The Opera Tattler
Reviews of Performances and their Audiences
Month: August 2019
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*Notes* Last night's Merola Grand Finale showcased a variety of strong voices from the set of San Francisco Opera's upcoming Billy Budd. The stage direction certainly had a ton of ideas and I especially enjoyed hearing the singers cast in the contemporary opera this summer sing more standard repertoire. Apprentice stage director Greg Eldridge started…
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San Francisco Opera has canceled the sold-out Plácido Domingo concert scheduled for October 6, 2019. Domingo has been accused of multiple allegations of sexual harassment. The world-renowned singer is the head of Los Angeles Opera, which has engaged outside counsel to investigate these claims. San Francisco Opera Press Release | Initial Associated Press Article About…
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* Notes * West Edge Opera performed an English language version of Brecht's The Threepenny Opera for a second time yesterday afternoon. The darkly funny piece features much bawdy humor with some fine singing, though somewhat marred by the location of the theater. What was clear right away was this is a play with songs rather…
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* Notes * Yesterday West Edge Opera gave the West Coast premiere of Missy Mazzoli's compelling Breaking the Waves. The bleak plot based on the film by Lars von Trier makes for good theater and the singing was powerful, especially from the lead, soprano Sara LeMesh. Set in Scotland in the 1970s, the dark narrative concerns…
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* Notes * West Edge Opera presented Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice last night at yet another new venue. Unfortunately, the space, once a repair facility for rail cars, is not acoustically suited for unamplified music. In the past decade, West Edge Opera has performed everywhere from a high school theater in El Cerrito to a Bart…
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* Notes * Merola Opera Program's very first commission, If I Were You, premiered last night at Herbst Theatre. Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer's opera certainly shows off the young singers voices but most impressive was Maestra Nicole Paiement at the helm of the orchestra. The focus of Merola's performances is, of course, very much on…
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