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| The Star / Austin Lyric Opera : 4 of 5 | |
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2.03.2010
6:08 AM | Link0 comments |
 Although I love seeing the usual opera hits over and over, it can definitely be a a fun experience to enjoy something completely new. Austin Lyric Opera hasn't been afraid to "take chances" with some relatively obscure productions in recent years, so I had no idea what to expect with their current opera, The Star, a somewhat modern French comedy opera. Opening night fell on my birthday, and I'm glad to say that The Star was a hilarious way to celebrate the occasion! While the music was certainly wonderful with accessible melodies and light songs that reminded me of The Magic Flute (especially the kissing song), this production is truly visual. The costumes are full of outlandish colors, combined with props like umbrellas, bowler hats, and even scooters, and the set is an unbelievable mix of mirrors, sloped floor, garish backdrops filled with eyes, and even six remote-controlled spotlights in the ceiling that can project shapes and move them all over the stage. There's even a huge inflatable throne! When I saw the combination of these elements it seemed like Magritte meets Laugh-In, but somehow it works! The plot is really clever and funny, and although it seems impossible to follow when reading a written synopsis, it actually flows easily. The lead male role is played by a woman, who did a fantastic job with broad comedic overacting, but I thought the king was the best role of of the show, especially during one hilarious song where he gets drunk with the count astrologer. This production of the The Star requires an open mind and definitely challenges various pre-conceived notions about opera, but there's no denying that every minute was sheer entertainment and fun!
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| La Boheme / Austin Lyric Opera : 5 of 5 | |
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11.09.2009
7:47 AM | Link0 comments |
 Although I would have to choose Mozart's operas if I were forced to listen to only one composer, Puccini's creations simply define what makes opera great. Everyone in the world, regardless of music preference, should experience La Boheme at least once, and if they saw a performance like Austin Lyric Opera's season opener this weekend, new opera fans would be born across the globe! La Boheme simply has it all - romance, comedy, tragedy - set to some of the most incredible, soaring melodies that completely say "this is how opera should sound". This production had a spectacular global cast, with a Russian Mimi and a French Rodolfo (all singing in Italian, of course!), as well as a massive chorus of all ages that completely filled the stage during the hilarious scene at Cafe Momus. The sets were wonderful, using brilliant forced perspective, and I especially enjoyed the huge window in the artists' apartment with its soft views of Paris outside. Rodolfo's voice was fantastic, and his chemistry with Mimi was perfect (in spite of an age difference in the actors, which completely disappeared as they became their characters), making for an especially believable and heart-wrenching final scene. I was particularly impressed with the philosopher's farewell song to his beloved coat before he sells it, which was touching and deserving of applause, though the audience was a little too wrapped up in the story at that point. Because this was opening night for the new season, ALO provided free champagne to everyone during the first intermission, which was festive and generous! I think everyone in the crowd fell in love with opera all over again, and even though I've seen La Boheme many times before, Austin Lyric Opera succeeded in making it a unique and moving experience!
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| Dialogues of the Carmelites / Austin Lyric Opera : 3 of 5 | |
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4.20.2009
7:43 AM | Link0 comments |
The last production of Austin Lyric Opera's season was Dialogues of the Carmelites, a 1957 French opera by Poulenc, which I was really interested to see since I enjoy experiencing new works for the first time. But I have to say that while this production was extremely well performed, it's just about the most disturbing and depressing opera I've ever seen. The subject matter is a convent of Carmelite nuns during the French Revolution who are all executed by guillotine in the final scene. A major theme of the plot is fear, and the main character Blanche is so possessed by it that I could hardly look at her horrified face thinking I would go insane, too! (Interestingly, the original Blanche from the opera's 1957 premiere was in the audience.) While the plot is certainly thought-provoking and deals with questions of faith, overall there is almost nothing uplifting about the story (except for the character of Sister Constance, who shines as the one source of joy in the entire cast). The sets were simple but effective (and all changed visibly on stage with no delay between scenes), and the costumes ranged from simple habits (I was impressed that the nuns actually had cut their hair super-short for their roles) to French Revolution "zombies" (I can't think of any better way to describe the chorus!). Even though the music is modern, it's certainly accessible and similar to a film score, and I enjoyed the use of piano as well. Dialogues of the Carmelites certainly isn't for everyone, and I can't imagine a worst first opera for someone to see (I'm amazed ALO chose to make this production the season finale). A few people in the audience didn't even return after the first act, but in my opinion, you have to be exposed to all kinds of opera to be a true fan. I'm glad I experienced this work, although I don't think I would want to see it again.
