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The opera buffa Seinfeld episode
HumourThe whole episode is an opera, guys! The barber thing, the memorable music from The Barber of Seville, it's all very self-aware. It's even got the Rossini-style comedy devices: people hiding in closets, slapstick scenes involving Newman — Don Basilio, maybe?
How not to write an opera
HumourTime passed, life changed. But Mau Mau - the Opera had bitten deeper than I thought. I unburied all I'd written: the blocks of text, the scattered notes and sketches, laid them out, re-sequenced them, dropped and added and wrote a second version.
Follow the Lieder: weird & wonderful & a must-watch
HumourFollow the Lieder is a series of short films by Alisdair Kitchen, produced by Rye Arts Festival in association with the Royal College Of Music and National Opera Studio. As the name suggests, each video is set to German art song, among them Schubert's Versunken, Der Atlas, and Die Forelle.
Opera is Alive & Kicking & here are the videos to prove it
HumourIn Fishenfeld's own enthusiastic words: "American Opera is approachable, relevant, relatable, IN ENGLISH, and made for YOU, the American people!"
Watch with headphones: Rumspringawakening
HumourThis time, it's Rumspringawakening: L'opera ragazzo Amish, and it's definitely a must-see. No spoilers, but you should know that it's by no means safe for work.
The introvert's dream: going solo at the opera
HumourIt's a silly thing, but even the most hardcore of introverts struggle with the idea that while they sit happily alone at a table or in a movie theatre, the people around them will notice and think they're a weird loner.
The future of opera? Holograms & dream casts
HumourOr! Don Carlo, with Plácido Domingo's hologram in the title role, and the real-life Plácido Domingo as Rodrigo? Add a little Jamie Barton as Eboli, and Nicolai Ghiaurov as Philip II? Delicious.
Hilarity: Someone Like Me (L'opera di Facebook)
HumourThe folks behind Something Blue: The Bachelor Opera and Connection Lost: The Tinder Opera are back! This time, it's Someone Like Me (L'opera di Facebook), a harrowing tale of likes, validation, and rye toast. Adam Taylor writes and directs, with music by Nathan Fletcher. Baritone Jonathan Hare and soprano Amelia Berry star in the fab, sassy cast of this must-see:
The Met's 2018/19 seas...zzzzzzzzz
HumourBut, compared with the offerings at places like Opera Philadelphia, Minnesota Opera, The Atlanta Opera, and a fast-growing proportion of other regional opera houses in the United States and Canada, the Metropolitan Opera is proving its status as an honest-to-God opera museum.
An encore to remember: high notes & marriage proposals
HumourTenor Clay Hilley knows how to pair business with pleasure: in his recital for the Wagner Society of New York on January 6, the tenor took an encore - and an opportunity to publicly propose to his girlfriend, Sara (of the very fab Shoperatic, in fact!).