One of America’s favorite operas returns to the Met for the first time in nearly 30 years. James Robinson’s stylish production transports audiences to Catfish Row on the Charleston waterfront, vibrant with the music, dancing, emotion, and heartbreak of its inhabitants. “If you’re going to stage Gershwin’s opera, this is how,” raved the Guardian when […]

To end the day of opera festivities after Porgy & Bess, we enjoyed a beautiful dinner at The Smith in the private dining room.  I made the chose the menu items, and did the graphic design for the menu so it looked identical to the regular The Smith Menu with a few special details.  What […]

After the incredible performance of Porgy & Bess, KAOP went backstage for a private Green Room with the artists.  We also went upstairs to the lobby to meet privately with Eric Owens and Angel Joy Blue after their CD signing.  What an incredible day! POSSE VIDEOS:   POSSE PHOTOS:

An elegant meal for our 40 guests at The Grand Tier was wonderful.  We enjoyed an appetizer, and a main course, then returned during intermission 95 minutes later for yummy dessert and drinks. POSSE VIDEOS: POSSE PHOTOS:

Because of the craziness backstage after the Aida HD Performance and staff and singers getting set for the evening opera performance, backstage was crazy so we did not go backstage after the opera.  We happily waited at the Stage Door for the singers to come out.  It was super exciting.  You definitely had to try […]

Soprano Anna Netrebko and mezzo-soprano Anita Rachvelishvili reprise their incendiary partnership as Aida and Amneris—a highlight of the 2018–19 season—with tenor Piotr Beczała completing the greatest love triangle in all of opera as Radamès. Yannick Nézet-Séguin takes the podium for his first Opening Night performance as Met Music Director, leading director Michael Mayer’s grand new […]

Perfect way to start the day with my girlies and adult friends at The Grand Tier before Aida!!! POSSE VIDEOS:     POSSE PHOTOS:    

I have waited 10 years to meet Roberto Alagna!  Meeting him finally did not disappoint.  He is a true professional and beautifully kind person.  He had about 30 people waiting outside his dressing room.  He greeted, took pictures with, and signed autographs with true joy and an effervescent demeanor.  After such a tough week with […]

When mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča and tenor Roberto Alagna joined forces for a new production of Carmen at the Met, the results were electrifying. Now this star duo reunites for another sensual French opera when they open the season in the title roles of Saint-Saëns’s biblical epic Samson et Dalila. Darko Tresnjak, who won a Tony Award for Best […]

MAKING HEALTHY IRRESISTIBLE BABY BRASA is Franco Noriega’s first New York restaurant, modeled after the traditional pollerías that are a hallmark of Peruvian street cuisine. Responsibly sourced through D’Artagnan, our free-range organic chicken packs a flavor that can only come from the freshest ingredients and Peruvian spices. TEXT: Courtesy of http://www.babybrasa.com POSSE PHOTOS:

OMG IS ALL THAT WE CAN SAY!!! Piotr Bezcala, Placido Domingo & Family, and Sonya Yoncheva!!! This was a dream come true for all of KAOP and parents!  ❤️ POSSE PHOTOS: POSSE VIDEOS:

Plácido Domingo adds yet another role to his legendary Met career in this rarely performed Verdi gem, a heart-wrenching tragedy of fatherly love. Sonya Yoncheva sings the title role opposite Piotr Beczała in the first Met performances of the opera in more than ten years. Bertrand de Billy conducts. TEXT: Courtesy of http://www.metopera.org CURTAIN CALL: […]

The trip to the Green Room this trip was outrageous!  We got to meet the entire cast- and they were so gracious.  I could not believe Ildar and Isabelle remembered me!  Ildar said “Everyone knows you.”  Nadine shouted “OMG I know you from Instagram.’  Ailyn was so nice!  I was able to have brief but […]

An exceptional ensemble of performers—including Ailyn Pérez, Nadine Sierra, Isabel Leonard, Luca Pisaroni, Mariusz Kwiecien, and Ildar Abdrazakov—share the stage in Mozart’s comic yet profound look at human nature and one crazy day in a wealthy Spanish household. Acclaimed Mozartean maestro Harry Bicket conducts Richard Eyre’s high-spirited production. TEXT: Courtesy of http://www.metopera.org VIDEOS: POSSE PHOTOS:

We started our evening at the opera having dinner for 20 at The Grand Tier Restaurant! The food was incredible and the service was excellent.  As usual, the Met Opera team made us feel wonderfully welcome and special coming from coast to coast to see Le Nozze di Figaro!  Our group of adults and teens […]

The Metropolitan Opera Archives contain a vast collection of documents, photographs, artwork, costumes, and memorabilia reaching back to the company’s opening season in 1883. TEXT: Courtesy of http://www.metopera.org POSSE VIDEOS:                                                   […]

At Robataya NY, where festive meets intimate, we pair oganic, local ingredients with their select Japanese counterparts. Originating in the Sendai region of Japan, Robatayaki is a traditional Japanese barbecue where fresh seafood, savory meats and seasonal vegetables are grilled before you over an open hearth. POSSE PHOTOS: ​​ ​

Drop in on 14-year-old Victoria Confino, who lived in the tenement in 1916, to hear about the immigrant experience in a more intimate setting. Tour her apartment, ask her questions about her life, and get a unique perspective on adjusting to life on the Lower East Side. POSSE PHOTOS: ​​

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The dream cast of Renée Fleming as the Marschallin and Elīna Garanča as Octavian star in Strauss’s grandest opera. In his new production, Robert Carsen, the director behind the Met’s recent Falstaff, places the action at the end of the Habsburg Empire, underscoring the opera’s subtext of class and conflict against a rich backdrop of gilt […]

It was an honor to sit down with Mr. Gelb to talk about opera. PHOTOS:

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