Category Archives: Art

ARENA STAGE’S ANYTHING GOES: CLASSIC MUSICAL FUN

In 1934 Anything Goes, the musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter opened in New York City. The original book was a collaborative effort by Guy Bolton and P. G. Wodehouse, heavily revised by the team of Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse.  Their object was maximum fun, and minimum attention to the news of the day. And they succeeded brilliantly. The Times critic wrote that the […]

December 27, 2018 – 3:25 pm | By Paul Kuritz | Posted in Acting, Art, Current Events, Dance, from Paul, History, Men and Women, Music, Politics, Quotations, Theater | Comments Off on ARENA STAGE’S ANYTHING GOES: CLASSIC MUSICAL FUN

THE VIRGINIA SYMPHONY AND CHORUS’ MESSIAH RAISES THE ROOF

Maestra JoAnn Falletta led a rousingly spirited rendition of Handel’s magnificent oratorio The Messiah last evening. Keeping the spirit-filled symphony and chorus moving for over two hours, Ms. Falletta gave the orchestra’s string section an opportunity to shine, and shine they did. Their playing did not only sound wonderful, their playing was a lovely visual […]

December 16, 2018 – 7:34 am | By Paul Kuritz | Posted in Art, Current Events, from Paul, History, Music, The Gospel of the Kingdom, Theology | Comments Off on THE VIRGINIA SYMPHONY AND CHORUS’ MESSIAH RAISES THE ROOF

LA SCALA’S GIOVANNA D’ARCO: When an Opera is a Lie

As of 2009, ten percent of Americans thought Joan of Arc was Noah’s wife.[i] Since then most people probably won’t even guess as to her identity. And where could they learn of Joan of Arc? Schools, where any hint of Christianity is outlawed? In mainline churches, where scientific rationalism filters the majesty and mystery of […]

July 11, 2018 – 1:36 pm | By Paul Kuritz | Posted in Acting, Art, from Paul, History, Music, Opera, Poetry, The Gospel of the Kingdom, Theater, Theology | Comments Off on LA SCALA’S GIOVANNA D’ARCO: When an Opera is a Lie

THE MET OPERA’S IL TROVATORE: THE TRAGEDY OF VENGEANCE

Giuseppe Verdi’s Il Trovatore is probably best known as the center of the Marx Brothers great film comedy A Night at the Opera. Ridicule, parody, burlesque and satire have followed the opera almost even from composition. Based on the classic Spanish Romantic drama El Trovador by Antonio Garcia Gutiérrez, librettist Salvadore Cammarano sent Verdi a […]

June 28, 2018 – 3:09 pm | By Paul Kuritz | Posted in Acting, Art, from Paul, History, Music, Opera, Quotations, Theater | Comments Off on THE MET OPERA’S IL TROVATORE: THE TRAGEDY OF VENGEANCE

THE MET’S LA BOHEME: DEATH COMES TO NEVERLAND

A band of lost boys, living high above the twentieth century’s urban world, who won’t grow up, led by a free spirit unable to trust the love of the girl who loves him totally. J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan? Think again. Giacomo Puccini’s La Boheme. Imagine Peter cradling a dying Wendy in his arms and you […]

February 25, 2018 – 4:52 pm | By Paul Kuritz | Posted in Art, from Paul, History, Men and Women, Music, Opera, Quotations, Theater | Comments Off on THE MET’S LA BOHEME: DEATH COMES TO NEVERLAND