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David Daniels (left) headlines a special sneak preview of The Enchanted Island on Wednesday, December 7 at The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space. Also on hand will be Danielle de Niese, Lisette Oropesa and Luca Pisaroni, plus the pasticcio’s creative team, writer Jeremy Sams and director-designer team Phelim McDermott and Julian Crouch. Midge Woolsey hosts. Tickets are $25.oo, but a very clever parterrrian has the chance to attend gratis, as detailed after the jump.
Yes, cher public, it’s another competition, and the winner receives two free tickets to this Enchanted Island preview. Your task: “pastichify” a popular opera, which in this case means improving the work by interpolating a number from a different source.
For example, you might find the third act love scene between Turandot and Calaf a bit cold, in need of some additional lyricism. So why not have the tenor serenade the icy princess with “Dein ist mein ganzes Herz?
You have until Monday, December 5 at midnight to submit your “pastiche.” The best comment (as judged by La Cieca) will win its author a pair of passes to the Enchanted Island preview.
Photo: Nick Heavican/Metropolitan Opera Background by Julian Crouch
James Jorden (who wrote under the names "La Cieca" and "Our Own JJ") was the founder and editor of parterre box. During his 20 year career as an opera critic he wrote for the New York Times, Opera, Gay City News, Opera Now, Musical America and the New York Post. He also raised his voice in punditry on National Public Radio. From time to time he directed opera, including three unsuccessful productions of Don Giovanni. He also contributed a regular column on opera for the New York Observer. James died in October 2023.
Parterre Box concludes the thrilling first year of Talk of the Town by inviting your lightning rod opinions on several more categories of operatic argumentation.
Parterre Box concludes the thrilling first year of Talk of the Town by inviting your lightning rod opinions on several more categories of operatic argumentation.