Canadian soprano Betty Allison, one of the 13 finalists.Thirteen young singers in two divisions have been named finalists in the 41st annual Palm Beach Opera Vocal Competition. The singers will perform Sunday afternoon in the Grand Finals concert at the Kravis Center.The competition began this week with 47 semi-finalists selected from an initial field of 259. The … [Read more...]
Weekend arts picks: April 23-25
Gianni Di Gregorio and the ladies of Mid-August Lunch.Film: Yes, you could check out the foreign movies at the 2010 Palm Beach International Film Festival, which continues through Monday, but it seems unlikely that it has an entry as enjoyable as Mid-August Lunch, opening Friday at several area theaters. This puckish Italian comedy stars writer-director Gianni … [Read more...]
Opera review: Second cast of PBO’s ‘Carmen’ features auspicious debuts
Madgalena Wór and Rafael Dávila in Carmen.(Photo by Alissa Dragun) By Rex Hearn I’ve seen Georges Bizet’s Carmen many times, but the second cast of the recent Palm Beach Opera production offered even a veteran operagoer fresh delights. Chief among them Saturday night was the Polish-born mezzo-soprano Magdalena Wór, who made a magnificent debut with this company, with her … [Read more...]
Opera review: PBO’s ‘Carmen’ alive to characters’ humanity, theatrical savvy
Viktoria Vizin as Carmen at Palm Beach Opera.(Photo by Alissa Dragun) By Greg Stepanich It’s tough to bring something new to a work as well-known as Carmen, but the current Palm Beach Opera production of Georges Bizet’s classic, if not groundbreaking, fills out the opera’s promise with just plain good theater. On Friday night, a stellar lead and a strong supporting cast, … [Read more...]
Opera feature: Ever-vital ‘Carmen’ to close PB Opera season
Georges Bizet (1838-1875).By Greg StepanichThe young Frenchman Jean-Luc Tingaud is the associate conductor at the venerable Opéra-Comique in Paris, the same theater (though not the same building) where the opera Carmen premiered in March of 1875.Three months later, Carmen’s composer, Georges Bizet, died of runaway strep throat at the tragically young age of 36. Tingaud says the … [Read more...]
Weekend arts picks: March 19-21
Untitled, by Anthony Calicchio.Art: You don’t have to go to art school to be an artist, or even be working at it all the time. Such is the case with Anthony Calicchio, who finds his inspiration in his culinary education and background as a second-generation restaurateur. In Café Frankie, he fashions masterful dishes with his basting brush, and the bistro’s walls are adorned … [Read more...]
Weekend arts picks: March 5-9
Texas artist Marilyn Endres createsdetailed vessels and platters.(Photo by Katie Deits) Art: The Palm Beach Fine Craft Show opened today at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach for a three-day run that features artists from 28 states offering museum-quality art objects, couture art-to-wear, and handcrafted furniture. Clothing designers are also attending … [Read more...]
Opera review: PB Opera’s bold, radical ‘Giovanni’ stumbles without statue
Gezim Myshekta as Don Giovanni.By Greg StepanichChekhov’s rule in theater was this: If you’ve got a gun on stage, you’re going to have to fire it at some point.By the same token, if you promise people a monster, you’re going to have to show it. But the Palm Beach Opera’s new production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni, which opened Friday night at the Kravis Center, dispenses with the … [Read more...]
Weekend arts picks: Feb. 26-March 4
Gezim Myshekta as the title character in Palm Beach Opera's Don Giovanni.Music: Palm Beach Opera’s production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni opens tonight, and it could mark a real departure for the company. That’s because it’s secured the services of Stefano Poda, an up-and-coming Italian director who’s created major buzz with his recent productions, including a Thaïs for Turin that … [Read more...]
Weekend arts picks: Feb. 5-10
Dovima With Elephants (1955), by Richard Avedon.(© 2010, The Richard Avedon Foundation)Art: On Tuesday at the Norton Museum of Art, an exhibit opens featuring the work of fashion photographer Richard Avedon (1923-2004). Avedon revolutionized the look of fashion photography, and did much to turn photographers and models into celebrities. His innovative and imaginative … [Read more...]