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Paulo Szot in Wm Kentridge directed "The Nose" on PBS right now in NY Feb 23
2014, 01:25:50 PM
It's late but Met Opera's wonderful "The Nose" starring Paulo Szot, directed by Wm Kentridge on TV right now, or not, depending where you are. In NYC http://www.abc27.com/story/24590541/shostakovichs-dark-comedy-the-nose-featuring-tony-winner-paulo-szot-on-thirteens-great-performances-at-the-met-sunday-february-23-at-12-noon-on-pbs
http://video.pbs.org/video/2365182172/
Here's a Met site that may show other times for other locations
http://www.metoperafamily.org/metopera/broadcast/hdevents/index.aspx?id=7712
Sometimes these Great Performances show up elsewhere much later than in NY so even if it's not yet shown up on the Met site it might be broadcast later
Sorry I didn't post this earlier, it's so good. The Falstaff opera should be broadcast later, also terrific.
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/about-the-series/great-performances-at-the-met-%E2%80%93-season-eight/1862/
Seems like Kentridge is so video inclined that he should be making movies. Then again, he's probably too intelligent for movies (sigh)
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Kelli O'Hara IS performing at Metropolitan Opera starting New Years Eve Feb 12
2014, 08:59:59 PM
Seems like the Met would have made sure she could be heard before they hired her. I doubt they would mic one singer. Or any!!! It's the Met, that's their thing, singing without amplification. Here's what the NYTimes wrote about Fledermaus:
"In rehearsals, Mr. Sams has taken special care rehearsing one of the trickiest things about “Fledermaus” — all those scenes without music.
Those stretches can leave opera singers feeling exposed, especially in a house the size of the Met. This year, the Met plans to amplify the dialogue to make sure it can be heard. (Officials stress that they will not amplify any of the singing, which is verboten in serious opera houses.)"
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2013/12/29/arts/music/jeremy-sams-directs-die-fledermaus-at-the-met.html
I would think it would be really confusing to sing without amplification loud enough so that 3800 people could hear you and then to speak into a microphone.
She just tweeted about it:
"Now I can shout it from the mountain tops...a dream come true! The Merry Widow @MetOpera https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Kelli-OHara-Susan-Stroman-to-Make-Met-Opera-Debuts-in-THE-MERRY-WIDOW-on-New-Years-Eve-20140212# …"
Didn't she major in opera or am I imagining that?
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Kelli O'Hara IS performing at Metropolitan Opera starting New Years Eve Feb 12
2014, 07:29:57 PM
Just adding, that the second time The Merry Widow is performed Danielle de Niese plays Valencienne, so that must be a substantial singing role, since de Niese is a pretty big opera star. I'm not familiar with this operetta, maybe others can provide more info. Jeremy Sams did the Merry Widow English translation, and he also did the same for (or to) Fledermaus, which has gotten him a lot of criticism.
Since this will have a gala and stars Renee Fleming I'll bet it will be a beautiful pro
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Kelli O'Hara IS performing at Metropolitan Opera starting New Years Eve Feb 12
2014, 06:49:06 PM
The Merry Widow will also be shown in movie theaters in the Live in HD program, so it will eventually be on PBS too.
Paulo Szot is appearing in Death of Klinghoffer which will also be shown Live in HD.
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Kelli O'Hara IS performing at Metropolitan Opera starting New Years Eve Feb 12
2014, 06:33:27 PM
That rumor site was right, Kelli O'Hara's appearing in the Merry Widow. Renee Fleming stars, Kelli O'Hara plays Valencienne. Susan Stroman is the director. Sher, Szot, Burstein, now O'Hara all working at the Met. South Pacific people really crossing over there.
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From Met opera rumor site- Kelli O'Hara performing at the Met next year??? Feb 4
2014, 06:40:27 PM
I thought she was great in Carousel, but that he was not so good, he's just not much of an actor. I think the Met's schedule should come out pretty soon.
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From Met opera rumor site- Kelli O'Hara performing at the Met next year??? Feb 4
2014, 04:16:04 PM
A Wiki site which anyone can edit lists Kelli O'Hara as appearing in The Merry Widow next year. Renee Fleming is the star of that production. I've read in the past there was some possibility of her appearing at the Met, but seems like she would be booked in different musicals for the next few years.
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Danny Burstein (and not Nathan Lane) to make Met debut... Dec 27
2013, 05:59:38 PM
Here's an AP article about his first appearance at the Met. (they couldn't put his name in the title?) He has interesting comments about the difference between appearing on Broadway and at the Met. His casting was announced a while ago, maybe it's on the other thread. Other Broadway connections are Paulo Szot playing Dr. Falke, and Douglas Carter Beane writing a new libretto. It's all in English and the photos look great, plus other great singers, should be really good!
