After Friday night, it seems clear that the Brooklyn hipster is destined to be the next audience for opera. Galapagos Art Space was home to another co-production by American Opera Projects and Opera on Tap, this their fifth collaboration, and once again some amazing surprises were presented by this rag-tag bunch of very experimental artists. But aside from the range in quality, timbre and medium presented by the evening, what struck me last night was the audience. Read more »
According to Variety, America’s Soprano Renée Fleming is poised to conquer new worlds of entertainment. Not content to rest on her laurels as diva, scent entrepreneur, dessert namesake and single working mother, Fleming has signed with talent agency Paradigm who promise to “scout out opportunities in thesping, endorsement, publishing and digital media” for the artist “with the goal of expanding her profile beyond the opera world and into pop culture.”
La Fleming was introduced to paradigm tenpercenter Jack Tantleff by Francesca Zambello, the erstwhile opera director who will be remembered by posterity as the helmer of the criticially acclaimed musical The Little Mermaid.
Although Variety does not record the conversation that took place between Zambello and Fleming leading to the soprano’s decision, La Cieca has taken the liberty of reconstructing the scene. According to Ms. Fleming, ”There I was in Ms. Zambello’s office, and she was saying to me, ‘Renée, get yourself some new orchestrations, new routines and red velvet curtains. Get a feathered hat for the baby; photographs in front of the theater. Get an agent and in jig time you’ll be being booked in the big time!’ Oh, what a dream!”
The showbiz chronicle helpfully reminds the public of the whirlwind schedule of The Diva of the Future, who upon her return from serenading the Olympians will ”topline the Met’s opening night gala Sept. 22, an event that also serves as the launch of her perfume.”
Well, it says so right there on Page Six, you know it must be true: Michael Stipe injures his leg in a go-carting accident, The Duchess of York is accused of destroying the Brazilian coastline, and
THE hipster intelligentsia flocked to Brooklyn Tuesday night to catch Patrick Stewart in Macbeth at BAM’s opening gala. Mikhail Baryshnikov, Anna Paquin, Lou Reed, Bill Irwin and opera singer Renée Fleming…
No, stop now. La Cieca insists, you have to stop now. Read more »
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