In review: Maometto II

Review

David Alden's production of Maometto, a work that until the revival in Santa Fe in 2012 hadn't been performed in it's entirety since Naples in 1820, was exactly what I think the COC needed in its season at this point. A simple, easy to digest set and staging, with a thrilling orchestra and incomparable vocals. I can't... I just can't get over the voices I heard last night.

Don't miss: Shoestring Opera's Hansel & Gretel

Interview

On Sunday, June 5 North York's Solar Stage Children's Theatre, Shoestring Opera presents two performances of their very own adaptation of Humperdinck's Hänsel and Gretel, with a libretto by Mark Brownell. In their tale, Hansel and Gretel have an odd neighbour, who "might be a witch, with an awful twitch, who rides the air with a broomstick switch!" At 11am and 2pm, audiences can enjoy gorgeous music, learn some new dance moves, and hear a new take on a classic story.

Performers: unwilling players of mind games

Humour

Performing in public is about imaginary stats: there are sayings that go something like how it's 10% preparation, 89% inspiration, and the final 1% a combination of panic and validation seeking. Whatever the proportions, the above factors are all in the artistic mix, balancing in a way that's at best symbiotic, and at worst a mental food chain.

Rarities: opera stage parents

Editorial

So, because training for opera takes patience and nurturing, and rarely results in the kind of fame and fortune that makes terrible parents proud, have we escaped the curse of stage moms and dads? Is opera an ironic blind spot, ignored by the validation seekers in favour of TV commercials and youth beauty pageants?

In review: The Rape of Lucretia

Review

It was incredibly close and intimate and I think it added to the stressful undercurrent of the entire score. The male and female chorus guide us through the horrific unfolding of events, there is a clear point of view from a feminine perspective, but one that was nobly sympathetic to the weakness of the men who are the catalyst to all this indignity.

Meet the contestants of A Little Too Cozy!

Interview

"Can you fall in love with someone you’ve never met?" That's the big question on the minds of the four hopeful, love-seeking contestants on A Little Too Cozy. Felicity and Dora have been getting to know Elmo and Fernando in that classically romantic way, texting. Soon, they'll join host Donald Alfonso and talent relations guru Despina for the finale episode of A Little Too Cozy, where they'll finally be able to go on a face-to-face date with the objects of their text-affections.

4 weird questions for opera singers

Humour

We always wonder, since it's right there and wide open, do singers ever find themselves staring into the mouth of their duet partner? Do they become mesmerized by a waving uvula or trembling tongue? Are they conscious of having someone stare directly into their cavernous oral orifice as they holler away? Is it a bonding experience for both parties?

Liederwölfe stuns in #OperaPeepShow

Review

To say that it was unique would be a broad understatement. Upon arrival, you are greeted at the door and presented a key which gets you into the event, and then you are ushered downstairs where you get to choose, à la carte, which combination of the companies presenting you wished to check out.

In review: Classical Opera's Il Vologeso

Review

Perhaps it's true that Jommelli will not be remembered as one of the great composers of his time, but Il Vologeso is a great opera. It's full of love and lust, neglected and abused women, political differences, pride, and just endings. Under Ian Page, the Orchestra of Classical Opera started with a burst of energy that stayed present throughout the night; no two phrases were alike, and the orchestra were main players in the drama alongside the singers.

In review: Los Gavilanes at Toronto Operetta Theatre

Review

In a word, charming. That is what I experienced tonight with Toronto Operetta Theatre and their Canadian premiere of Jacinto Guerrero’s Los Gavilanes at St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts. From the simple set to the period costumes, the Spanish orchestration and the simple, well-known tale of love lost (and then found), I was charmed.