The legendary Florence Foster Jenkins, who until recently held the title “America’s Most Delusional Diva,” has gone bicoastal. The delightful play with music Souvenir, a “fantasia” on the life and exploits of La Jenkins, opens October 12 at the Brentwood Theater in Los Angeles for a month-long stint. Recreating her Tony-nominated turn as FFJ is […]
To paraphrase only slightly La Cieca’s dear friend Mrs. Lloyd Richards, “This beats all world’s records for running, standing and jumping Gaul!” Yes, cher public, that day we have all dreaded will soon arrive, because, so La Cieca hears, the contracts have been signed for a new production of Norma in Zurich, to be televised […]
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).
Okay, maybe not all that mysterious, but it’s a very cool skin design for Unnatural Acts of Opera, plus what La Cieca hopes will be a more user-friendly interface. You can try out the new podcast player here, or skip on over to Unnatural Acts of Opera for the new player’s debut presentation, a 1969 […]
Our own JJ reacts to his recent “maple syrup enema” in Gay City News.
Which young diva’s career ascent has been (if not completely, certainly a lot) via her alleged willingness to let the intendant of a certain European opera house into her trousers? Her star turns under his regime have not been well reviewed (as a whole) and her detractors whisper that even her upcoming U.S. engagements would […]
The Deutsche Oper, which last week cancelled a production for fear of protests by Muslims, announced Wednesday it was reinstating their Hans Neuenfels production of Idomeneo, but set no date. Opera house spokesman Alexander Busche said, “The earliest slot for the production is in December, but first we need an okay about security from the […]
“Super Drag Diva” Shequida (pictured here with unidentified gogomeat) will make all kinds of history on December 16 and 17 when she sings her first Komponist in performances of Ariadne auf Naxos at Merkin Concert Hall. This co-production by Ensemble du Monde, Opera Noire of New York and Pegasus Opera of London will also feature […]
It looks like La Cieca spoke too soon. Dr. Jonathan Miller‘s 2004 announcement of his farewell to opera direction has turned out to be, like so much the good doctor says, a load of bullshit. “England is obsessed with the cutting edge, the new thing, and if you’re as old as I am, you’re assumed […]
The Sirius Metropolitan Opera Radio website now includes a schedule of performances for the upcoming week. For details on who sings what in the archival offerings, you can turn to the Metopera Database.
This just in: the Met will offer $20 “rush” tickets to selected Monday – Thursday performances beginning with the tomorrow’s season premiere of Faust. According to a release from the Met’s press department, 200 Orchestra seats — regularly priced at $100 — will be offered at $20 per ticket at the Met box office beginning […]
Now playing on Sirius Satellite Radio, the January 17, 1973 performance of Norma with the following stellar cast … Norma: Montserrat Caballé; Pollione: Carlo Cossutta; Adalgisa: Fiorenza Cossotto; Oroveso: Giorgio Tozzi; Flavio: Charles Anthony; Clotilde: Carlotta Ordassy. Conductor: Carlo Felice Cillario. (So, don’t you think now is a good time to check out the Free […]
In the current issue of the New Yorker, Alex Ross offers a thoughtful response to the Met’s Butterfly and related Gelberei.
Unnatural Acts of Opera salutes bass-baritone Thomas Stewart with selections from Der Fliegende Hollaender, Die Meistersinger, Die Walkuere, Arabella, and American songs.
The late Thomas Stewart as Wotan in Herbert von Karajan‘s film of Das Rheingold. La Cieca will present a podcast tribute to Mr. Stewart this weekend.
Announced today: highlights of the archival Met broadcasts to be featured on Sirius during the month of October: Carmen (1/9/37) Papi; Ponselle, Bodanya, Rayner, Huehn Lucia di Lammermoor (2/27/37) Papi; Pons, Jagel, Brownlee, Pinza Die Walküre (12/2/44) Szell; Traubel, Bampton, Thorborg, Melchior, Janssen, Kipnis Roméo et Juliette (2/1/47) Cooper; Sayão, Benzell, Turner, Björling, Brownlee, Moscona […]
Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazon in the dress rehearsal of Manon at the Los Angeles Opera.
La Cieca is back in her beloved Sunnyside late this evening, even though the Metropolitan Opera opening night began at 6:30. By her watch, the performance of Madama Butterfly ran not quite four hours including intermissions and curtain call. Oddly, though, the evening didn’t seem unnaturally long — maybe because La Cieca enjoyed a disco […]
A few tidbits in reference to the impending Sirius broadcasts of the Met Opera. First, La Cieca’s backstage spy reports that the Met has installed literally dozens of permanent microphones in various spots in the auditorium. These mikes are described as being reminiscent of CIA spy equipment, “the kind of technology that kind pick up […]
Talking heads Anthony Tommasini and our own little JJ discussed “Opera for the Masses” yesterday afternoon on WNYC’s “Soundcheck.” The station’s website has made available the show for listening or download. (Scroll down to “Opera lives on YouTube” for JJ’s portion of the program.)
La Cieca has just noticed that when you go to the Sirius.com website, the first thing you see is a big splashy ad for the Sirius/Met partnership. Cool, right? Well, here’s more coolness. parterre.com has become an affiliate with Sirius to promote their new channel, and if you click through either of the ads on […]
That’s how one industry insider described today’s open dress rehearsal of Madama Butterfly at the Met. “More people than I’ve ever seen in the theater, some of them with tickets scalped from Ebay!” A more measured assessment comes from yet another of La Cieca’s network of operatives: “Well I am happy to say that today’s […]
Exclusive opera reviews, commentary, and top reads
delivered to your email weekly…ish.
