As Dorothy Parker once said to her boyfriend As Dorothy Parker once said to her boyfriend

“Magdalena Kozená sings Cole Porter”

on May 27, 2018 at 9:33 AM
I don’t know why I’m frightened I don’t know why I’m frightened

“Norma non mente!”

on December 07, 2016 at 7:00 PM
Who is Sylvia? What is she? Who is Sylvia? What is she?

“Part cabaret confessional, part homage to the Great American Songbook…”

on August 31, 2016 at 4:46 PM
Give my regards to Carthage Give my regards to Carthage

A semi-staging of Dido and Aeneas starring Broadway divas and frequent collaborators Kelli O’Hara and Victoria Clark seemed a screwy idea at best.

on April 29, 2016 at 1:05 PM
When monarchs unite, how happy their state When monarchs unite, how happy their state

Tony Award winners Kelli O’Hara (The King and I) and Victoria Clark (Gigi) will reunite onstage in a new production of the opera Dido and Aeneas.

on August 04, 2015 at 12:29 AM
No you can’t No you can’t

Identically-coiffed artistes Klaus Florian Vogt and Renée Fleming prove conclusively that American musical theater is not an international language.

on May 04, 2014 at 12:12 PM
Le roi danse Le roi danse

“This summer, [Susan] Graham will cap her season in Paris by making her role debut as Anna in The King and I at the Théâtre du Châtelet (June 13-29).”

on March 27, 2014 at 12:41 PM
Le jazz tiède Le jazz tiède

The crossover album: a hint that that an artist has either exhausted all the repertory at her command and owes her record label a new release or that her waning vocal resources really shouldn’t be taxed much further than an octave.

on January 06, 2014 at 11:10 AM
Something happened up there, something not very nice Something happened up there, something not very nice

Emma Thompson will portray Mrs. Lovett in the New York Philharmonic’s staged production of Stephen Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

on October 09, 2013 at 6:14 PM
… and now the worse news … and now the worse news

A couple of tweets from Thomas Hampson detailing some grisly-sounding future projects.

on May 10, 2013 at 11:43 AM
Avec la participation exceptionnelle de La Machine Avec la participation exceptionnelle de La Machine

La Cieca is always delighted when Met stars “cross over” into more popular genres of entertainment.

on April 29, 2013 at 2:43 PM
Boathouse Betty Boathouse Betty

La Cieca just glimpsed this “save the date” from NYCO’s development department.

on March 02, 2012 at 12:20 PM
Just what I wanted! Just what I wanted!

La Cieca (pictured, left) celebrated her birthday early this year when she unexpectedly received the perfect gift—the following press release.

on February 23, 2012 at 10:58 AM

Awesome Anna Netrebko wraps her considerable talent around a the Europop hit “La Voix.”  Note the correct use of hair extensions (without those ridiculous “rocker chick” bangs) and the plain but striking red gown. 

on August 02, 2010 at 11:15 AM

“Internationally acclaimed opera singer and arts administrator Plácido Domingo, General Director of Washington National Opera (WNO), will lead a group of his protégés in a concert performance of Verdi’s Rigoletto on August 2, 2010, at Beijing’s Reignwood Theater…. The concert performance marks the first time that Domingo, a legendary tenor who has recently made highly…

on July 14, 2010 at 12:22 PM

… and the hope gets darker and darker as La Scoopenda performs Leonard Cohen‘s “Hallelujah.”

on May 25, 2010 at 9:38 PM

“On her new album, Dark Hope, opera star Renee Fleming takes a ‘visit to a new, parallel universe.’ … Dark Hope finds ‘The People’s Diva’ covering songs by Muse, Arcade Fire, The Mars Volta, Death Cab For Cutie, Leonard Cohen, Band Of Horses, and more.”

on February 24, 2010 at 4:16 PM

Remember “Toi et Moi,” the pectacular music video from which the above image is grabbed? Well, the terrific twosome who brought you that indelible

on February 02, 2010 at 11:23 PM

Katherine Jenkins, C-list Britpop has-beens… and Rolando Villazón in a ginormous jewfro. No, this does not bode well.

on January 10, 2010 at 11:27 PM

Remember Dragana Jugovic del Monaco? Oh, come on, who could ever

on November 27, 2009 at 2:53 PM

Dame Kiri te Kanawa‘s cousin (who calls the opera diva “auntie because of the age difference”) is promoting “Australia’s first pole-dancing championships.” 

on November 14, 2009 at 10:34 AM

People often come up to me and say, La Cieca, “Who do you think will be the next Renée Fleming?” Well, all, right, that doesn’t actually happen often, or even rarely. In fact, it doesn’t happen at all. But be that as it may, La Cieca has found “the next Renée Fleming,” or at least…

on September 13, 2009 at 12:23 PM

This is crossover that stops just short of crossdressing.

on September 08, 2009 at 10:45 PM

From that rarest and most coveted of all camp crossover efforts, the Sylvia Sass disco album:

on August 17, 2009 at 10:44 PM