Steven Anthony Jones, as August Wilson, Tells Riveting First-Person Tales by Pamela Feinsilber Just before he died, in 2005, August Wilson completed the final play in his remarkable American Century Cycle: ten plays, each set in a different decade of the 20th century, most taking place in Pittsburgh’s Hill District, where he grew up….
Strauss’s Effortlessly Lyrical Music Outweighs Problematic Libretto by Pamela Feinsilber Richard Strauss’s 1933 “Arabella” was last seen in San Francisco in 1998. The long delay between performances likely stems from a frequently ludicrous libretto, which needs a light but subtle touch and calls for lead singers who are also deft actors. The plot centers…
Puccini’s Great Opera Has a Dazzling Star, Fresh Sets & Costumes by Pamela Feinsilber Critics attend a popular opera such as “Tosca” many, many times over the years. We saw it here just four years ago, with the amazing Lianna Haroutounian in the lead and tenor Brian Jagde as her beloved, Cavaradossi. This is…
Director Jose Maria Condemi’s Chivalrous Rustics & Sad Clowns Come Alive by Pamela Feinsilber It’s not often that San Francisco audiences are offered the most popular “double bill” in opera: “Cavalleria Rusticana” by Pietro Mascagni and “Pagliacci” by Ruggero Leoncavallo. While these one-act operas are sometimes presented separately, they’ve been together since both composers…