Category Archives: Current Events

THE MET’S AGRIPPINA: STELLAR MUSIC, UNFORTUNATE STAGING

Librettist Vincenzo Grimani had a wonderful idea for a comic opera: a neo-classical comedy of manners featuring history’s most monstrous tyrants as the main characters! The comic incongruity would be enormous, as  the murderous, depraved butchers of Rome’s ancient past acted with impeccable decorum and good taste. Imagine seeing Nero and his court in a […]

February 29, 2020 – 5:46 pm | By Paul Kuritz | Posted in Acting, Books, Current Events, from Paul, History, Men and Women, Music, Opera, Politics, Quotations | Comments Off on THE MET’S AGRIPPINA: STELLAR MUSIC, UNFORTUNATE STAGING

THE MET’S PORGY AND BESS: It’s Got Plenty of Vigor and Talent

The distinguished opera historian and critic Charles Osborne considers George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess to be “the most successful American contribution to twentieth century opera.”[i] Like all works for the stage, the final product is the result of a collaboration among many creative artists working to transform the play Porgy into a musical work. The […]

February 2, 2020 – 6:03 pm | By Paul Kuritz | Posted in Acting, Books, Current Events, Dance, from Paul, History, Men and Women, Music, Opera, The Gospel of the Kingdom, Theater, Theology, Uncategorized | Comments Off on THE MET’S PORGY AND BESS: It’s Got Plenty of Vigor and Talent

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 […]

December 31, 2019 – 10:41 am | By Paul Kuritz | Posted in Acting, Current Events, from Paul, History, Music, Opera, Theater | Comments Off on ON STAGE FAVORITES: 2010-2020

KENNEDY CENTER’S HELLO DOLLY – LOOK AT THE OLD GIRL NOW!

A great performance always seems fresh-minted. That certainly is the case with Ms. Betty Buckley at the Kennedy Center. In fact, her character,  Dolly Gallagher Levi, first appeared during playwright Thornton Wilder’s 1935 trip to Europe. As he considered the comedies of Austria’s popular 19th century playwright Johann Nestroy, he wondered if an American version […]

June 16, 2019 – 11:39 am | By Paul Kuritz | Posted in Acting, Books, Current Events, Dance, from Paul, History, Men and Women, Music, Theater | Comments (4)

THE MET OPERA’S DIALOGUES DES CARMELITES : OPERA’S DIVINE LADDER OF ASCENT

 Sixteen days after John Dexter’s  1977 production of  Dialogues des Carmélites (Dialogues of the Carmelites)    opened at the Metropolitan Opera a detonated tear gas canister in the lobby forced the 4,000 members of the audience to evacuate the building. Suddenly fear was not just a theme in Mr. Poulenc’s great opera about the human struggle with […]

May 12, 2019 – 3:17 pm | By Paul Kuritz | Posted in Acting, Current Events, from Paul, History, Movies, Music, Opera, Politics, Quotations, The Gospel of the Kingdom, Theater, Theology | Comments Off on THE MET OPERA’S DIALOGUES DES CARMELITES : OPERA’S DIVINE LADDER OF ASCENT