“Du hast eine halbe Million geheiratet”
La Cieca is gratified and even mildly humbled to announce that parterre.com garnered over half a million pageviews in the month of October, representing over 30,000 unique visitors.
Recent Stories
I did say so, when first I raised the tempest
On this day in 1611 Shakespeare’s romance The Tempest was presented by the King’s Men before James I at Whitehall Palace.
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).
Chute and ladders
San Francisco Opera yesterday announced its third major cast change in five days.
“When you will make an end of it?”
On this day in 1541 Michelangelo Buonarroti finished painting The Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel.
Veiled threat
Angela Gheorghiu‘ s idiosyncratically alluring, sometimes maddening, always fascinating Floria Tosca inevitably became the evening’s unmissable raison d’être.
Trick or trill
With help from the Met’s invaluable performance archive, here is a look back at just some of what you could have seen, and perhaps did see, on October 31st through the years at the Met.
Leave out the cherry
On this day in 1940 Cole Porter‘s musical Panama Hattie opened at the 46th Street Theatre, to run 501 performances.
Bizet, Bizet, Bizet!
“Trove Thursday” presents Don Procopio, an early two-act confection in Italian featuring an all-star French (and Belgian) cast.
Bubble
On this day in 1929, the Black Tuesday stock market crash triggered the Great Depression.
Room at the top
Due to illness, soprano Nadine Sierra is unable to perform. Replacing Ms. Sierra in the title role of Lucia is Russian soprano Albina Shagimuratova.”
Separated at cleavage
Don’t tell Sonya Yoncheva, but it looks like Angela Gheorghiu has stolen her costume from Otello Act 3.
Some people need sequins, others don’t
Born on this day in 1907 costume designer Edith Head.
Count or countess
“Mezzo Susan Graham’s 2015-16 Includes Count/Countess Double Act at the Met Opera in November and December”
Pa-Pa-Pa-Planter’s Punch
With a primary color, projection-heavy English-language Magic Flute that’s going to feel like a matinee whenever you see it, the SFO season has lived up to its initial promise.
“We need a futile gesture at this stage”
On this day in 1962 the revue Beyond the Fringe opened at the John Golden Theater, to run 673 performances.
Dream girl
Whatever happened to Stefania Bonfadelli?
Wrought irony
On this day in 1931 Eugene O’Neill‘s Mourning Becomes Electra premiered at the Guild Theatre in New York City.
If I had a photograph of you
So, as La Cieca understands it, this Halloween Rene Pape is going as Alice Coote disguised as Simon Le Bon playing The Joker attending a Flock of Seagulls concert.
Do I detect the smell of burning martyr?
On this day in 1415 Henry V‘s forces defeated the larger French army at the Battle of Agincourt.
Tisi spell
On this day in 1882 Robert Koch discovered Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes tuberculosis.
“Safe and restful, sleep , sleep, sleep”
Everyone’s a critic, even the Met Opera on Demand player.
The flop side
On this day in 1967 the musical Henry, Sweet Henry opened at the Palace Theater for 80 performances.
That opera guy
“OPERA America is delighted to announce that renowned actor David Hyde Pierce is serving as the Honorary Chairman of National Opera Week 2015, encouraging audiences to explore opera.”