Seattle Opera’s 60th Anniversary Concert: A Celebration
On May 7, 1964, Seattle Opera staged its first production: Tosca. Almost exactly 60 years later, the company threw itself […]
The Barber of Seville: Candy for Your Eyes and Ears
Seattle Opera’s production of Rossini’s The Barber of Seville at McCaw Hall, capitalizes on the pure silliness of the opera’s plot. From Count Almaviva’s dawn serenade to Rosina to the wedding celebration in the evening, the one-day progress of True Love is beset by Rosina’s guardian’s clumsy attempts to keep her all to himself, “by force or by love.”
The Truth-telling Power of An American Masterpiece
X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X opened February 24 at Seattle Opera. This monumental work presents events from the life of the charismatic prophet of Black empowerment, from his father’s death at the hands of white terrorists and his mother’s descent into insanity, to the moment of his assassination. At one point, Malcolm comes to the front of the stage to address the audience directly, and the house lights go up to reveal us all, as Malcolm and the chorus sing, “You want the truth, but you don’t want to know.” This opera delivers the truth relentlessly, and does not allow us to turn away from it.
Seattle Opera’s Alcina: Narcissistic Fantasies Undone- Too late to see it but an interesting production
Seattle Opera recently presented George Frederick Handel’s opera Alcina (the final performance was October 28), directed by Tim Albery. This was the company’s first staging of Alcina, although Seattle Opera has staged other Handel operas including Xerxes, Semele, and Giulio Cesare. Scenic and Costume Designer Hannah Clark placed the action in an unidentifiable time and place; characters wear contemporary dress and lounge on modern furniture, but accessorize with magic staffs, swords, and bits of Renaissance-era armor.
