Recent Stories
A merry widow
Born on this day in 1908 actress and comedian Imogene Coca.
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).
It gives my heart a Pang
On this day in 1926 the US premiere and first Metropolitan Opera performance of Puccini’s Turandot.
Just come along with me a while
Happy 89th birthday to songstress Petula Clark!
State of Grace
Born on this day in 1929 actress Grace Kelly, later Princess Grace of Monaco.
Not really about ‘La bohème’
What is there to say about the Franco Zeffirelli Bohème? What is left to say?
Take me to the world
With one show opening Sunday, another beginning previews on Monday and two more scheduled for the spring, 2021-22 will be yet another Stephen Sondheim-centric season in New York City which leads Trove Thursday to offer three “international” live recordings in which the artist’s works are performed without his inimitable English lyrics.
It ain’t easy being tween
The purview of so much gay theater still focuses squarely on trauma—consider the recent Tony sweep of The Inheritance—that the story of a queeny pre-teen who loves Diana Ross and lives out loud unapologetically seemed like a welcome tonic.
Catch him if you can!
Born on this day in 1889 actor Claude Rains.
La bohème
Conductor Eun Sun Kim, who became music director of San Francisco Opera this fall, makes her Met debut.
Tour de force
In their realization of Alcina, Harry Bicket and his ensemble recreated a dramatically vivid and musically nuanced character study out of the opera’s central figures.
Unequal tooning
There is sensory overload, and very little humanity.
Maybe Tuesday
Born on this day in 1922 singer and actress Dorothy Dandridge.
Open and clothes case
From an exposure standpoint, Ruth Bader Ginsburg was the best thing to happen to opera since Beverly Sills.
Man in the mirror
Born on this day in 1847 novelist Bram Stoker.
The trill of it all
Born on this day in 1926 soprano Joan Sutherland.
Am I blue?
Born on this day in 1901 musical theatre and film actress Juanita Hall.
Enjoy your ice cream while it’s on your plate
Born on this day in 1913 actress Vivien Leigh.
Witchy women
You’d think after nearly 40 years of opera going I’d have seen almost everything.. .twice. Yet I found myself at LA Opera Tuesday night for a special presentation of George Frideric Handel’s Alcina which was my first live experience with one of his operas.
Straight to hell
November in New York hosts two premieres dedicated to mythology’s greatest musician, which prompts Trove Thursday to present a vintage Monteverdi L’Orfeo with Judith Raskin and Gérard Souzay conducted by Leopold Stokowski (!) and a recent HIP London broadcast of Luigi Rossi’s L’Orfeo.
The Gaby Glide
Born on this day in 1881 artiste Gaby Deslys.
‘Morning’ is broken
Morning Sun often feels as occluded and distancing as the austere, featureless set on which it’s performed.