Revelry
Born on this day in 1883 American actor, director, and screenwriter Lon Chaney.
Recent Stories
The chopping block?
After five flops in a row, Mr. McVicar continues to win new assignments from the Met.
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).
Key, largo
In January the New York Philharmonic announced the appointment of Jaap van Zweden as its next music director commencing the 2018-19 season.
Stream of consciousness
On this day in 1901 Antonin Dvorak‘s opera Rusalka premiered in Prague.
Patronizing went the strings of my heart
Meet the charming and personable “Jane G.,” erstwhile patroness of the the Met.
The best night of her life
On this day in 1970 the musical Applause opened on Broadway.
Death upon with wicked stage
On this day in 1792 King Gustav III of Sweden died after being shot in the back at a midnight masquerade ball at Stockholm’s Royal Opera 13 days earlier.
Keenly missed
Simon, Simon, Simon: how we do love you (and miss you)!
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!
Kaufmann has not canceled, managers say
An article on the Argentine news site La Nacion states that Jonas Kaufmann will withdraw from his singing engagements for this year and the next.
Light from shadow
Javier Camarena offered a performance carefully calibrated to a more intimate venue that nonetheless offered emotionally potent results.
“Life is 95% anticipation”
Born on this day in 1899 actress and author Gloria Swanson.
Chat: Le nozze di Figaro
Welcome, cher public, to the real-time chat for this afternoon’s Met broadcast of Le nozze di Figaro, starting at 1:00 PM.
To live and die (with honor) in L.A.
Los Angeles first saw Giacomo Puccini’s Madama Butterfly presented at the Mason Opera House downtown in 1908 by the English Grand Opera Company. Rumors that LA Opera Artistic Director Placido Domingo portrayed Cio-Cio San’s little boy in that production remain unsubstantiated.
The hero with a thousand books
Born on this day in 1904 American mythologist and author Joseph Campbell.
I want your Essex
During its first-ever Roberto Devereux Thursday evening one felt transported back to the Volpe years: four of the Met’s biggest stars shining in an opulent (if occasionally perverse) but reassuringly non-challenging production paid for by Sybil B. Harrington.
If looks could kill
What is an Orphic moment? A song so sweet that even Hades must release the dead back to the living?
Neue Urteufelin
La Cieca nominates Karita Mattila to sing Kundry (imagined here in a Stefan Herheim production of Parsifal, because, after all, one can dream!)
Very old things for very new needs
With recent events in politics, it is becoming ever clearer that humankind hasn’t evolved much since the Enlightenment.
The constant nymph
Happy 72nd birthday soprano Gabriela Benackova.
Chat: Roberto Devereux
Welcome, cher public, to the real-time chat for this evening’s Met premiere of Roberto Devereux, starting at 7:55 PM. Photo: Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera
Each in her style a Delilah reborn
Forty-five years ago today, Stephen Sondheim’s brilliant, frustrating Follies played its first Broadway preview at the Winter Garden Theatre.
