Maria by Callas: "Destiny is destiny. There is no way out."

Review

It's funny how easy it is, as a woman in 2018, to look at someone like Maria Callas and decide that she is unquestionably forward-thinking, a strong feminist who worked endlessly for her success. And then she says that being a wife and mother is "the main vocation for a woman."

Pass the tissues: a beautiful new Bohème in Chicago

Review

Director Richard Jones deserves fervent applause for his three-dimensional realization of this show. Characters and set-pieces alike moved and reacted with cinematic deliberateness. Rising conductor Domingo Hindoyan makes his Lyric debut in this production. The LOC orchestra responded with a lush blanket of sound, emanating from the pit and supporting the singers.

Kept women & a snapshot of life in La Rondine

Review

The choice of making La Rondine and Verdi's La Traviata the book ends to the season is interesting. It is interesting to look at two "kept women" who fall in love with the young and impetus tenor, retire to the countryside, and then after a while have to part ways out of shame of their past and in the name of honor. Magda goes back to her old life and Ruggero is left heart broken. Magda had a choice, and ultimately Violetta does not.

Summer Opera Nights in Palm Beach

Review

With PBO's Young Artists away for the summer, the September 28 event starred South Florida mainstays: bass-baritone Neil Nelson – a familiar face from past PBO productions – and soprano Robyn Marie Lamp. The duo were joined by PBO rehearsal pianist and coach Cassie Makeeff, who heroically made the most of an electric keyboard.

Eugene Onegin, or the time Tatyana dodged a bullet

Review

It's hard to get a sense of whether Tchaikovsky means us to see Onegin as an anti-hero, a villain, or some pitiful shell of a man (like Patrick Bateman's less murderous brother, Sean). By the skin of her teeth, Tatyana comes out of their whole uncomfortable relationship unscathed, but not without some doubt; she rightly turns Onegin down in the final scene, but it's frustrating that she only does so because she's married to someone else.

Die Fledermaus adaptation delivers effervescent performance

Review

The standout performer of the evening, however, was soprano Laura Brandt as Eisenstein's wife, Rose. Brandt's spinning, confident voice pervaded this production from beginning to end with richness and depth. And in the tradition of a true leading lady, Brandt's chemistry with each of her castmates - from her husband to her ex-lover to her maid and beyond - is naturally seamless with each interaction. Hers was truly a tour-de-force performance.

Opera adapts a medium more adept at adapting

Review

For an opera, the score doesn't have much singing. Mr. Eddy's part is the most unique, full of guttural throat clicks, pops, screams, and burps. At one point he babbles like a tape on fast forward, an unexpectedly thrilling effect live. The character comes off more comic than scary, but who cares with such entertaining music.

Fleming enchants: luscious morsels of post-opera career

Review

When soprano Renée Fleming offers a concert without any operatic repertoire, you wonder what the "People's Diva" will sing. Not surprisingly, in front of a capacity crowd, Fleming delivered with luscious morsels of her career after opera.

Glitter and flair: Queens of the Night

Review

It is best not to overanalyze the production, as it was, for lack of better words, a wickedly entertaining opera-themed drag show. The evening's show followed a plotline involving Martha Graham Cracker's desire to impress her crush, Blythely Oratonio (Stephanie Blythe's drag king alter ego.) Throughout the performance, there were musical numbers, which were very clever arrangements, combining pop music with operatic motives (such as "I Want To Break Free" combined with "Quando m'en vo.")

The astonishing product: Glass Handel at O18

Review

As the audience made their way to seats, there was a rising sense of tension. We had been informed at least six times that we would be moved around during this multimedia event. One had to question why there were so many disclaimers. Do we really want a stranger moving our chairs during a performance? Well, it turns out, yes we do.