Category Archives: Men and Women

ON THE 20TH CENTURY: ANOTHER HOMEGROWN CHICAGO MUSICAL SMASH

Unlike the fear of Y2K which heralded the new 21st century, the arrival the twentieth century was the occasion for enthusiasm, hope, and braggadocio. President William McKinley: “The century now drawing to a close has been most memorable in the world’s progress and history. The march of mankind in moral and intellectual advancement has been […]

June 3, 2024 – 10:40 am | By Paul Kuritz | Posted in Acting, Current Events, Dance, from Paul, History, Men and Women, Movies, Music, Newspapers, Quotations, Theater | Comments Off on ON THE 20TH CENTURY: ANOTHER HOMEGROWN CHICAGO MUSICAL SMASH

MADAMA BUTTERFLY AT THE MET: ASMIK GREGORIAN IS BUTTERFLY

The most recent study names Puccini’s Madama Butterfly as the sixth most popular opera in the world. In fact, seeing the opera at the age of sixteen prompted Yoko Watanabe (1953-2004) to a singing career, eventually to the position of the most famous of Japanese opera singers, certainly to be one of the most acclaimed […]

May 12, 2024 – 7:43 am | By Paul Kuritz | Posted in Acting, Books, Dance, from Paul, History, Men and Women, Music, Opera, Quotations, Theater | Comments Off on MADAMA BUTTERFLY AT THE MET: ASMIK GREGORIAN IS BUTTERFLY

MET OPERA OFFERS RONDINE, PUCCINI’S FRAGILE BITTERSWEET DELICACY

The invitation from Vienna to create an opera based on a sketch by Alfred Maria Willner, Franz Lehar’s librettist, tested Puccini’s stated dislike of the operettas with spoken dialogue . “It is the usual slipshod, banal operetta, the usual contrast between East and West, ballroom festivities and opportunities for dancing, with no study of character […]

April 22, 2024 – 10:52 am | By Paul Kuritz | Posted in Acting, Art, from Paul, History, Men and Women, Music, Opera, Poetry | Comments Off on MET OPERA OFFERS RONDINE, PUCCINI’S FRAGILE BITTERSWEET DELICACY

METROPOLITAN OPERA OFFERS EXQUISITE ROMEO ET JULIETTE

Charles Gounod (1818 –1893) was interested in an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet completed by Paul Jules Barbier (8 March 1825 – 16 January 1901) and Michel Carré (20 October 1821– 27 June 1872). The atmosphere of Provence where he began to compose fed his inspiration as he worked quickly and surely. He seemed […]

March 24, 2024 – 8:58 am | By Paul Kuritz | Posted in Acting, from Paul, History, Men and Women, Music, Opera, Theater | Comments Off on METROPOLITAN OPERA OFFERS EXQUISITE ROMEO ET JULIETTE

The Met’s NABUCCO: Verdi’s Beautiful Prayer for those in Exile

On February 23 of last year, Naomi Wolf,  author, feminist and former advisor to Bill Clinton and Al Gore published a remarkable essay, “Have the Ancient Gods returned?” In it she quotes Jonathan Cahn’s book The Return of The Gods[i]           “Having accurately traced the lineage of pagan worship and pagan forces, Cahn makes the […]

January 11, 2024 – 1:11 pm | By Paul Kuritz | Posted in Acting, Art, Books, from Paul, History, Men and Women, Music, Opera, Poetry, Quotations, Theater, Theology | Comments Off on The Met’s NABUCCO: Verdi’s Beautiful Prayer for those in Exile