Glimmerglass’s Tosca: an economy of means, an extravagance of voice
Clever use of sets recycled from prior years’ productions provide the proper mood and backdrop for the drama and singers
By David Abrams
Ever since its first performance some 110 years ago…
Handel’s ‘Tolomeo’ at Glimmerglass: Fair, but not balanced
Glimmerglass Opera presents a musically satisfying production of Handel’s handsome though largely-ignored opera, but production’s tragi-comic elements out of whack
By David Abrams
No one need explain the subtleties of tragedy and comedy to Mel Brooks, who famously proclaimed, “Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall into an open sewer and die.”
Glimmerglass Opera’s farcical production of Handel’s opera seria, Tolomeo, which received its North American premiere Sunday under the direction of Chas Rader-Shieber, suggests that opera directors using humor as a device to make Handel’s dramatic works more relevant to modern audiences may, like the incorrigible Mr. Brooks, be working from a faulty model…
Foolish staging or no, Glimmerglass’s ‘Tolomeo’ a production worth seeing
By David Rubin
The American Handel Society might consider bestowing…
Copland’s ‘The Tender Land’ lacks inspiration, dramatic tension ― and most everything else
Glimmerglass Opera’s Young Artists perform well, but the infectious melodic and rhythmic zest of Copland’s ballets come up missing in this opera
By David Rubin
Glimmerglass Opera employed all the elements required…
Lise Lindstrom, strong supporting cast forge noteworthy ‘Tosca’ at Glimmerglass
Former GO Director Michael MacLeod leaves behind a fitting legacy with this memorable production of the Puccini favorite
By David Rubin
Glimmerglass Opera hit on a winning formula last season…
Glimmerglass cast thrilling, drama chilling in ‘The Consul’
Ideal cast in Menotti opera produces rewarding version of original Broadway play
By David Rubin
Gian Carlo Menotti’s chilling portrayal of the authoritarian state is as timely today as it was when it premiered on Broadway in 1950…
July 18 Glimmerglass Opera: ‘La Traviata’ sparkles despite uneven cast
Mary Dunleavy’s ‘Violetta’ carries the production
By David Abrams
If Jonathan Miller’s new production of La Traviata proves anything, it’s that if push comes to shove, a “fallen woman” can stand on her own…
‘La Cenerentola’ an ensemble delight
Clever staging, superb singing yields laughs galore – and a whole lot more…
By David Abrams
Brother, can you spare a dime? Well, hold on to your change: Glimmerglass Opera’s new production of Rossini’s La Cenerentola, set here in Depression-era America circa 1933, creates a “New Deal” of its own …
