Opera

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A few dozen chorus members surround four cloaked principles on a dais, under a large suspended disk, bathed in magenta light

Opera Philadelphia presents Gregory Spears’s Sleepers Awake

A fairy tale transforms the mysteries of time and sleep
Opera Philadelphia premieres Sleepers Awake, resonant new work by Gregory Spears, notable for its chorus, that delves deeply into things we take for granted: time and sleep. Gail Obenreder reviews.
Gail Obenreder

Gail Obenreder

Reviews 4 minute read
Bond, a white woman wearing a white sheath and large sunglasses, poses glamorously on a satin-draped lounge chair.

Opera Philadelphia presents Michael R. Jackson’s Complications in Sue

One opera, 10 composers
With Complications in Sue, a groundbreaking world premiere with a libretto by Michael R. Jackson and music from 10 world-class composers, Opera Philadelphia chronicles one woman’s usual unusual life. Gail Obenreder reviews.
Gail Obenreder

Gail Obenreder

Reviews 6 minute read
Mburu sings dramatically into a newscaster’s mic, wearing a battered yellow slicker, as silhouetted people dodge around him.

Opera Philadelphia presents Antonio Vivaldi and Sarah Ruhl’s The Seasons

Changes in the weather
Sarah Ruhl partners with Opera Philadelphia’s Anthony Roth Costanzo and Antonio Vivaldi for a visually spectacular new work that ultimately lacks dramatic structure. Gail Obenreder reviews.
Gail Obenreder

Gail Obenreder

Reviews 5 minute read
Closeup on the two actors, in lush period costumes, embracing in a wistful, romantic way.

OperaDelaware presents Puccini’s Tosca

An opera masterwork remains timeless
Puccini’s Tosca is a classic for a reason, and a new production by OperaDelaware proved that this masterwork remains timeless and stirring. Gail Obenreder reviews.
Gail Obenreder

Gail Obenreder

Reviews 5 minute read
An ensemble of about 37, some in lavish 19th-century garb and some in white jumpsuits, splay across an opulent set.

Opera Philadelphia presents Rossini’s Il Viaggio a Reims

A 50th anniversary production tackles the “opera, but different” promise
Opera Philadelphia opens its 50th season with a production of Rossini’s comic Il viaggio a Reims, composed 200 years ago and transformed into a modern marvel thanks to 21st-century stagecraft. Linda Holt reviews.
Linda Holt

Linda Holt

4 minute read
Maubach stands with several other women, all costumed as WWII service members, with solemn expressions under blue light.

OperaDelaware presents Derrick Wang’s Fearless

A new work takes flight
An eloquent and moving new opera by Derrick Wang, premiering at OperaDelaware, honors the life of Hazel Ying Lee, a trailblazing Asian American WWII pilot. Gail Obenreder reviews.
Gail Obenreder

Gail Obenreder

Reviews 5 minute read
Outlaw, a Black man in a gray suit, sings with one fist in the air next to a giant hand sculpture holding a white orb

Opera Philadelphia presents Mozart’s Don Giovanni

Not-so-dapper Don
Opera Philadelphia ends a successful season with a new production of Don Giovanni that lacks a point of view. Cameron Kelsall reviews.
Cameron Kelsall

Cameron Kelsall

Reviews 4 minute read
In contemporary clothes in different styles, the singers sit sideways in a row on chairs, gesturing up with their left hands.

Curtis Opera Theatre presents Leonard Bernstein’s Candide

Cultivating our own gardens at the Forrest
Curtis Opera Theatre took to the Forrest Theatre stage for a high-energy production of Leonard Bernstein’s Candide, featuring jaw-dropping voices from the next generation of opera artists. Linda Holt reviews.
Linda Holt

Linda Holt

Reviews 4 minute read
In opulent 17th-century Parisian clothes, the ensemble sits listening to Walker sing, each with different goofy expressions

Opera Philadelphia and Boston Lyric Opera present Joseph Bologne’s The Anonymous Lover

The genius of the Chevalier de Saint-Georges
Opera Philadelphia, selling out the season after offering $11 tickets to all, delighted a packed house with a faultless production of the only surviving opera by an 18th-century genius, the Chevalier de Saint-Georges. Gail Obenreder reviews.
Gail Obenreder

Gail Obenreder

Reviews 5 minute read
Palmertree & Graves embrace lovingly with 17 ensemble members in luxe early Victorian costumes moving around them.

OperaDelaware and Opera Baltimore present Puccini’s La bohème

Puccini’s genius lives on
La bohème is one of the opera canon’s all-time favorites. In a co-production with Opera Baltimore, OperaDelaware offered a lively, beautifully staged production that showcased Puccini’s musical genius. Gail Obenreder reviews.
Gail Obenreder

Gail Obenreder

Reviews 5 minute read