The body electric The body electric

“Asked to Perform Naked, This Is How One Star Got in Shape—Fast”

on November 05, 2019 at 12:24 PM
My name is Barbuta My name is Barbuta

Queen of the Photo Shoot Cecilia Bartoli has done it again.

on September 10, 2019 at 12:50 PM
Broadcast: L’incoronazione di Poppea Broadcast: L’incoronazione di Poppea

All politics is vocal in Jan Lauwers’ Salzburg production of the Monteverdi masterpiece, which will be streamed at 12:30 PM on Monday. 

on August 19, 2018 at 3:35 PM
Barihunks without causes Barihunks without causes

La Cieca regrets to say it’s time to step back from the gratuitous display of bare skin in opera.

on January 31, 2018 at 12:52 PM
A quell’amor ch’è palpito A quell’amor ch’è palpito

Yes, obviously it’s La traviata, but where?

on October 01, 2015 at 10:01 PM
A Life in the Theater A Life in the Theater

Devotees of Dawn Fatale (and you are legion!) will be delighted to hear that the parterre scribe made an early (2001!) appearance in issue #45 of parterre box, the queer opera zine, ranting about the “squish-squish school of opera direction.”

on March 22, 2014 at 9:31 AM
Wednesday with Mary Wednesday with Mary

La Cieca apologizes for her tardiness in saluting dear Mary this week, but she thinks you will agree it’s worth the wait.

on July 10, 2013 at 12:17 PM
The naked and the dead The naked and the dead

The controversial production of La traviata from La Monnaie directed by Andrea Breth is now available for viewing online.

on December 22, 2012 at 7:03 PM

Randal Turner, pictured above, is but one of 33 barihunks featured in—who ever would have guessed?— “the first Barihunks calendar,” just in time for holiday giving and receiving. All proceeds from the calendar, available at the Barihunks site, will be donated to young artist programs. (Photo by Sarah Wells)

on November 14, 2011 at 2:51 PM

David McVicar’s ravishingly lurid 2008 production of Strauss’s Salome for the Royal Opera House Covent Garden has been issued as an HD-filmed DVD from Opus Arte.  Now, Strauss’s music is ravishingly lurid on its own, so I came to this production, which claims as a visual source reference the Pasolini film Salo, The 120 Days…

on April 23, 2011 at 8:50 PM

You know how La Cieca gets when one of her darling Regie productions gets dissed sight unseen, as happened on these shores with last Sunday’s unveiling of the Hans Neuenfels Lohengrin at Bayreuth. (Not so much on this site, because La Cieca is happy to report that here at dear parterre.com all schools of opinion—even…

on July 29, 2010 at 10:38 PM

Our Own JJ lends his voice to the debate about nudity in art this afternoon on WNYC’s Soundcheck. UPDATE: you can now listen to the show after the jump.

on April 29, 2010 at 1:25 PM