That Met last p
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Review of The Nose at MetOPera Oct 4
2013, 12:21:50 PM
I saw him in the HD of Manon, he seemed fine to me and he got fine reviews for that. Here's part of the NYTimes review that talks about his performance: "The role of Lescaut cannot be that rewarding for a baritone, but Paulo Szot made the most of it. In the novel Lescaut is Manon’s brother, who, in effect, pimps her out to an older man. The opera turns him into Manon’s swashbuckling cousin, whose biggest flaw seems to be an addiction to gambling. Mr. Szot sings the role with robust sound and vitality." http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/28/arts/music/a-striver-comes-to-an-ignoble-end.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 True, he did not finish the run of Manon. A couple of years ago he was scheduled to sing 3 Carmens at the Met, he missed the first one and sang the second two. I read an interview where he said his voice has continued to change, like it's higher now, um, can't find that now, we'll that's what I thought I read. Operas are mostly scheduled years in advance, which seems kind of nuts. Escamillo is for a bass/baritone as I understand it and is supposed to be really difficult, Teddy Tahu Rhodes cancelled all his Carmen perfomances at the Met last year coincidentally (?) right after appearing in South Pacific in Australia. Here's a youtube of Szot singing Escamillo's big aria, Votre Toast, years ago, I love that youtube! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-AuAz_gukg
Szot's scheduled to appear in Fledermaus this year too. The Met is huge, I think it may be the biggest opera house in the world?.
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Review of The Nose at MetOPera Oct 2
2013, 11:35:37 PM
Could you add to the title of this thread that Paulo Szot stars is this? Might make this topic of more interest to people on this board. Thanks
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Review of The Nose at MetOPera Oct 2
2013, 07:30:44 PM
Several great reviews for this production and for Paulo Szot's performance in the leading role (also the folks above really recommend The Nose)
http://www.classicalsource.com/db_control/db_concert_review.php?id=11385
http://observer.com/2013/10/anna-norma-and-a-giant-nose-protesters-stole-the-opening-night-of-onegin/ (that reviewer also reviews for the New York Post, so I assume there will be a longer positive review there too)
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/02/arts/music/in-the-nose-shostakovich-puts-music-to-gogols-tale.html?src=me
I listened to the live stream Saturday and really enjoyed it. Loved it, great fun music. I'll bet the orchestra really likes performing it, it's so different, lots of unusual musical instruments. There are only 6 more performances left, but at least it's not sold out like it was the last time it was performed. And it's only 2 hours! I know that's shallow, but some of those operas are looong. Remaining performance dates and a trailer are at the link. It must look amazing, artist William Kentridge is the director. This opera was the big hit of 2010 when it premiered and is frequently cited as the best or one of the best productions during Peter Gelb's tenure at the Met.
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Laura Osnes Sep 18
2013, 12:55:13 AM
Guess this must happen a lot, but I would think it would be hard to deal with (poor Harriet Harris)
"What challenges did you face during the developmental period?
I think for me it was learning to master the balance between the contemporary witty new script and the classic Rodgers and Hammerstein score. They’re two different worlds, and that was what the time in the workshops and readings were spent on finessing—nailing it so that they were two completely different worlds blended to
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NYTimes article about Susan Stroman, Big Fish and "To raise money for many musicals today, a star director is even more important than a star actor" Sep 5
2013, 03:01:22 PM
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Carrie Underwood to Star in NBC's Live Broadcast of THE SOUND OF MUSIC Aug 24
2013, 06:03:20 PM
Here's a youtube of Stephen Moyer singing "Razzle Dazzle." meh
Guess any degree of fame trumps Broadway performers who can sing really well. Sucks. Theodore Bickel is great on the OBC recording- he sang with a lot of heart.
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NYTimes story on Petition that wants Met Gala dedicated to gay rights- Bart Sher statement Aug 21
2013, 03:23:42 PM
I know opera seasons are planned years in advance.
I don't get why PalJoey said: "By including the words "sexual orientation" in her statement, she is breaking the law.
She risked arrest with that statement." I haven't read anywhere that what she said was particularly risky, the NYTimes would have mentioned it in it's reference to what she said. But it still shows how absurd the whole thing is, that she could only say something so vague. The question isn't about her discriminating against people anyway. And to claim oh she's taking a risk is kind of crazy when she's the one who backed the guy known for being a real threat to any opponents.
