The Opera Tattler

Reviews of Performances and their Audiences

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Category: Nathan Gunn

  • Michael Todd Simpson Replaces Nathan Gunn

    Baritone Michael Todd Simpson (pictured left) will replace Nathan Gunn as Gaylord Ravenal in Show Boat at San Francisco Opera. Gunn has withdrawn from the the production. Other casting updates include Bill Irwin as Cap'n Andy Hawks and Harriet Harris as Parthy Ann Hawks. Production Web Site | San Francisco Opera Press Release

  • Magic Flute Opening at SF Opera

    * Notes *  The Magic Flute (Alek Shrader as Tamino and the animals of the woods in Act I Scene 3 pictured left, photograph by Cory Weaver) opened at San Francisco Opera Wednesday night. The new production, from artist Jun Kaneko, is an utter delight. Kaneko’s use of bright colors and whimsical shapes is charming.…

  • Show Boat at Lyric Opera of Chicago

    * Notes * A new production of Show Boat (Act I, Scene 1 pictured left, photograph by Robert Kusel/Lyric Opera of Chicago) opened at Lyric Opera of Chicago last month. The Friday matinée performance was an utter delight from top to bottom. Director Francesca Zambello is at her best in this co-production with Lyric, San…

  • Amelia at Seattle Opera

    * Notes *The world premiere of Daron Aric Hagen‘s Amelia had a promising opening at Seattle Opera last night. The production, directed by Stephen Wadsworth and designed by Thomas Lynch, is both smart and tasteful. Some of the scene changes were rather noisy, and this was particularly unfortunate as it interrupted the music. Wadsworth’s story…

  • The Barber of Seville at LA Opera

    * Notes * Last Sunday Il Barbiere di Siviglia opened in a matinée performance at Los Angeles Opera. The orchestra sounded unfocused under Michele Mariotti, often not with the singers. As Fiorello, José Adán Pérez sounded fine, as did Kerri Marcinko (Berta). Andrea Silvestrelli was an amusing Don Basilio, his throaty, resonant tones were spot on.…

  • LA Opera’s 2009-2010 Season

    September 12-30 2009: L'Elisir d'AmoreSeptember 26- October 17 2009: SiegfriedNovember 21- December 1 2009: TamerlanoNovember 29- December 19 2009: Il barbiere di SivigliaApril 3-25 2010: Die GötterdämmerungApril 12-24 2010: Die GezeichnetenMay 29- June 26 2010: Der Ring des Nibelungen Nathan Gunn stars in L'Elisir with Rolando Villazón and in Il barbiere with Juan Diego Flórez and Joyce DiDonato.…

  • Opera Company of Philadelphia’s 2008-2009 Season

    October 10-24 2008: FidelioNovember 14-23 2008: L'Italiana in AlgeriFebruary 20- March 6 2009: TurandotApril 24- May 3 2009: L'enfant et les sortilèges/Gianni SchicchiJune 5-14 2009: The Rape of Lucretia Nathan Gunn and William Burden will be singing in The Rape of Lucretia. Press Release | Official Site

  • LA Opera’s 2008-2009 Season

    September 6-26 2008: Il TritticoSeptember 7-26 2008: The FlyOctober 2-18 2008: Madama ButterflyNovember 15- December 14 2008: CarmenJanuary 10-25 2009: Die ZauberflöteFebruary 21- March 15 2009: Das RheingoldApril 4-25 2009: Die WalküreApril 11-26 2009: Die VögelMay 21- June 21 2009: La Traviata Two U.S. premieres and the company's first Der Ring des Nibelungen. Quite a…

  • Fredda ed immobile

    * Notes * The seventh performance of Il Barbiere di Siviglia this season was at least better than the last I saw. Things may have been helped by standing in the balcony, where the sound is better. I could definitely hear Nathan Gunn (Figaro) more clearly except when he was in the upper room of…

  • Tra la la. Largo al factotum.

    * Notes * Alarmingly, the fifth performance of Il Barbiere di Siviglia this season was worse than opening night, at least as far as Act I. John Osborn (Count Almaviva) was flat, Allyson McHardy (Rosina) gasped in her prominent aria "Una voce poco fa," Nathan Gunn (Figaro) seemed more concerned with his Vespa than with…