REVIEW: Rare Dafne Brought to Light (Twin Cities Early Music Festival) Arts Music Opera Theatre Visual Arts by Basil Considine - August 3, 2019August 3, 2019 A 16th-century painting of the Greek legend of Apollo and Daphne by Paolo Veronese, showing Daphne morphing into a tree in front of Apollo's anguished eyes. The featured portions of the Twin Cities Early Music Festival launched yesterday with a performance of Marco da Gagliano's 1608 opera La Dafne. The rarely performed
REVIEW: La Serva Padrona Ascends at Icehouse (Mill City Summer Opera) Arts Music Opera Theatre by Basil Considine - July 16, 2019July 17, 2019 Rodolfo Nieto (center) and Madison Holtze (right) in Mill City Summer Opera's production of the opera La serva padrona. Photo by Jasmin Kemp. Mill City Summer Opera leaped onto its first-ever second stage last night. The company's compact production of La serva padrona is a light-hearted, entertaining gem staged at the
BREAKING NEWS: Stephen Lord Resigns From Michigan Opera Theatre, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis Arts Music Opera Theatre by Twin Cities Arts Reader - June 19, 2019June 19, 2019 Following last night's publication of an investigative feature on Stephen Lord, the American conductor has resigned from his positions at Michigan Opera Theatre and Opera Theatre of St. Louis. Statements from both organizations follow. MOT's complete statement reads: Michigan Opera Theatre announced today that its Principal Conductor Stephen Lord has resigned from
FEATURE: Threats, Quid Pro Quo Harassment, & Obscene Messages: Abuse on an Operatic Scale Arts Music Opera Theatre by Basil Considine - June 18, 2019June 21, 2019 Photo by Toni Maksan. [Editor's update: Following the June 18th publication of this article, Stephen Lord resigned from Michigan Opera Theatre and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis.] [Warning: This article includes a detailed discussion of sexual harassment.] "If you sleep with me, you would have so many jobs." "I could cast you in so
REVIEW: Everything Great About Minnesota Opera’s La Traviata Arts Music Opera Theatre Visual Arts by Basil Considine - May 7, 2019May 7, 2019 Jésus León and Nicole Cabell star as doomed lovers Alfredo and Violetta in Minnesota Opera's La Traviata, now playing at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in St. Paul, MN. Photo by Dan Norman. Editor's Note: This is the second of two reviews looking at Minnesota Opera's production of La
REVIEW: Everything Wrong with Minnesota Opera’s La Traviata Arts Music Opera Theatre Visual Arts by Basil Considine - May 6, 2019May 7, 2019 The famous Brindisi scene in Minnesota Opera's production of La Traviata, which opened Saturday at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in St. Paul, MN. Photo by Dan Norman. Editor's Note: This is the first of two reviews looking at Minnesota Opera's production of La Traviata, which opened on Saturday
REVIEW: Too Much of a Good Thing in A Parable of the Sower (O’Shaughnessy) Arts Music Opera Theatre by Basil Considine - April 27, 2019April 29, 2019 A scene from the opera A Parable of the Sower at its Abu Dhabi premiere. Photo by Waleed Shah. The first 45 minutes of the opera A Parable of the Sower, presented in concert form at the O'Shaughnessy last night, are absolutely sensational. If the evening had ended then and there, the
WEEKEND PICKS: Space Eggs, Play Readings, Hobbits, and Sunken Pharoahs Arts Dance Dining Lifestyle Music Opera Theatre Visual Arts by Hanne Appelbaum - March 28, 2019March 28, 2019 A man steps into the giant space egg sauna at the American Swedish Institute. Photo by Basil Considine. Looking for things to do this weekend? Here are our top picks: Thursday Gun control's on the mind and theatre is the battleground. Code Red Playwrights presents a series of short (1-5 minute) play readings
INTERVIEW: Maggie Burr and Jim Ahrens on Theatre Elision’s Of Art and Artists Arts Dance Music Opera Theatre Visual Arts by Basil Considine - March 26, 2019March 26, 2019 A word cloud built from the names of composers in Theatre Elision's upcoming Of Art and Artists program. Next Thursday, Theatre Elision opens a short-run performance entitled Of Art and Artists. The ambitious, label-defying program will mix readings of poetry, showings of visual art, choral singing, and dance in three performances
REVIEW: A Thoroughly English Mikado (GSVLOC) Arts Dance Music Opera Theatre by Basil Considine - March 19, 2019March 19, 2019 "Three little maids from school are we" – Sarah Mehle as Patricia Singleton/Patti Sing, Margaret Matejcek as Taylor Tarrington/Tum Tum, and Blanka Melbostad as Barbara O. Peoples/Bow Peep in the Gilbert and Sullivan Very Light Opera Company's new production of The Mikado. The Gilbert and Sullivan Very Light Opera Company opened