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Washington National Opera’s ‘Songbird’ is an absolute hoot

Isabel Leonard stars in the company’s Mardi Gras-inspired adaptation of Jacques Offenbach’s 1868 comedy ‘La Périchole’

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From left, Jonathan Patton, Edward Nelson and Isabel Leonard in the Washington National Opera's “Songbird” at the Kennedy Center. (Scott Suchman)
5 min

Pardonnez mon lateness — that’s “Franglais” for “My sincere apologies for being so tardy to the party that is Washington National Opera’s ‘Songbird.’” (If they can take liberties, so can I.)

Just one performance remains (on March 23) of this Big Easy-based reimagining of Jacques Offenbach’s 1868 comedy “La Périchole” at the Kennedy Center’s Eisenhower Theater, and those with an operatic sweet tooth would be well served to grab tickets.