Reich, Glass, a world premiere and a Bach adaptation combine to celebrate two anniversaries for Long Beach Opera. The release expresses the same vitality we’ve come to expect from this adventurous company, as well as a particular sense of artistic urgency: Stories that need to be told Music that needs to be heard Details below, … Read more
Long Beach Opera strives to make their seasons accessible and engaging, and the recent production of Leonard Bernstein’s Candide is a shining example of that commitment. Staged in the cozy Center Theater in Long Beach, the show brought out the best of Bernstein’s music and comedic farce. Updating productions can be a tricky proposal. Many shows … Read more
One of our most valuable local support organizations has announced a major achievement, with the Opera Buffs helping their 500th singer achieve her goals — and she’s a Lister! Yelena Dyachek is the milestone in soprano form, and we’re delighted for both org and performer. The company’s press release follows, with lots of links: [Press release] … Read more
[Press release] “Glitter and Be Gay” CANDIDE A Journey through “The Best of All Possible Worlds” Long Beach, CA, December 18, 2015―On January 23 and 30, 2016, Long Beach Opera (LBO) presents composer Leonard Bernstein’s satiric romp Candide at the Center Theater in Long Beach, CA. The eclectic score mixes everything from Viennese waltzes to … Read more
In perhaps their best yet, Long Beach Opera‘s reprise of David Lang‘s The Difficulty of Crossing a Field (debuted at LBO in 2011) is an astonishing triumph and an exemplary exercise in out-of-the-box thinking. The minimalist score and orchestration for string quartet (executed with energetic style by the first-class Lyris Quartet, right) make good use … Read more
John Adams‘ The Death of Klinghoffer is an opera designed to leave its audience with much to contemplate, and it succeeds mightily. The subject has sparked repeated controversy since the 1991 premiere, so much so that most of the headlines in the last year that refer to the external conflict. (Do a quick Google search and … Read more
Zombies are everywhere. Brad Pitt, Jane Austen novels, Homeland Security… and now Long Beach Opera. I’ve never quite connected with the zombie obsession, but LBO’s Macbeth is the Goldilocks of z-ification: their production of Ernest Bloch‘s 1909 opera is just right. The hallowed Shakespeare play is nothing if not bloody, so it took only a moment to take … Read more
