What a gorgeous performance of “Vissi d’arte!”  And was La Cieca surprised when she learned the name of the artist! [more]

The embattled NYCO chairwoman is 59 years young today!

Oh, but this looks dire.

Not the fellow wallowing amidst the counterpane, obviously — he’s rather dishy if you like that type — but rather what he’s advertising. It’s a reworking of Don Giovanni called (La Cieca only wishes she were making this up) “The Gay Don,” to be previewed on July 4 at the London Pride festival in Trafalgar Square.

If MusicOMH can be trusted, the gaydaptation is “set in a 1980s club and with most of the Don’s conquests as men rather than women.”

…Zerlina becomes Zac a young James Dean type, Masetto becomes Marina the vampish fiancée of Zac who gets stood up, Don Ottavio is Olga the beautiful and imposing Russian immigrant who is besotted with Alan ( Donna Anna)…

Oh, you can write the rest for yourselves. La Cieca is going to sign off now as she imagines with a shudder the staging of “Là ci darem la mano.”

A snippet of last night’s Traviata from London.  [more]