VIEWPOINTS – Bel canto summer: Teatro Nuovo mounts a charming LA SONNAMBULA and THE VERSAILLES ROYAL OPERA ORCHESTRA debuts

This summer, bel canto seems to be the genre of choice for classical music ensembles, particularly as exemplified by Teatro Nuovo’s 2025 season and the New York premiere performances of … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Nightlife roundup: LAURA & LINDA BENANTI team up at 54 Below, and JACKIE BEAT rings in another year at the Cutting Room

Even in the midst of New York’s scorching summers, the city’s iconic cabaret and nightlife scene remains by and large unfazed, as exemplified by a pair of highly entertaining shows … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – A vibrant slate of offerings enliven the New York performing arts scene during these steamy dog days of summer

Who says that cultural activity dissipates in New York during the dog days of summer? To counteract this myth, I’ve come armed with a slate of happenings — most of … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – At 54 Below, the fabulous Tony-winner MELBA MOORE goes down memory lane

This week, the great Melba Moore returned to 54 Below with the latest iteration of her show From Broadway, With Love. For two performances only (the second show is tonight), … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Dave Malloy’s singular GHOST QUARTET returns in a gorgeously reimagined outdoor staging at Green-Wood Cemetery

This past weekend at the gorgeous Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park neighborhood, I was able to catch the brief return of the singular song cycle Ghost Quartet, Dave Malloy’s … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – In THE COMET/POPPEA, operatic worlds collide in logistically impressive if dramatically bemusing fashion

There was much anticipation surrounding the New York premiere of The Comet/Poppea, essentially a mash-up of two operas — Monteverdi’s 1643 Baroque masterpiece L’Incoronazione di Poppea and George Lewis’s 2024 … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – At 54 Below, CHICAGO celebrates 50 years with cast members of the original 1975 production and 1996 revival

Last night over at 54 Below, I attended the aptly titled Dancers Over 40 Celebrates the 50th Anniversary of Chicago. Co-produced by young impresario Charles Kirsch and Dancers Over 40 … Continue Reading →

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 →