BREAKING NEWS: Skylark Opera Cancels 36th Season Arts Music Opera Theatre by Basil Considine - March 18, 2016October 5, 2016 Fans of Skylark Opera were expecting something new in the pipeline when the company announced its search for a new Executive Director, but few were expecting a surprise cancellation of the 36-year-old company's 2016 season. With little aplomb, Skylark Opera rolled out a letter from president Carrie Wasley announcing the news today. "Over
REVIEW: Sumptuous Tosca Muddles Imagery, Makes Out Musically Arts Music Opera Theatre by Basil Considine - March 16, 2016March 17, 2016 Cavaradossi (Leonardo Capalbo) walks to his fate. Photo by Dan Norman. If anyone was worried when Minnesota Opera announced that Kelly Kaduce was stepping into the title role of Tosca with just a week's notice, they needn't have bothered. Kaduce was in full form on opening night, a dazzling presence on stage as
PREVIEW: The Look of Tosca Arts Music Opera Theatre Visual Arts by Twin Cities Arts Reader - March 11, 2016 Scarpia (Stephen Powell) revels in his diabolical plan. Photo by Dan Norman. Minnesota Opera's Tosca opens tomorrow. Here's a look at the production and the gorgeous sets and costumes by Lorenzo Cutùli; all photos by Dan Norman.
PREVIEW: Tosca (Minnesota Opera) Arts Music Opera by Basil Considine - March 7, 2016March 11, 2017 A scenic design sculpture for Act 2 of Minnesota Opera's 2016 production of Tosca. Design by Lorenzo Cutùli. Tosca, which opens this Saturday at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, is one of the most lethal operas in the standard repertoire. Les Troyens' mass suicide of Trojan maidens kills off more
REVIEW: Iolanthe Hilarious, Lovely (GSVLOC) Arts Music Opera Theatre by Basil Considine - February 28, 2016February 28, 2016 Sort-of-maybe-star-crossed lovers The Lord Chancellor (Scott Benson), Phyllis (Sarah Wind Richens), and Strephon (Eric Sargent). 2015 was a good year for Gilbert & Sullivan fans in the Twin Cities. In a typical year, they might expect to see just one or two performances; in 2015, they got three: H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance, and Trial
PREVIEW: Four Saints in Three Acts (VocalEssence) Arts Dance Music Opera by Basil Considine - February 8, 2016February 8, 2016 On March 19, 2016, VocalEssence is staging a rare performance of the opera Four Saints in Three Acts. This rarely performed work features a libretto by Gertrude Stein and music by Virgil Thomson, and is considered one of the most influential American operas of the 1930s. VocalEssence's staging brings the piece
GENERAL ADVISORY: Snow Emergency and Show Cancellations Arts Dance Lifestyle Music Opera Theatre Visual Arts by Twin Cities Arts Reader - February 2, 2016 The Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul have declared snow emergencies for Tuesday, February 2. In addition to the normal travel and parking advisories, the staff of the Twin Cities Arts Reader would like to remind you to check before heading out to an evening's entertainment. Although some performing arts organizations
REVIEW: Lush Rusalka Delights (Minnesota Opera) Arts Music Opera Theatre by Lydia Lunning - January 24, 2016March 11, 2017 Minnesota Opera’s production of Antonín Dvořák’s Rusalka, with soprano Kelly Kaduce in the title role, has returned to the Ordway after its premiere in 2008. This fairy tale opera had not appeared in United States until the mid-1970s, but this richly textured staging and Dvořák’s full-bodied score should be an
PREVIEW: Flourish! Resource Fair – for Artists and Creative Entrepreneurs Arts Dance Music Opera Theatre Visual Arts by Jenny Martel - January 22, 2016January 24, 2016 Tomorrow, Springboard for the Arts hosts its second Flourish! Resource Fair. This half-day event is designed as a resource forum, clinic, and networking event for artists and creative entrepreneurs. Programming includes informational sessions about artist organization resources, healthcare, funding, tax preparation, and artists' services. Staff representatives from 26 organizations will be available for
Minnesota Opera Names New President Arts Music Opera by Basil Considine - January 14, 2016March 11, 2017 Minnesota Opera announced today that Ryan Taylor will become its president and general director, effective May 1, 2016. Taylor joins the company from Arizona Opera, where he currently serves as general director. Taylor is a distinguished singer, director, and artistic administrator – and, as an alumnus of MNOpera's Resident Artist Program,