A Verdi Gem with Star Power to Spare

By Ken Herman | February 28, 2014 |

Longtime devotees of San Diego Opera may reminisce about the Tito Capobianco era, when the most celebrated opera stars—Beverly Sills, Tatiana Troyanos, and Luciano Pavarotti—performed with the local company at Civic Theatre. Capobianco may be a fading memory, and New York City Opera expired last year, but San Diego Opera’s upcoming production of Verdi’s “A Masked Ball” featuring Polish tenor Piotr Beczala and American mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe in major roles promises a return of the star-studded cast . . .

Read More

Sexy Satire in ‘Don Juan’ Ballet

By Kris Eitland | February 19, 2014 |

The three-act ballet opens with three women eager to seduce their humble servant, Don Juan. One by one, they slink out of their chairs for a turn with the handsome guy in tight skinny jeans and pointy boots. “It’s definitely good for adult date night and couples without their kids,” said Maxim Tchernychev, who stars as the legendary lover and scoundrel. And things really heat up when the nobleman discovers…

Read More

So You Think You Can Choreograph

By Kris Eitland | February 14, 2014 |

Each audience member gets a vote to help decide winners of the San Diego Young Choreographers Showcase and Prize, taking place this Saturday night (Feb. 15). Judges will look for innovation, contrasts, and execution. Now in its fourth year, the competition is so popular that…

Read More

HUMOR & WIT: Their Dances Make Us Laugh

By Kris Eitland | January 30, 2014 |

“I didn’t start out to make work that was funny,” says Monica Bill Barnes, who teams with radio host Ira Glass in “Three Acts, Two Dancers, One Radio Host.” “What I find tragic can make people burst into laughter.” ///
“I’ve done serious dances, but you can communicate a lot more with humor,” says Pat Sandback, who restages “Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries.” “I loved soap operas on the radio, especially “As the World Turns,” because it was so outrageous.”

Read More