Berlioz’s compelling take on the Faust legend returns for the first time in a decade, with an ideal lineup of stars. High-flying tenors Bryan Hymel and Michael Spyres sing the doomed and besotted Faust, opposite dazzling mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča as the forsaken Marguerite and bass Ildar Abdrazakov as the malevolent Méphistophélès. Edward Gardner conducts. Please […]
Category Archives: LIVE OPERA
November
30
MET OPERA: IL TRITTICO (IL TABARRO & SUOR ANGELICA
posted by Layla
Jack O’Brien’s epic production of Puccini’s triple bill features first-class casting: tenor Marcelo Álvarez and soprano Amber Wagner are the illicit lovers of Il Tabarro, with baritone George Gagnidze as the spurned husband; soprano Kristine Opolais sings the shattering title role of Suor Angelica, alongside mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe as the Principessa; and the ageless Plácido Domingo takes […]
November
30
IL TRITTICO BACKSTAGE MEET & GREET WITH KRISTINE OPOLAIS
posted by Layla
Zipped backstage after Suor Angelica to see Kristine for a quick hello and completely lost track of time catching up! Completely stunned by her performance! So great to reconnect! Missed most of Gianni Schicchi but it was worth it. PHOTOS: VIDEOS: […]
November
29
MET OPERA: LA BOHEME BACKSTAGE MEET & GREET
posted by Layla
This performance of La Boheme left me speechless! So great to reconnect with Angel, Duncan & Ailyn after and debrief the performance, and just talk opera with my people! Dinner was amazing! Another wonderfully late opera night in NYC! PHOTOS: VIDEOS:
November
29
MET OPERA LIVE: LA BOHEME
posted by Layla
“A thrilling La Bohème … radiating warmth … luxury cast” (New York Times). Puccini’s timeless masterpiece of love and loss features two casts of young stars. Sopranos Nicole Car (in her highly anticipated Met debut) and Ailyn Pérez share the role of the ill-fated Mimì, opposite tenors Vittorio Grigolo and Michael Fabiano as the ardent […]
October
20
MET OPERA HD: SHADOWING GARY HALVORSON & MEDIA DEPARTMENT FOR HD BROADCAST OF SAMSON & DALILA
posted by Layla
The Met invited me behind the scenes of the Met Opera Live in HD Broadcast of “Samson & Dalila” to shadow Director Gary Halvorson and his media team as they prepared for and mounted the Live in HD Broadcast. I got to watch all the live rehearsals, and then watch the live feed from inside […]
July
14
TANGLEWOOD: LA BOHEME
posted by Layla
PUCCINI La bohème Semi-staged performance sung in Italian with English supertitles Perhaps the world’s most popular opera, La bohème is an immortal story of love and loss set amidst the charming poverty of bohemian Paris. CAST: Boston Symphony Orchestra Andris Nelsons, conductor Kristine Opolais, soprano (Mimì) Jonathan Tetelman, tenor (Rodolfo) Susanna Phillips, soprano (Musetta) Franco Vassallo, […]
March
07
MET OPERA LIVE: SEMIRAMIDE
posted by Layla
A great night at The Metropolitan Opera with friends Ann, Richard, and my mom! We enjoyed a glorious and tasty dinner at The Grand Tier and Semiramide! Thank you so much Ann for hosting us, and thank you Etro for dressing me for this incredible night!
