Two Women on the Verge in “Suor Angelica”&“Voix Humaine”
Portrayed by the amazing Nuccia Focile, Elle is part courage, part anger, and partly on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Focile navigates the story with uncommon acting chops and a luscious, supple...
View ArticleIn the Nordic-West, Seattle Opera’s “Ring” Fills a Great Hall
The word for “settler” among the Vikings was “Landnám’s man”; the first arrival in an area “took” the land and named it. There was a lexicon of settlement, made up of family names and the names for...
View ArticleA Comedienne on the Opera Stage: Joyce Castle
Mezzo-soprano Joyce Castle’s long career has, so far, spanned 43 years, and the opera star is not slowing down any time soon. She is here this month to sing the Marquise in Donizetti’s La Fille du...
View ArticleDaughter of the Regiment: A Lighthearted Opera That’s a Total Romp
Girl meets boy. Instant attraction. Problems include disapproval from family, unforeseen complications, unhappiness of lovers. It’s a classic theater format that hasn’t changed in centuries, and the...
View ArticleWhat We’re Hearing This Month: Classical Music Picks For May
Though May is already in full swing, there are still plenty of options for classical music fans looking for live music. This month's offerings run the gamut from opera and chamber music to modern dance...
View ArticleThe Tales of Hoffmann, An Operatic Delight
There’s something just zany and delightful about Seattle Opera’s recent The Tales of Hoffmann. As a Speight send-off at the end of the season, it pulls out all the theatrical magic stops with fire,...
View ArticleSeattle Opera’s Full-Throated ‘Nabucco’ Powers Past its Awkward Staging
Verdi’s Nabucco opened last Saturday night at McCaw Hall, with the run continuing through August 22; it will be broadcast live next Saturday evening, August 15, on KING-FM. A smash hit when it was...
View ArticleA Homeless Hansel and Gretel Dream of Costco, at Seattle Opera
Cover: Anya Matanovic (Gretel) and Sarah Larsen (Hansel) in Hansel and Gretel at Seattle Opera (Photo: Jacob Lucas) Seattle Opera’s performances of Hansel …You are reading an excerpt from A Homeless...
View ArticleA Fast-Paced ‘Traviata’ for Today at Seattle Opera
Cover image: Joshua Dennis (Alfredo), Corinne Winters (Violetta), and cast members of Seattle Opera’s La traviata. (Photo: Philip Newton) The current …You are reading an excerpt from A Fast-Paced...
View ArticleFrom the Youth Opera Project, a ‘Robin Hood’ by and for the Younger Ages
Cover image: Scene from Seattle Opera’s youth opera for families, Robin Hood (Photo: Jacob Lucas) Seattle Opera’s Youth Opera Project reached full flower after seven years of steady growth, with three...
View ArticleSeattle Opera Gives Berlioz’‘Beatrice and Benedict’ the ‘Director’s Cut’...
Cover image: Alek Shrader (Benedict) sings opposite his wife Daniela Mack (Beatrice) on February 24, 28 and March 7 and 10 (Photo: Jacob Lucas) When Berlioz, an avid devotee of Shakespeare, composed...
View ArticleAt Seattle Opera, a Lavishly Zambellished ‘Aida’ Skimps on Egypt
Cover image: Leah Crocetto (Aida) with cast members of Seattle Opera’s Aida (Photo: Philip Newton) The premise for this Francesco Zambello production of Verdi’s Aida was simple: zero in on the...
View ArticleAn Arrestingly Transformed Orpheus Tale in Seattle Opera’s ‘O + E’
Cover image: Magda Gartner (O) and Tess Altiveros (E) in Seattle Opera’s O + E (Photo: Philip Newton) In this latest chamber opera presented by Seattle Opera in its rehearsal studio, Gluck’s Orfeo ed...
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