho's Love from Afar, Offenbach's The Tales of Hoffmann, the double bill of Zemlinsky's A Florentine Tragedy and Puccini's Gianni Schicchi, and Handel's Semele.

Now in its eighth season, Millennium Park will host free concerts, events, exhibitions and open rehearsals that showcase the very best of Chicago throughout the summer.

Wolf Trap Features the Esteemed Ballet West; the Operatic Superstar Event of the Summer with Opera's Greatest Hits from Wolf Trap Opera's Alumni Stars; Kings of Motown The Temptations and The Four Tops; Folk and Country Stars John Prine and Mary Chapin Carpenter; and GRAMMY Winners Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers w/ the Punch Brothers

Wolf Trap Features the Esteemed Ballet West; the Operatic Superstar Event of the Summer with Opera's Greatest Hits from Wolf Trap Opera's Alumni Stars; Kings of Motown The Temptations and The Four Tops; Folk and Country Stars John Prine and Mary Chapin Carpenter; and GRAMMY Winners Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers w/ the Punch Brothers

Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts announces its entire 2011 summer season, featuring 99 performances at the majestic Filene Center amphitheater, eight evenings of opera at The Barns at Wolf Trap, and 70 performances at Wolf Trap's Children's Theatre-in-the-Woods.

Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts announces its entire 2011 summer season, featuring 99 performances at the majestic Filene Center amphitheater, eight evenings of opera at The Barns at Wolf Trap, and 70 performances at Wolf Trap's Children's Theatre-in-the-Woods.

Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts announces its entire 2011 summer season, featuring 99 performances at the majestic Filene Center amphitheater, eight evenings of opera at The Barns at Wolf Trap, and 70 performances at Wolf Trap's Children's Theatre-in-the-Woods.

Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts announces 45 new summer performances at the Filene Center at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts and The Barns at Wolf Trap, featuring several of the biggest names in pop music, comedy, theater, and symphony, along with the meticulously chosen Wolf Trap Opera Company repertoire and cast.

Opera Theatre's 2010 spring season opens on Saturday, May 22 and continues for 28 performances through Sunday, June 27 with all-new productions of Mozart's brilliant comedy THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO, Tchaikovsky's romantic masterpiece EUGENE ONEGIN, Stephen Sondheim's A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, directed and designed by famed designer Isaac Mizrahi, and the world premiere of Peter Ash and Donald Sturrock's THE GOLDEN TICKET, based on Roald Dahl's beloved classic, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Famed director/designer Isaac Mizrahi will direct the upcoming production of A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC at the Opera Theatre in St. Louis. The production will run June 6th through 19th at the Opera Theatre and will feature conductor Stephen Lord. NIGHT MUSIC was written by Hugh Wheeler and features a score by Stephen Sondheim.

Famed director/designer Isaac Mizrahi will direct the upcoming production of A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC at the Opera Theatre in St. Louis. The production will run June 6th through 19th at the Opera Theatre and will feature conductor Stephen Lord. NIGHT MUSIC was written by Hugh Wheeler and features a score by Stephen Sondheim.

If I was going to introduce someone to the world of opera, I might have them take in a performance of THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO, because it's a tuneful show filled with farcical plot machinations that are both amusing and satisfying in the manner in which they unfold. There's a reason why Mozart's work, with its witty libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte (translated with considerable aplomb by Andrew Porter) has become one of the most performed operas of all time; it's a great deal of fun. The Opera Theatre of St. Louis has opened their Spring season with a charming and delightful production that perfectly captures the spirit of this delicious satire of the aristocracy.

Opera Theatre's 2010 spring season opens on Saturday, May 22 and continues for 28 performances through Sunday, June 27 with all-new productions of Mozart's brilliant comedy THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO, Tchaikovsky's romantic masterpiece EUGENE ONEGIN, Stephen Sondheim's A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, directed and designed by famed designer Isaac Mizrahi, and the world premiere of Peter Ash and Donald Sturrock's THE GOLDEN TICKET, based on Roald Dahl's beloved classic, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.