A close reading of Paul Kellogg‘s announcement of his resignation from the NYCO suggests to La Cieca that there’s some kind of major bad news that’s being kept secret here. I’m thinking that maybe it’s yet another setback in building that new opera house. To be perfectly frank, La Cieca has come to the conclusion that this edifice is not going to arise at the old Red Cross HQ any more than it is at Ground Zero. The most likely address for the new NYCO, she thinks, will be near the bridge on Old Basmany Street.
Which mega-manager went on a quest to fleece other agents of the most glittering stars on their rosters, but managed to sign only one medium-major name — a soprano whose star vehicle at a swanky summer festival was almost immediately scuttled in favor of a Gilbert and Sullivan revival? (A pity this soprano’s repertoire doesn’t include “Poor Wand’ring One!â€)
Maria Guleghina‘s first Vespri Elena. Hurricane Katrina. You write your own joke. From Playbillarts.
It certainly is not news that lesbians are pretty handy around the opera house, whether it’s singing Octavian or running the light board. But the English National Opera is hoping that the promise of hot girl-on-girl action will give their box office a woody. The company is advertising their production of a new work called The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant (based on the 1972 film by Rainer Werner Fassbinder) with a poster depicting a semi-nude woman caressing a female mannequin. Gerald Barry, who is reportedly not a lesbian, is the composer. The full lurid story is in the [...]
La Cieca is delighted to announce that our editor JJ is directing yet once again, this time a production of Die Fledermaus for the [working title] opera. The single gala performance of the Johann Strauss II operetta is scheduled for September 18, 2005 at The Ballroom at the Century Center Theatre, 111 E. 15th Street (just east of Union Square). Featured are Samuel Lloyd Kinsey (Eisenstein), Kathleen Berger (Rosalinde), Melissa Raz (Adele), David Root (Alfredo), David Dorsey (Dr. Falke), Juan José Ibarra (Frank), Juli Borst (Prince Orlovsky), Jacob Feldman (Dr. Blind), and Marty Berger (Frosch). Musical direction is by Eric [...]
It appears that La Cieca’s concerns about the suitability of Maria Guleghina for I vespri siciliani are shared by certain members of the Washington Opera administration. An insider whispers that MG’s (infrequent) vocalizing at rehearsals has been “horrific,” and members of the company are just waiting for the axe to fall. Expect Domingo to protest (and oust) the soprano immediately after Labor Day.
Cher Public