One of the most frequently performed comic operas, The Marriage of Figaro (Le nozze di Figaro) tells the timeless tale of love and fidelity—recounted in a single “day of madness” in the palace of Count Almaviva, near Seville—while continuing the plot of The Barber of Seville. The four-act opera was composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, … Read more
Comedic opera is not my favorite – I enjoy more the pathos, murder, and misery of a tragedy. So although I was sure I would enjoy Utah Opera’s The Merry Widow, I didn’t expect to fall in love with it. I was so mistaken! This production harks back to old Hollywood. Not the high glamour of … Read more
Opera costumes are big business at the Utah Opera Production Studios. With 13 employees on staff in the costume department including a full-time cutter/draper, hat maker (milliner) and tailor/draper, each year the Utah Opera undertakes the daunting task of mounting a full season of professional productions direct from their own costume shop. “We don’t really … Read more
Some consider Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca to be overly melodramatic, but like many opera lovers I never tire of the melodrama, because it’s paired with such moving and powerful music. Utah Opera’s current production of Tosca, playing at the Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre through October 18, is near-perfect, with music and performances that left me breathless. … Read more
Utah Opera’s production of Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress is new to Salt Lake City, but this 40-year-old production is one of the most iconic in the history of American opera. The Rake’s Progress follows the story of Tom Rakewell, a young man who decides to reject the life his future father-in-law has set up for … Read more
Utah Opera is back with its second production of the season: The Pearl Fishers, a tale of friendship, forbidden love and sacrifice. The rarely performed opera was written by George Bizet (better known for Carmen) in 1863 and received such harsh criticism that it was not revived in the composer’s lifetime after the initial production … Read more
It is a colorful tale of cultures clashing, of love and sacrifice, and most of all, of stunningly beautiful music. Madame Butterfly is one of the most-performed operas of all time, touching audiences for more than a century with the semi-true story of Butterfly, the young Japanese geisha who marries an American naval officer only … Read more
Utah Opera’s final performance for the 2013-2014 season is The Abduction from the Seraglio, a comic opera by Mozart full of cheery scenery and cheeky laughs. While the production is lighthearted, the music contains some of the most difficult arias in opera. The Abduction opened to a full house on Saturday night at Capitol Theater … Read more
To celebrate the Utah Opera’s spring production of Turandot, they are highlighting the Chinese culture and cuisine during the Silk & Spices Festival. The opera is set in Peking so Silk & Spices highlights Utah’s growing Chinese culture— including Salt Lake’s new Chinatown on State Street near 3300 South. For two evenings only, enjoy a … Read more
Love, passion and death are guarantees in opera and Turandot is no exception. It’s the tale of a cold-hearted princess who requires suitors to answer a series of riddles in order to win her hand in marriage–but a wrong answer results in death. The opera is extravagant on several levels, with a massive cast, an … Read more