Dishy scribe Zachary Woolfe muses on “The Bewitching Art of La Cieca” in The New York Observer. Our Own JJ is profiled, covered, revealed, reported, what he eats and what he wears and whom he knows and where he was, and when and where he’s going.

on July 08, 2009 at 8:01 AM

Our Own JJ braved the elements for New York City Opera’s outdoor concert of Magic Flute. [NYP]

on June 29, 2009 at 7:51 AM

“As the East Village gentrifed over the past decade, gone are the punk-rock club, the dive bar, the crack den . . . the opera house.” Our Own JJ marks the finale of Amato Opera. [NYP]

on May 28, 2009 at 11:22 AM

Congratulations to Stephen Llewellyn, grand prize winner of The Omniscient Mussel‘s #operaplot competition, as adjudicated by Danielle De Niese. Stephen’s plot synopsis read: There was a young lady called Fricka Who…who…*snore* “Wake up – it’s over.” It’s good, I just wish it were quicka. La Cieca is particularly impressed with Stephen’s brevity: in fact, at…

on May 14, 2009 at 10:49 AM

“Garanca gave us all the notes, but none of the volts.”  Our Own JJ reviews the Met’s revival of La cenerentola in the New York Post.

on May 08, 2009 at 8:01 AM

“Instead of pondering moral issues, the audience marvels that styrofoam can be made to look so much like granite.”  Our Own JJ reviews the Met’s Ring in the New York Post. For the convenience of the cher public, La Cieca will point out that the Post has a section for comments following the review.

on May 04, 2009 at 8:18 AM

Our Own JJ reviews Don GIovanni in the New York Post.

on April 15, 2009 at 8:13 AM

Yes, La Cieca realizes it was all hashed out a week ago here in the blogosphere, but Daniel J. Wakin of the New York Times has finally got around to transcribing the New York City Opera’s press release about its new season. As you all know, the season opener will be Esther, starring Lauren Flanigan.…

on April 02, 2009 at 8:14 AM

Our Own JJ reports on the Met’s 125th Anniversary Shindig in the New York Post.

on March 17, 2009 at 2:12 PM

Our Own JJ makes his farewell to Gay City News, — not “in a box — simple pine” à la Morgana Neri — but with a review of the Met’s current production of Il trovatore. Meanwhile, still in place, and festive as ever, is that pearl among podcasts, The Entertainment Beat with Frances Gumm.

on March 13, 2009 at 8:05 PM

“Mermaid meets boy, mermaid loses voice, mermaid loses boy.” Our Own JJ reports about Rusalka at the Met.

on March 11, 2009 at 7:12 AM

A preview of the new (and now available) Angela Gheorghiu/Jonas Kaufmann/Antonio Pappano performance of Madama Butterfly — a rare avatar of that extinct species the “studio recording.” Amazon.com Widgets (If you don’t see the amazon player above, try here.)

on March 10, 2009 at 3:45 PM

La Cieca has managed to pry the keyboard away from Our Own JJ for a moment to remind her cher public that she does, in fact, still exist, in the shadows as it were. Anyway, your doyenne will attend the Broadway revival of Blithe Spirit tonight and will share with you tomorrow a soupcon or…

on March 10, 2009 at 1:28 PM

When la Cieca’s dear friend and chief flunky around parterre.com JJ shlepped out this morning to fetch a copy of the New York Post, he seemed oddly keyed  up.  “With what I got in me, I could have been better than any of you,” JJ muttered. Flinging the tabloid down on the breakfast bar, he…

on March 04, 2009 at 8:48 AM

“In Adriana Lecouvreur, Domingo manages to portray plausibly a character young enough to be his grandson. He is the dashing Count Maurizio, who is entangled in a romantic triangle with the celebrated actress Adriana and a scheming princess. The count’s excuse for two-timing Adriana is perhaps the most original in the history of cheating. He’s…

on February 20, 2009 at 12:37 PM

Our Own JJ is shown here “wrangling” the dancers for his friend Dorothy Bishop‘s cabaret show last night at Splash. There were supposed to be only two dancers, which is more than enough to fill the very small Splash window ledge of a stage. But three showed up: E.J., Alain and Michele. La Bishop is…

on February 19, 2009 at 9:42 AM

A reminder that La Cieca’s old, old, old friend Dorothy Bishop shakes her little tush on the catwalk of Splash tonight in her new cabaret show, as written and directed by Our Own JJ.

on February 11, 2009 at 11:28 AM

The Met’s $25 weekend ticket program this week features Adriana Lecouvreur. Though La Cieca is naturally remaining mum about this revival until Our Own JJ‘s review appears, she’s more than interested to hear what you, the cher public, think. So if you can get into the Friday night performance via the lottery (or any other…

on February 09, 2009 at 1:33 PM

Is it possible that Our Own JJ could ever complain about too much drama at the opera? In his review of Lucia for Gay City News, complain he does!

on February 06, 2009 at 2:41 PM

Our Own JJ takes to the airwaves this afternoon to yak about the new regime at NYCO. He’ll be on “Soundcheck” on WNYC between 2:00 and 3:00 PM. La Cieca is told that George Steel himself will also be on the program, so she will caution JJ to be sparing in his use of the…

on January 15, 2009 at 12:12 PM

J’ai un ami, JJ, qui m’a raconté cette mise en scène de La rondine dans Gay City News.

on January 09, 2009 at 4:30 PM

“The campy diva lover in me should exult at the credit in the program ‘Renée Fleming‘s Costumes by Christian Lacroix,’ but in fact the couturier’s frocks were something of a mishmash. Best was a shimmering gold sheath that set off Fleming’s first entrance and trim waistline to perfection; worst was a rumpled ivory silk ballgown…

on December 18, 2008 at 3:51 PM

The very first issue of parterre box (the queer opera zine) was published on December 3, 1993, the 70th anniversary of the of birth Maria Callas.  And so that must mean that parterre box is exactly 15 years old today! To kick off what La Cieca devoutly hopes will be festivities, here is an interview…

on December 03, 2008 at 12:05 AM

“The entertaining and friendly type. They are especially attuned to pleasure and beauty and like to fill their surroundings with soft fabrics, bright colors and sweet smells. They live in the present moment and don´t like to plan ahead – they are always in risk of exhausting themselves.” That’s how La Cieca (as author of…

on November 20, 2008 at 3:49 PM