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| Rigoletto / Austin Lyric Opera : 4 of 5 | |
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2.02.2009
7:59 AM | Link0 comments |
Rigoletto is one of my favorite operas, not only because of the incredible music (most of which is much more dramatic than the famous La donna e mobile), but because the story is so sad and tragic in a Shakespearean way. I tend to enjoy character extremes such as Gilda's total innocence and the evil of the duke and his men, while poor Rigoletto is stuck in the middle, responding the only way he knows how. I've seen this opera many times in very different productions, from Austin Lyric Opera's coliseum version in 2002 to an incredible modern interpretation with Rigoletto in a wheelchair (rather than being a simple hunchback), but I was happy to see this year's more traditional version, with period costumes and beautiful sets. The moonlit look of Rigoletto's home was just like a painting, and the assassin Sparafucile's two-story house was particularly amazing! Rigoletto himself was wonderful, able to express his inner hatred in each swing of his jester's staff, and Gilda was simply as beautiful as her excellent voice. The duke was played well with lots of gusto, although there were moments that made me feel he was a bit unsure of his voice (but these didn't detract from the overall ensemble performance). While I love to experience new pieces, there's just something special about seeing something so familiar, ready for each turn of the music before it happens, and I enjoyed every minute of it (even though I was fighting off my runny nose and cough!). I'm really happy with my new season subscriber seats, which are so convenient and have a fantastic view, so I'm looking forward to the rest of the season (as well as the next!).
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| Cinderella / Austin Lyric Opera : 4 of 5 | |
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11.12.2008
8:05 PM | Link0 comments |
A new opera season is always exciting, but I was looking forward to this season opener even more than usual, since it was my first time to experience Rossini's Cinderella, plus I was anxious to find out where my new seats for the season were! My seats turned out to be quite a bit to the side, but they are so close to the stage that it doesn't matter at all (and in fact, I'll be able to beat the crowd at intermission for a drink!). The opera was fantastic for many reasons, including the original take on the classic fairy tale (no hint of Disney), the incredible performances, and the genius decision to set the whole story in 1930's Hollywood, with beautiful sets and spectacular period costumes. I was really pleased to see Sandra Piques Eddy perform again (she was amazing in The Barber of Seville a few seasons ago), who is definitely a triple threat on the stage - she has a wonderful voice and range (I was surprised to hear some of the low notes that Rossini wrote), perfect comedic timing, and she's absolutely beautiful as well! The libretto is really funny and I really enjoyed such a unique version of the plot, with elements such as the movie producer taking the place of the Fairy Godmother. Rossini's music is light-hearted and energetic, so everyone in the audience couldn't help but love it - I tend to like my operas with a little more tragedy, but Cinderella was still a magical treat. I'm really looking forward to enjoying the rest of the opera season!
