Cher public, La Cieca meant to turn in early tonight, but she got one of those bees in her bonnet. This particular specimen of Apis mellifera is the “debacle” (as La Cieca has been astonished to see it termed) of Anna Netrebko‘s Juliette last Saturday afternoon. Such harsh criticism La Cieca has rarely heard since […]
If, through some miracle of recombinant DNA manipulation, Madame Vera Galupe-Borszkh and Maria Montez were to have a child together, La Cieca is certain this is how she (or he, for that matter) would turn out.
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).
Imagine La Cieca’s delight when she heard that Julia Roberts has been cast in the starring role of Voce di Donna, a biopic based upon the whirlwind adventures of your very own doyenne. Oscar-winner Roberts (left) beat out A-listers Nicole Kidman, Susan Sarandon and Dame Judi Dench to portray “Older Cieca.” The character in more […]
A reader writes… Dear La Cieca: I found your site through a Google search because I am trying to track down contact information for Felicia Weathers. So imagine my pleasure at the clip of “Up, Up and Away”! In 1969 I had the good fortune to play “Trouble” to Felicia Weathers’ “Cio-Cio San” in a […]
You, the cher public, have spoken. By a firm plurality of 31%, you have selected Renata Scotto‘s Lady Macbeth as the “encore” to her Adriana Lecouvreur on the current episode of Unnatural Acts of Opera. Of the 238 ballots cast, the Scottish dame garnered 74 votes. Runners-up were Norma (50 votes) and Elisabetta in Don […]
Same character, same opera, different productions. Guesses?
“At High School of Enterprise, Business and Technology on Grand Street Campus in Brooklyn, the show is sold out at nearly 1000 tickets. The school didn’t spare any effort in terms of marketing: there’s a huge color banner for ‘Live in HD’ on the side of the building, facing Bushwick Avenue, with a picture of […]
Stephanie Blythe sings Ulrica in the Met’s revival of Un ballo in maschera.
San Francisco Opera is about to hop on the HD bandwagon, promising theater transmissions of six operas a year beginning in March 2008. Unlike the Met’s simulcasts, though, San Francisco’s appear likely to turn a profit almost immediately. The company can produce their telecasts for only about $75,000 per production since earlier this year they […]
Longtime readers of parterre box will recall the series of articles entitled “Ou va la jeune andouille” by enigmatic Enzo Bordello on the subject of the youthful fan’s experiences at New Orleans Opera. One of the most infamous of all NOO events, though, was one Enzo did not experience in person: I was not allowed […]
La Cieca has once more been remiss in her podcasting, so she’s turning to you, cher public, for a little help. Thursday night La Cieca will publish the (overdue) podcast featuring the final act of Adriana Lecouvreur starring the ineffable Renata Scotto. As usual, there will be room for 20-25 minutes of additional music after […]
Leocadia Begbick (in the person of Patti Lupone, no less) issues small craft warnings for the Gulf coast. (Just a quick clip from the Mahagonny telecast scheduled for tonight at 9 PM on PBS. Check your local listings, obviously.) And, of course it’s old news by now, but la Lupone will be back on Broadway […]
A YouTuber new to La Cieca by the name of Promptersbox, has managed to make available the entire La Scala Tristan und Isolde. Your doyenne is not sure exactly where the intense magic in this performance comes from: Patrice Chéreau, Daniel Barenboim or Waltraud Meier. But magic it is!
When she first saw this photo, La Cieca thought, well, it’s about time we saw an all-bear production of The Lisbon Traviata. But, in point of fact, that delightful Terrance McNally play is not what this picture depicts. So La Cieca puts it to you, cher public What is this opera?
Maite Beaumont created a sensation as Sesto in Lyric Opera of Chicago’s recent Giulio Cesare. She’s seen and heard here as Cherubino.
La Cieca has obtained exclusive video footage of a presentation by Susan L. Baker, chairwoman of the New York City Opera, announcing plans for the company’s 2008-2009 “season.” NYCO’s announcement, dumped into the scarcely-read Saturday Times, would seem to indicate that our speculation of the past couple of weeks was, in fact, accurate.
There hasn’t been much chatter about it, but it seems that Rolando Villazón is emerging from his four-month period of silence. His recently updated website states that the tenor is scheduled for staged performances in Vienna (Manon and Werther) beginning January 5, followed by a series of concerts and a couple of Verdi Requiems in […]
Controversial soprano Anna Netrebko has gone on record categorically denying recent rumors that she… is a lesbian? (My dears, La Cieca has been out of the dating pool for a while, but even she wouldn’t mistake Erwin Schrott for a girl!) Well, my dear Sapphic comrades, all La Cieca can say is, you win some, […]
The newest member of the gaggle of Gay City News opera critic, Eli Jacobson, critiques recent NYC performances by Opera Grattacielo and Collegiate Chorale.
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