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.
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg takes her curtain call.
Unnatural Acts of Opera‘s podcast of Salome stars none other then Leonie Rysanek.
“And baking and icing…”
The celebrated ‘Triumph’ scene… borders on homoerotic porn.
“Patricia Racette will add a new role to her Met repertory as the title character in all performances of Strauss’s Salome this season…”
La Cieca is sure you’ll find something to chat about.
The entire action is set at a cocktail party at the Taylor-Burtons’ circa 1971
Legendary comet Elena Suliotis takes the title role in this 1968 performance of Catalani’s Loreley.
On this day in 1960 the Meredith Willson musical The Unsinkable Molly Brown opened on Broadway.
The production will also mark a notable New York City Opera debut with the role of the Old Lady played by Linda Lavin.
Our parterre advertisers for November are a lot more than just mild.
Those of you who follow the blog Slipped Disc will not be at all surprised that Norman Lebrecht has taken the opportunity of this weekend’s difficulties at the Met to behave like a total dick.
Dallas native Roger Kaiser, identified as the guy who sprinkled a mentor’s ashes in the pit of the Met yesterday (and all that came after) is a parterre commenter.
A source close to the Met says tonight’s L’italiana in Algeri has been canceled in the wake of an incident this afternoon when “somebody dumped an unknown white powder into the pit following act 3″ of Guillaume Tell.
If there’s anything the Kostelnicka likes, it’s having people talk about her.
From 2008, Unnatural Acts of Opera recalls 1988, when Rossini’s Il viaggo a Reims invaded the Wiener Staatoper.
Stepping into the role of Dido will be American mezzo-soprano Susan Graham.
Anna Netrebko, headliner of Sunday’s Richard Tucker Gala, is now a Latin from Manhattan.
No guarantees, because we are talking about Russian TV technology here, but apparently at 2:00 PM today there is a video stream of Manon Lescaut from the Bolshoi starring Anna Netrebko and Yusif Eyvazov!
Manon Lescaut, live from the Bolshoi Opera on October 19., 2016.
Note the early start time of 6:25 PM for tonight’s streaming broadcast of Guillaume Tell.
This is the hardest piece I’ve ever tried to write for parterre.
“Grace Bumbry Sings Richard Strauss?”
Happy National Coming Out Day!
Tell us: What’s your favorite Verdi performance?
Hasten thee to feed another quarter of conversation for The Talk of the Town!