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| The Bat / Austin Lyric Opera : 4 of 5 | |
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6.10.2008
7:08 AM | Link0 comments |
 When I first heard that Austin Lyric Opera was closing their season with a special "Keep Austin Weird" version of Strauss' Die Fledermaus (The Bat), I was pretty skeptical. I can understand the obvious temptation, since Austin is home to the world's largest urban bat colony, but I thought I would rather see the traditional opera, since I hadn't seen this piece before. I decided to go with a positive attitude with my pal Melinda, and the production was surprisingly wonderful! I was expecting to hear the original German libretto sung in Austin settings, but ALO joined forces with Esther's Follies comedy troupe to actually re-write the entire thing! So, everything was sung in English, with some of the most ridiculous (and hilarious) lyrics you can imagine. I'm pretty sure you won't hear warnings about bending over for the soap in prison in any other opera experience! Actually, that's my one complaint about the production - if this was someone's first opera, they've been a bit cheated out of the "real thing" (but the crowd certainly loved it all!). Strauss' waltz-filled music was wonderful and somehow appropriate to singing about bats filling the skies, getting drunk, and loving Luckenbach. The main action of the story takes place at a costume ball, and the party-goers were all Austin references, such as the capitol, the UT tower, hippies, rollergirls, Lance Armstrong, and even restaurants like the Mangia Godzilla and the Hyde Park Grill fork (I'm glad I've lived here long enough to recognize them!). Since this is a short opera, they extended the show by inserting local musical acts into the party - I got to enjoy a spoken word performance (with harmonica) by Wammo, which was fantastic, but still pretty weird in the middle of an opera! Finally, all of the performers were wonderful, especially the maid Adela, who's comic timing was incredible. The Bat was certainly a unique experience, but I'll be looking forward to a return to normalcy next season.
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| Carmen / Austin Lyric Opera : 4 of 5 | |
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4.27.2008
12:08 PM | Link0 comments |
Last night was a special opera evening for me, since this was Austin Lyric Opera's debut production at the new Long Center (which means this review is for both the venue and the opera)! Since I had no idea how parking was going to work out, I arrived almost an hour early, which turned out to be a great plan, since I had time to explore (and take a few photos) before the show. Actually, this may be my new routine, since the Long Center has a beautiful terrace that overlooks the city, which is perfect for enjoying a glass a wine before settling down to three hours of entertainment. The architecture is modern, but still feels somewhat classical to me, but unfortunately everything (right down to staircases) is labeled with donor names, which gets old pretty fast. The theater itself is fantastic, designed so every seat is much closer to the stage compared to the Bass Concert Hall, and I was thrilled with my new seats! So, on to the opera, which was an incredible production of Bizet's Carmen. I think that operas containing so many "hit" arias are difficult to make relevant, since the audience just ends up tapping their toes to the tunes they know, but ALO really did a fine job at making the story itself more prominent. In fact, I think I got into the characters in this production more than any other Carmen I have seen before! The sets and lighting were wonderful (although I have to complain about the incredibly long pause during the third act for a set change, which was simply uncomfortable), and the performers were absolutely amazing, especially Carmen herself, who really made some sense of the character's thoughts and motives. And of course, the popular Habanera and Toreador arias were fantastic and full of spirit! For me, it was a wonderful first experience at the Long Center, and I'm definitely looking forward to many more arts events there in the future. View photos: The Long Center
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| Simply the Best / Austin Lyric Opera : 3 of 5 | |
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11.09.2007
8:05 AM | Link0 comments |
Austin Lyric Opera has been transitioning from the Bass Concert Hall (which is closed for renovations) to the new Long Center, which will be an amazing theater and their new permanent home. But for the end of last season and the beginning of this one, they've been stuck at Riverbend Center, which is a nice facility, but just doesn't accommodate the spectacle of opera (Riverbend is a church, after all). ALO did a nice job with Barber of Seville in this environment, but they decided to open this new season with a "greatest hits" concert called Simply the Best. I was a little disappointed when I first heard about it, since it felt like I was getting cheated out of a full opera, but the concert was surprisingly well planned and beautifully performed! It was wonderful to see the orchestra onstage (since I haven't been to a symphony in months), and the vocalists were simply amazing, both for their incredible voices and acting ability, which I didn't expect to see in this type of concert. The selections were all over the place, including not only sure-fire hits like the Queen of the Night aria from The Magic Flute or the Toreador song from Carmen, but also pieces ranging from a Baroque aria from Handel's Xerxes to some modern songs from Bernstein's Candide (presented with great comic flair!). The complete ALO chorus was also onstage and their combined voices certainly were powerful! I'm looking forward to ALO's next production in April, but Simply the Best was definitely more than filler, and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
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| The Barber of Seville / Austin Lyric Opera : 4 of 5 | |
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4.16.2007
9:45 PM | Link0 comments |
 Austin Lyric Opera is now officially in transition from their old home at Bass Concert Hall to the new Long Center next year, so the last opera of this season was performed at Riverbend Centre. This venue definitely wasn't designed for opera (since it's really a church!), but it allowed this production to go all out with a light-hearted total comedy version of The Barber of Seville. Since the stage is small and has no curtain, the only sets consisted of huge decorated boxes with drawers and cabinets full of props. The orchestra itself was onstage, so the actors took every opportunity to include them in the jokes (it's not often the conductor becomes part of the show!). For the most part, the humor was hilarious, but there were a few times I thought it went too far (especially when at times it actually took the audience's attention away from the aria being sung!). Even so, this is still one of the best productions of this opera I've seen, and I managed to enjoy it all without thinking of Bugs Bunny the entire time (since Rossini's music is all over Warner Bros. cartoons)! I was completely impressed with Sandra Piques Eddy making her Austin debut as Rosina - besides having a beautiful, powerful voice, she was downright beautiful and bursting with energetic charisma. I don't think the pews at Riverbend were designed for three hours of sitting (ouch!), but I still thoroughly enjoyed the close of the opera season!
