Monthly Archives: April 2018

CARMEN IN WILLIAMSBURG

Following a decade of teaching Biblical Hebrew to college students, one should welcome retirement as a time to catch one’s breathe and enjoy the easy things of life. Not so for Naama  Zahavi-Ely. Professor Zahavi-Ely decided that her retirement needed her to found a new opera company. At a time when the most established opera […]

April 24, 2018 – 10:32 am | By Paul Kuritz | Posted in Current Events, from Paul, Music, Opera, Uncategorized | Comments (1)

FAVORITE LIVE PERFORMANCES 2017-2018

Every year I note the favorite  performances I have seen. Last year I noted productions themselves. This year I note individual acting performances which I found quite wonderful. (In alphabetical order) Bradley Armacost, Hugh, Translations Piotr Beczala, Rodolfo, Luisa Miller Judy Yerby Burke, Linda, Death of a Salesman Joseph Calleja, Pollione, Norma Ryan Clemens, Various, […]

April 19, 2018 – 1:11 pm | By Paul Kuritz | Posted in Acting, Current Events, from Paul, Uncategorized | Comments Off on FAVORITE LIVE PERFORMANCES 2017-2018

STUDIO THEATRE’S TRANSLATIONS: ANOTHER KIND OF PRODIGAL SON

Set in rural Ireland in 1833, Brian Friel’s’ Translations explores the troubles brought to a handful of characters following the return of a prodigal son.  Whereas the prodigal in Christ’s parable returned ashamed and broken, Friel’s prodigal returns home proud and puffed up. Maire, a local maiden, has long been betrothed to Manus, the oldest […]

April 19, 2018 – 12:59 pm | By Paul Kuritz | Posted in Current Events, from Paul, History, Men and Women, Movies, Quotations, The Gospel of the Kingdom, Theater, Theology | Comments Off on STUDIO THEATRE’S TRANSLATIONS: ANOTHER KIND OF PRODIGAL SON

THE MET’S LUISA MILLER: A TALE OF THREE FATHERS

Tragedy has been defined as a family destroyed and comedy as a family being created. Due to his own tragic experiences, Giuseppe Verdi was always interested in putting families on stage. The deaths of his children and his first wife had a profound and permanent effect on Verdi. In addition, he was a dutiful son […]

April 14, 2018 – 5:38 pm | By Paul Kuritz | Posted in Acting, from Paul, History, Men and Women, Music, Opera, The Gospel of the Kingdom, Theater | Comments Off on THE MET’S LUISA MILLER: A TALE OF THREE FATHERS

THE MET’S COSI FAN TUTTE: MOZART IN A BOX

During the overture, and before a gaudy show curtain, the canary-colored zoot-suited con man Don Alfonso, presents his co-conspirator and inamorata Despina with a magician’s bouquet of flowers and a very large travelling box, tied up with a bow. She hits him with the flowers, but helps him remove the bow and open the gift […]

April 1, 2018 – 5:40 pm | By Paul Kuritz | Posted in Current Events, from Paul, History, Men and Women, Music, Opera, Quotations, Theater, Theology | Comments Off on THE MET’S COSI FAN TUTTE: MOZART IN A BOX