Putin wasn't exactly an unknown quantity when they backed him in the last "election." Maybe they didn't know he would support something like this, but considering the things he's been associated with in the past (that murdered journalist gets mentioned repeatedly) there was going to be some really bad stories coming out of Russia once he was back in power. Look at this story from a couple of weeks ago about all the Russian businessmen who have been thrown into prison http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/09/business/global/russias-stimulus-plan-open-the-gulag-gates.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
Gergiev is the highest paid musician in Russia, but he gets a big boost from owning a share of a turkey factory http://rbth.ru/news/2013/07/31/symphony_conductor_is_russias_wealthiest_musician_28531.html
His income dwarfs other classical conductors https://www.sfcv.org/article/worlds-best-conductor-as-measured-in-rubles
He had a big jump in income last year when he got into the turkey business, where does such a busy conductor find the time??? Maybe he had to get into bed with Putin to get his beloved Marinsky theatre going, but getting such a hefty income raise after doing a commercial for Putin kind of stinks. http://www.therestisnoise.com/2012/03/gergiev-endorses-putin.html
Personally, I think all this is the stuff of opera. Even when new operas are composed these days they're usually about the past, why not try to be relevant rather than try to convince people that ancient Italian history (or whatever) is relevant to us today? Someone should compose an opera about Litvinenko, poisoned in 2006 by radiation in the middle of London with polonium likely to have come from Russian government reactors (happened during Putin's previous presidential term) Litvinenko was accusing Putin of ordering the murder of that journalist. The UK has gotten nowhere trying to prosecute, the likely suspect went back to Russia and got elected to the Duma which gave him immunity (however he'll never be able to leave Russia, which is some punishment) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Litvinenko
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Litvinenko_poisoning
Don't mean to be flip about this being the stuff of opera comment, the youtubes and photos of what's been happening to people in Russia are horrifying.
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NYTimes story on Petition that wants Met Gala dedicated to gay rights- Bart Sher statement Aug 20
2013, 05:27:09 PM
Well, guess it's OK to discuss it. Maybe this is bad timing for the Met, there's another Russian language opera scheduled, Prince Igor, so maybe this season is a big year for Russian repertoire http://www.metoperafamily.org/metopera/season/index.aspx?nav=top Maybe the Met doesn't want to offend Russian opera goers or even Russian donors. To think that such a star as Netrebko had to word that statement so carefully, burying gay rights in with 4 other kinds of rights, is absurd. This is all so absurd, I wish William Kentridge, who is interested in oppression and the denial of people's rights from his years living in South Africa could work some part of this into his production of The Nose. Those youtubes and photos of what's happening to people in Russia are chilling.
Well, it would be pretty pathetic if the Des Moines Symphony dedicated it's all Russian opener to gay rights and the Met didn't (you can vote!)
http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2013/08/20/should-the-des-moines-symphony-dedicate-its-all-russian-opener-to-gay-rights/article
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NYTimes story on Petition that wants Met Gala dedicated to gay rights- Bart Sher statement Aug 20
2013, 11:56:11 AM
Sorry if this is not OK here since it's opera, but Bart Sher is quoted. Don't know how a dedication of the gala to a cause like this hurts the Met, other people were proposing a boycott of the gala. The only problem I guess is with the absurd laws in Russia now, maybe it would be problematic for Putin supporters Anna Netrebko and Valery Gergiev to attend the gala. Well, you lie down with dogs you get up with fleas. BTW, Gergiev is also conducting the next Met opera, another Russian one, The Nose
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FUNNY FACE As A Musical? Aug 16
2013, 04:37:53 AM
That's fantastic! It's such a shame that there's no film of Adele and Fred dancing together. She really looks like the star on that poster.
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FUNNY FACE As A Musical? Aug 13
2013, 10:39:44 PM
Harriet Harris for Maggie Prescott! Laura Osnes would be great singing and dancing and she's definitely model thin. No one can replace Fred Astaire, though.
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Paulo Szot @54Below Aug 12
2013, 01:25:43 AM
I WISH PEOPLE WOULD SPELL HIS NAME RIGHT. (not here) So many people spell it Paolo. Someone on ATC just posted the link to the PBS special I just posted here and he spelled his name Paolo. Will Friedwald always spells it Paolo, even his management misspells it
https://twitter.com/ParkAveTalent/status/350240648395362305
There are more tweets under Paolo than under Paulo. Hope he doesn't get discouraged if he looks for comments on twitter.
Here's a whole great review with his name misspelled throughout:
Theater Pizzazz
Fly Me to the Moon with Paolo Szot
August 8, 2013 - Music - Tagged: debuts at 54 Below, Paolo Szot, reviewed by Sandi Durell - no comments
paulo-szot-metropolitan
By: Sandi Durell
Fly me anywhere, anytime with Paolo Szot who’s making his 54 Below debut thru August 11th.
