THE HANGOVER REPORT – THE MET ORCHESTRA returns to Carnegie Hall with the sublime orchestral colors of an all-Strauss bill

The Metropolitan Opera’s 2024/2025 season may have officially concluded over at Lincoln Center, but the Met Orchestra continues on with a pair of June performances at Carnegie Hall. The first … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The more the merrier: SETH SIKES & FRIENDS celebrate Judy Garland’s 103rd birthday in style at 54 Below

Last night at 54 Below, Seth Sikes and a few of his cabaret colleagues celebrated the iconic Judy Garland’s birthday in style. Appropriately billed as Seth Sikes and Friends Celebrate … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – John Adams’ operatic adaptation of ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA faithfully channels Shakespeare but makes for unfocused opera

This week at the Metropolitan Opera, I finally caught up with John Adams’ operatic adaptation of Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra. Adams’ new two act opera follows in the footsteps of … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – June is bustin’ out all over: Ten shows to see this Pride Month

After a dreary, rainy lead-in, can you believe we’ve once again found ourselves in sunny June? That means Pride Month is upon us! In no particular order, here are my … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – The old and the new guard at 54 Below: UTE LEMPER sings Kurt Weill, ANNA ZAVELSON & HENRY PATTERSON epitomize youthful optimism

Over the past week or so, I’ve augmented my regularly scheduled performing arts programming to take in some wonderful cabaret entertainment at 54 Below. Read on for my thoughts on … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Dudamel returns, incisively leading the NY PHILHARMONIC in an homage to the symphonic form

To the delight of many music fans, the New York Philharmonic’s incoming music director Gustavo Dudamel has returned to close out the orchestra’s 2024/2025 season. The first of these Dudamel-led … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Heartbeat Opera brings intimacy, contemporary flourish, and stylish noir to Gounod’s FAUST

As one of the grandest of grand operas, it would seem that Charles Gounod’s Faust — based on the well-trodden legend about a man who sells his soul to the … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Nonbinary cabaret artists come out to heal: JUSTIN VIVIAN BOND swells in “Well, Well” and JOHN JARBOE conducts a sing-along

This month’s nightlife adventures have led me to a pair of cabaret shows by uncompromising nonbinary talents, both of whom sought to provide solace in these unsettled times. As always, … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Elza van den Heever rivets in the title role of Claus Guth’s stylized new production of SALOME for the Met

Richard Strauss’s opera Salome, along with the composer’s equally memorable Elektra, represent some of the most striking music dramas you’ll find on the operatic repertoire. Based on Oscar Wilde’s scandalous play about … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Classical Music Roundup: A resounding VERDI’S REQUIEM at Trinity Church and a satisfying NY PHIL outing led by Simone Young

In the realm of classical music, I recently attended a pair of concerts by local ensembles that reminded me once again that we live in a true capital of culture. … Continue Reading →