Imagine Los Angeles in 1913: before World War I, before Hollywood, before downtown was really a thing. Pacific Opera Project has done it again, building something unique from the familiar, and giving Richard Strauss’ beloved opera-about-opera, Ariadne auf Naxos, a nostalgic turn in modernity by looking back to the show’s own time period… in California. Sung … Read more
St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral in Los Angeles was the location chosen by Cantoris LA for a rare performance of Ordo Virtutum, a morality play written and composed by Hildegard von Bingen, circa 1151. Completed in 1925, the cathedral is one of the purest examples in the United States of the Romanesque architecture that was popular … Read more
Arts for Social Awareness Project’s first production is a must-see 5 chances left to catch the new opera in NoHo It’s new. It’s improvised. And it’s an experience you won’t forget. The Discord Altar will touch your heart and inspire you. It could even change the world. Collaborating with Fugitive Kind Theater, this project from … Read more
— From community reviewer Jo Nelsen A rollicking cast of six talented opera singers and one effervescent pianist brought absolute delight to a packed house at Pasadena Playhouse’s Carrie Hamilton Theater presenting ÆSOPERA: A Chamber Opera Inspired by the Fables of Aesop. Fresh and innovative, this creative rendering of Aesop’s timeless insights is a joyous … Read more
Did you make it to ‘Trouble in Tahiti’ this weekend? Hi, folks — This is a prime example of why I don’t do real reviews on this site: I’m way too biased, and prefer ‘Raves’, where I can gush without restraint. Pacific Opera Project‘s latest offering, Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti, was great fun and a rare … Read more
A recital by eight bass singers associated with the Repertory Opera Company — July 2, 2011 By Bruce Wright Singers like to joke about the types of roles traditionally associated with various types of voices. Some lament their limitations, while others delight in the rich tradition, descended from the commedia dell’arte, of stock characters brought vividly … Read more