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| Waiting for the Barbarians / Austin Lyric Opera : 4 of 5 | |
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1.31.2007
10:36 PM | Link0 comments |
 It's always interesting to see a modern opera, especially since Austin Lyric Opera's performance of Philip Glass' Waiting for the Barbarians was actually the US premiere of this work! This opera was interesting for a number of reasons, but also incredibly dark and depressing (I saw it with my pal Jonathan, and we were both in a somber mood afterwards) due to the plot, based on a famous allegorical novel. The story is about a society where the military becomes so fearful of an impending barbarian invasion (which never comes), that they are allowed to torture and abuse people without restraint. Glass's music is definitely similar to his other works (which can be expected from one of the most well known minimalist composers), but it works well here to convey both terror and monotony. The stage settings were created almost entirely by a series of scrims and ingenious lighting, which allowed a scene to switch from the middle of the desert to the inside of a building in the blink of an eye. The performers were amazing, especially the Magistrate, who is the main character that almost makes this a one-man show. There's not a single negative thing I can say about this performance, except that this dark subject matter just isn't my cup of opera. However, this is still an important and fascinating work, and I'm glad to have seen the premiere!
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| Madame Butterfly / Austin Lyric Opera : 5 of 5 | |
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11.20.2006
11:30 PM | Link0 comments |
 As this opera ended, I commented to my pal Melinda (who went with me) that this was one of the best performances I've ever seen. At the same time I was thinking, I'll bet I said that the last time I saw this opera performed! Thanks to a much older (and shorter) WEBmikey review, I see I was right, so maybe I just really enjoy this Puccini masterpiece! From what I remember, this production was far more amazing, however. The set with it's Japanese sliding doors was wonderful, especially the large painting of the sea and mountains that seemed to change color with the time of day, thanks to the incredible lighting (which really impressed me during the long interlude between Acts 2 and 3). The singing was wonderful, although Pinkerton's tenor didn't project very well - I enjoyed the voice of Sharpless much more. But it was Jee Hyun Lim as Butterfly who completely impressed me in every way - not only was her soprano fantastic, but she was definitely one of the best actresses I've seen in opera in a long time! Her delicate movements, her joy at seeing Pinkerton's ship in the harbor, her tragic death - everything was full of emotion that completely won me over. A performance like that can make me forget that I know the story, and start hoping that somehow Butterfly's dream of love can come true!
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| Don Giovanni / Austin Lyric Opera : 4 of 5 | |
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4.30.2006
11:12 PM | Link0 comments |
 Austin Lyric Opera ended this season with one of my favorite operas, Mozart's Don Giovanni. It's a wonderful opera because it has a little bit of everything, from comedy to romance, with just a dash of walking, talking statue from Hell! I was really impressed with both the vocal and acting work, especially from Leporello, Don Giovanni's comedy relief servant, who has the honor of singing the "list aria" that everyone loves - his physical comedy was simply excellent! Zerlina was quite beautiful, which always makes seduction scenes more compelling. The sets and lighting were interesting, since they used fairly minimal walls that could be raised and lowered from the ceiling, along with large paintings, but this was just enough to really convey the feel of different locations or rooms. The transition to the ballroom was particularly good, which actually used some house lighting to make the audience feel that we were all in the ballroom. Musically, the performances were solid, although I thought some of the conducting was a little fast (based on the recordings I listen to often), especially the overture. I've seen Don Giovanni a few times before, and as usual, I think the last scene seems completely non-essential, but at least this performance made it light-hearted, almost like they agreed with me. It was a great opera, and I'm looking forward to next season!