February
03
BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: ANDRIS NELSONS CONDUCTS MOZART AND SHOSTAKOVICH FEATURING SOPRANO KRISTINE OPOLAIS
posted by Layla
Andris Nelsons, conductor Kristine Opolais, soprano Alexander Tsymbalyuk, bass MOZART Serenade No. 10 in B-flat for winds, K.361, Gran Partita (40 min) SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 14* (48 min) *Sung in Russian with English supertitles The BSO presents one of Shostakovich’s most unusual symphonies, No. 14, which continues the BSO’s complete cycle of Shostakovich symphonies being recorded for future […]
January
12
MET OPERA: TOSCA BACKSTAGE MEET & GREET
posted by Layla
I went backstage after the performance to congratulate Vittorio on an epic performance of Cavaradossi! When I saw him- his voice was a whisper- it was finished from giving all to the performance. He dashed away to take care of his voice and head to bed. Truly, an incredible night! POSSE PHOTOS:
January
12
MET OPERA LIVE: TOSCA
posted by Layla
Puccini’s melodrama about a volatile diva, a sadistic police chief, and an idealistic artist has offended and thrilled audiences for more than a century. Critics, for their part, have often had problems with Tosca’s rather grungy subject matter, the directness and intensity of its score, and the crowd-pleasing dramatic opportunities it provides for its lead […]
November
19
LA OPERA: BACKSTAGE MEET & GREET
posted by Layla
OMG! My first experience at the LA Opera was mindblowing!! Not only did I thoroughly enjoy the performance of Nabucco with Placido and Liudmyla – I also was honored to meet John Nuckols EVP of the LA Opera, Christopher Koelsch – President and CEO of the LA Opera, and James Conlon – Richard Seaver Musical […]
November
19
LA OPERA: NABUCCO
posted by Layla
Final performance Sunday, November 19! As an aging king descends into madness, his bloodthirsty daughter begins a reign of terror, leaving a defenseless populace to battle for freedom from their oppressors. A monumental opera that made Verdi a national hero, Nabucco boasts a bold score that goes straight to the heart, highlighted by the immortal […]
October
04
MET OPERA: LES CONTES D’HOFFMANN BACKSTAGE MEET & GREET
posted by Layla
Les Contes D’Hoffmann LIVE was even better than I thought it would be. Vittorio Grigolo as Hoffmann and Erin Morley as Olympia were outstanding! It was definitely a night to remember. POSSE PHOTOS:
October
04
THE MET: LES CONTES D’HOFFMANN
posted by Layla
Vittorio Grigolo sings the title role of the tortured poet in Offenbach’s glittering treatment of the stories of E.T.A. Hoffmann. Bartlett Sher’s production provides a vibrant backdrop for this operatic journey through the hero’s many love affairs. Johannes Debus conducts. TEXT: Courtesy of http://www.metopera.org PHOTOS:
October
02
MET OPERA: LA BOHEME BACKSTAGE MEET & GREET
posted by Layla
It was great seeing Angel make her debut at The Metropolitan Opera House as Mimi- she was incredible and will definitely have a long and wonderful career. It was incredible to go to dinner with the cast and hang out and talk opera with people who love it as much as I do. PHOTOS: […]
October
02
THE MET: LA BOHEME
posted by Layla
The world’s most popular opera returns in Franco Zeffirelli’s classic production, with a series of exciting casts. Angel Blue in the role of the fragile Mimì, with Dmytro Popov as the poet Rodolfo. Alexander Soddy and Marco Armiliato share conducting duties. TEXT: Courtesy of http://www.metopera.org PHOTOS:
August
26
TANGLEWOOD: KRISTINE OPOLAIS JOINS ANDRIS NELSONS FOR AN EXCITING EVENING OF OPERA & SONG
posted by Layla
On Saturday, August 26, soprano Kristine Opolais, bass-baritone Sir Bryn Terfel and the Tanglewood Festival Chorus join Music Director Andris Nelsons and the Boston Symphony Orchestra for an evening of opera and song.Bass-baritone Sir Bryn Terfel replaces baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky in the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Saturday, August 26, opera gala program at Tanglewood. PHOTOS & VIDEOS: […]
June
08
MET OPERA VISIT
posted by Layla
Made my once-a-trip pilgrimage to The Met Opera just to breathe the air, touch the building, see some friends, and drop off Met Opera Guild Membership checks from members of my Kids Opera & Art Posse. It was great seeing Jerry and Cory, and catching up on all things opera. POSSE PHOTOS: […]
May
11
MET OPERA: DON GIOVANNI
posted by Layla
Three charismatic singers, Simon Keenlyside, Ildar Abdrazakov, and Mariusz Kwiecien, share the role of the title hero, who goes to hell in a dazzling coup de théâtre. The ensemble of great Mozartean singers includes Angela Meade, Marina Rebeka, Isabel Leonard, Matthew Polenzani, Erwin Schrott, and Paul Appleby. Fabio Luisi and Plácido Domingo conduct. POSSE PHOTOS:
May
07
MET OPERA 50TH ANNIVERSARY GALA PERFORMANCE
posted by Layla
50 Years at Lincoln Center A Gala Celebration SUNDAY, MAY 7, 2017 On September 16, 1966, the Metropolitan Opera opened its doors for the first time in a new home at Lincoln Center, with the world premiere of Samuel Barber’s Antony and Cleopatra, starring Leontyne Price and Justino Díaz. The New York Times declared the opening of the […]
May
07
#LAST NIGHT AT THE MET
posted by Layla
Best dressed list at The Met Opera 50th Anniversary Gala!
