Reviews

Down for the Count Down for the Count

An uneven new cast can’t dim the glow of Richard Eyre‘s incisive Le nozze di Figaro at the Met

Strawberry blonde forever Strawberry blonde forever

The Met Orchestra Chamber Ensemble’s Das Lied von der Erde skirts the sublime at Carnegie Hall

Frick in the sheets Frick in the sheets

The Jupiter Ensemble with Lea Desandre and Anthony Roth Costanzo offers sleek and sexy HIP inaugurates the Frick Collection’s new Stephen A. Schwartzman Auditorium

Now you Caesar, now you don’t Now you Caesar, now you don’t

Before stopping at Carnegie Hall this weekend, The English Concert returned to the Bay Area last week with a fiery performance of Giulio Cesare

Little girls get bigger every day Little girls get bigger every day

Elza van den Heever and Peter Mattei (and the stage elevator) elevate an assertive, if not definitive, new Salome at the Met

Fjord every stream Fjord every stream

Lise Davidsen‘s singular Senta dominates the forces of the Norwegian National Opera in a roiling new recording of Der fliegende Holländer out now on Decca Classics

Force of habit Force of habit

Turmoil and injustice in the federal government; turmoil and grief in the Catholic Church: the time sure seems right for a staging of Francis Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites.

Ritorna vincitrice Ritorna vincitrice

Elina Garanca is back at the Met for the first time since 2020 — her Amneris is, in a word, sensational.

Momentum mori Momentum mori

A fine Don Giovanni at Opera Philadelphia rounds out the company’s inaugural season under Anthony Roth Costanzo

A masked ball A masked ball

Opera San José (OSJ) concluded its eclectic 41st Season with another first, Héctor Armienta’s Zorro, which received its Northern California premiere at the California Theatre on Friday, April 19th.

Sex power god Sex power god

Breaking the Waves and Tannhaüser at Houston Grand Opera are a can’t-miss doubleheader of sex and miracles.

Smash or pass Smash or pass

The long-awaited Broadway musical adaptation of the NBC series Smash is “not Bombshell – it’s just a bomb,” according to David Fox and Cameron Kelsall.

Bye bye, birdie Bye bye, birdie

A feast of whimsy for the recently resurrected in Aaron Siegel’s new opera, Rainbird

Fractured féerie tales Fractured féerie tales

Félix Fourdrain‘s “féerie” Les Contes de Perrault by the Frivolités Parisiennes is as fun for adults as it is for children

Brain Wurm Brain Wurm

By the time the curtain rose on Verdi’s Luisa Miller last Sunday in Washington Concert Opera’s final show of the season, the originally announced line-up was about as accurate as a federal agency org chart from February.

I love the flower girl I love the flower girl

It began with charming modesty.

C’est une vraie voix C’est une vraie voix

Don Carlos returns to the Opéra National de Paris and it’s an unusually happy occasion

Humdrum existence Humdrum existence

Missy Mazzoli has established herself as one of contemporary opera’s most skilled and subtle architects of emotional response, and her latest, The Listeners—now at the Lyric Opera of Chicago—is no exception.

Happiness indeed Happiness indeed

The nail-biting adventures of Voltaire’s titular hero Candide are hardly more circuitous than those faced by Leonard Bernstein’s 1956 Broadway musical adaptation.

Pennies from heaven Pennies from heaven

BAM is back!

Like the poem said by a lady in red Like the poem said by a lady in red

Boop! The Musical arrives on Broadway with plenty of colorful glitz, glamour, and talent with an empowering message for women to find their inner confidence to succeed and lead

Seville servants Seville servants

A muted and merry carousel ride out of feudalism in the Met’s production of Le nozze di Figaro

Povera <em>Butterfly</em> Povera <em>Butterfly</em>

A parade of young singers delight in an intimate Madama Butterfly at Amore Opera

Sick and tired Sick and tired

Before this weekend, I never thought I would want to leave an opera by Act I. The recent production of Puccini’s La bohème at the Lyric Opera of Chicago taught me that there’s a first time for everything.