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| Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk / Austin Lyric Opera : 4 of 5 | |
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1.08.2006
10:40 PM | Link0 comments |
 This was definitely an unusual choice for Austin Lyric Opera, but since this is the 100th anniversary of Shostakovich's birth, there are lots of his works being performed this year. I had no idea what to expect from this opera, but I'm glad to say that I was really surprised (and sometimes shocked)! The music is extremely dramatic and theatrical, with hardly any true arias, and even long sections without vocals that serve as incidental music while action is taking place on stage. The story is full of violence and sex, including two murders (occurring in plain view), a rape, and extended bedroom scenes (the actors definitely had to go far beyond the usual opera activities!). The set design was interesting, using lots of industrial pipes and platforms, with windows and doors being rolled on by members of the chorus as needed. Speaking of the chorus, they were nearly always onstage, and even doubled as furniture! This was supposed to have a kind of oppressed worker significance, but it was a little funny to see people sitting on someone's back for breakfast. The acting was pretty spectacular, from the evil father-in-law to the love-starved, crazy Katerina herself. I was surprised they performed an English translation (I've never seen Austin Lyric Opera do that before), but it certainly didn't detract from the experience. It's great to be introduced to such a riveting work!
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| Opera neighbors | |
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10.10.2005
6:13 PM | Link0 comments | I've had the same season tickets to Austin Lyric Opera for several years now, which means I always sit in the same seat, season after season. Of course, there are other season ticket holders around me, so I end up with the same "neighbors" all the time, too. Since I'm pretty quiet with strangers, I never talk to these people, but I always like listening in on their conversations. Right behind me are two large ladies who always talk up a storm. They love to read the program and pronounce character names with foreign accents, and I think they must be living on easy street, since I'll hear them say things like "Oh, I just don't feel like going to Europe this year. Well, maybe I'll go at Christmas." Next to me is a quiet Clark Kent kind of guy who always shows up about 30 seconds before the curtain goes up, and then without fail he snoozes through most of the performance! I can't fault him much, since I've been there myself - it's just so easy to nod your head when you're in the dark listening to soothing music (which is why I usually take a little nap before going to the opera). Still, it's pretty funny to see his head sink deeper and deeper, and then pop back up to watch some more (and this happens over and over). See, going to the opera can be fun for a variety of reasons! |
| Il Trovatore / Austin Lyric Opera : 3 of 5 | |
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6:05 PM | Link 0 comments |
 The new opera season has started with a nice production of Verdi's Il Trovatore (The Troubadour), which most people probably know from the famous Anvil Chorus. It also has one of the more complicated plots in opera, since the audience has to understand the history of the former Count and the Gypsy witch (I think it all makes sense if you pay attention!). Verdi has some truly wonderful arias in this opera, and they were skillfully delivered by the wonderful singers in this production, all of whom were great actors, too. I was interested to see what ALO would do for a set, since they were planning to borrow the set from New Orleans Opera, which was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. They did they best they could, I suppose, with a simple platform and stairs, along with a dual curtain effect that used lighting and projections to signify changes in scene. Unfortunately, it just didn't work for me, and I felt the production was really missing something, since the fantastic costumes were such a stark contrast! At times the effect was nice though, especially at the end where the entire stage was bright blood red as the gypsy tells the Count he's just killed his brother! Overall, I really enjoyed the opera - I just wish I had been overwhelmed by it.
