Breaking the Waves — Opera Philadelphia at Perelman Theater
The church-dominated north Scottish coastal town in which Bess McNeill resides in so strict and pinched, it looks askance at undevout foreigners and continues to refer to Bess as McNeill … Continue reading
Cold Mountain — Opera Philadelphia at the Academy of Music
A chilling first scene sets the tone and context for Jennifer Higdon and Gene Scheer’s gorgeous and moving opera, “Cold Mountain,” an epic piece given a vibrant, unstintingly dramatic production … Continue reading
La Traviata — Opera Philadelphia at the Academy of Music
Lisette Oropesa in the Opera Philadelphia production of “La Traviata” is nothing less than an operatic ideal. As lithe as she is beautiful, Oropesa sails across the Academy of Music … Continue reading
Yardbird — Opera Philadelphia at Perelman Theater
Maestro Corrado Rovaris begins the downbeat, an easy drum riff that leads a mellow combination of horns. Daniel Schnyder’s score for his and librettist Bridgette A. Wimberly’s view of jazz … Continue reading
Oscar — Opera Philadelphia at Academy of Music
The life of Oscar Wilde spiraled quickly from the giddy heights of fame, flare, and frivolity to the degradation of confinement, disease, and penury. British law, which in 1897 forbade homosexual practice and … Continue reading
The Barber of Seville — Opera Philadelphia
Michael Shell’s production of Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville” for Opera Philadelphia is an intricately crafted mélange in every conceivable way. The title character, Figaro, enters on a contemporary bicycle … Continue reading
Andy: A Popera — Bearded Ladies Company at the Wilma
Andy Warhol’s fame has lasted far more than 15 minutes, and in “Andy: A Popera,” fictional professor and lecturer, Dr. Peter P. Never has been obsessed with the seminal pop … Continue reading
A Coffin in Egypt — Opera Philadelphia — Perelman Theater
Commanding the stage with a bona fide star’s aplomb, Frederica von Stade endows Ricky Ian Gordon and Leonard Foglia’s graceful opera, “A Coffin in Egypt,” with wit, drama, and grandeur … Continue reading
