La Cieca hears that the New York City Opera will present four five productions during their 2009-2010 season, including a new staging of Don Giovanni directed by David Christopher Alden and starring Daniel Okulitch (pictured). Revivals of “old” NYCO productions at The David H. Koch Theater include Weisgall’s Esther (with Lauren Flanigan), L’etoile, Partenope and […]
A source close to the Met whispers to La Cieca that Rolando Villazon “will cancel” the first performance of L’elisir d’amore at the house on March 31. This, La Cieca should mention, is based on an overheard conversation between Sarah Billinghurst and Angela Gheorghiu.
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).
Which soprano’s knee injury is fermenting trouble for her highly-awaited appearances in New York this spring? Let’s hope the company is ready with a rescue team!
In tribute to the last revival ever of the Met’s beloved “rags ‘n rocks” production of Wagner’s Ring, here’s a rare video clip from an early rehearsal of the cycle.
Peter Gelb has just announced that, due to the indisposition of Natalie Dessay, the role of Amina in La sonnambula will be sung tonight by Rolando Villazon. (Thanks to Opera Chic!)
As we wish Joan Crawford a happy 101st (or 105th) birthday, La Cieca asks you to imagine what it might have been (pronounced “bean”) like if Our Lady of the Shoulders had continued her vocal studies with Rosa Ponselle. Not “Joan Crawford Sings Verdi” exactly, but, my goodness, that woman could certainly fill out an […]
In case you’re wondering why Roberto Alagna‘s Roméo suddenly sprouted baby-blue capri pants between dress rehearsal and opening night, well, cherchez la femme, as they say. “It was a little bit tricky,” [Alagna] laughs. “They gave me a sort of, I don’t know, very short underwear. It was right for the situation, but Angela didn’t agree. […]
According to a release from the Met’s press office, “Margaret Jane Wray will sing the role of Santuzza in Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana tonight, replacing Waltraud Meier, who is ill.”
Opera composer Rufus Wainwright sings Berlioz. [kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/psUGIE7Ugjw” width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /]
It’s been nearly a month since the last spurt of news about the New York City Opera, which, for those of you with not particularly long memories, is or was an opera company just off to the side of the Met at Lincoln Center. Well, now the first big story of March has crossed La Cieca’s desk. […]
La Cieca offers her congratulations to fellow gossipmonger Perez Hilton, who has scooped the world with a story about Rufus Wainwright‘s opera Prima Donna, due for a world premiere production in… oh, wait a minute. Did La Cieca say “scooped the world?” What she meant to say was, “picked up on the story a mere […]
Anyone listening to “The Pizza Boy Always Delivers Twice” tonight? La Cieca has just logged on in time for Alfio’s entrance, which means Waltraud Meier has a good deal of singing coming up in the next half hour or so.
Our Own JJ reports on the Met’s 125th Anniversary Shindig in the New York Post.
Renée Fleming, known as “The Beautiful Voice” and “Diva of the Future,” has won a new whaddyacallit, a new, uh, sobriquet. Courtesy of commenter Camille, Ms. Fleming will henceforth be known as “Opera MILF.” (At last night’s 125th Anniversary Gala, La Fleming rocked “a costume based on the one worn by Maria Jeritza for [Die […]
La Cieca (not pictured) invites you, cher public, to listen to the broadcast of the Met’s 125th Anniversary Gala (on Sirius or RealNetworks) and comment to your heart’s content! The (projected) program is availabe as a pdf from the Met’s website.
Friends of the box have asked La Cieca to inform you that they have two tickets for today’s 125th Anniversary Gala for sale, row C orchestra, $400 each. If you’re interested, call 646-266-8423 and ask for Siciliano. (That’s his name.)
La Cieca is of course delighted to learn that dear John Waters intends to have Pink Flamingos adapted into an opera — though, sadly, he might as well forget about having the work premiered in his home town. La Cieca can’t imagine which currently active composer might be up for the daunting task of setting […]
Our Own JJ makes his farewell to Gay City News, — not “in a box — simple pine” à la Morgana Neri — but with a review of the Met’s current production of Il trovatore. Meanwhile, still in place, and festive as ever, is that pearl among podcasts, The Entertainment Beat with Frances Gumm.
Plácido Domingo answers some of the usual questions and reveals when opera is boring in the current Newsweek.
La Cieca presents the second act of La sonnambula on Unnatural Acts of Opera. La sonnambula, Act 2 After the act, a taste of Renata Scotto‘s Norma.
Which diva predictably arrived late for rehearsal of her spot on the Met’s 125th Anniversary Gala? I’m sure the tardy singer did not laugh to see that another diva had already launched her comeback by sight-reading the aria from the prompter’s score!
According to a press release from the Met, “René Pape has withdrawn from the Met’s 125th Anniversary Gala on Sunday, March 15, due to illness.”  The cancellation starts a daisy chain of cast reshuffling, so listen carefully: John Tomlinson will sing the Death Scene from Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov, replacing Pape. James Morris will sing Wotan in […]
[This caption by armerjacquino replaces La Cieca’s original, “Waiter, there’s some soup on my fly!”] Photo by Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera.
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