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| The Marriage of Figaro / Austin Lyric Opera : 4 of 5 | |
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5.01.2005
1:38 PM | Link0 comments |
 I think every successful opera season should end with Mozart, because his operas are simply fantastic! Mozart really believed in opera "for the masses", so he often chose down-to-earth comedies that anyone can enjoy. To me, they are the "cartoons" of the opera world, so I love them! The Marriage of Figaro is one of those incredibly complex stories (with people disguising themselves, men dressing as women, and tons of confusion) that never makes sense when you read the plot synopsis, but is perfectly understandable when you see it performed. Austin Lyric Opera really did an amazing job! The sets were beautiful (although the changes were a little slow), and the orchestra was perfect (I think it makes a real difference when Peter Bay conducts), and most of all, the performers were astounding. Susanna was so incredibly cute and her voice was amazing (though a little soft) - she was truly a master comedic actress! Figaro and the Count were both wonderful as well, along with the rest of the huge cast (about ten major characters). Last but not least, I can't say enough about Mozart's incredible music. I love the scenes where up to seven characters sing at once in harmony and counterpoint, simply looking at the audience and expressing their feelings in a way that only opera can achieve. The night was full of laughter, talent, and beautiful music!
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| Elektra / Austin Lyric Opera : 3 of 5 | |
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1.20.2005
6:55 PM | Link0 comments |
 After so many years of being an opera-goer, I'm used to seeing the usual "hits" over and over again. So, I was pretty excited to see something new - Strauss' Elektra. I knew the basic story from Greek Tragedy class in college. Elektra is a daughter of King Agamemnon, and her mother the queen (plus her new boyfriend) kill the King before the opera begins, leaving Elektra as a sorrowful crazy woman obsessed with revenge. Eventually her brother takes care of all the killing, so the opera ends with some bizarre bloodbath madness! The sets and staging were well done, but the opera itself didn't impress me too much. It's only a one act opera with no intermission - I couldn't believe it when it was over in two hours! Of course, two hours with no intermission can be rough for an opera, especially when the music is as dramatic as Strauss - there are very few memoriable melodies, but instead lots of intense emotional motifs presented with increasingly distressing harmonies. I did appreciate the size of the orchestra, though, and I liked hearing things like xylophones accenting different phrases. All of the performers were wonderful, but with no characters to really identify with or fall in love with, seeing Elektra was much more academic than cathartic for me.
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| Tosca / Austin Lyric Opera : 4 of 5 | |
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9.19.2004
8:08 AM | Link0 comments |
 Tosca is one of those operas that I've seen several times before - I even remember seeing an Austin Lyric Opera production of it several years ago. This is the first production put together by the new artistic director, and he brought in several performers and other artists he's worked with in the past to create a spectacular first impression! The singing was amazing - definitely the most talented (and beautiful) Tosca I've seen, and Scarpia was a truly fantastic villain (his acting definitely reminded me of Frollo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame!). The sets for Acts 1 and 2 were amazing - Scarpia's lair had huge walls covered with aged paintings and giant windows. The emotion of the piece was certainly intensified by the staging - at the end of Act I, they chose to have Scarpia's final evil aria sung in the church while the full procession of the Mass begins (there were hundreds of extras on stage). It was fantastically dramatic! Unfortunately, I wasn't that impressed with Act 3, when the big tragedy hits. It could have been because the music isn't as impressive as the prior acts, or maybe I was disappointed in the pacing (Tosca seemed to throw herself off the ledge too quickly), but at least I completely enjoyed most of the performance, which made the whole evening wonderful.
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| The Flying Dutchman | |
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4.04.2004
12:34 PM | Link |
 It's always great to see an opera for the first time, so I was glad that Austin Lyric Opera decided to perform Wagner's The Flying Dutchman! I really didn't know the story beforehand, but it's kind of a sea-going ghost story, complete with a spooky ship and a cursed sailor, who only comes ashore once every seven years to find a woman who can be "true until death" to break the curse. Of course, the mysterious Dutchman finds his love, and her noble death becomes his salvation. The sets were really fantastic, including two giant ships complete with sails that actually moved across the stage to anchor on the rocky shore. The chorus was huge - tons of crewmen singing and hoisting sails, plus all of the women of the town dancing and bringing the boys food and drink. The music was really dramatic, definitely exemplary of Wagner's brash style - it was very much like a film score. The performers were fantastic, too, making the entire experience one to remember.
