Monthly Archives: December 2016

LYRIC OPERA’S MAGIC FLUTE: A Metatheatrical Spectacular

Reviewing an 1879 production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute, the anonymous Chicago Tribune critic noted, “it would be absurd to try to explain the plot…. All sorts of explanations have been attempted but, if anyone ever really knew what it meant, he died before he said anything about it. It is a hodge-podge, nonsense, and […]

December 15, 2016 – 10:04 am | By Paul Kuritz | Posted in Art, Current Events, from Paul, History, Media, Men and Women, Movies, Music, Opera, Quotations, Television, Theater | Comments Off on LYRIC OPERA’S MAGIC FLUTE: A Metatheatrical Spectacular

Lyric Opera’s DON QUICHOTTE: A Hymn to a Holy Fool

A dying Jules Massenet wrote Don Quichotte knowing the woman he loved, soprano Lucy Arbell, would play the courtesan-lady Dulcinee after his death. Rather than create his own libretto from Cervantes’ mammoth novel, Massenet used Jacques Lorrain’s bastardized and abridged verse play, Le Chevalier de la longue figure, for his libretto. La Lorrain’s short play […]

December 8, 2016 – 10:12 am | By Paul Kuritz | Posted in Books, from Paul, History, Men and Women, Music, Opera, Poetry, Quotations, The Gospel of the Kingdom, Theater, Theology | Comments Off on Lyric Opera’s DON QUICHOTTE: A Hymn to a Holy Fool

Remy Bumppo’s PYGMALION: Run, Don’t Walk. Now.

If you think you might ever want to see Bernard Shaw’s famous comedy, Pygmalion, now is the time. Don’t wait. Head to the Remy Bumppo Theatre. You won’t find a better collection of actors finding every jot and tittle of comedy and drama in this sometimes-baffling play. Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion is a peculiar example of […]

December 6, 2016 – 9:44 am | By Paul Kuritz | Posted in Current Events, from Paul, History, Men and Women, Politics, Theater, Uncategorized | Comments Off on Remy Bumppo’s PYGMALION: Run, Don’t Walk. Now.