The Bernstein/Kosky “Candide” At Komische Oper Berlin: “A Really Spectacular Disaster”?
Writing an operetta in the 1950s for Broadway was certainly – a bit eccentric! The grand operetta hits had all
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Howard Goodall’s “Girlfriends”: A Show About The Women’s Auxiliary Air Force 1941
After the success of The Hired Man (being revived at Hornchurch in the Spring of 2019), Howard Goodall turned his
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Victor Herbert’s Last Operetta “Orange Blossoms” Returns To New York
Four years after Light Opera of New York exhumed Victor Herbert’s last operetta Orange Blossoms (more accurately, a “comedy with
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“Sigh By Night”: Katharine Mehrling’s “vive la vie” Program At Bar jeder Vernunft
In the case of an artist of the caliber of Katharine Mehrling it’s obviously worth sticking around until the very
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Sophia Euskirchen & Jörn-Felix Alt Revive The Weimar Era: “Cabaret” Back In Berlin
It’s a weird and wonderful experience to sit in the Tipi-am-Kanzleramt tent, waiting for a performance of Kander & Ebb’s
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‘Authentic’ Operetta Productions At Ohio Light Opera? Plus A Festival Symposium
Enterprising Ohio Light Opera, ever devoted to ‘authentic’ productions from the world of musical comedy and operetta, seems to go
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National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company: Sullivan’s “Haddon Hall”
This year the International G & S Festival, as well as the National G & S Company are celebrating their
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National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company: “Ruddigore” At Buxton Opera House
This summer the historic Frank Matcham designed Buxton Opera House, built in 1903 and seating 902, was host to the
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National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company: “The Sorcerer” & “Trial By Jury”
This year the National G & S Opera Company celebrates its silver jubilee with six new productions. I was invited
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“Die Blume von Hawaii” beim Lehár-Festival Bad Ischl. Oder: Jonny als alter ego Pál Ábraháms?
Lehár Festival Bad Ischl 2018. Das Konzert- und Kongresshaus gleicht einem Bienenstock, Publikum strömt herbei während das Ensemble sich einstimmt
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“Im weißen Rössl” At Renaissance Theater Berlin: Drowning A Fun Show In Melancholy
It will come as no surprise when I say that Im weißen Rössl holds an extra-special place in my heart,
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“Csardasfürstin” At Staatsoperette Dresden: With A Right-Wing Chancellor Of Austria Deporting Gypsys
Every self-respecting operetta company needs a production of one of the 20th century’s greatest operettas: Kalman’s Die Csardasfürstin. Whether Dresden
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“Der Bettelstudent” At Theater Pforzheim: Making The Genre Relevant For A 21st Century Audience?
The excellent (and beautifully illustrated) programme calls Der Bettelstudent “one of the best-loved of all the Golden Age Viennese operettas.”
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“Wie einst im Mai” At The Summer Festival in Neustrelitz
Neustrelitz is a small, historic, beautiful, charming, quiet town, set amidst the lakes north of Berlin. For British readers: can
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National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company: “The Pirates of Penzance”
The Pirates of Penzance must be Gilbert and Sullivan’s most staged operetta and, as a director, it must be difficult
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“Carmen Jones” Revived By Classic Stage Company
The revival of Oscar Hammerstein II’s very clever 1943 updating of Bizet’s Carmen – a big hit in its day
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A Queer Alternative To Football: Barbra Streisand’s “Nose” At Komische Oper Berlin
What do you do when all the world is abuzz with football, and you don’t give as f*** about ballgames?
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“Die Blume von Hawaii” At Theater für Niedersachsen: Florian Ziemen Conducts
So it was off to Waikiki and South Sea breezes, again. I had a chance to see Paul Abraham’s glorious
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Dorothy Without Toto. Or: “Der Zauberer von Oz” In Magdeburg
„The most magical adventure of them all …“ That’s how Andrew Lloyd Webber announced ‘his’ Wizard of Oz version at
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Racism And Disability, Female Empowerment And Post-Colonialism: “Wenn Ja Wie Viele” At UdK
Ah, yes … the UdK students. Watching the musical theater stars-of-tomorrow perform a “collage” that’s obligatory for them in their
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It’s Eliza’s Show: A “My Fair Lady” For The 21st Century
It’s Eliza’s show; My Fair Lady for the 21st century opens at Lincoln Center’s Vivian Beaumont Theatre, 62 years after
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Annette Dasch As Horror Diva. Or: A First Class Operetta Execution. “Fledermaus” In Berlin
No, it’s not exactly news that there are – and always have been – multiple audiences for operetta. And they
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Rombergs “Blossom Time”: Deutsche Erstaufführung in Annaberg-Buchholz
Das Dreimäderlhaus von Heinrich Berté, eine Pasticcio-Operette mit Musik von Franz Schubert (1916), war ein Welterfolg. Nicht nur im deutschen
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Revisiting Honolulu: “Die Blume von Hawaii” With Students of the Hochschule für Musik In Osnabrück
We all have our favorite memories – our ‘madeleine moment’ that changed our world forever. For me, this moment occurred
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Victor Herbert’s “The Enchantress” In New York City
Hot on the heels of LOONY’s Naughty Marietta only one week before, along came yet another Victor Herbert work, but
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Captain “Dick” Meets “Naughty” Marietta. Or: Victor Herbert at LOONY
This most famous of Victor Herbert’s operettas, and arguably his best, received a classy salon concert performance the other night
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“Ladies First”: A Victor Herbert Concert in New York City
The enterprising VHRP Live! company has come up with something delightfully different on this occasion. Not a revival of a
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Abraham’s “Ball im Savoy” In Koblenz: No Lavish Sets But SS Officers
Having hugely enjoyed Barrie Kosky’s 2013 exuberant production of Abraham’s Ball im Savoy several times, I was interested to see
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Re-Writing “Roxy und ihr Wunderteam” As A Gay Football Farce In Augsburg
Theater Augsburg is in the midst of refurbishment, so the various ensembles have decamped to several venues around the city.
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Sugar-Free Chocolate: Kálmán’s “Die Faschingsfee” In Möchengladbach-Krefeld
Emmerich Kálmán’s Die Faschingsfee had a very chequered history in its first few years. It was first seen in Budapest
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Hojotoho: Gilbert & Sullivan’s “Iolanthe” At English National Opera
Iolanthe is W S Gilbert’s most satirical opera. His libretto continually pokes fun at the British hereditary system, the law
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Too Depressing To Write About? Leo Fall’s “Die Kaiserin” At Theater Baden
It’s only a short review of Leo Fall’s Die Kaiserin, I’m afraid. It was too depressing to write more. I
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Berlin Letter: Major Revival Of Forgotten Weimar-Era Operetta Is Proving A Hit
For a city so rich in culture, and drowning in history, it is surprising to experience first-hand Berlin’s long cultural
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Sloppy Production With A Great Tenor: “Eine Nacht in Venedig” At Volksoper Wien
Musically, Vienna Volksoper’s 2013 production of Strauss’ Eine Nacht in Venedig has much to commend it: firstly the spirited conducting
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Rosa von Praunheim’s “Jeder Idiot hat eine Oma, nur ich nicht”: The Revival of Cabaret Operetta?
The format of the cabaret operetta has fallen out of favor, somewhat. 100 years ago, theaters all over the world
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A 15 Year Old “Fledermaus” At Semperoper Dresden: Is Johann Strauss Beneath Them?
Dresden’s Fledermaus production is 15 years old and the performance I attended was its 90th outing. It is a very
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