Reviews

Look what happened to “Mabel” Look what happened to “Mabel”

Time heals almost everything, as Jerry Herman’s best score is stylishly resurrected.

Skeleton key Skeleton key

Original Director Richard Jones and revival director Benjamin Davis have created a staging that veers wildly between fascinating and fatally flawed.

Roberto dangerously Roberto dangerously

For those of you keeping track at home that’s four substitutions for three roles and the curtain hasn’t even gone up yet.

Another version of the sleuth Another version of the sleuth

Opera for families may not generally be my thing, but I loved feeling like I was a tiny part of shaping a new opera.

The perfect match The perfect match

If only she’d been able to sing more than 10 minutes of Bjork’s music!

After the parade After the parade

Dolly definitely did not have me at Hello!

A new meadow to wander in A new meadow to wander in

Over the past two decades, the understatedly beguiling Sasha Cooke has inched chronologically inwards in her subtle conquest of swathes of mezzo concert repertoire.

Love sex magic Love sex magic

By an astounding coincidence, on Monday night Handel’s third and fourth extant operas were being performed simultaneously across the street from each other at Lincoln Center.

Favorite things Favorite things

Donizetti’s La Favorite remains a relative rarity in the repertoire, especially in the original French version.

All out of love All out of love

The success of Porgy and Bess at the Met forced bass-baritone Eric Owens, the newly installed director of vocal studies at the Curtis Institute, to cancel a long-planned afternoon recital at the school on February 16.

A delicate balance A delicate balance

Saturday’s performance of Così fan tutte demonstrated that even the cool, acerbic wit of Mozart’s most controversial comedy can warm our hearts in these icy winter months.

Under the covers Under the covers

Winter weather has taken a toll on the cast of Lyric Opera of Chicago’s revival of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly.

Speak loudly Speak loudly

Do we do what we have to do? Or do we have to do what we do?

“Operatic whitewashing” “Operatic whitewashing”

On the day of the Super Bowl, I attended a near-sold-out screening of the Paris Opéra’s recent production of Rameau’s 1735 opéra-ballet Les Indes galantes at New York’s Alliance Française.

Constant surveillance Constant surveillance

It’s 2020, Ivo’s the new Ethel Merman, and I caught a preview of his fourth Broadway show and first Broadway musical, West Side Story.

Keep the Rome fires burning Keep the Rome fires burning

Handel’s biting Agrippina finally arrived at the Metropolitan Opera Thursday evening 310 years after its Venetian premiere.

Better than the sum of its parts Better than the sum of its parts

Is there any opera more bullet-proof than Le Nozze di Figaro?

Songs of mirth and triumph sing Songs of mirth and triumph sing

Pretty is its own reward.

You tread on my dreams You tread on my dreams

Wednesday night’s New York Philharmonic concert was a high-stakes performance for a number of reasons.

Elegance, passion and poise Elegance, passion and poise

It is rare to be moved to tears by a lieder recital. It is rarer still to be moved to tears by the third song on a recital program.

Bone voyage Bone voyage

In Winterreise, Peter Mattei’s persona is burly and brusque, a sarcastic introvert, full of contempt for his romantic weaknesses with squalls of anger and lyrical reflection by turns.

Brimming with life Brimming with life

I’ve heard starrier performances, but none that made a more powerful case for this masterwork.

Faust class Faust class

Michael Spyres as Faust, despite a few flickers of indisposition, was nearly ideal.

Raising genius Raising genius

A special program note for Saturday night’s performance of Matthew Aucoin’s new opera Eurydice pointed to a rare convergence of three MacArthur Grant fellows in its creation and staging.