The Opera Tattler
Reviews of Performances and their Audiences
Category: Opera San José
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* Notes * Alma Deutscher‘s Cinderella (Act IV pictured, photograph by David Allen) returned to Opera San José last weekend with the seventeen-year-old composer in the pit in her international conducting debut. I brought my Kindergartner to the delightful Sunday matinée as her very first opera. Ms. Deutscher finished this opera when she was only…
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* Notes * Le nozze di Figaro (Efraín Solís as Figaro and Maya Kherani as Susanna in Act IV pictured, photograph by David Allen) opened at Opera San José last weekend with a joyous and very human production set in colonial India. I was skeptical about moving this piece from Seville to South Asia, as…
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* Notes * West Side Story (Act I pictured, photograph by David Allen) opened at Opera San José last night in a sleek and effective production from director Crystal Manich. It was wonderful to hear Leonard Bernstein's music live with a fresh, youthful cast. Conductor Christopher James Ray kept the orchestra and singers together, though…
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September 10–25 2022: Le Nozze di FigaroNovember 12–27 2022: Alma Deutscher's CinderellaFebruary 11–26 2023: FalstaffApril 15–30 2023: Tosca Today new General Director Shawna Lucey (pictured, photograph by David Allen) announced Opera San José's next season, which includes a new opera by Alma Deutscher. Press Release | Official Site
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* Notes *A colorful production of Carmen opened at Opera San José last weekend with a sharp cast. Director Lillian Groag's staging is lively with supernumeraries and flamenco dancers. Music Director Joseph Marcheso kept the orchestra fairly neat, only a few moments here and there were off-kilter. The brass were clear and the woodwinds lovely.…
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* Notes *Opera San José has returned to the California Theatre last night with a beautifully cast Dido and Aeneas. Director Elkhanah Pulitzer's new production is likewise attractive. Music Director Joseph Marcheso conducted a reduced version of the orchestra suited to this Baroque opera that clocks in at only 55 minutes. The continuo — played…
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Opera San José will present a new fully staged production of Jake Heggie’s Three Decembers as an on-demand stream starting December 3, 2020. The cast (pictured, photograph by David Allen) features mezzo-soprano Susan Graham in the lead role along with Opera San José Resident Artists soprano Maya Kherani and baritone Efraín Solís. Tickets are $40…
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* Notes *Opera San José is in the midst of an appealing run of Il trovatore. The traditional production cleanly moves through the scenes and has a hint of humor plus lots of robust singing and playing. Though the synchrony of the brass-heavy orchestra and the singers was not always focused, the performance yesterday had…
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* Notes *A winsome cast (Matthew Grills as Belmonte and Rebecca Davis as Konstanze pictured, photograph by Pat Kirk) opened the Opera San José 2018-2019 season with the delightful music of Die Entführung aus dem Serail yesterday night. Mozart's jaunty Singspiel is a joy to experience with the young soloists, the sprightly orchestra, and gorgeous…
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* Notes *Opera San José kicked off a new year last weekend with an ambitious production (Act II pictured, photograph by Pat Kirk) of Der fliegende Holländer. The very loud performance on Saturday night was enjoyably and unapologetically grand. Steven C. Kemp’s set features wood planked walls that took on projections by Ian Wallace. Most…
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