Mary Zimmerman Celebrates Mozart in Earthy, Erotic Fantasy by Barry David Horwitz Extraordinary designer/director Mary Zimmerman triumphs at Berkeley Rep with her ethereal, funny Magic Flute, taking us to brave, new worlds. Her tongue-in-cheek version of Mozart’s comic opera comments on itself—with a wink and a smile. In one memorable scene, magnificent blue stage…
Mozart Meets Chaplin in Jazz Age Animation & Flapper Fashion by Barry David Horwitz What’s not to love about an evening with Mozart at SF Opera in silent movie style, intriguing animation, and a Wizard of Oz storyline? There’s lots of art in re-making Mozart into a magical mystery tour—in 20s Jazz Age costumes,…
Giddens & Abels’ Resonant Rhythms Celebrate Fortitude & Faith by Barry David Horwitz We all know that Martin Luther King Jr. wrote his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” to wake up his fellow ministers about violent segregation in the South. Until now, few of us knew about Omar ibn Said, an Islamic scholar who…
Puccini’s Opera of Enduring Love Pleases with Musicality & Passion by K. Marguerite Caronna S.F. Opera’s production of Madame Butterfly highlights the familiar story of a woman’s seduction, her love, and her abandonment by a callous man—underscored by Giacomo Puccini’s rich musicality. Under the assured baton of Music Director Eun Sun Kim, Butterfly sweeps along…