Headshot of La Cieca

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  • oedipe: Willym, I don’t know, but I am willing to give Ceci the benefit of the doubt. At any rate, this is a... 2:06 PM
  • Bill: Willym – the critics say 5 hours – apparently Bartoli sang all 8 of Cleopatra’s arias and... 1:55 PM
  • willym: oedipe couldnt find a reply for your post – but yes the theme and the choice is interesting. As much... 1:47 PM
  • armerjacquino: Dutoit. 1:41 PM
  • armerjacquino: Just the WALKURE and the FIDELIO film I think. Not a huge problem because I have the Vienna FIDELIO... 1:40 PM
  • Betsy_Ann_Bobolink: Just out of curiosity, Camille, why are you telling me not to eat bananas? Seems an odd sort... 1:27 PM
  • Ilka Saro: Tu sei giaaaaaaallo. Come un moooooooorto! 1:27 PM
  • Cocky Kurwenal: I don’t think I have any Vickers either. Though aren’t you depriving yourself a whole... 1:22 PM

“Dispettosetto questo riccio!”

La Cieca supposes that maybe the reason Angela Gheorghiu doesn’t include any music from Manon Lescaut on her new “Homage to Callas” CD is that she can’t quite identify with the character? Read more »

The mystery of the disappearing dress

Three Juliettes, three different seasons of the Met’s Roméo et Juliette: Natalie Dessay in 2005, Anna Netrebko in 2007, Hei-Kyung Hong in 2011. At this rate, La Cieca predicts that the role will be performed in the nude sometime around 2025. (Photos: Dessay and Hong by Marty Sohl, Netrebko by Ken Howard.)

‘Twixt the cups and the lip

Above is a preliminary PR photo of Eva-Maria Westbroek in the “biggest than life” titular role of the Mark-Anthony Turnage/Richard Thomas bio-opera Anna Nicole, set to open tonight at the Royal Opera, Covent Garden. But without the benefit of Photoshop and artful lighting, what do Westbroek and Anna Nicole really look like? Read more »

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Guessing game

You can stop all your wondering about who will play Anna Nicole Smith in the eponymous oeuvre by Mark-Anthony Turnage (The Silver Tassie) and Richard Thomas (Jerry Springer: the Opera), scheduled for a premiere at the Royal Opera, Covent Garden in February 2011. It’s Eva-Maria Westbroek, seen here in the (ahem) Titelpartie of Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk.

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Guardians of the flame

Renée Fleming and Dmitri Hvorostovsky offer an object lesson in the traditional old school performance practice of “lurch and flail” operatic acting.

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Intensive care

“Opera singer” Katherine Jenkins canceled her appearance at last night’s National Television Awards due to (wait for it!) a “chest infection.” [digital spy]

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Hair raising

Katherine Jenkins, C-list Britpop has-beens… and Rolando Villazón in a ginormous jewfro. No, this does not bode well.

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Ashley/Auntie

In an unexpected bonus round of “This Diva Looks Like That Diva,” conspiracy theorists will surely puzzle over the eerily similar headshots of these two New York Post columnists.  

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