“So, how is this new Pavarotti?” or,  “This young tenor, what’s his name, I saw him on the morning show, is he any good?”   When people who have never set foot inside an opera house—and know Maria Callas chiefly as the woman Aristotle Onassis dumped for Jacqueline Kennedy—start asking me such questions, then I…

By on October 17, 2010 at 7:56 PM
56 comments

The genre-defying art of Florence Foster Jenkins is reborn in her namesake, Katherine. [kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/XFVhHL75PQg” width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /]

By on November 30, 2008 at 10:23 PM
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Low camp, admittedly, but it’s still some sort of accomplishment when a movie is camp even before it’s released. With Paul Sorvino, Alexa Vega, Sarah Brightman and Paris Hilton heading the cast, how could Repo! The Genetic Opera possibly go wrong? [kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/1TbiM3dVJhQ” width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /]

By on November 08, 2008 at 10:43 PM
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Katherine Jenkins apparently has already begun her vocal studies with Placido Domingo!  In fact, the legendary tenor has gone so far as to lend the Welsh songbird his own personal orchestra parts for “Nessun dorma!” 

By on October 04, 2008 at 12:18 PM
124 comments

La Cieca did a bit of nosing around about the abrupt departure of Jeffrey Vanderveen from IMG, and this is how the story is shaping up. Vanderveen’s upcoming gig is the creation of a new division at Universal Music Group devoted to the production and promotion of Tibor Rudas style arena concerts for Universal Classics’ recording artists.…

By on March 12, 2008 at 11:47 AM
30 comments

Just when La Cieca thought she would never get another chance to use the “popera” and “turbans” tags in the same post, she found this clip!

By on February 23, 2008 at 3:04 PM
19 comments

So La Cieca thinks it’s time to declare this officially: Kiri te Kanawa has become a mean old bat. The downbeat diva, most recently in the headlines for her controversial anti-panty policy, has gone and dished Hayley Westenra, who apparently is a New Zealand popera singer. (Well, to be perfectly fair, “apparently” isn’t so accurate…

By on February 23, 2008 at 2:36 AM
97 comments