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| Turandot (Highlights) / Puccini : 4 of 5 | |
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2.25.2004
10:00 PM | Link0 comments |
 I have a little ritual each time I see an opera - I buy a highlights CD so I can continue to be exposed to the music and remember my favorite scenes. I completely enjoyed seeing Turandot recently, so I went shopping on Amazon and bought the CD with the best reviews. They were definitely right - this is a fantastic performance, with Pavarotti in the leading role. Puccini's music is pretty incredible, from the dramatic opening phrases (with a nice, if somewhat stereotypically, Asian feel), to the soaring aria Nessun Dorma (believe me, you know it - this is one of those classical tunes known by non-afficiandos). The music gave me vivid memories of the scenes I saw, especially when our hero answers Turnandot's three riddles. Even though the plot is strange at times, Turandot is a fantastic piece of work, and this is a first-class CD to hear it.
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| Cosi Fan Tutte | |
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1.18.2004
7:57 AM | Link0 comments |
 Since Mozart was such a big part of my early introduction to classical music, I've always enjoyed his operas, so I was glad to see Austin Lyric Opera perform Cosi Fan Tutte! It doesn't get performed very much, I don't think, mainly because it's such a light-hearted comedy - no one dies, and it's simply full of laughs. ALO did a fantastic job with this production, setting it in 1913 at the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego, which means lots of fantastic period costumes, and a huge two-story set depicting part of the hotel, including a large outdoor dining room where waiters and guests constantly go about their business while the performers sing! The performers themselves were incredible, not only for their amazing voices, but for their comic acting - it was just perfect, full of hilarious emotion and even some slapstick. It was also a joy just to hear Mozart again - I had almost forgot what recitative sounds like (always fun to hear a harpsichord!). What a wonderful evening of entertainment!
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| Turandot : 4 of 5 | |
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11.29.2003
8:58 PM | Link0 comments |
 When I go to the opera, more often than not I've seen a production of the piece before, and I end up comparing memories and looking at technical details. However, I had never seen Turandot before, so I really enjoyed watching and getting into the story this time. Speaking of the story, it's actually a little disturbing, since the lead characters really allow some terrible things to happen - it's tough to feel happy for the heroes when they aren't so noble. The real star of the show is Liu, a slave girl who is in love with Calaf to the point of suicide just to keep his secret. The performers were all wonderful, although Turandot's voice was a little cutting for my taste. The sets were beautiful, but the painted scrims seems a little too painterly to me. Anyway, the music is fantastic, featuring a spectacular theme that nearly everyone can hum (even though it's not certain that Puccini wrote it!). Turandot was a great experience that I look forward to comparing to another production someday.
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| La Boheme : 4 of 5 | |
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3.09.2003
9:08 PM | Link0 comments |
 I always say the La Boheme is the best "first opera" for anyone to see - it has an easy-to-follow story, lots of comedy, amazing sweeping melodies, and a dash of tragedy to get someone used to what opera is all about. I think this was my fourth production of La Boheme, and Austin Lyric Opera did a fine job (maybe not my favorite of the four, but at least second place!). While I enjoyed the lead characters, I think the baritone philosopher stole the show for me - his aria to his old coat was amazing. The sets were great - lots of creative storefronts (there was even a dentist with a giant tooth hanging there), and the whole stage came to life during the procession in the street. A wonderful finale to this year's opera season!
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| Dead Man Walking : 3 of 5 | |
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1.26.2003
9:09 PM | Link0 comments |
 I wasn't too excited about seeing this opera, since I'm not a huge fan of modern opera, plus I haven't seen the movie and I knew the story would be depressing. Intense is a better word - this opera turned out to be fantastic (just very draining). It opens with a reenactment of the crime, complete with a car on stage, two naked teenagers making out, and then a rape and stabbing (not the usual thing to see in an opera). The acting and music really made the characters real (and of course, they are real since this is a true story) and completely portrayed the strength of the nun and the transformation of the convict, right up to his on stage execution. The sets were imaginative, featuring bars, chain-link, and descending catwalks that gave the prison depth.
