Don't miss: Journey Opera North's bold inaugural production

Review

In a preview on Monday, the company showed an impressive cast of young local talent and a very thoughtful premise for the controversial show. The company has also included a violence and intimacy director in the production - a presence that, hopefully, will some day be a regular credit in programs.

Little room for creativity in Font's WTO Barber

Review

This was a co-production with multiple opera houses around the world, including Houston Grand Opera and Opera Australia. As usual, the individuals in the company were top notch vocally, but unfortunately the production over all fell flat.

A freshly mixed bag at Tête-à-Tête's Opera Festival

Review

What I like about The Tete-a-Tete Opera Festival is that it is always a mixed bag. It is an incredibly liberating thing to watch so many creative performers and theatre-makers experiment with the limitations of the form.

Site-specific & intimate: selections from Tête-à-Tête: The Opera Festival

Review

All senses were catered to as audience members were misted with fragrant water and touched softly by the performers while being whispered and sung to directly.

Pountney's oversimplified War and Peace

Review

Writing an opera of this scale is not a simple charge and the task of producing it faces even more challenges; it is an immense work to attempt to pay homage to. There were a few magical, sparkling moments on stage that were completely true to the book, perfectly capturing the essence of Tolstoy's words.

Opera on the Lake makes charismatic debut with Die Fledermaus

Review

Characters would regularly go and stand at the bar to the right of the stage and "hang out" while the action was happening. This made for a very relaxed, fun and interactive atmosphere. In the Prince's aria during the party scene, Falke brought up a random audience member to take part in the festivities.

Unique venue makes for a fresh Così fan tutte

Review

I really liked Ms. Manich's bold choice at the end of having the sisters have suitcases in hand ready to leave. Just as the music ends the women make eye contact with their former fiancés, and they freeze.

Decadence at DMMO: Bon Appetit!

Review

At the end of the performance, the audience was served the very chocolate cake depicted in the opera, bringing the experience full circle. A decadent finish to a decadent evening.

Solid & subtle direction in WTO's Ariadne auf Naxos

Review

On Friday, July 19, Wolf Trap Opera opened their second opera of their summer season with Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos. An opera within an opera is always a difficult feat in my opinion, and the creative team made it an entertaining and comical evening.

Elvis Costello's The Juliet Letters versatile & imaginative

Review

The staging and direction of this song cycle by Cara Gabriel was versatile and imaginative. The singers moved seamlessly between songs. I had absolutely no idea what the music would sound like, and I was pleasantly surprised. There were some minimalist crunchy 20th-century moments, but overall the melodies were beautiful and catchy. Some sounded very operatic, and some had a flower child, Simon and Garfunkel vibe.