Before the Mermaid, a Papagena Arts Music Opera by Basil Considine - November 20, 2015November 21, 2015 One of the attractions of live theatre is the near-infinite list of what can go wrong during a performance and the special delight taken in seeing what the cast does in response. Last year, a backdrop tumbled to the floor in the middle of "On This Night of A Thousand Stars" when Evita opened
REVIEW: Silent Movie Magic Flute Extravaganza Still Has It Arts Music Opera Theatre by Basil Considine - November 18, 2015November 20, 2015 It's been a year and a half since Minnesota Opera opened its striking and iconoclastic take on The Magic Flute. This production wowed audiences, who came in droves; at the time, the two-week run was the best-selling show in the company's 41-year history (it was dethroned by last spring's Carmen). Not everyone
INTERVIEW: Dale Johnson on Minnesota Opera’s Magic Flute Madness Arts Music Opera Theatre by Basil Considine - October 29, 2015March 11, 2017 Minnesota Opera Artistic Director Dale Johnson. Photo by Michal Daniel. Minnesota Opera's innovative 2014 production of The Magic Flute was one of the surprise hits of the 2013-2014 season. This adaptation of the classic Mozart opera smashed the company's box office records, selling 14,584 tickets and bringing in $951,000 in ticket revenue. A year and
REVIEW: Minnesota Opera’s Ariadne auf Naxos Arts Music Opera Theatre by Basil Considine - September 27, 2015March 11, 2017 The 1912 world premiere of Richard Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos had a built-in pacing problem: while the opera itself was only 90 minutes, it was performed second on the same bill as Le bourgeois gentillehomme – a lengthy play that by itself ran 4.5 hours. This, unsurprisingly, was not the best combination even before the advent
Minnesota Opera’s Popup Plan Arts Music Opera by Basil Considine - September 15, 2015March 11, 2017 Popup events are all the range now, and Minnesota Opera has decided to get into the game in a big way. Starting on September 19, MNOpera is sending its musicians out for free daily performances around town in the build-up to its season opener. The promotion, succinctly styled 7 Days of
REVIEW: Twin Cities Fringe Opera’s Don Giovanni Arts Music Opera Theatre by Basil Considine - September 12, 2015September 12, 2015 In the composer Hector Berlioz's memoirs, he recounts traveling through Germany in the mid-19th century. Away from the refinement of Paris, he saw countless performances where the orchestra was fortified by the local military band, or a traveling opera company joined by members of the local music society in the pit. While