Such stuff as dreams are made on
Happy 59th birthday baritone Simon Keenlyside.
Questo e Quello
Neither pure nor wise nor good
What better way to mark the passing of the monumental Hal Prince?
The clear light
Born on this day in 1925 theatre and opera director John Dexter.
We’ve been through the mill
We’re two gay men, with 30-plus years between us, who went together to see the Broadway adaptation of Buz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge!
The long hot summer
Your top ten posts on parterre box for the month of July are actually a Top 13, thanks to a (near) three-way tie.
An old-fashioned wedding
“Trove Thursday” presents a complete Prodanà Nevesta (aka Die Verkaufte Braut, of course) by Smetana plus extended excerpts from a broadcast of Spontini’s La Vestale in its rarely heard original French version.
Broadcast: Tristan und Isolde
The live performance from Bayreuth begins at 10:00 AM.
“Fashion comes and goes, but style is eternal”
Born on this day in 1936 designer Yves Saint-Laurent.
Hal Prince 1928–2019
The theatrical producer and director, who was associated with many of the best-known Broadway musical productions of the 20th century, has died. He was 91.
Maid in America
The second summer session of the Russian Opera Workshop concludes this week with concert performances of Tchaikovsky’s Maid of Orleans.
Winterstorms that go bump in the night
A hefty thunderclap shook Tanglewood’s Koussevitzky Shed just as Andris Nelsons raised his baton for the third act of the weekend’s concert Die Walküre.
Summer nights
On this day in 1967 Judy Garland arrived At Home at the Palace for a four week engagement at the famed Broadway theater.
Another sloe-eyed vamp
The Met Live in 2018-2020 HD series (including Joyce DiDonato‘s role debut as Carlotta Campion) is now on sale.
Strangers when we meet
The aphorisms projected before each act of Das Wunder der Heliane suggested the work concerns the transformative power of love—but does it really?
She burned too bright for this world
Born on this day in 1818 writer Emily Bronte.
Touch me in the morning
Happy 62nd birthday soprano Alessandra Marc.
Broadcast: Agrippina
Live from the Bayerische Staatsoper, Handel’s opera of intrigue.
Songs of innocence
Blind Injustice is a masterpiece, brilliant theater.
Old-Fashioned Wedding
On this day in 1964, Broadway diva Ethel Merman divorced academy Academy award-winning actor Ernest Borgnine.
“Dein brennend Haupt umwehe Kühle”
The burn here surely is the Publikum’s applause.
Broadcasts from Bayreuth and Salzburg
Your choice this afternoon, cher public, as a very busy Saturday offers two very important broadcasts.
Crimes of a ragged century
The Mac-Haydn Theatre are giving Ragtime, a musical about turn-of-the-century race relations, unwelcome immigrants, labor revolts against brute force and the collapse of the traditional family.
“Everything was believed except the truth”
Born on this day in 1824 dramatist Alexandre Dumas, fils.
Win a Free Ticket to Opening Night at the Met!
Quinn Kelsey and Lise Davidsen star in the Met's new Macbeth. We're giving away one ticket, so screw your courage to the sticking place and enter now!
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).