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| La Traviata : 5 of 5 | |
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12.01.2002
9:10 PM | Link0 comments |
 It's always exciting to see the first opera of the season, since Austin Lyric Opera always seems to start things off right. I have seen La Traviata at least once before (maybe twice), but this production was by far the best. Violetta was captivating, both when singing about the joys of pleasure or when in her last moments of life. Her death scene was amazing - I was completely in shock. When she suddenly seems to recover, I almost believed she would be OK, even though I knew good and well the plot's fateful ending. The sets were magnificent - the opening lighting looked just like early morning in Paris. It was good to see Peter Bay conduct an opera, too - I'm looking forward to the rest of the season!
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| Rigoletto : 4 of 5 | |
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5.12.2002
9:13 PM | Link0 comments |
 One of my favorite operas, Rigoletto is such a great combination of emotional drama and fantastic, exciting music. This performance was at City Coliseum rather than the Bass Concert Hall, and ALO did a fine job of making the most of this non-traditional space. It was kind of like watching an opera in a basketball court, but that made the distance between the audience and performers much more intimate. The performers were wonderful, even better at acting than singing (though the singing was spectactular, of course). There were some great special effects, too, including great lightning and water effects, all done with amazing lighting.
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| Girl of the Golden West : 4 of 5 | |
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3.09.2002
9:14 PM | Link0 comments |
Before this performance, I had never heard of this Puccini opera, set in the California gold rush, full of miners and gambling and whisky. I was pleasantly surprised - Girl of the Golden West features a semi-lighthearted plot, but still manages enough drama to support those soaring Puccini arias, and the cast did a fine job, too. The sets were incredible, including a snow-topped mountain that looked very real as people hiked around on it. This opera definitely isn't a tear-jerker, but I did manage to feel something for the characters and really enjoy the performance.
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| Die Walkure : 4 of 5 | |
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11.01.2000
9:21 PM | Link0 comments |
Austin Lyric Opera did a wonderful job of making Austin's first performance of Wagner a big event. I had once seen Das Rheingold on TV, but this was my first experience with the standard four hours plus Wagner extravaganza. Die Walkure was incredible, with excellent performances (Brunhilde being my favorite) and sets, and the music is just so wonderful that the time really does pass quickly - long arias are made truly exciting by sheer orchestration alone. The story is fantastic pre-Tolkien fantasy, which satisfied my non-opera pal Chris who went along for the evening. Now I would love to see the other three operas of the Ring Cycle!
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| Cold Sassy Tree : 3 of 5 | |
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10.01.2000
9:22 PM | Link0 comments |
Austin Lyric Opera's latest production is a very new, very American opera based on the best-selling novel Cold Sassy Tree (which turns out to be the name of the Georgia town in which the story takes place). Let me tell you, this was an interesting experience, but ALO managed to pull it off somehow. As soon as the show opens, you immediately hear folks singing in pure operatic style, yet using terrible Southern grammar and heavy Georgia accents! For the first fifteen minutes, this seems like a very bad idea, believe me! Eventually it seems to tone down, or you get used to it. Things pick up when Miss Love Simpson sings, who was by far the best actress and had the most beautiful voice, making even the main character seem lessened. Acts II and III are enjoyable and the story gets interesting - basically, the opera gets better and better from the first moment. No singable tunes here, just dramatic melodies of semi-recitative. I can say that I prefer traditional opera, but Cold Sassy Tree was an entertaining and educational evening.
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| Madama Butterfly : 5 of 5 | |
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9.01.2000
9:23 PM | Link0 comments |
I have loved opera since my days of sitting in the University of Oklahoma listening lab and watching videos when I should have been home. I have seen quite a few productions, most of them in Tulsa, and my previous favorite was Tulsa Opera's production of Rigoletto (my favorite opera is Don Giovanni, though). All of this background is needed to say that Austin Lyric Opera's production of Madama Butterfly was the single best opera performance I have seen. The sets and lighting are sparse but beautiful (this is known as the "West Coast Butterfly"), the music is fantastic Puccini, of course, but the outstanding acting and vocal prowess of Cio-Cio-San herself brought me to tears. An absolutely fantastic way for ALO to start the season!
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