Questo e Quello
Michael Mayer‘s production of La traviata at the Met is so timid, so devoid of insight, so cynically pandering and gaudy that I hardly feel like it even matters what I think of the performances of the current cast.
On this day in 1975 soprano Beverly Sills made her official Met debut as Pamira.
Let the creepiness from Met begin (for today, anyway) at 1:00 PM.
On this day in 1989 soprano Sumi Jo made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Gilda.
One needs liberty in order to be a libertine.
Born on this day in 1908 definitive American film actress Bette Davis.
“Trove Thursday” salutes Rosalind Elias today with what—at first glance—might be mistaken for a Met La Gioconda.
Trial by Jury was the operetta chosen by Lamplighters Music Theatre, the San Francisco-based Gilbert & Sullivan company, to close their 66th season.
On this day in 1964 Stephen Sondheim’s Anyone Can Whistle premiered on Broadway and closed after nine performances.
We owe director John Doyle and Classic Stage Company a debt of gratitude for bringing Blitzstein’s The Cradle Will Rock—warts and all—to the stage.
Have a Roman holiday this evening starting at 7:55 PM, cher public!
Anna Netrebko sings con Forza.
On this day in 1975 soprano Magda Olivero made her historical, belated Metropolitan Opera debut as Tosca.
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On this day in 1977 tenor Guy Chauvet made his Metropolitan Opera debut as Samson.
The return of Sondra Radvanovsky to the Met in Aida dominated parterre box in March.
The finals on Sunday seemed a bit like the modern-day operatic equivalent of the Roman colosseum.
I’d like to create a pasta dish in honor of Ambrogio Maestri’s art.
At tonight’s performance of Das Rheingold, the role of Woglinde will be sung by Aprile Millo.
At the Metropolitan Opera on Saturday night, Mozart’s opera never sounded fresher, a superstar cast shining new light on one of the composer’s all-too-seldom-performed scores.
On this day in 1999 the Metropolitan Opera presented its premiere of Carlisle Floyd‘s Susannah.
There’s a live video webcast of Puccini’s western from the Bayerische Staatsoper starting at 2:00 PM EDT.
Wake up, sleepyheads, and tune in to this afternoon’s live Met broadcast at noon.
On this day in 1970 tenor Nico Castel made his Metropolitan Opera debut as Don Basilo in Le nozze di Figaro.
Tell us: What was the best of 2025?
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.
