These are some of the things that stayed with me after attending Dr. Alexandra Libby’s See Lucretia presentation at McLean Project for the Arts last night… In the Italian Renaissance, many works of art depicting Lucretia were meant primarily for women. Sometimes painted on wedding chests, sometimes hanging in private bedrooms, they were an ultimate reminder of
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Lunch in the British Isles
Today boasted the first entry in “A Little Lunch Music: – our noontime series of short concerts for Wolf Trap Foundation staff. Our guest artist Steven Blier and his cast offered a tantalizing preview of this weekend’s From Lute Song to the Beatles. Sunday is sold out, but there are still some tickets left for Saturday!
Read MoreBonjourHi, Montréal!
I just returned from a quick trip to the Opera America conference in beautiful Montréal. Since my stay was limited to 21 hours, it was pretty much just a lovely French-inflected operatic blur. ‘Twas a shame to turn around and come home so soon, but things are heating up here, and (as my OA colleague
Read MoreHojotoho Trappers!
On the eve of the third and final cycle of #RingDC, I want to thank WNO for bringing this singular opera experience to DC-area audiences, and I’m so proud that 13 former Trappers are singing 19 different roles in the production. Their Wolf Trap Opera experiences span the length of my own career – from Gordon Hawkins (with whom I
Read MoreFigaro on the Airwaves
We’re on the radio! This Saturday afternoon at 1pm EDT. Tune in to 90.9 FM or listen live at weta.org. Last summer we kicked off a new partnership with Classical WETA 90.9 FM, and this weekend, they’re broadcasting our 2015 Marriage of Figaro as part of their Saturday afternoon Classical WETA Opera House. It’s a fabulous new opportunity to
Read More#allthefeels, Rhinegold Style
The first time I heard “#allthefeels”, I laughed and dismissed it as another silly meme. But it’s a surprisingly useful way to describe things like my experience at WNO’s Rhinegold dress rehearsal last night at the Kennedy Center. Now, I don’t review any performance (let alone dress rehearsals…) on this platform, so you can stop reading now if
Read MoreJoin Us Onstage – Casting Call on April 22
Interested in seeing the Filene Center from the other side of the footlights? Come on out and audition to be an extra (a “super”) in Wolf Trap Opera’s production of La bohème or American Ballet Theatre’s performances of Romeo and Juliet! We’re holding a casting call on Friday, April 22: details are here.
Read MoreGhosts Beyond The Barns
There was only one thing wrong with last summer’s production of The Ghosts of Versailles. Only 1,300 people got to see it. We were blessedly sold out in our jewel box theatre (The Barns at Wolf Trap), and there was a beautifully enthusiastic response from the local fan base and from colleagues who traveled to Virginia (as well
Read MoreSummer 2016, Here We Come…
Today, March 3, I finally get to tell you all about the operatic goodness that will be WTO’s 2016 Season! I’ve been wanting to bring back Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia ever since I started producing at The Barns, and this is the year. A perfect cast of 8 returning artists in a thought-provoking, compelling and beautiful new
Read MoreCalling All Artists: Survey on career, health, and well-being
I’m blowing the cobwebs off the blog on this Leap Day to pass a request from Opera America and the Mellon Foundation. They’re conducting an important survey and would love to hear from you if you are a professional performing artist currently working and living in the U.S. See below for complete info. (Lots more
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