We welcome the creative team and star of dwb (Driving While Black), the new UrbanArias-produced film adaptation of the recent one-woman opera by Susan Kander and Roberta Gumbel. We are joined by Du’bois and Camry A’Keen, director and art director; Robert Wood, conductor and Artistic Director of UrbanArias; and Karen Slack, soprano. We learn how this timely and moving piece was created,…Continue reading Episode 80: dwb (driving while black) with Karen Slack, AKEEN, & UrbanArias
Episode 79: Baritone Michael Mayes
Baritone Michael Mayes joins us to to share his insights into what keeps people coming back to opera and how he gets to “The Quick”, his popular podcast. Known for his powerful performances in Dead Man Walking and other contemporary opera, he recently showed audiences a new side of himself singing and playing country guitar in Atlanta Opera’s “Crossroads”…Continue reading Episode 79: Baritone Michael Mayes
REVIEW: Breaking the Waves
By Gregory Moomjy The last thing I did in the times before New York City (and subsequently, much of the country) shut down due to the pandemic, was see the new production of The Flying Dutchman at The Met. In fact, I wrote a review of it for this same illustrious podcast. In my review,…Continue reading REVIEW: Breaking the Waves
Miracles in Opera
By Gregory Moomjy It feels silly to say this, as we mark a year since COVID-19 came to the US, but the pandemic ruined my plans. You see, June 2020 was to be The Met’s company premiere of Breaking the Waves in a coproduction with BAM. The opera—with music by Missy Mazzoli and text by…Continue reading Miracles in Opera
REVIEW: Blessed
By Gregory Moomjy Opera lovers don’t need to go far to see religious themes and stories on stage. For instance, Verdi’s Aida is about the dangers of living in a theocracy, whereas his Nabucco draws parallels between Italy’s struggle for independence in the 19th century and the plight of the Jews in Babylonian captivity. Still. …Continue reading REVIEW: Blessed