The Philadelphia Story
La Cieca thought you, the cher public, might enjoy the return of some classic episodes of Unnatural Acts of Opera.
Questo e Quello
Less than meets the eye
Born on this day in 1907 legendary costume designer Jean Louis.
Period piece
Jean-Pierre Ponnelle’s production of L’Italiana in Algeri for the Met remains steadfastly ignorant of postcolonial theory.
Go into your glance
Happy birthday to mean, moody, magnificent mezzo-soprano Rinat Shaham.
If you want to send a message, don’t use the ‘Telegraph’
Not Verdi but Elton John. Oops!
O patria, quanto mi costi!
“The antagonistic themes of Aida seem to have spilled into the wings after a student production of Giuseppe Verdi’s opera was cancelled amid a row over suggestions of ‘cultural appropriation’.”
Chat: L’Italiana in Algeri
In tonight’s performance of L’Italiana in Algeri, surely any shipwrecks will be confined to the plot.
A new beginning
Lyric Opera of Chicago’s 2016-17 season got off to an exciting start on Saturday night with Wagner’s Das Rheingold.
The race is not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, but that’s the way to bet
Born on this day in 1880 journalist and writer Damon Runyon.
Strike up the banned
Jonny spielt auf, the second opera by 26-year-old composer Ernest K?enek, was such a huge success after its 1927 Leipzig premiere that in the following season it was performed 491 times in Germany alone.
What kind of fool I am
On this day in 1962 the Leslie Bricuse–Anthony Newley musical Stop the World I Want to Get Off opened on Broadway.
Good evening
On this day in 1955 Alfred Hitchcock Presents premiered.
Thursday’s child
Theater Basel offers its first livestream ever, of Karlheinz Stockhausen’s rarely performed Donnerstag aus Licht.
Wish I may
On this day in 1941 the Hugh Martin–Ralph Blane musical Best Foot Forward opened on Broadway.
Poet manqué
“Jonas Kaufmann est contraint de se retirer de la production des Contes d’Hoffmann à l’Opéra Bastille.”
How the quest was won
On this day in 1791 Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte premiered in Vienna.
Geopolitics Italian style
How Verdi’s opera might address this particular nightmare was unclear.
I am not carefree
Born on this day in 1942 singer and actress Madeline Kahn.
An uncommon waitress
On this day in 1945 Mildred Price opened at the Strand Theatre in New York City.
No view from the bridge
Mariusz Trelinski unveiled a rather gloomy, though musically satisfying, Tristan und Isolde.
Keep the Rome fires burning
I offer an alternative to those who aren’t fans of Wagner: Mozart’s La clemenza di Tito from the house where it premiered.
No day but today
Happy 59th birthday opera director Peter Sellars.
I’ll take the fall
The days are getting shorter, but you can keep the prattle going this fall’s Talk of the Town! You will, you can, you must join in the discussion about: Great mezzo soprano performances (October),
Gained in translation (November), Teleport me back to… (December).