The operettas of William Schwenk Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan might not be the kind of touchstone they once were in American culture, but that fact gives professional opera companies room to do the works as they should be done: With thorough fealty to scripts and their often underrated scores. This past weekend, Palm Beach Opera closed its season by fulfilling that mission, … [Read more...]
PB Opera wraps season with Gilbert and Sullivan’s ‘Pirates of Penzance’
Time was when the English comic operettas of William Schwenk Gilbert (words) and Arthur Sullivan (music) were a regular feature of amateur theatrical activity around this country. It had been that way since the late 1870s, when a national craze in the U.S. for one of their shows, H.M.S. Pinafore, monopolized the popular culture, with theater troupes presenting pirated … [Read more...]
PB Opera’s Liederabend a fine showcase for standout young singers
If you’re looking for the next Marilyn Horne, Luciano Pavarotti or Herman Prey, look no further than the Young Artists of Palm Beach Opera. I heard eight of them sing last March 16 in the lovely Royal Poinciana Chapel meeting room on Palm Beach, in which every seat had been sold. This was the opera troupe’s fifth annual Liederabend — German for “evening of song” — an … [Read more...]
‘Rigoletto’ at PB Opera, second cast: Brilliant singing, smart staging
Saturday’s performance of Rigoletto by the Palm Beach Opera was one of the best I’ve seen in a long time. It reached the realms of the divine on occasion. Verdi’s knack of capturing Victor Hugo’s dramatic essence in music and song of this father-daughter relationship is a mark of his genius. Jay Lesenger’s direction made the action crisp and the story easy to understand. … [Read more...]
Weekend arts picks: Jan. 28-29
Film: Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey has come a long way from his lightweight romantic comedy days, taking on increasingly challenging roles and no longer concerned about how handsome he looks on screen. Take his performance in Gold as contemporary prospector Kenny Wells, a pot-bellied, balding, snaggle-toothed schemer who bets everything he has — and everything he can steal … [Read more...]
The January Scene: Notable events for the month
Here is a quick overview of some of the notable events on tap for January, some of which will be explored in more detail in future ArtsPaper stories: Shakespeare in the Park Festival (Mizner Park, Jan. 6-8) Shakespeare Miami is teaming with the city of Boca Raton to present three free mountings of The Merchant of Venice at Mizner Park in the first week of the new … [Read more...]
Weekend arts picks: Dec. 9-11
Film: If you are suffering from withdrawal pains waiting for the next screenplay from glib, hyper-articulate Aaron Sorkin, this weekend brings the next best thing. It’s Miss Sloane, a terrific, smart new film about inside Washington, as seen through the machinations of the city’s most wily, win-at-any-cost lobbyist, Elizabeth Sloane. Flame-haired firebrand Jessica Chastain … [Read more...]
Season Preview 2016-17: Opera
The coming season at the three regional opera companies has no milestones like last season did, with the wrap up of Sarasota Opera’s 28-year Verdi Cycle project or Florida Grand Opera’s staging of Mieczysaw Weinberg’s The Passenger, but the season has some very interesting events nonetheless, and savvy operagoers will find much to enjoy. Palm Beach Opera: The company enters … [Read more...]