This booming operatic baritone has now made a seamless transition from classical appearances in opera houses worldwide, including the 4000 seat Metropolitan Opera, to the intimate setting of small cabaret spaces. His English is so perfected that he no longer relies upon a music stand and phonetics to get through the grand songs he so lovingly strokes with his masterful vocals. He is a great communicator, filled with passion and emotional resonance rarely heard in a cabaret venue.
Am I going overboard in my praise? No! Probably understating an evening of musical Broadway American Treasures from the Golden Age, along with a celebration of 54 Below’s month long tribute to Brazil and it’s music.
With Szot is an extraordinary young man, Musical Director, Matthew Aucoin whom he met in Rome while performing an opera, who also transitions as if he’s been in the American standards/jazz world all his young life.
Opening with a fusion of “Summertime” and “Too Darn Hot,” the evening was off to a spirited excitement (the arrangement by Aucoin), folding into native tongue Sambas (One Note Samba, Favela, Tristeza, Brazil) with ease and a flow of sensuality, including Jobim classics “Sad/Wave/Desafinado.”
Szot covered the great composers, from Cole Porter’s “Were Thine That Special Face” (Kiss Me, Kate) to Sondheim’s Follies and “Too Many Mornings.” The few interludes of storytelling were playful and humorous as he made a joke of how his English has improved and why – - it’s that book that all foreigners read. You know, the one entitled “The Great Broadway Songs for Actors with Accents!” (not real) But a great prelude to his Broadway Accent Medley that included snippets from “If I Were A Rich Man/Money Makes The World Go Round/A Puzzlement/I Am I, Don Quixote” and even a frisky twist from “A Boy Like That/America.”
I quickly decided that any revival that comes along to Broadway need look no further than Paolo Szot for its male lead.
“Nature Boy” brought a sad, reflective moment with an exquisite solo by David Finck on bass while Burton Lane’s “Old Devil Moon” (Finian’s Rainbow) had a jazzy tempo edge. And, yes, he does sing “Fly Me to the Moon.”
The evening sizzled with passionate sentiment (hmmm, a Latin specialty) particularly poignant in “Bésame Mucho” (drum solo David Ratajczak), when it was revealed that Mexican songwriter Consuelo Velázquez had never experienced a love kiss when she wrote this bolero in 1940.
Paolo Szot (Tony Winner – South Pacific) has the uniqueness of being blessed with a magnificent baritone that thrills and sends chills but that’s because he’s mastered the art of phrasing and interpretation in a flawless presentation.
For those who want to witness his mastery of operatic skill, don’t miss Paolo Szot this Fall at the Metropolitan Opera in Shostakovich’s “The Nose.”
Until then, rush to hear him at 54 Below, 254 West 54 Street (Cellar) only until August 11th. The show is directed by Joe Langworth.
http://www.theaterpizzazz.com/fly-me-to-the-moon-with-paolo-szot/
The Times Square Chronicle review posted above spelled his name wrong too. He got 5 fantastic reviews for this show and 3 reviewers spelled his name wrong.
Here's a bunch of great tweets he probably didn't see because they misspelled his name:
"Just lived and died for Paolo Szot at @54Below."
https://twitter.com/benrimalower/status/365270861055401985
Emily Urquhart ?@emilyurquhart
At @54Below tonight with @fbpac to hear Paolo Szot perform. He should know we're planning to fall in love tonight.
https://twitter.com/emilyurquhart/status/366330784275111937
David Low ?@ydavey
Paolo Szot @54Below gave one of the best shows I've seen since the venue opened. Still cooling off from the heat projected from the stage!
https://twitter.com/ydavey/status/366732648195956738
David Low ?@ydavey
One thing Paolo Szot proved tonight @54Below. He could play the lead in almost any classic musical but especially Man of La Mancha.
https://twitter.com/ydavey/status/366733280042688512
David Low ?@ydavey
Hearing Paolo Szot sing This Nearly Was Mine again @54Below was just breathtaking.
from June
TheNYGalavant ?@TheNYGalavant
Watching #PaoloSzot @LincolnCenter Avery Fisher Hall w/the @NYPhil & singing "This Nearly Was Mine" = #nyctheater panty-dropping eargasm...
https://twitter.com/TheNYGalavant/status/342096271521239040
.@NYPhil Seeing #PaoloSzot & #MeganHilty perform FOLLIES' "Too Many Mornings" @LincolnCenter Avery Fisher Hall = glorious #nyctheater 
https://twitter.com/TheNYGalavant/status/342096849353707520
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