Corinne Winters: 'Humans do stupid stuff and I think art should reflect that.'
Vancouver Opera's glittery Magic Flute
ReviewVocally breathtaking, with phenomenal control, [MacKinnon] would effortlessly float high notes above the orchestra, and then tackle larger passages with incredible vocal strength and size. An absolute force of nature who brought the house down.
Latonia Moore: 'It's our job to keep pushing things forward.'
Interview'When [you ask me why] I sing, I get a wonderful release, a release of stress, an emotional release. I also I like the giving to people and I like making them feel goosebumps. I like making them feel emotional, want to cry or want to throw something. I like eliciting an emotional response from them.'
A clarifying and revelatory evening with Schubert and Jonas Kaufmann
ReviewThe tenor's wrenching interpretations of the cycle's 14 songs while performing strenuous physical movement left no doubt that he was as wholly committed to the rigors of Doppelgänger as he was to the rueful Schwanengesang.
Julia Bullock: A miraculous evening from Schubert to Nina Simone
ReviewEschewing any trace of strained posturing or winking high-art condescension she embellished each group of songs with a musical aura; a subtle shift in posture, a theatrical gaze reflecting her oneness with the music and a spot-on sense of purpose.
The Flying Dutchman sets sail at Lyric Opera of Chicago
ReviewIt remains essential to engage in a nuanced conversation about the intricate legacy of the man behind the music. The Flying Dutchman, with its timeless themes of love, redemption, and eternal yearning continues to captivate audiences, even as we grapple with the enduring shadows of Wagner's beliefs.
Karen Chia-Ling Ho's 'star-making' performance in BLO's thoughtful Madama Butterfly
ReviewIt is effectively trading one overdone opera death for another, but I think this decision to change who dies at the end of the story is still one of the most brilliant aspects of the production.
An absolute triumph of comedy: DMMO's Love for Three Oranges
ReviewEvery scene was controlled chaos, and despite the insanity onstage, I couldn't look away.
DMMO's The Falling and the Rising forces you to feel
ReviewWhile this contemporary work has had several productions in recent years, these two performances are the first to take place on an active military base, a location that makes the touching story all the more poignant.
Sharing the burden: dwb (driving while black)
ReviewWhite audience members were challenged to confront the discomfort brought on by the opera and the discussion, to sit with the trauma as black individuals must each and every day.
Dark romance & psychological horror in Des Moines Metro Opera's Bluebeard
ReviewDes Moines Metro Opera's cutting edge production of Bluebeard's Castle breathed new life into an underrated opera, blending the digital and traditional in a seamless immersive display.