A week in at-home opera: editor's picks
Editorial
Online opera is all the rage, guys. And I don’t know about you, but my super serious problem right now is deciding what on earth to watch in my jammies with my big wine glass and maybe some of the cookies I made as bribery tokens while my son is potty training.
For what it’s worth, here’s a bit of what I’m watching this week:
Lady M
I mean, the tagline says it all: “an online fantasia of Verdi’s Macbeth”. Heartbeat Opera is apparently rocking the online medium, and I’m pretty excited about Lady M, which runs currently until May 20. I’m not entirely sure what to expect, but Verdi’s great, and the Heartbeat Opera folks are great, so “great” seems to be a logical end. Tickets are $20 (ticketed events support artists!), and you can get a sneak peek here:
Aging Magician
Beth Morrison Projects is offering up an Opera of the Week, and currently, that opera is Aging Magician. The opera is by composer Paola Prestini, writer/performer Rinde Eckert, and director/designer Julian Crouch. It’s up until May 14 at noon PDT. If you’re curious for a bit of context, you can check out the special video message by Paola Prestini, or Schmopera contributor Eva Cahen’s recent interview with Rinde Eckert, which happened ahead of the opera’s would-be run of shows at San Diego Opera in March.
Il TRIVIAtore with Nicholas Brownlee
As part of LA Opera’s LAO at Home programming, baritone Nicholas Brownlee will host the first opera trivia event that I’ve ever heard of, and I’m utterly pumped. It happens Wednesday, May 13 at 12pm PDT. Is it competitive? Maybe there are prizes? Who knows; the details are a bit scarce, but I’m still in. In it to win it, that is.
#Superflute
It’s like this: The Magic Flute + Super Mario Bros. = Superflute!
Pacific Opera Project is offering an encore presentation of their video game-inspired production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute as a watch party this Wednesday, May 13 at 5pm PDT. I mean, Flute is a great opera, and POP is certainly tugging at the heartstrings with all this nostalgia - I’ll tune in (via YouTube or Facebook), and don’t tell me you’re not at least curious:
Peter Grimes
Yep, that love/hate relationship with the Met’s Nightly Opera Stream is super confusing when it’s something like this really special 2014 production by John Doyle of Britten’s Peter Grimes. It’s Anthony Dean Griffey in the title role, Patricia Racette as Ellen Orford, and Donald Runnicles in the pit. This opera has a special place in my heart, because the combination of underdog, angry mob, and small-town dynamics makes for a story so provoking that it’s hard to look away. The stream starts May 14 at 7:30pm EDT, and it’s on until 3:30pm the next day.
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