THE HANGOVER REPORT – The Met’s inadvertent concert presentation of Berlioz’s LA DAMNATION DE FAUST proves sonically glorious

This past weekend, I attended the opening performance of the Metropolitan Opera’s inadvertent concert presentation of Berlioz’s La Damnation de Faust. I say inadvertent because the opera company had originally planned to … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – PROTOTYPE 2020 finds the new opera festival as adventurous and vital as ever

One of the highlights of the frigid winter months in New York is the opportunity to bask in Prototype, the vital annual festival celebrating new opera and music theater. This year’s edition … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Alban Berg’s score darkly shimmers in William Kentridge’s disorienting new production of WOZZECK at the Met

Last night, I attended a performance of the new production of Alban Berg’s renegade one-act opera Wozzeck at the Metropolitan Opera. The staging is by renowned South African visual artist William Kentridge, who previously staged Berg’s Lulu and … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – A pair of loving revivals of Victorian-era works charm audiences over the holidays: THE MIKADO & LONDON ASSURANCE

Also over the holidays, two loving revivals of arguably archaic 19th century British works charmed New York audiences. First in line was The New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players’ new … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Memorable holiday performances at Lincoln Center: THE NUTCRACKER, CELEBRATING SONDHEIM, DER ROSENKAVALIER

Over the past few weeks, Lincoln Center provided some iconic entertainment, befitting the holiday season and the storied performance arts complex. At the David H. Koch Theater, I caught two … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – The Best of 2019

2019 is now officially a series of memories. Here are the best of them (in alphabetical order, by category).   BEST NEW PLAYS Ain’t No Mo’ (The Public Theater) BLKS (MCC … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The Met’s revival of THE QUEEN OF SPADES is chock full of notable house debuts (one that’s particularly exciting)

A star is born in Norwegian soprano Lise Davidsen, who made a glorious Metropolitan Opera debut last night in Tchaikovsky’s The Queen of Spades. That Tchaikovsky’s operatic psychological thriller is rarely … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Proof that classical music can be among the coolest things in town: Philip Glass’s AKHNATEN & the Currentzis-led Verdi REQUIEM

Last week, I attended two highly anticipated classical music events that were among the hottest tickets in town, proving that art form can be — contrary to the general thought … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Christine Goerke unveils a very human Isolde via the NSO’s dramatically and musically alert performance of Wagner’s intoxicating score

Yesterday at David Geffen Hall, Gianandrea Noseda led the National Symphony Orchestra in a performance of Act II of Richard Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde. The raison d’être for the concert, an offering at this … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – “The Scottish Play” two-ways (or maybe three or four): CSC’s MACBETH, Roundabout’s SCOTLAND, PA, etc.

This fall in New York, “The Scottish Play” is all the rage, as evidenced by two high profile productions of and inspired by the Shakespeare tragedy that recently opened Off-Broadway. At … Continue Reading →