Classical Music Theater Reviews: Best Shows & Critic Recommendations Page 20

BWW Review: An Old-Fashioned Opera Hoedown at Carnegie Hall's Richard Tucker Gala
by Richard Sasanow - November 02, 2016

Returning to Carnegie Hall this year after more than 25 years, the Richard Tucker Gala—celebrating the current winner of the Richard Tucker Award, soprano Tamara Wilson, as well as the life and career of the famed tenor for whom it was named—was a grand night for singing....

BWW Review: Osnes & Fontana Take Part in 'A Lovely Night' at the TILLES CENTER
by Nicholas Pontolillo - October 20, 2016

There is nothing like the resonating echo of instruments tuning on a stage. For me, this sound is a perfect indicator that a fantastic evening is about to occur. This definitely was the case Sunday night at the Tilles Center when I saw A Broadway Romance Starring Tony Award nominees Laura Osnes and ...

BWW Review: SIMON RATTLE RETURNS TO THE PHILADELPHIA at Carnegie Hall
by Peter Danish - October 20, 2016

Simon Rattle is often called 'the one that got away' in Philadelphia - but he's not alone. The Philadelphia Symphony has a rich and storied history of losing great conductors to other institutions. Mr. Rattle is in town conducting a very well received new production of Tristan and Isolde at the Met,...

BWW Review: DEMO: HEROES at Kennedy Center
by Elliot Lanes - October 13, 2016

Melding all forms of the arts into a cohesive program is never an easy task. Former New York City Ballet dancer Damian Woetzel is trying to do this with a series called Demo, which brings artists from the worlds of theatre, dance and opera together on one stage....

BWW Review: On the Road to ALGIERI with Rossini's L'ITALIANA at the Met
by Richard Sasanow - October 11, 2016

When the Met's production of Rossini's L'ITALIANA IN ALGIERI made its debut in 1973, it must have seemed a welcome laugh riot. Think of it as a kind of Hope-Crosby “Road” picture from the '40s. Flip forward 43 years to last week, and the world has changed much--for better and worse--but “The Road to...

BWW Review: Alan Menken Debuts Fresh Retrospective Concert at Segerstrom Center
by Michael L. Quintos - October 10, 2016

The prolific eight-time Academy Award-winning composer---perhaps best known for his decades of unforgettable work in several landmark Disney animated musicals---was on hand to unveil a world premiere concert entitled 'A WHOLE NEW WORLD WITH ALAN MENKEN' on September 30, 2016 at Orange County's Seger...

BWW Review: The Agony and Ecstasy of the Met's New TRISTAN UND ISOLDE
by Richard Sasanow - October 06, 2016

For the sheer magnitude of its singing, there hasn't been anything like the Met's ecstatic new production of TRISTAN UND ISOLDE--seen a week after it opened the season on September 26--in a very long time....

BWW Review: It's CLEOPATRE Meets HAVISHAM at On Site Opera's Benefit
by Richard Sasanow - October 04, 2016

On Site Opera is one of New York's most endearing little companies, under Artistic Director Eric Einhorn, frequently giving us a chance to hear unfamiliar works in congenial settings and get up close and personal with the performers. For its first benefit dinner, the company presented a double bill ...

BWW Review: Keenlyside Returns to Met with a Low-Key DON GIOVANNI
by Richard Sasanow - September 30, 2016

When last seen at the Met , baritone Simon Keenlyside showed off his suave vocalism and superior acting skills in operas based on Shakespeare: He was elegant and intelligent in HAMLET by Ambroise Thomas and a charismatic Prospero in Thomas Ades's THE TEMPEST. He could have picked up on any of those...

BWW Review: THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO Offers a Bouquet of Musical Delights at Washington National Opera
by Jeffrey Walker - September 28, 2016

Legend has it there were five encores at the triumphant Viennese premiere of Mozart and da Ponte's Le Nozze di Figaro on May 1, 1786. By the same token, Washington National Opera's new production of the effervescent comic opera deserved just as many ovations. Now playing through Sunday, October 2 in...

BWW Review: Duffy Makes WAVES in Mazzoli-Vavrek Premiere at Opera Philadelphia
by Richard Sasanow - September 27, 2016

BREAKING THE WAVES, the stark, brutal new opera by Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek, had its premiere last week at Opera Philadelphia, with a thrilling score and a star-making turn by soprano Kiera Duffy. Directed by James Darrah, the gripping production doesn't let anyone off easy, including the aud...

