Which side story? Which side story?

Vivacious performances outweigh a host of odd directorial choices in the Washington National Opera‘s
West Side Story

Lady in the dark Lady in the dark

Golda Schultz and Jonathan Ware present Dark Matter(s), an intriguing program of songs, at the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society.

I’m likin’ this American boy I’m likin’ this American boy

Baritone John Brancy smoothly traverses the American songbook at Carnegie Hall. 

Staring into the abbess Staring into the abbess

Dan Johnson gives an inside look at the creation of Sarah Kirkland Snider‘s rapturous new opera Hildegard which opens at New York’s PROTOTYPE Festival next week.

Follow your bliss Follow your bliss

In recital for the Los Angeles Opera, tenor Ben Bliss makes the case for the next stage of his career.

It all began tonight It all began tonight

West Side Story opened LA Opera’s 40th anniversary season with fury and flair

Change my mind about performing operetta in English Change my mind about performing operetta in English

I so don’t get why any company in the Anglophone world ever bothers to perform Continental operetta in English.

Prêtre a manger Prêtre a manger

parterre box serves up an amuse-bouche of Natalie Dessay as Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd in Strasbourg!

This summer I’m reading <em>How Sondheim Can Change Your Life</em> This summer I’m reading <em>How Sondheim Can Change Your Life</em>

Not about opera per se, Sweeney Todd notwithstanding, but I’m looking forward to reading the poignant and touching ode to Sondheim’s oeuvre by Richard Schoch.

Happiness indeed Happiness indeed

The nail-biting adventures of Voltaire’s titular hero Candide are hardly more circuitous than those faced by Leonard Bernstein’s 1956 Broadway musical adaptation.

One more souvenir of bliss One more souvenir of bliss

This week, Chris’s Cache offers a performance of Follies from 2007 featuring Lucine Amara as a rarely richly sung Heidi alongside Donna Murphy and Victoria Clark.

Some old and then some new tricks Some old and then some new tricks

David Fox and Cameron Kelsall take on a new revival of Gypsy: Is there any gayer or more impassioned theater topic?

Witchery and bitchery Witchery and bitchery

Double double, toil and trouble, y’all, and happy spooky season from Slaylem. (It’s like Salem, but fun.)

Remember, darling? Remember, darling?

During the 1970s, Stephen Sondheim composed Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Pacific Overtures and Sweeney Todd–five richly varied masterpieces of musical theater in a nearly miraculous burst of creativity.

Divine mother Divine mother

What does it mean to be a “gender transcendent diva?”

Flores para los muertos Flores para los muertos

Despite this being the first full-length opera for Gabriela Lena Frank, there’s no lack of experience across the creative team which, along with favorable reviews for the production, contributed to high levels of anticipation.

Return of the Merolini Return of the Merolini

On June 16, San Francisco Opera concluded their excellent Centennial Season with a heartfelt 100th Anniversary Concert, featuring a starry cast, three conductors (including current and former Music Directors) and the SF Opera Orchestra and Chorus.

Sweeney, supersized Sweeney, supersized

Opera house versions of Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd featuring Bryn Terfel / Judith Christin and Thomas Allen / Felicity Palmer.

Midwest Side Story Midwest Side Story

Lyric Opera of Chicago has brought back its wildly successful 2019 production of West Side Story, directed by Francesca Zambello.  I thought it was terrific back then and, even with numerous cast changes, it was just as terrific on Sunday afternoon.

Calling all fairies! Calling all fairies!

Gilbert and Sullivan’s Iolanthe, presented at Carnegie Hall this past Wednesday by MasterVoices, is a charming rom-com that pits the feminine world of nature against masculine government with unabashedly silly and utterly delightful results.

Backwards runs ‘Bohème’ Backwards runs ‘Bohème’

Okay, let’s get the silly jokes out of the way first. Around our house, we’ve been referring to this alternately as Merrily We Bohemians Roll Along, or Emèhob Al. 

Arch types Arch types

What do you see when you look at Into the Woods? Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine‘s musical might serve as a kind of theatrical Rorschach test.

They trod a path that many have trod They trod a path that many have trod

Sweeney Todd is by any measure a triumphant show, the kind that makes an audience understand why Broadway is American theater’s gold standard

Devil in disguise Devil in disguise

On this day in 1953 the Metropolitan Opera opened its season with a new production of Gounod’s Faust.