Opera

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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
Lim, Newmon, and Heaston sing with arms raised in bright-colored flowing contemporary clothes, ensemble around them.

Philly Fringe 2024: Opera Philadelphia and FringeArts present Missy Mazzoli and Royce Varek’s The Listeners

An immersive and impressive American premiere
The Listeners, a down-to-earth, refreshing new opera from composer Missy Mazzoli and librettist Royce Varek, gets its American premiere in a co-presentation with FringeArts as part of the 2024 Curated Fringe. Lowry Yankwich reviews.
Lowry Yankwich

Lowry Yankwich

Reviews 3 minute read
Row of actors in a patterned circular frame, obscured by a curtain of gold fibers which they thrust their hands through

The Wilma’s Hilma does not do justice to Hilma af Klint’s art, life, or legacy

Women artists still deserve better
A new opera about the visionary but little-known painter Hilma af Klint perpetuates longstanding dismissals of women artists and may be a keen disappointment to fans of her work. Melissa Strong considers.
Melissa Strong

Melissa Strong

Essays 5 minute read
In a large circular onstage frame with steps at the center, golden light covers 13 musicians and dancing ensemble members.

The BSR Podcast, season 8, episode 8: Hilma at the Wilma

Hilma librettist Kate Scelsa reveals the backstory of this striking new opera
BSR Podcast host Darnelle Radford sits down with Hilma librettist Kate Scelsa to find out how this new contemporary opera made its way to the Wilma.
Darnelle Radford

Darnelle Radford

Podcast 1 minute read
Sieh, her back to the camera and her face in profile, appears in silhouette against a shimmering peach-gold backdrop.

The Wilma Theater and New Georges present Kate Scelsa and Robert M. Johanson’s Hilma

A new opera about the artist Hilma af Klint fails to illuminate her
Hilma, a contemporary opera receiving its world premiere at the Wilma Theater, fails to capture the artistry or mystical charisma of its subject, the painter Hilma af Klint. Cameron Kelsall reviews.
Cameron Kelsall

Cameron Kelsall

Reviews 5 minute read
In opulent blue & gold robe, collar and stole, a frowning Johnson holds out her hand in a “stop” gesture toward Pickle.

OperaDelaware presents Puccini’s Turandot

A new ending for a grand opera
Puccini’s legendary Turandot (unfinished when he died) is typically a rare treat for opera lovers, but OperaDelaware joins many companies marking the centennial of the composer’s death. This impressive production features a new ending by Derrick Wang. Gail Obenreder reviews.
Gail Obenreder

Gail Obenreder

Reviews 6 minute read