BWW Review: The MAESTRO Returns at 59E59
by Peter Danish - September 21, 2016

Hershey Felder's 'MAESTRO' returns to NYC triumphantly....

BWW Dance Review: Pushing the Envelope Forward with NEW CHAMBER BALLET
by Caryn Cooper - September 21, 2016

On September 16, 2016, Artistic Director, Miro Magloire, and company New Chamber Ballet, kicked off its' 2016-17 season with an exciting mix of old and new works at the City Center Studios. With this not being my first time seeing the troupe perform, I was curious what to expect since I saw them las...

BWW Review: PINK MARTINI WITH THE SSO Raises The Roof Of The Sydney Opera House With A Unique Blend of World Jazz and Classical Stylings.
by Jade Kops - September 17, 2016

World renowned "Little Orchestra" PINK MARTINI returns to Sydney to pair up with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra for a fantastic party of a concert....

BWW Review: A Hypnotic Rod Gilfry Is No LOSER in David Lang's 'Next Wave' Premiere at BAM
by Richard Sasanow - September 13, 2016

While listening to baritone Rod Gilfry's masterful, mesmerizing performance in the world premiere of David Lang's monodrama, THE LOSER, at BAM's “Next Wave Festival,” I thought I could listen to him sing the telephone book. Come to think of it, he came pretty close to that, at BAM's Howard Gilman Op...

BWW REVIEW: Australian Brandenburg Orchestra's SATO & THE ROMANTICS Is A Fantastic Night Of Breathtaking Music
by Jade Kops - September 11, 2016

Guest violinist Shunske Sato stuns audiences with his expressive and incredible interpretation of three 19th Century works with the support of the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra in SATO & THE ROMANTICS....

BWW Review: PUCCINI SPECTACULAR Presented Selections From Nine Operas In Two hours
by Barry Lenny - September 03, 2016

This was an evening of nothing but highlights....

BWW Review: ADELAIDE GUITAR FESTIVAL 2016: GRIGORYAN MUTHSPIEL SCHAUPP WITH THE AUSTRALIAN STRING QUARTET Closed A Fabulous Festival In Style
by Barry Lenny - August 21, 2016

Great credit is given to the Artistic Director, Slava Grigoryan, for making this a world class event....

BWW Review: MEMORIES OF SPAIN Brought A Hint Of Andalusian Summer To Adelaide's Winter
by Barry Lenny - August 18, 2016

I defy anybody to listen to the music of Spain without experiencing a noticeable lifting of their spirits....

BWW Review: ADELAIDE GUITAR FESTIVAL 2016: RICARDO GALLEN AND BOGDAN MIHAILESCU Opened The Festival Superbly
by Barry Lenny - August 15, 2016

This was a marvellous start to the 2016 Festival....

BWW CD Review: Seattle Symphony, Morlot, Pay Homage to Henri Dutilleux
by Erica Miner - August 11, 2016

Not many conductors have the privilege to be mentored by a living composer. Seattle Symphony Music Director Ludovic Morlot counts himself a part of that echelon...

BWW Review: Elza van den Heever Thrills in Her 'Date' with Beethoven's FIDELIO at Caramoor
by Richard Sasanow - August 04, 2016

South African soprano Elza van den Heever has long had a 'date' with Beethoven's Leonore, in his only completed opera FIDELIO. It wasn't exactly a blind date—she has known for years that, eventually, she would take it on, she told me—but it was a roaring success in her role debut, at the Venetian T...

BWW Review: Passions Blaze in Union Avenue's TOSCA
by Steve Callahan - August 02, 2016

The Union Avenue Opera just keeps presenting wonders! Their current production, Puccini's 'Tosca', is among the very best of their best-musically, vocally and in production values....

BWW Reviews: WITCHES WITH YOUR SSO ENCHANTS IN SYMPHONIC SPELLCRAFT at Sydney Opera House
by Brodie Paparella - July 18, 2016

The witching hour was brought forward by a margin over the weekend when four of Australia's most wicked and wonderful took the stage backed by the magical Sydney Symphony Orchestra for a most spellbinding concert full of passion, humour and sonic sorcery. OK that's all the magic puns I swear!...

BWW Review: ADELAIDE CONCERT COLLECTIVE - MOZART AND BACH Presented Old Favourites
by Barry Lenny - July 16, 2016

This was a very well crafted performance of two relatively familiar works by JS Bach and Mozart....