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.
These videos showed up first on Opera Chic but were posted by babyfairy.
A snippet from “The View” documents the immaculate jawline and unfortunate Keely Smith diction of The Diva of the Future. In keeping with the season, she sings the classic “Awl be whom faw Krismuss.”
In our previous Regie quiz, the eponymous character who managed to avoid being photographed (and, thus the title of the opera) was “La Calisto” by dear old Francesco Cavalli. The production was from the Landestheater Linz, directed by Matthias Davids. An opera from a more recent century, after the jump.Â
Broadway star, opera diva, image consultant, self-help guru: the late Dorothy Sarnoff was all these and more. But did you know that (according to the New York Times) Ms. Sarnoff was also a pioneer in the field of gay-themed opera?
Something about the role of Maddalena in Rigoletto seems to bring out the most extreme behavior in mezzo-sopranos, whether it’s the Brainfart of Herta Glaz or the celebrated Woman on the Verge of a Wardrobe Misfunction corsetry of Isola Jones. But the award for Most Hairpieces Ever Worn at the Same Time must surely go…
Almost a billion dollars in Italian government cultural funding will disappear in the next few years, which means massive cutbacks and possibly even closures to the country’s 14 opera houses. [via Chicago Tribune]
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La Cieca invites the cher public to supply their own captions to this photo of “Dresser strapping corset on Heldentenor Lauritz Melchior backstage at the Metropolitan Opera House as he prepares to sing his 200th Tristan.” (1944/Alfred Eisenstaedt)
A casual mot by your doyenne clocks in at #6 on Gawker’s list of top ten comments of 2008.
Two people who probably should be discouraged from owning firearms, Thomas Hampson and Kathleen Battle, belt out a number from Irving Berlin‘s Annie Get Your Gun. [kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/HUSpNlhq6cQ” width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /]
Okay, La Cieca’s going to commit and say that based on what hearsay she’s heard said thus far, George Steel is going to say, “Thanks but no thanks” to the NYCO. Why? Two reasons, La Cieca would say. 1. Whoever takes on the NYCO job, no matter how adventurous and no matter how well-connected, is…
He’s interested. He’s not interested. And yet, he’s still in the running. According to former NYCO honcho Mark Weinstein, “…the embattled company will appoint George Steel, the former director of Columbia University’s Miller Theater, to the [director] position in early January.” Need I add that Susan Baker hasn’t answered the phone in days? Now, La Cieca loves…
A garden of Diva Blingees is right after the jump.
Fun for the holiday season: La Cieca invites her cher public to blingee your favorite diva and then email your doyenne the image or link to include on parterre.com. Update: Our Own Harold submits the first of what La Cieca is sure will be the first of many blinged-out opera stars:Â
Followers of the cultural scene on the Left Coast will be interested to see that Michael Capasso (of Dicapo gala notoriety) is apparently involved in the production of A Christmas Carol at the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles. Although the graphic promises “John Goodman, Jane Leeves, Jane Seymour, with Christopher Lloyd . . . and…
According to Bloomberg News, George Steel is interested in running the New York City Opera. However, the situation is complicated by the fact that George Steel is not interested in running the New York City Opera. What is clear, though, is that La Cieca had the story first.
La Cieca just saw what must be the Platonic ideal of a Regie Quiz photo, but since the piece is supposed to be a sendup, it’s really not eligible for competition. And yet… pugs in iguana costumes! Brilliant! If you want to know more about this work, click here.
Diva Angela Gheorghiu, due onstage at the Met next week for a new production of La rondine, is seen heard here as a remarkably complete package at the age of only 20. The video is dated 1986, four years before the soprano’s professional opera debut. [kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/8aBVrSgwp9o” width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /]
Here’s a gala a little further into the future but more firmly grounded in reality than tomorrow’s event for Dicapo: To purchase tickets for this concert benefiting Blue Gargoyle and its literacy programs, you can click here.
As commenter paddypig points out, something fishy seems to be going on with the Puccini 150th Anniversary Gala presented by Dicapo Opera Theatre, scheduled for this Monday night. As of this evening, the company’s website still advertises “Daniela Dessi, Fabio Armiliato, Francisco Casanova, Aprile Millo, Francesca Patané and others” even though certainly Millo is not…
Can it be a whole month since the Regie Quiz last graced the laptops of the cher public? Indeed it has, and perhaps now it is a bit anticlimactic to reveal that the operatic rarity depicted in that long-ago puzzler was Marco Polo. This one’s not a bread and butter work either, and La Cieca…
A different look at Thaïs, this time from the Teatro Regio di Torino. Thaïs: Barbara Frittoli; Athanaël: Lado Ataneli; Nicias: Alessandro Liberatore. Teatro Regio di Torino. Conductor: Gianandrea Noseda. Stage direction, design and choreography by Stefano Poda.
La Cieca hears whispers that Will Crutchfield‘s “Bel Canto at Caramoor” may be the next victim of the economic crisis. No reflection on Will (he can’t be expected to predict the future, after all), but the year the nation enters a recession is hardly the best time to try to put on Semiramide. Update: La Cieca just…
A judge ordered “felonthropist” Alberto Vilar imprisoned Thursday to await sentencing after his conviction on conspiracy fraud charges. [via Business Week]
Tell us: What’s your favorite Verdi performance?
Hasten thee to feed another quarter of conversation for The Talk of the Town!