May
02
ATLANTA OPERA: TURANDOT
posted by Layla
Puccini’s epic tale centers around the Princess Turandot, who decapitates each suitor who fails to answer her riddles. Calaf falls in love with the ruthless Princess and heroically wins her ghastly game. Shockingly, Calaf proposes his own riddle to the Princess and puts his love and life in the hands of Turandot. Italian tenor Gianluca Terranova, […]
April
02
ATLANTA OPERA: DON PASQUALE
posted by Layla
In this modern production from director Chuck Hudson set in the golden era of Hollywood, Don Pasquale is an aging silent film star at the sunset of his career. Our protagonist sets off to find a wife and heir to his fortune. He gets hitched to the devious Norina, a widowed gold digger who conspires with Ernesto, […]
March
04
WERTHER BACKSTAGE MEET & GREET
posted by Layla
This performance was incredible! I sat front row center, then Cory met us to escort us backstage to meet Vittorio & Isabel. Vittorio was incredible- he drew me a picture, signed my program, took selfies with my mom and I and gave us hugs! On the way out of the opera house, he motioned me […]
March
04
THE MET OPERA: WERTHER
posted by Layla
After a crazy week- we flew to NYC and went directly to The Met Opera to see Werther with Isabel Leonard & Vittorio Grigolo! What a performance! POSSE PHOTOS:
February
17
CANDLER CONCERT SERIES: RENEE FLEMING
posted by Layla
One of the most beloved and celebrated musical ambassadors of our time, soprano Renée Fleming captivates audiences with her sumptuous voice, consummate artistry, and compelling stage presence. At a White House ceremony in 2013, the President awarded her the National Medal of Arts, America’s highest honor for an individual artist. Known as “the people’s diva” […]
February
06
ATLANTA OPERA: MARIA DE BUENOS AIRES
posted by Layla
Maria de Buenos Aires is the steamy story of Maria, the young prostitute who “was born on the day God was drunk.” As Maria falls in love with tango, she is pulled into a surreal world that blurs religion, dance and rebirth. This site-specific opera will be performed at Le Maison Rouge, the sexy burlesque hall […]
December
28
WIENER STAATSOPER: DIE ZAUBERFLOTE
posted by Layla
CONDUCTOR: Adam Fischer DIRECTOR: Moshe Leiser DIRECTOR: Patrice Caurier CAST: Sorin Caliban, Joseph Dennis, Albina Shagimuratova, Olga Bezsmertna, Georg Nigl POSSE VIDEOS: POSSE PHOTOS:
December
21
BAYERISCHE STAATSOPER: MACBETH
posted by Layla
In honeyed tones, Lord and Lady Macbeth reveal their passionate and bizarre emotions to us. But behind this beauty there lurks an abyss, which Verdi unveils with one of the cruelest dramas in the history of world literature. In their struggle to seize power and retain it once it has been usurped, Macbeth and his […]
October
16
ATLANTA OPERA: THE ABDUCTION FROM THE SERAGLIO
posted by Layla
Belmonte, with his sidekick Pedrillo, sets off to Turkey to rescue his betrothed Konstanze. The caper plays out in hilarious, action-packed circumstances wherein our heroes and heroines must outwit their captors, particularly the fiendish Osmin, overseer of the Pasha’s harem. The Abduction from the Seraglio is a farcical, colorful romance, and was one of Mozart’s first successes […]
August
26
VISIT TO THE MET OPERA
posted by Layla
Made my pilgrimage to the MET while in NYC for Auntie Diana’s wedding so that I could drop off the donations I had already received for the 4th Annual KAOP Ring Cycle Endurance Walk, visit the Gift Shop, and just walk what for me is hallowed ground of The Met Opera. I love this place […]
May
15
ATLANTA OPERA: ROMEO & JULIET
posted by Layla
Come with The Atlanta Opera as we venture to Verona, and meet Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately reconcile feuding families. Not seen on the Atlanta Opera stage since 2007, Charles Gounod’s opera in five acts, sung in French, reexamines the story through a decidedly French romantic lens. In France, the work is regarded as […]
April
16
NYC OPERA TRIP 2016: ROBERTO DEVEREUX
posted by Layla
Soprano Sondra Radvanovsky takes on the extraordinary challenge of singing all three of Donizetti’s Tudor queen operas in the course of a single season, a rare feat made famous by Beverly Sills—and not attempted on a New York stage since. In this climactic opera of the trilogy, she plays Queen Elizabeth I, forced to sign the […]
April
15
NYC OPERA TRIP 2016: PRIVATE DRESS REHEARSAL PREVIEW OF MOZART’S ABDUCTION FROM THE SERAGLIO
posted by Layla
Met Music Director James Levine returns to a work he has long cherished, Mozart’s delightful comic gem of wily captives in a harem. Text courtesy of The Metropolitan Opera POSSE PHOTOS:
March
13
ATLANTA OPERA: PIRATES OF PENZANCE
posted by Layla
As Frederic enters the rank of full pirate at the end of his apprenticeship, he and his fellow pirates court the daughters of Major-General Stanley. This sets off a hilarious course of riotous events that pit Frederic against his pirate clan. The Pirates of Penzance is a rollicking show with serious operatic chops. Seán Curran will direct […]
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