CodaJourneys and DestinationsMornings after opera I would find a cozy coffee shop to write and write about… #101Florencia En El AmazonasA voice shouts from the balcony with unbridled sponteneity just before Florencia begins. Prototype Festival: ChornobyldorfAfter 101 operas Chornobyldorf was a needed jolt of theater, less a palette cleanser and… Prototype Festival: Angel IslandThe last person rescued from the Titanic was named Wing Son Fong. Prototype Festival: AdorationPrototype is a yearly New York City festival known for putting contemporary stories on stage… #100X: The Life and Times of Malcolm XThe words from Glen Ligon’s artwork still haunt me all these years later. InterludeI Wrote an Opera!Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? #99Simon BoccanegraA rain soaked Saturday and I’m late for the opera. Unholy WarsUnholy Wars is a musical theater piece about love and hate and how those conflicting… #9810 Days in a MadhouseThe opera begins with the reporter Nellie Bly posing as a patient in Blackwell Insane Asylum. InterludeTell Me A StoryIt wasn’t all about the music, the pizazz, and the flaunting oboists. #97The Royal Shepherd (Il Re Pastore)The Perseid meteor showers just rocked Rooster State Park. #96Die Frau ohne SchattenI land in San Francisco knowing only one thing about the evening ahead ; The… #95The Barber of SevilleI miss having wavy dark hair and all the little delights that came with it… #94Der Fliegende HolländerThere’s something precarious about sheets on a clothesline. #93AriodanteOn days I feel weary of contemporary pastiche and self conscious dissonance I hope that… Don GiovanniThe Academy of Vocal Arts reminds me of the Barnes Foundation as a wonderfully intimate… La Boheme (in reverse!?)Today’s production of La Boheme will begin with the sad ending and end with the hopeful beginning. #92ChampionGrandpop used to ask us to put our hands on his upper forearm and then… InterludeWelcome to the Sousalarm ClubIf you enjoy the horn and drum of a good march, tune in and tap… #91NormaThe moon from Lohengrin has come back for an encore. #90LohengrinCourtesy of the Met’s rush tickets program, we score tickets for the first tier, Row B. #89Don PasqualeI arrive early for the 8:00 performance of Don Pasquale excited to visit the Academy… #88In Our Daughter’s EyesIn Our Daughter’s Eyes was the last opera I saw from the Prototype festival and… #87TradeThe opera Trade takes place in a hotel room in Dublin. #86Mary MotorheadMary looks a little unhinged in her black Motörhead concert shirt, but finally I have… #85Note to a friendWarning : This post contains references to suicide that may be disturbing. #84FedoraThe champagne snuggled within my inside pocket is gripped by the security guard. InterludeBut is it Opera II?When the first photographs appeared people thought that maybe “painting was dead.” Who needs a… #83The Turn of the ScrewWhat a treat to run into Christopher Mattaliano at the opera today and in Philadelphia of all places. #82Peter GrimesThe chorus chants the name of Peter Grimes in accusation. #81IdomeneoPeople crowded the theaters in 1984 to watch the movie Amadeus, and once again the… #80MedeaFor the opera Medea I take a walk to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to… #79Lady Macbeth of MtsenskDmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich didn’t notice when Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin left the concert hall. #78OtelloOn Sunday afternoon a monastic hush swept across the audience before Act II. #77The Fall of the House of UsherEdgar Allen Poe’s famous tale of the macabre is an allegory about the interconnectedness between people and things. Tito (2nd Production)Let loose the applause, for tonight I performed in my first opera. #76L’orfeoAfter a long year teaching, it is Portland I come to heal my spirit. InterludeCostumes, inhabiting the CharacterAfter dressing up for the Wagner operas and then seeing the outrageous outfits in Ahknaten… #75Albert HerringAlbert Herring is not so much a chamber opera for me as it is a… #74Scalia/GinsburgWhat a refreshing and delightful evening of opera, and I'm still laughing. #73HamletTheater can be magic