Candide: the Best of All Possible Productions?

Candide: the Best of All Possible Productions?

All of Candide’s disasters could translate into a disastrous evening, but thanks to the clear and sure hand of director Zambello, the humor is allowed to speak for itself without too many additional bits and gags that often make a funny show tiresome and unwatchable.

Loren Lester - Feb 16, 2018
This week: two lunchtime treats in the RBA

This week: two lunchtime treats in the RBA

De Sévigné's voice made the same journey; she started from a young place, almost a timid sound, that finally bloomed (and perhaps wilted, appropriately). Her instrument has always had a bell-like ring to it, and lately she has proven that she is a layered artist, both in sound and in the thought she gives to her onstage work.

Jenna Simeonov - Feb 15, 2018
A well-executed mashup: Tap:Ex Forbidden

A well-executed mashup: Tap:Ex Forbidden

Sky flitted around the scenes and acted almost as an echo of Hajek's Lucifer through the conscience of each character. That, coupled with a dramatic performance as a young child terrorist dreaming of the rewards he'll be given, made it chilling and powerful.

Greg Finney - Feb 13, 2018
Talking with singers: Lucas Meachem

Talking with singers: Lucas Meachem

"I didn't wait around for an interview that wasn't going to happen - I took it into my own hands through my blog. It's a lot of work and I'm proud to say I've posted consistently for over a year now. Phew! What motivates and inspires me most are real conversations I have with others in the opera world. That's what makes it so authentic."

Jenna Simeonov - Feb 12, 2018
Talking with singers: John Holiday

Talking with singers: John Holiday

"I can remember dragging myself out of my third floor dorm room, in Mary Hay Hall (sidenote: Above my room, there was a plaque that read 'Future Leaders of Tomorrow'), and being late to those required acting classes for music majors. Ladies and gentlemen, if you're reading, take advantage of those classes. You'll be thankful you did."

Jenna Simeonov - Feb 12, 2018
Album review: O Gladsome Light

Album review: O Gladsome Light

The songs by Edmund Rubbra (1901-1986) are the real find in this album. His songs have a unique sound, a style that's difficult to place, but eventually emerges as English - yet with an edge.

Jenna Simeonov - Feb 10, 2018
A Warhorse For Opera's New World?

A Warhorse For Opera's New World?

Mr. Hourie directed with a terse and foreboding air that dispelled any memories of the films. The sleek and minimal set, comprised of skeletal architectural elements and lace curtains facilitated the action. As scenographer Hourie filled picture frames suggesting decaying ancestral portraits with video of flames, ghosts and all manner of frightening imagery.

John Hohmann - Feb 9, 2018
Never black & white: Abduction at the COC

Never black & white: Abduction at the COC

It was a decidedly more positive portrayal of the "Mohameddans" as they're called in a new prologue by Mouawad. However, we are sort of expected to gloss over the fact that Bassa Selim is involved in the slave trade (he hands Blonde off to Osmin as property) and reward him for being "kind" to Konstanze and Blonde - meaning he didn't imprison them or send them to the kitchens, but to the bedrooms.

Greg Finney - Feb 9, 2018
Cycles of My Being: "This is their story."

Cycles of My Being: "This is their story."

"I hope that people will show a great appreciation for the work of this young composer, the work of the lyricist, and the work of the other musicians on stage, but also our commitment to telling this story. I hope it gives a new perspective, and really allows people to see into the psyche and mindset of a young educated black man in America."

Jenna Simeonov - Feb 8, 2018
Heavenly voice visits the City of Angels

Heavenly voice visits the City of Angels

The night ended with a nod to Leonard Bernstein's 100th Birthday - "Somewhere" from West Side Story. The lyrics "There's a place for us - somewhere a place for us…" she dedicated to the DACA Dreamers, and the evening ended with many in tears and everyone on their feet for several standing ovations.

Loren Lester - Feb 8, 2018

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