The Staying Inside Guide: Arias for All Ages

There are many online resources that offer children an entertaining introduction to the world of opera. By Heidi WalesonMay 26, 2020 4:10 pm ET Years ago, when my daughters were too young for the opera house, they watched Ingmar Bergman’s enchanting 1975 movie of “The Magic Flute” (in Swedish) so many times that the videocassette wore …

The Staying Inside Guide: Outdoor Performances for Indoor Times

Nature provides the ideal backdrop for these operas that you can enjoy even during lockdown. ByHeidi Waleson April 28, 2020 4:29 pm ET With the opera house off-limits and outdoor access limited, now’s the moment for online events that successfully combine the two. In March, the Industry, the boundary-breaking Los Angeles opera company, was presenting “Sweet Land” in …

The Staying Inside Guide: High Notes in Documentary

Behind-the-scenes views of the opera world for those experiencing theater withdrawal.  ByHeidi Waleson April 18, 2020 7:00 am ET With live performance in theaters ruled out for the foreseeable future, opera houses around the world are working to maintain their relationships with their audiences and donors through performances and other programming offered online. Those relationships are …

The Staying Inside Guide: Arias Still Ring Out

Opera companies around the world are making filmed versions of their productions available online.  ByHeidi WalesonMarch 23, 2020 5:22 pm ET With opera houses shuttered and social distancing the norm, opera lovers can still find a wealth of lyric theater online. Major companies and arts streaming services are offering free performances from their archives; smaller groups …

‘Sweet Land’ Review: A Journey Through History

In its ambitious, sprawling opera, staged across Los Angeles State Historic Park, The Industry explores a troubled colonial past.  ByHeidi WalesonMarch 10, 2020 3:35 pm ET Los Angeles, CA With “Hopscotch” in 2015, The Industry, Los Angeles’s audacious indie opera company, made art that grew out of the environment that Angelenos inhabit every day. It …

The Last American Hammer’ Review: Standoff Satire

An unemployed conspiracy theorist faces off against a federal agent inside a museum of Toby jugs in this ruefully humorous work at Pittsburgh Opera. ByHeidi WalesonFeb. 24, 2020 2:28 pm ET Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Opera has embraced the multitheater concept, mounting several productions each season away from the city’s traditional 2,800-seat opera house in the Benedum Center. …