and Hamlet is no exception. #72The Rake's ProgressThe comedian Chris Rock once quipped that a man is only as faithful as his options. #71Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor (The Merry Wives of Windsor)At dusk the horses that work Central Park trot downward to the stables of Hell's Kitchen. #70RodelindaThe singers let loose their vocals like mellifluous acrobats. #69Ariadne auf NaxosA giant gold frame surrounds the Met stage for Act II. #68FidelioBeethoven's only opera is about a prison escape. #67Oedipus RexThanks to histories most famous psychologist, tonights opera is always an open invitation to think… InterludeInconsequential JourneysThe Hudson River beneath our living room is awash in a shimmering light that bounces… #66EurydiceEvery step is a pounce. #65IphigeniaThis new opera collaboration by jazz phenoms Wayne Shorter and Esperanza Spalding is set up… InterludeOpera, it's all Greek to meComing to stand beneath a Greco-Roman statue in a crumbling square of Herculaneum I think… #64Die Meistersinger von NürnbergWe entered the Met at 6:00 P.M. #63Fire Shut Up In My BonesCharles M. Blow's memoir Fire Shut Up in My Bones is brave in its honesty.… #62Boris GodunovI enjoyed not enjoying this opera. #61Sun & SeaSometimes going to the opera is just like a day at the beach. #60Eugene OneginRing the bells! We land in Santa Fe just in time for lunch. The airport… #59The Lord of CriesI overlap my fingers into a cross - and hope. #58AgrippinaThe decadence of Ancient Rome has not been forgotten. InterludeBut is it Opera?I talk about opera a lot. #57Porgy and BessIt is an early winter evening. #56WozzeckI take the subway up the Hudson River today for a visit to Grants tomb. #55The Queen of SpadesLise Davidson sings tonight. #54Der RosenkavalierThere is only one flaw in tonights crystalline production of Der Rosenkavalier , and it is delightful. #53AkhnatenFor this one I do two things: I read Phillip Glass's biography where he travels… InterludeSex, opera, and tacosWalking down 10th avenue I feel the ennui that invariably follows weekends of complete satisfaction. #52Le Nozze di FigaroAsk me to take your picture and I will move the sun to get the lighting just right. Orfeo de Euridice (2nd production)Interesting night at the opera. #51ManonMe and Chaltin left the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris on a sunny morning in July… Turandot (2nd production)Did Puccini ever visit China? #50MacbethFate is a giant ocean. #49SemeleWe enter the party like Bacchus’s rowdy Maenads. #48A love of Three OrangesDuring the intermission I receive a text from a friend in the theater asking, “Is this good? #47In the Penal ColonyYesterday, I was in Paris. #46La finta giardinieraGarden gnomes. So many garden gnomes. It's good to be back in Portland. Just watch… #45Nixon in ChinaI visited China once believe it or not. #44Roméo et JulietteI’m very excited to take my family to their first opera. #43Dialogues Des CarmelitesIn hindsight Marie would probably agree that the Reign of Terror that precedes the French… La Boheme (4th production)I said it once before, I'm never going to see 101 operas if I only see La Boheme . #42GotterdammerungThis is our last day of The Ring Cycle and I’m going to miss it so much. #41SiegfriedThe horned hats continue to be a a hit with the crowd. #40La Clemenza Di TitoIf you ride the Amtrak enough it’s easy to appreciate the chorus of complaints it receives. #39Die Walküre“Ho jo, to ho!” Walking past the Henri Moore sculpture at Juliard, a man walking… #38FaustWe have a free weekend between Wagner’s The Ring Cycle. #37Das RheingoldMy love for Kit Kats has been the thing of rumor and conjecture ever since… The Ring CycleWagner’s The Ring is big, ambitious, and arguably the greatest work of art ever created. InterludeAudiencesThe Orchestra audience is absolutely the most polite and respectful to the players and other audience members. #36FalstaffWith a swift kick, the walls on stage wobble and I think; what won’t a… #35A Midsummer Nights DreamThe train is very late! #34RigolettoOpera is full of tragic characters and I hear that Rigoletto might be the most tragic of them all. #33La Fille Du