Tag: ENO
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ENO’s It’s a Wonderful Life is Wonderful, but not Very Festive ★★★
Tonight is the UK premiere of It’s a Wonderful Life, the opera. Frank Capra’s 1946 film of the same name has the emotional drama to make a good opera, but, on stage, lacks the sparkle to make Christmas magic. Fortunately, Aletta Collins’ production creates a bright and whimsical Americana aesthetic that occasionally shines through this depressing Christmas classic.…
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Why was ENO’s Yeoman of the Guard so boring?
Gilbert and Sullivan were fighting when they wrote Yeoman of the Guard. Sullivan wanted to compose a serious opera. Gilbert wanted to continue their successful brand—writing biting parody of Victorian society against the beauty of late-nineteenth century scores. In the end, Gilbert gave in to Sullivan. The result is their most serious opera. Hefty source…
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English National Opera’s Tosca: Young Stars Shine Bright in Timeless Tosca
120 years after its premiere, is it possible for Puccini’s Tosca to feel fresh? In its English National Opera premiere, Cristof Loy’s Tosca is a classic with a few twists. There’s more than meets the eye with this Tosca. The curtain rises with bold fanfare that gives way to an instantly familiar church. This world…
London Show Cap 