Ruth Bader Ginsburg well earned the sobriquet “Notorious.” Everything about her seemed to live in happy contradiction. She followed her mother’s “dueling” advice: always to be a lady and to live a life of independence. She sparred almost daily with her more conservative “constitutionalist” colleague on the Supreme Court, Antonin Scalia, yet considered him a […]
Francesca Zambello: Thoughts on opera in the time of Covid
On May 13th, Opera America launched its first annual conference online, marking the organization’s Fiftieth Anniversary. Over 1200 people had signed in when I checked the count of attendees, representing fellow artists and organizations the world over. Many, I’m sure, had been feeling scared or depressed, struggling through shutdowns, layoffs, and most especially questions regarding […]
Opera review: Don Giovanni meets the #MeToo movement
It was inevitable. Don Giovanni would have to face the match of his life against the #MeToo movement. The problem is this production, not two years after the resplendent WNO production directed by John Pascoe, not only brought down the man, but the production itself, and all but poor Amadeus Mozart. The stakes were high […]
Opera review: Samson and Delilah. Modern technicals make this rarely seen story “an opera for the senses”
Opening night came on a Sunday afternoon for Samson and Delilah by Camille Saint-Saëns. It’s an opera not seen in Washington for ages, and, headlined by the ravishing J’Nai Bridges, the event was highly anticipated. The production moved like a rolling dreamscape, an opera for the senses – and especially the heart. We hear a […]
Review: Three new operas showcased in WNO’s AOI Festival 2020. Is the development process working?
2020 marks the 8th year of Washington National Opera’s showcase of new compositional teams working in the most specialized art form of opera in a rollout of three twenty-minute operas. It’s clearly a much-needed service. Opera companies across the country are searching to develop new talent but, even more, to attract younger audiences. Most of […]
Our Most Memorable Operas and Dance Performances of 2019
Prufrock, Chamber Dance Project Leading my most memorable performances for 2019 would have to be the Chamber Dance Project’s premiere of “Prufrock” in June at Sidney Harman Hall. Choreographed by the company’s founder and artistic director, Diane Coburn Bruning, “Prufrock” turned five dancers into a teeming but lonely city of suited, bowler-hatted strivers running, colliding, […]
Review: Mozart’s whimsical The Magic Flute from Washington National Opera
Wild things abound in this production of Washington National Opera’s The Magic Flute, currently playing at the Kennedy Center. With Maurice Sendak’s artwork at its forefront, the opera’s elements of childlike whimsy makes it an entertaining night for audiences of all ages. Conventions of opera are adhered to, with all of the classical training obvious […]
Review: Otello from Washington National Opera
Washington National Opera opened its 2019-20 season at the Kennedy Center on Saturday night with a performance of Giuseppe Verdi’s Otello signaling that the company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Francesca Zambello and General Director Timothy O’Leary, goes from strength to strength as it embarks upon its 64th season. Verdi esteemed no writer more […]
Washington National Opera’s glittery Gala 2019. Opera stars share stage with WNO patron John Pohanka
What makes someone a devoted opera fan? Is it the “gilterati?” If so, there was much in abundance Saturday night when the Washington National Opera hosted its Gala in the Opera House. From the fashion statements to the Austrian crystal chandeliers that dominate the auditorium’s iconic look, and from which a few “spares” were made […]
Review: Tosca. Washington National Opera’s rallying cry “In love or war, what do you stand for?”
Never doubt the sheer power or the relevancy of a great work of opera. All you need for the first are extraordinary musicianship by a conductor, superb singers, and a stage director who can pull out performances of compelling dramatic truth. As for relevancy, the tag on the show’s poster read, “In love or war, […]
Review: For Washington National Opera, Faust is in the house
Only one week ago, Washington National Opera gave us a cool, minimalist modern take on a romantic opera (Eugene Onegin); this week the company took us back to an old world, even hedonistic approach to grand opera with its production of Charles Gounod’s Faust. It was in many ways being fed the operatic equivalent of […]
Opera review: Eugene Onegin features a Tatiana for our times
The wait of thirty years came to an end Saturday night when Tchaikovsky’s opera Eugene Onegin returned to Washington in a spare yet stunningly beautiful production. The minimalist ‘box’ set became a canvas for color and light to carry the audience not only through the hours of a day and memories shared in autumnal display […]
You must be logged in to post a comment.