Review: THE CAMP at Aratani Theatre
by Andrew Child - Feb 23, 2025
With a superior level of artistry in terms of performance, composition, and design, the reality of the Japanese American concentration camps is relayed to contemporary audiences.
Interview: Directors Diana Wyenn and John Miyasaki on THE CAMP
by Shari Barrett - Feb 17, 2025
In 1942 during World War II, 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry - two-thirds of whom were American citizens - were unjustly incarcerated in concentration camps within the United States. Inspired by these events, and given how the rise of bigotry is rearing its ugly head in the world today, it’s most appropriate that a new American opera titled The Camp is making its world premiere in Los Angeles. I decided to speak with director Diana and The Camp’s associate director John Miyasaki about this world premiere opera and what inspired her to direct it, how she envisions staging it, and what messages they hope reach audiences.
Music Director James Conlon To Depart LA Opera After 20 Years; 40th Anniversary Season Lineup Announced
by A.A. Cristi - Feb 12, 2025
LA Opera has announced details for the company's 40th anniversary season, which will launch on September 20, 2025. In his 20th season with the company—his final season as Music Director before becoming Conductor Laureate—James Conlon will conduct three of the five mainstage productions, with other mainstage performances led by Resident Conductor Lina González-Granados and by guest conductor Dalia Stasevska.
Review: South Coast Repertory Presents WISH YOU WERE HERE
by Michael Quintos - Jan 21, 2025
Directed by Mina Morita, the play—an emotionally-absorbing drama with sprinkled bits of comedy—is, at its core, a poignant exploration of deep friendships, colored by a devotion to cultural and religious identity and the fears of displacement and upheaval set against the backdrop of Iran's political turmoil in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Featuring an outstanding ensemble of five very gifted actors that give their respective roles distinct personalities and quirks, the play transcends some of its staging obstacles to ultimately become one of the most emotionally resonant and relatable plays of SCR's 61st season.
Review: MADAME BUTTERFLY at LA Opera
by Andrew Child - Sep 22, 2024
For all the device’s delicious successes, framing complicated shots of singers through the geometric slats of Ezio Frigerio’s behemoth set in ways that conversely evoke the opulence of a work by the Freed unit or the subtle asymmetry of a Mizoguchi movie, both the live performance and the filmed version suffer when neither is clearly prioritized.
Review: TINY FATHER at The Geffen Playhouse
by Andrew Child - Jun 22, 2024
Mike Lew’s two-hander feels ‘of a time’— and it is impressive how quickly these plays that seem to cater to the art sector’s regrowth post-quarantine both in content and structure already feel stale and dated.
Review: QUIXOTE NUEVO at Portland Center Stage
by Krista Garver - Mar 23, 2024
This gorgeous show is exactly the kind of thing we need more of right now – a celebration of the indomitable human spirit and a challenge to us all to not just imagine a better world but to make that world a reality.
Video: Maestro James Conlon's on LA Opera's THE DWARF
by Joshua Wright - Feb 21, 2024
LA Opera's Richard Seaver Music Director, James Conlon explores 'The Dwarf' - the story, its history, and of course, the music. Watch this all-new video to learn even more about this stunning opera.