The lovely and personable Jumping Clapping Man will act as host/coordinator of the first-ever Norcal Parterre.com Gathering Demented Mini-Conference (as seen in the above artist’s rendering). Details after the jump (and clap).

on July 13, 2010 at 3:54 PM

Since last night marked the debut of history’s newest and perkiest interpreter of the role of Norma, and (more to the point) since Bellini’s druid priestess will grace the woods of Katonah, NY during the month of July, La Cieca thought it would be exciting to organize a YouTube competition on the theme of bel…

on June 30, 2010 at 8:25 AM

Congratulations to SF Guy (pictured), for his winning entry in the “Tout gai!” competition. A copy of the newly-released DVD The Metropolitan Opera Gala 1991: 25th Anniversary at Lincoln Center is currently winging its way City by the Bay-ward.

on June 29, 2010 at 11:29 AM

Congratulations to the many, many of the cher public (pictured above) who really outgayed themselves (if such a thing is possible) with their vigorous and multiple entries in the “Tout gai!” video competition. The results of these perverse efforts can best be summed up in the phrase “gayer than eight guys fucking nine guys,” which…

on June 28, 2010 at 11:53 AM

In honor of the 40th anniversary of Gay Pride (the 40th official anniversary, anyway) coming up this weekend, La Cieca proposes this week’s YouTube contest theme: “Tout gai!”  

on June 24, 2010 at 11:49 AM

Congratulations to Bill, who submitted comment number 125,000!

on June 21, 2010 at 11:23 PM

The greatest week in the history of show business begins today in preparation for the Drop of That Album here in the USA, at this writing barely 15 hours away. In support of this release, Renée Fleming is making a whirlwind tour of personal appearances, including a command performance last night before President and Mrs.…

on June 07, 2010 at 10:30 AM

After all these years of solitude, La Cieca has finally found another opera fan with a Maria Callas tattoo! More photos after the jump.

on June 02, 2010 at 11:35 AM

La Cieca will never, ever again (even if she ever had, which she didn’t so much) complain about the comments of the cher public. The comments are far and away crazier (and not in an entertaining way) elsewhere.

on June 01, 2010 at 4:23 PM

The results are in for the first annual Pubie Awards, nominated and voted upon by you, the Cher Public. Turnout this year was spectacular, with some categories racking up as many as 2,647 votes. A few of the races were close, and La Cieca thinks you’ll see an upset or two among the winners, after…

on May 20, 2010 at 11:51 AM

In honor of the impending revival of Porgy and Bess at New Jersey State Opera (marking the 75th anniversary of the premiere of the work), La Cieca invites the public to share their favorite YouTube clips of the Gershwin masterpiece. After the jump, La Cieca nominates a highlight and a lowlight of Porgiana. 

on May 18, 2010 at 11:55 AM

La Cieca is nothing if not infinitely suggestible, particularly when the suggestion in question is clever and elegantly expressed. So, on the prompting of commenter M (pictured above) La Cieca would like to remind the cher public about a few contemporary opera projects on the immediate horizon.

on May 17, 2010 at 2:20 PM

On the other hand, only moments ago La Cieca got a call from member of the cher public who gushed, “I just heard the greatest ‘Egli vede ch’io piango!’ ever!”

on May 13, 2010 at 9:13 PM

La Cieca is happy to announce that voting season has begun for the 2010 first annual parterre box awards for excellence and repugnance in operatic production and performance during the 2009-2010 season. And now, here’s your chance to choose among this year’s nominees for the “Lorgnette d’Or.”

on May 12, 2010 at 10:41 AM

With barely a month (!) remaining before La Fleming’s Hope drops, your doyenne has determined that we (meaning you, the cher public) should do our (i.e., your) utmost to mark this turning point in the history of music. 

on May 03, 2010 at 3:07 PM

A member of the cher public who attended yesterday’s Met Guild luncheon honoring Frederica von Stade reports: “Evelyn Lear went so far as to call [Flicka] ‘Mother Teresa — a saint.’  As part of his homage, Thomas Hampson sang one of the Cherubino arias — it was really sweet.  

on April 21, 2010 at 12:34 PM

Robert Tuggle, Director of Archives for the Metropolitan Opera, has announced a migration of the company’s supremely useful online database to a new software system. He’s looking for ideas for “new features that might improve on a system that we are already pleased with.”

on April 20, 2010 at 10:40 PM

Well, you know, sometimes it’s not easy being a benefactress. Would you believe that both winners and the runner-up in yesterday’s Zauberflöte contest all live in Nova Scotia and Irkutsk and places like that and so are not able to accept the tickets to Inner Voices playing here in the city. So, round two, after…

on April 11, 2010 at 12:18 PM

La Cieca presents an open letter from a parterre box reader.

on April 06, 2010 at 12:16 PM

La Cieca recalls the words of her old, old, old friend Eve Harrington: “In good conscience, I must give credit where credit is due.”  And far be it for La Cieca to begrudge her cher public something so freely given by Little Miss Evil.

on April 02, 2010 at 12:34 PM

La Cieca would like to give the cher public a little nudge in the way of a reminder that the procrastination competition will be closed at midnight tonight. So what are you waiting for? (Remember, only comments to the original posting will be considered!)

on March 12, 2010 at 2:35 PM

La Cieca may not at the moment comment on last night’s premiere of The Nose at the Met since Our Own JJ is working on his review of the piece today. But she wants to encourage the cher public to share their thoughts.

on March 06, 2010 at 11:19 AM

You’ve done it again, cher public: that is, you’ve set a new record here at parterre.com. The busy activity yesterday including the discussion of the Met’s 2010-2011 season led to the highest number of visits on a single day in parterre.com history: 5,857!

on February 23, 2010 at 12:57 AM

La Cieca would like to welcome back into the parterre fold some members of the cher public (in the 10023 zip code, to be specific) who went missing for the past couple of months. We rejoice that those who were lost are now found!

on February 20, 2010 at 11:27 AM