Regiment"Rataplan, rataplan, rataplan..." To drum beats we thrust our punching fists in victory. Don Giovanni (2nd production)We are opera glasses ready. #32Bluebeard's CastleA loud moan comes from the family circle and I don't want to think about what they're doing. #31IolantaMy good friends Corky and Kathy are in New York and suddenly this big city feels less lonely. #30Adriana LecouvreurWhat starts as rain quickly turns and by time I arrive the Metropolitan Opera is… #29Pelleas Et MelisandeWhat do you get if you take away everything that people love about opera? The Magic Flute (2nd production)Merry Christmas opera family! #28OtelloGustavo Dudamel’s dark curls bounce. La Traviata (2nd production)It must be the holidays. #27Les Pecheurs de PerlesI can still hear the “plop-plop” of coins as they hit the waters surface. #26Gianni SchicchiThe final opera of tonight’s Il Trittico is Gianni Schicchi and thank heaven, it’s a comedy. #25Suor AngelicaThe second opera from tonights Il Triticco is Suor Angelica . #24Il TabarroIl Tabarro is the first of three short and loosely related operas from Puccini’s Il Tritico . InterludeA Mandarin Duck loose in Central ParkA chilled curl of frozen cucumber floats in a lemon and mint vodka. #23MefistofoleWho are you then ? #22La Fanciulla Del WestI feel like I'm at the O.K. Aida (2nd production)The souls of men and women, impassioned all. InterludeCan you wear shorts at the Opera?To skip ahead; yes. #21Lucia di LammermoorJust before the made scene the stage is moody and stark made of snow, shadows, and darkness. #20Orfeo de EuridiceThe sun looks like a small pink pimple on a pearly purple sky. #19La CenerentolaThe overture is jubilant and soon enough the vocals are twirling and rising into an… #18ToscaChaltin sits near the revolving door at The Metropolitan Opera like a pillar overgrown with flowers. #17CendrillonI blame William Wegman's dogs! #16CarmenPhiladelphia, 2018 This is going to be my sisters first opera. InterludeJuilliard Senior Dance ProductionOur former student is going to school in NY. Cosi fan tutti (2nd production)Some people can pull off a mustache, but every ‘Movember’ it’s clear that most people cannot. #15Luisa MillerViolins swirl into an orchestral storm. #14ElektraFurious expressionism, Greek references, and erotic dots. #13Madama ButterflyMy only memory tonight are the red petals falling from curtain. #12L'elisir d' amoreI hate Valentine’s Day. #11PagliacciLeoncavallo's opera is based on a true story from Naples, Italy. #10Cavalerria RusticanaThe opera begins softly with a sad chorus. InterludeOpera BuddiesMy new best friend has me thinking about the nature of friendships. #9Die ZauberfloteI drove from Oregon to New Jersey in four days and not just to see a new opera. #8Cosi fan tutteThis is my first time back to a theatre since Panic at the Opera. InterludeTrek in the Park: Portland, OregonToday I'm getting ready to see Trek in the Park (as in Star Trek) with one of my favorite people. InterludePanic at the OperaI grab the counter and wonder if I'm going to black out. #7Don CarloTwo tickets please. Tonight, I'm joined by my friend Aaron from grad school. A likable… InterludeGraduate SchoolMy Grandpop was an artist, and thanks to him art became my thing too. InterludeLearning the TrumpetYou can't trust the trumpet. #6Don GiovanniThe Patco train that runs from New Jersey to Philadelphia is rarely on time. La Boheme (3rd Production)Well! We are never going to reach 101 operas if half of the ones we… #5Lucia di LammermoorI wish I could remember the specific details of what grabbed my heart and soul so much this evening. #4TurandotTurandot has been inviting me to see her for weeks. #3La TraviataThe saplings have arrived! La Boheme (2nd production)La Boheme happens to be playing my second night in Verona. #2AidaAida happens on my second trip to Italy when I go BACK to see the Sistine Chapel. InterludeThe Voice of Sunny ItalyA year before seeing my first full opera with Rob, La Boheme, I hear a… InterludeThe OrchestraBugs Bunny sits at a piano. InterludeEveryone Loves Music“ Music was my refuge. #1La BohemeMy first opera happens on an unseasonably warm 50 degrees February 15, 2005.