I am eagerly anticipating the Chicago Opera Theater’s opening night performance (tonight) of Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle and Schönberg’s Erwartung. Wearing my Chicago and COT cheerleader outfit today, here are my top eight reasons you should see these operas:
1.) They are so seldom performed. When again might you have the opportunity to hear these masterpieces live and staged?
2.) Because Sam Ramey is Bluebeard. Did any of you hear his performances of this work with Jessye Norman at the Met in 1989? It was riveting theater and it scared the heck out of me. Spooky stuff. Click here for the cast list.
3.) Because Ken Cazan, who staged COT's haunting Death in Venice, is back.Death in Venice was about the most emotionally engaging opera I have seen in this town (right next to LOC’s Dialogues of the Carmelites this past season) and I can only imagine what he has in store for us this time.
4.) Because Nancy Gustafson is singing. A Vienna State Opera star, and a Chicagoan, it is a real coup for COT to have her.
5.) Because the talented conductor Alex Platt is on the podium. COT reserves its most technically challenging scores for Alex to conduct, and he always “delivers the goods.”
6.) Because COT (thanks to its visionary general director Brian Dickie) gives us high quality and brave theater for Chicago. COT needs and deserves our support to continue presenting operas of this calibre.
7.) Because Krisztina Szabó is singing. This Canadian singer is the real deal.Do you remember her as Ottavia in L'Incoronazione di Poppea? She was stunning. It will be great to hear her stretch into “Judith” territory and take on Bartók’s dramatic score. Her ethnic background is Hungarian so I am counting on her.
8.) Because I said so?
I encourage you to go, go, go – and enjoy.
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