ON STAGE FAVORITES: 2010-2020

The fast-fading decade offered many memorable stage experiences. Here are my favorites:

NEW PLAYS:

GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY – The New York Public Theater

KING CHARLES III – Chicago Shakespeare

BURNING BLUEBEARD – The Rufffians

ASSASSINATION THEATER –  Museum of Broadcast Communication

GRAND CONCOURSE – Steppenwolf Theatre

THE HUMANS – The American TheaterCompany

SMOKEFALL – The Goodman Theatre

VANYA ON THE PLAINS – Artistic Home Ensemble

CHRISTMAS ON THE AIR – Provision Theater

 

OPERA:

THE MAGIC FLUTE – Lyric Opera of Chicago

MADAMA BUTTERFLY – Opera National de Paris

DIALOGUES DES CARMELITES – Metropolitan Opera

AKHNATEN – Metropolitan Opera

 

MUSICALS:

CAROUSEL – Lyric Opera of Chicago

ANYTHING GOES – Arena Stage

WONDERFUL TOWN – Goodman Theatre

BUDDY – American Blues Theater

RING OF FIRE – Mercury Theater

HELLO DOLLY – Kennedy Center

 

FROM THE REPERTORY:

WAITING FOR GODOT – Druid Theatre

SAINT JOAN – Shaw Chicago

A LOSS OF ROSES – Raven Theatre

THE SEAGULL – Artistic Home Ensemble

UNCLE VANYA – Goodman Theatre

 

SHAKESPEARE:

THE MERCHANT OF VENICE Shakespeare’s Globe

KING LEAR – Chicago Shakespeare

THE TEMPEST – Chicago Shakespeare

ANTONY and CLEOPATRA – National Theatre

JULIUS CAESAR – National Theatre

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

December 31, 2019 – 10:41 am | By Paul Kuritz | Posted in Acting, Current Events, from Paul, History, Music, Opera, Theater | Comments (0)

C.S. LEWIS DEFENDS THE LORD OF THE RING

CS Lewis’ Response to Critics of The Lord of the Rings: The Dethronement of Power Posted on January 6, 2018by Earthoak C. S. Lewis’ defence of Tolkien’s work gives insight into the types of criticism it elicited. Chief among those criticisms were its supposed lack of realism, and lack of character development or moral complexity. Lewis robustly argues […]

Read More →

December 2, 2019 – 11:31 am | By Paul Kuritz | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)

THE MET’S AKHNATEN: A HYMN TO THE TRUE LIGHT

When Philip Glass’ Akhnaten first appeared in 1984, the New York Daily News was moved to label Mr. Glass “the Ronald Reagan of composers. This time around,  no one is thinking of Ronald Reagan after experiencing the Glass/Kamensek/McDermott/Pollard/Pay  production at the Metropolitan Opera. Instead, the words ”breathtaking”, “hypnotic”, “gorgeous”, “luscious”, “overwhelming”, and “beautiful,” are most […]

Read More →

November 24, 2019 – 6:00 pm | By Paul Kuritz | Posted in Acting, Art, Books, from Paul, History, Music, Opera, Poetry, Quotations, The Gospel of the Kingdom, Theater, Theology | Comments (0)

LYRIC OPERA CHICAGO : THE OLD BARBER HAS STILL GOT IT

The history of what is popularly called Italian opera began in the United States with a performance of Rossini’s lyrical comedy “Il Barbiere di Siviglia”, The Barber of Seville. The place was the Park Theatre, then situated in Chambers Street, east of Broadway, and the date November 29, 1825.[i] It was Manuel Garcia’s troupe that […]

Read More →

October 28, 2019 – 1:45 pm | By Paul Kuritz | Posted in Acting, Dance, from Paul, History, Men and Women, Music, Opera, Quotations, Theater | Comments (0)

THE MET’S MANON: THE “ETERNAL WOMAN” RETURNS

Jules Massenet (1842-1912) premiered  his new opera,  Manon,  on 19 January 1884 at Paris’ Opera Comique, the home to the city’s middle-class audience, an audience accustomed to the spoken dialogue featured in Massenet’s work. It was a hit. “Those who do not object on principle to being entertained in the opera house, rather than hectored, […]

Read More →

October 28, 2019 – 11:20 am | By Paul Kuritz | Posted in Acting, Art, Books, Dance, from Paul, History, Men and Women, Music, Opera, Quotations, Theater | Comments (0)