Poison Ivy

Poison Ivy is the alter-ego of Ivy Lin, who in her day job teaches biology at an alternative transfer high school. Ivy's love of opera began when her father decreed that Mozart, Beethoven and other symphonic and instrumental works were superior to opera. Naturally, Ivy rebelled and began to secretly listen to Met broadcasts on Saturday afternoons on WQXR. In her spare time Ivy runs her own performance arts blog, brags about her cat, and obsesses over Game of Thrones. If Ivy were to sing opera she’d be typecast as Despina until she was in a wheelchair.


Comet and find me Comet and find me

I never made it through more than a few chapters of any Tolstoy work. And I never made it through Chapter One, Volume One of War and Peace. Yeah, I know. I suck. Turns out I was just not using the left side of my brain, because War and Peace can actually be a fun, entertaining,…

on February 09, 2017 at 3:40 PM
Must the finals come so soon? Must the finals come so soon?

Without fail, all nine finalists had nice clear ringing voices. Whether they develop into great artists is another question. 

on March 14, 2016 at 8:30 AM
The rules of attraction The rules of attraction

Is Manon Lescaut a cold, clinical tale of the splendors and pitfalls of transactional sex, or is it a romantic Italian opera at its most lush and melodic?

on January 11, 2016 at 10:00 AM
La farsa del destino La farsa del destino

There might be nothing in the world as joyous as a Rossini overture.

on November 22, 2015 at 9:00 AM
Barton glances Barton glances

The annual Richard Tucker Gala is probably the event of the year to indulge your love of verismo staples and can belto screaming.

on November 02, 2015 at 9:00 AM
Slash by night Slash by night

Enthusiasts of Janácek’s opera will want to pick up this video immediately.

on September 15, 2015 at 10:00 AM
Tanks a lot, but no tanks Tanks a lot, but no tanks

The production by Sebastian Baumgarten is the type of regietheater that’s not a rethinking or reconstruction, but just a hot mess.

on August 31, 2015 at 11:15 AM
Shave and a haircut Shave and a haircut

It’s fun to wonder what might have happened if Rossini had never composed Il Barbiere di Siviglia. Would Giovanni Paisiello’s earlier adaptation of the work be a repertory favorite? Or would it have faded into obscurity with an occasional revival here and there? 

on August 23, 2015 at 8:16 AM
Paris original Paris original

Another month, another La Traviata release on video.

on July 20, 2015 at 11:32 AM
All futures great and small All futures great and small

The Metropolitan Opera yesterday afternoon was an uncommonly cozy place, as the auditorium was packed to the rafters with friends and family members of the nine National Council Audition Finalists.

on March 23, 2015 at 7:21 AM
The devil is in the details The devil is in the details

Certain operas are better in theory than practice.

on March 09, 2015 at 10:00 AM
Star, crossed Star, crossed

The key to enjoying Bellini’s I Capuleti e Montechi is to do a hard factory reset and reformat your brain to forget all other works based on Romeo and Juliet.

on February 16, 2015 at 10:00 AM
Table bodied Table bodied

Newton’s Third Law of Motion states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

on February 11, 2015 at 8:00 AM
Door to door Door to door

The Met’s planned premiere of Iolanta/Bluebeard’s Castle was cancelled due to the Great Blizzard That Wasn’t.

on January 30, 2015 at 7:40 AM
A wasted time A wasted time

Vittorio Grigolo in the title role of the Met’s revival of Les Contes d’Hoffman is the opera version of the charming homeless drunk.

on January 13, 2015 at 11:50 AM
The year in Ivy The year in Ivy

2014 was a year of lemons into lemonade.

on December 31, 2014 at 11:00 AM
Lost and found Lost and found

Verdi must have gotten tired of tossing and turning by now and has gone back to resting in peace.

on December 17, 2014 at 12:06 PM
Moon and stars Moon and stars

One of the major complaints about the five year casting system (as well as the shared productions by different companies) is that operatic events are rarely surprises anymore.

on December 11, 2014 at 10:56 AM
Snow business Snow business

Every year I say I’m not going to another La Bohème because I’ve seen this too many times.

on November 21, 2014 at 10:25 AM
Levee duty Levee duty

If you are of the belief that Show Boat can stand on its own as a classic score and thus doesn’t need the trappings of musical production, you’ll love the New York Philharmonic’s “semi-staged” production.

on November 08, 2014 at 11:17 AM
Side eye and bitch face Side eye and bitch face

At the first intermission at last night’s Met revival of Aida, I turned to my companion and said, “So… what about the Aida? I thought she was supposed to be good.”

on October 31, 2014 at 1:27 AM
Ten thousand bedrooms Ten thousand bedrooms

The Metropolitan Opera desperately needed a new production of Le nozze di Figaro.

on October 03, 2014 at 2:23 AM
Pape music Pape music

There is something so very Don Draper about René Pape .

on September 28, 2014 at 8:55 PM
Juan and two Juan and two

I always think of Don Giovanni as half of the greatest opera ever written. Or, actually, about 2/3 of the greatest opera ever written.

on September 20, 2014 at 3:59 PM
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