Oh, but this looks dire. Not the fellow wallowing amidst the counterpane, obviously — he’s rather dishy if you like that type — but rather what he’s advertising. It’s a reworking of Don Giovanni called (La Cieca only wishes she were making this up) “The Gay Don,” to be previewed on July 4 at the…
STEMdiva status
Ahead of a special boozy, bawdy Valentine’s Day concert, artistic director of Opera Lafayette Patrick Quigley speaks with soprano Maya Kherani about her journey from MIT to rising American Baroque star.
A snippet of last night’s Traviata from London.
The choreographer and opera director died earlier today. She was 68.
Is it for the sake of gay pride in San Francisco, or it is the relief of getting that massive whonking tiara off her pretty noggin? Either way, Anna Netrebko is singing Traviata better now than she was in April. (Sound clip after the jump.)
According to Musical Criticism, Deborah Voigt has canceled her run of Tosca performances at the Royal Opera “due to ‘acute colitis’.” As it happens, your doyenne had a tip on that cancellation late last week and for whatever reason (Michael Jackson fatigue?) she didn’t share that gossip with you. So, cher public, here’s a chance…
Denyce Graves — whatever happened to her? Well, for one thing, she has apparently married well. Yesterday the mezzo-soprano wed Robert Montgomery — not the 1940s film star, but rather the chief of transplant surgery at Johns Hopkins. (He’s the surgeon whose team pioneered the transplant technique of removing a donor’s kidney through her vagina.)…
“Opera singer” Katherine Jenkins is “29 years old” today.
La Cieca hears that Renée Fleming is going to be a Mastersinger. In related news, veteran “marker” Sixtus Beckmesser has announced his retirement. Elsewhere, Susan Graham and Thomas Hampson will be hosts of the fifth annual F. Paul Driscoll Awards for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Excellence. The November 19 festivities will be held…
Yma Sumac sings Queen of the Night, her way. [kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/s52AZdm8kVo” width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /]
Our Own JJ braved the elements for New York City Opera’s outdoor concert of Magic Flute. [NYP]
Despite a few doubters among you, our most recent Regie quiz was (marginally) guessable, as Doug D. demonstrated. The opera is indeed Cavalli’s Eliogabalo, and it looks as if a good time was had by all at Grange Park Opera. These people too look like they’re having a hell of a time. But what (relatively…
La Cieca has found further proof that time is cyclical. Presenting, from over 60 years ago, a film documentary about a production of Carmen that has not taken place yet — if indeed it ever will!
[La Cieca is happy to present a guest review by Our Own Lindoro Almaviva.] Cincinnati Opera makes a good case for the 4 act version of Don Carlo. I think it is a great idea that they used projected titles to give us the background of the opera (since we lose the Fontainebleau scene). This…
Don’t expect much in the way of art at NYCO for the next few seasons, but, on the bright side, George Steel probably has sufficient water-treading skills to avoid drowning. [NYT]
The fucking genius of Peter Gelb just opened a new and heretofore unexpected orifice. Encouraged by the success of the Met’s HD movie broadcasts, The National Theatre in London earlier this evening telecast its production of Phèdre starring Helen Mirren into 300 cinemas around the world. Photo by Catherine Ashmore. [One Cold Hand – NYC]
Among the glitterari at last night’s opening of “a Madison Avenue pop-up thrift shop benefiting the renovated New York City Opera” were Austin Scarlett (Project Runway) and Alex McCord (Real Housewives of New York City). As they (and others less celebrated) perused the gently-used frocks, George Steel discussed tube steak with the Wall Street Journal:…
“You will forgive me my poor dramatic skills. I have only been performing the role of Violetta for six years!”
Divine camp from the turn of the century. [kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/KDJ5X-hdWEM” width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /]
La Cieca has obtained a copy of the main part of the email sent to AGMA members by the organization’s national executive director Alan Gordon in the wake of yesterday’s abortive meeting with NYCO’s George Steel.
La Cieca’s insider whispers (or, more accurately, shouts): “AGMA walked out of the meeting on Monday. They refused to negotiate. Gordon said Steel‘s demands were more destructive then expected, worse than 802’s.” The New York City Opera season is scheduled to begin in 135 days.
“Il trovatore was premièred in January 1853 and Traviata a couple of months later in March. The wonderful duet at the end of La traviata Act I brings to mind clearly the ‘Miserere’ from Act IV Il trovatore, and when Alfredo sings ‘Dei miei bollenti spiriti’ there is something of ‘Di quella pira’ about it…
Live, from “The Concerthall of Hoorn,” which sounds like a performance venue somewhere in Middle Earth, it’s the return of The Family Pondman! This time Walther and Lonne do a Siegmund/Sieglinde variation on the first act of La bohème.
Antonina (Leyla Gencer) regrets the error of her ways in the third act of Donizetti’s Belisario, the latest episode of Unnatural Acts of Opera.
An entirely new plot element in a Shakespeare text? The story turns on a dispute between Oberon, the manipulative king of the fairies, and Tytania, his willful wife, over the guardianship of a changeling boy. Oberon badly wants that boy as his henchman. But Tytania, who has seen the brutal way her husband sometimes bullies…
A Baroque Valentine’s with Opera Lafayette | Feb | DC & NYC
Celebrate love in all its guises with tender ballads, amorous duets, cheeky verses, and bawdy drinking songs plus food, cocktails and wine.
Tell us: What was the best of 2025?
Parterre Box concludes the thrilling first year of Talk of the Town by inviting your lightning rod opinions on several more categories of operatic argumentation.