Month: July 2012

Review: Glimmerglass Festival’s Annual Salute to Broadway – Dwayne Croft in Vibrant, Affecting “Music Man”, July 24, 2012

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Upon Francesca Zambello’s appointment as General and Artistic Director of the Glimmerglass Festival, she announced that each year’s festival season would include a classic Broadway musical. In 2011 she presented “Annie Get Your Gun” [see my review at Deborah Voigt, Rod Gilfry Romp in Irving Berlin’s “Annie Get Your Gun” – Glimmerglass Festival, August 12, 2011]. … Read more

Ailyn Pérez and Stephen Costello Star in Cincinnati Opera’s “La Traviata” – July 26, 2012

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Cincinnati Opera mounted its 113th performance in history of Verdi’s most often performed opera, “La Traviata”, as part of its 92nd season of grand opera.  To perform the roles of the lovers, Violetta and Alfredo, Cincinnati Opera enlisted the husband and wife team of Ailyn Pérez and Stephen Costello – two of opera’s new generation of handsome, skilled … Read more

Review: Eric Owens is Vocally Powerful, Dramatic and Emotional in Kurt Weill’s “Lost in the Stars” – Glimmerglass Festival, July 22, 2012

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A feature of Francesca Zambello’s stewardship of New York’s Glimmerglass Festival, which began in 2011, is her Artist-in-Residence program. The opera singer so designated for 2012 is bass-baritone Eric Owens, who opened the season in the role of Amonasro in a new Zambello production of  Verdi’s “Aida”. Although he was a memorable presence in Zambello’s … Read more

Review: Elegant and Engaging, Lully’s “Armide” Glows at Glimmerglass Festival, July 21, 2012

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Glimmerglass Opera Festival audiences have proven responsive to the theatrical judgment of their new general and artistic director, Francesca Zambello, Now in her second season of guiding this premiere Upstate New York operatic festival, she has forged alliances with other theatrical companies with brilliant results. Emblematic of the attempts to expand the operatic repertory enjoyed … Read more