La Cieca
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.
More bad news.
Then and now: the “Dio ti giocondi, o sposo” duet from Otello.
Oh, those Alps (“Loved her, hated him!”) have done it again, or at least for the first time.
La Cieca has just heard that Teatro Grattacielo’s performance of Montemezzi’s La Nave has been rescheduled and confirmed for Wednesday October 31 at 8:00 PM at the Rose Theater.
“When the cross-dressing dude is the gifted singer Jeffery Roberson, and the opera is Menotti’s spellbinding The Medium, the result is prime musical melodrama.”
You know how to whistle, don’t you?
Which Met prima donna whacked the leading man over the head with her score after he had the… what’s the word?… audacity to wear cologne to a rehearsal of their one scene together?
Our Own Ercole Farnese demonstrated that his brain is as well-developed as his trapezoids by guessing, quickly and accurately, that last week’s Regie Quiz depicted Rienzi.
“Like the Shakespeare play it’s based on, Thomas Adès’ opera The Tempest is set on an enchanted island.”
Four of La Cieca’s favorite people, Diana Soviero, Ira Siff, Robert Lombardo and Ken Benson, assemble on November 9 at the impressively named “Metropolitan Opera Guild Learning Center”…
La Cieca predicts you won’t be seeing any puritans at the Met next season, except of course for the ones who slouch around during intermission hissing, “You call that a trill?”
La Cieca invites her cher public to discuss—in a dignified manner, if you please—the week’s off-topic and general interest subjects.
Unconcealed by the voluminous folds of this Jessyesqe muumuu is queen-sized talent Jeffery Roberson (also known as Varla Jean Merman.)
La Cieca is looking for a few good part-time reviewers.
A name new to La Cieca, but surely soon to become familiar indeed, Phantom Violist, cracked the regie code last week.
La Cieca is sure it’s nothing, nothing at all, but she does think it’s curious that (per a tipster) George Steel has quietly called a staff meeting for NYCO tomorrow…
La Scoopenda tries on Vera Galupe-Borszkh‘s mantle of grandezza for an interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer.
La Cieca invites to flaunt your wit by supplying a caption for the above cartoon, the more New Yorker-esqe the better.
Friend of the box Opera Teen (pictured, right) reacts to Saturday night’s performance of Otello.
Avgust Amonov will make his Met debut in the title role of tomorrow evening’s performance of Verdi’s Otello, replacing Johan Botha, who is ill.
James Levine, the Metropolitan Opera’s Music Director, will return to conducting on May 19, 2013 with the MET Orchestra at Carnegie Hall.
“I am thrilled that operatic superstar Denyce Graves will join the cast of The Mikado, singing the role of Katisha.”
So meandering and ragged a reading would be alarming at a first rehearsal; for a first night, it was a scandal.
From historical documents to the dernier cri of regie, October’s new DVD releases are a potpourri of objets d’art.
Tell us: What’s your favorite Verdi performance?
Hasten thee to feed another quarter of conversation for The Talk of the Town!
