It’s Saturday afternoon, which of course means only one thing, the parterre chat, which today will be focused on Verdi’s Il trovatore, starring, in the demanding dual roles of Leonora and Conte di Luna, Joyce DiDonato. 

on April 30, 2011 at 12:30 PM

La Cieca realized suddenly yesterday she had two contests to get up to date, so she organized her crack panel of experts (or is that “her panel of crack experts?”) to adjudicate, decide, confer, converse and otherwise hobnob with our brother wizards. The upshot of which is: we have two winners!

on March 01, 2011 at 12:17 PM

The first opera film to be presented in 3D, Carmen , shows up on screens worldwide (and in New York City, too) on March 3. And some lucky member of the cher public will have the opportunity to view this milestone in cinematic opera, as the guest of La Cieca! Details after the jump.

on February 23, 2011 at 1:13 PM

Faithful reader Sadie Salome writes, “Don’t know if you saw last night’s marketing email from the Met promoting their Valentine’s Day e-card website: “This Valentine’s day fall in love at the Met Opera.” Well, I did not like their schmaltzy selection of cards, so I made some of my own from my favorite romantic opera…

on February 07, 2011 at 11:55 AM

La Cieca reminds the cher public that today is the final day of the Bühnenweihfestspielkrieg competition, with the first prize a sparking new copy of the complete Ring cycle on DVD! Put on your thinking tarnhelms and comment!

on January 21, 2011 at 11:38 AM

What better omen for the an opening night of La fanciulla del West than the first snow of the season here in New York City?

on December 06, 2010 at 9:48 AM

Inspired by Our Own Camille (not pictured, obviously), La Cieca proposes a new competition in honor of the Met’s coming revival of La fanciulla del West. Your challenge: share with us the most suggestive double-entendre line in a published synopsis or review of Puccini’s opera.

on November 17, 2010 at 12:04 PM

With all due respect to Opinionated Neophyte‘s succinct but horrific suggestion, La Cieca has decided that the palm for post-publicist harebrainery should go to SF Guy‘s fully realized scenario of media synergy, with its characteristic whiff of “why not me” acting out. Congratulations, SF Guy!

on November 01, 2010 at 5:04 PM

On the way to the OONY comeback concert at Carnegie Hall last night, La Cieca ran into an old, old, old and utterly anonymous friend who had recently had a tête-à-tête with an associate of that publicist who recently parted ways with that celebrated Opera MILF. Well! 

on October 26, 2010 at 10:19 AM

La Cieca (pictured) can hardly muster a messa di voce after the overwhelming torrent of entries in the “You Can Ring My Bel Canto” competition, but after hours of careful consideration and hobnobbing with my fellow doyennes, I have finally come do a decision as to who should be considered a prima inter pares. 

on July 07, 2010 at 11:32 AM

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

La Cieca congratulates winner Stevey (not pictured) for his masterful curatorial efforts in the “Now That’s How It’s Done” challenge, and the DVD of the Metropolitan Opera Gala 1991: 25th Anniversary at Lincoln Center will soon wing its way Steveyward.

on June 22, 2010 at 12:25 PM

La Cieca proposes a new weekly competition: she provides the theme, you provide the examples. This week: “Now, that’s how it’s done!”

on June 18, 2010 at 12:05 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

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

La Cieca’s delight at the success of her colleague The Omniscient Mussel is equaled only by her bitter envy for the success of her colleague The Omniscient Mussel. TOM, you see, has built upon the success of last year’s #operaplot competition by signing up a slew of new opera houses to offer prize packages for…

on April 21, 2010 at 3:42 PM

It’s the return of the Twitter Operaplot Competition! [The Omniscient Mussel]

on April 20, 2010 at 2:25 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 (not pictured) welcomes her cher public to a second week in good old Egypt with this afternoon’s broadcast of Die Zauberflöte. She is delighted to announce that during this afternoon’s chat she will give away tickets to the fascinating new musical theater program Inner Voices which includes that mini-opera Whida Peru: Resurrection Tangle that Valmont…

on April 10, 2010 at 10:29 AM

The wait is over, cher public, and your doyenne’s blue-ribbon panel has selected the perkiest procrastinator of the pack, jatm2063 for his account of a delayed encounter with Sylvia Sass. Congratulations, jatm! 

on March 17, 2010 at 4:08 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
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