Casting a Paul
“Paul Appleby will sing Don Ottavio in tonight’s performance of Mozart’s Don Giovanni, replacing Pavol Breslik, who is ill,.”
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Three little birds
Born on this day in 1933 soprano Montserrat Caballé.
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).
Ryan’s hope
Sunday’s “Rising Stars in Concert”, featuring the Ryan Opera Center ensemble and members of the Lyric Opera Orchestra, was a stirring and entertainingly musical afternoon.
Handsomely done
Peter Mattei, one of my two favorite baritones these days, in an unexpected title role, Britten’s Billy Budd.
Blonde faith
On this day in 1975 soprano Katia Ricciarelli made her Met debut as Mimi.
I hear singing and there’s no one there
“What you may not realize is that most of the sound effects and background music have been made entirely from a base of recorded clusters of notes sung by Ms. Fleming.”
Spring awakening
On this day in 1996 tenor Roberto Alagna made his Met debut as Rodolfo.
A Lesbian in distress
Zelmira, a work of 1822, was the last of the eight operas Rossini composed for the Teatro San Carlo in Naples, then the largest opera house in Italy—perhaps in Europe.
Wild and whirling words
On this day in 1964, Richard Burton opened in Hamlet at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre.
Get ur frack on
“The first person walks out of this preview performance about 30 minutes in…”
The harsh untruth of the camera eye
Ivo van Hove really seems to be everywhere lately.
Once upon a prince
Born on this day in 1921 tenor Franco Corelli.
I want to take you higher
The Richard Tucker Music Foundation announced today that Lisette Oropesa has been named as the winner of the 2019 Richard Tucker Award.
The damned don’t cry
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.
Star-spangled Rossini
On this day in 1975 soprano Beverly Sills made her official Met debut as Pamira.
Broadcast: La Juive
Let the creepiness from Met begin (for today, anyway) at 1:00 PM.
Here comes my girl
On this day in 1989 soprano Sumi Jo made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Gilda.
Strangers in the night
One needs liberty in order to be a libertine.
A woman’s career
Born on this day in 1908 definitive American film actress Bette Davis.
Co-stella del marinar
“Trove Thursday” salutes Rosalind Elias today with what—at first glance—might be mistaken for a Met La Gioconda.
Briefs encounter
Trial by Jury was the operetta chosen by Lamplighters Music Theatre, the San Francisco-based Gilbert & Sullivan company, to close their 66th season.
Somebody, please buy a ticket to us
On this day in 1964 Stephen Sondheim’s Anyone Can Whistle premiered on Broadway and closed after nine performances.