Wish upon a star Wish upon a star

At what moment does a “rising star” become simply a “star”?

on January 15, 2015 at 3:00 PM
A wasted time A wasted time

Vittorio Grigolo in the title role of the Met’s revival of Les Contes d’Hoffman is the opera version of the charming homeless drunk.

on January 13, 2015 at 11:50 AM
Job description Job description

La Cieca is sometimes asked what it is that a dramaturg does, or why it is that an opera house need a dramaturg

on January 10, 2015 at 12:04 PM
Floperetta Floperetta

>”Ghastly!” — New York Observer

on January 07, 2015 at 11:45 AM
Ah, con tal morbo ogni speranza è morta Ah, con tal morbo ogni speranza è morta

Ludovic Tézier is continuing to recover from an illness.

on December 29, 2014 at 11:27 AM
Lost and found Lost and found

Verdi must have gotten tired of tossing and turning by now and has gone back to resting in peace.

on December 17, 2014 at 12:06 PM
Moon and stars Moon and stars

One of the major complaints about the five year casting system (as well as the shared productions by different companies) is that operatic events are rarely surprises anymore.

on December 11, 2014 at 10:56 AM
Rossini crescendo Rossini crescendo

Sooner or later, Our Own JJ gets around to discussing the Met’s Barbiere di Siviglia and Juilliard’s Turco in Italia in this week’s New York Observer.

on November 26, 2014 at 10:53 AM
Grisette is the word Grisette is the word

“In case you missed it on Saturday, we took a look at early rehearsals for the new production of The Merry Widow, starring Renée Fleming and, in this clip, Kelli O’Hara!”

on November 25, 2014 at 2:45 PM
Demuro felice Demuro felice

“Italian tenor Francesco Demuro will make his Met debut in the role of Rodolfo in this evening’s performance of La Bohème, replacing Charles Castronovo who is ill.”

on November 24, 2014 at 4:07 PM
Dog bites man, part infinity Dog bites man, part infinity

“The soup is hot; the soup is cold; Norman Lebrecht got it wrong again.”

on November 21, 2014 at 10:56 AM
Snow business Snow business

Every year I say I’m not going to another La Bohème because I’ve seen this too many times.

on November 21, 2014 at 10:25 AM
Let the shortfall! When it crumbles we will stand tall, face it all together Let the shortfall! When it crumbles we will stand tall, face it all together

“In a fiscal year that challenged the nation’s largest performing arts organization to find a more sustainable financial model for the future, the Metropolitan Opera incurred an estimated $22 million budget shortfall for the 2013-14 season.”

on November 20, 2014 at 9:30 PM
Break the internet Break the internet

The Met has just announced it is revising once again its rush ticket policy, doing away the “lottery” system in place earlier this season and instead going to a “first come, first served” online sale daily.

on November 20, 2014 at 3:42 PM
Einspring awakening Einspring awakening

“In a last-minute substitution, American tenor Bryan Hymel will sing the role of Rodolfo in this evening’s performance of La Bohème, replacing Ramón Vargas, who is ill.”

on November 14, 2014 at 9:46 AM
The seven percent solution The seven percent solution

You figured it out a fortnight ago, cher public.

on November 12, 2014 at 11:49 PM
Katerina’s insomnia Katerina’s insomnia

Throw in a trio of murders and a healthy splash of vodka and you have, more or less, the plot of Shostakovich’s Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk.

on November 11, 2014 at 10:23 PM
Dullsville Dullsville

This was the kind of night that proves the haters right: sometimes opera is boring.

on November 05, 2014 at 2:24 PM
Screwing the Puccini Screwing the Puccini

Sonya Yoncheva will sing her first-ever staged performances of Mimì in Puccini’s La Bohème at the Met on November 14, 20, 24, 28, December 1 and 5, replacing Kristine Opolais.

on November 03, 2014 at 8:34 AM
Side eye and bitch face Side eye and bitch face

At the first intermission at last night’s Met revival of Aida, I turned to my companion and said, “So… what about the Aida? I thought she was supposed to be good.”

on October 31, 2014 at 1:27 AM
Red shoe diaries Red shoe diaries

Sonya Yoncheva will make her North American role debut as Violetta in Verdi’s La Traviata at the Met this January.

on October 30, 2014 at 11:13 AM
Anger’s aweigh Anger’s aweigh

It was a night a-tingle with excitement at the Metropolitan Opera House.

on October 22, 2014 at 3:20 AM
Ricevete la mercè de’vostri onori Ricevete la mercè de’vostri onori

Join the party, cher public, for the free web broadcast of Macbeth tonight starting at 7:15. Of course, La Casa della Cieca will be buzzing!

on October 15, 2014 at 5:50 PM
Day of victory Day of victory

That miracle of the internet age, the slow leak, has begun.

on October 14, 2014 at 7:04 PM