THE HANGOVER REPORT – The disjointed but beautifully produced MAESTRO is a two-for-one deal of theater and classical music

Yesterday afternoon at the Duke on 42nd Street, I caught Ensemble for the Romantic Century’s latest theatrical portrait of an artist. In this case, the life examined was that of … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Debussy’s singular PELLÉAS ET MÉLISANDE is done proud by Met maestro Yannick Nézet-Séguin

Tonight, I caught a rare performance of Pelléas et Mélisande at the Metropolitan Opera. In my book, any chance to to see and hear Debussy’s sole opera live in the opera house … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – PROTOTPYE 2019 continues to aggressively push the boundaries of opera and music theater

As a lover of opera, theater, and unexpected modes of performative expression, it’s no surprise that I find Prototype to be an essential annual experience. Touted as a festival for … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – A satisfying holidays at the Met: LA TRAVIATA, ADRIANA LECOUVREUR, and THE MAGIC FLUTE

This holiday season, opera fans were treated to a trio of top notch, thoroughly satisfying productions at the Met, two of them brand new to the mighty opera company. Given … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – 2018’s Best in Opera

2018 was a relatively strong year for opera in New York. The year was pretty well balanced in terms of worthwhile new works, new productions, and revivals. Although I mostly found myself at the Metropolitan … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – William Kentridge’s monumental, sprawling spectacle THE HEAD AND THE LOAD at the Park Avenue Armory was an unsettling, poetic epic

Earlier this month, I caught South African artist William Kentridge’s monumental The Head and the Load at the appropriately massive Drill Hall of the Park Avenue Armory. His visceral, collage-like aesthetic … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – BAM’s Next Wave Festival, Weeks 7-11: Memorable highlights include the dramatization of Joan Didion’s THE WHITE ALBUM and Mark-Anthony Turnage’s visceral opera GREEK

Weeks 7 through 11 of the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Next Wave Festival showcased to BAM-goers a wide variety of genres in its three distinct spaces (the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House, BAM Harvey, and BAM … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Kaija Saariaho’s haunting ONLY THE SOUND REMAINS, directed by Peter Sellars, is of a single fabric

Last night, I caught the New York premiere of  Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho’s Only the Sound Remains at the Rose Theater at Jazz at Lincoln Center, by way of Lincoln Center’s White Light … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – At the Met, Robert Carsen’s striking production rescues Boito’s rarely-performed MEFISTOFELE from weirdness

It’s been a while since I’ve seen a Robert Carsen production. Earlier this week, that dry spell was broken when I attended a performance of the important Canadian director’s striking, rightfully-acclaimed … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – BAM’s Next Wave Festival, Week 6: A banner week featuring Philip Glass’s SATYAGRAHA & Sasha Waltz’s KREATUR

After taking two weeks off from attending performances at the Next Wave Festival, I was eager to reengage in BAM’s flagship festival once again last week. Even before Week 6 commenced, … Continue Reading →