Los Angeles Opera - Los Angeles
2 June 2024

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Performance reviews

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A Streetcar Named Desire

Los Angeles Opera


No. of reviews: 6

Rapturous response to André Previn's 'Streetcar Named Desire'
21 May 14 / Los Angeles Times
Lust and longing in Andre Previn’s opera, A Streetcar Named Desire
21 May 14 / Seen and Heard
Renee Fleming creates a Blanche DuBois to remember
21 May 14 / Pasadena Star-News
A Streetcar Named Desire remains a durable classic
20 May 14 / The Hollywood Reporter
Evan Rogister to conduct LA Opera's A Streetcar Named Desire
Evan Rogister will conduct LA Opera's upcoming performances of André Previn's A Streetcar Named Desire, replacing Patrick Summers, who has been withdrawn from the production due to a back injury.
Renée Fleming to bring 'A Streetcar Named Desire' to L.A. Opera
Renée Fleming will return to Los Angeles Opera later this season in a production of André Previn's "A Streetcar Named Desire."
Lucia di Lammermoor

Los Angeles Opera


No. of reviews: 6

'Lucia di Lammermoor' hits the boards again
1 Apr 14 / LA Observed
LA Opera's new 'Lucia' survives its odd scenic detour
24 Mar 14 / Laist
Lamentable Lucia in L.A.
21 Mar 14 / ConcertoNet (English)
A haunting and magnificent Lucia di Lammermoor at LA Opera
18 Mar 14 / Seen and Heard
A dream Lucia gives LA Opera a magical success
18 Mar 14 / Opera Theater Ink
L.A. Opera's 'Lucia di Lammermoor' sweeps away resistance
18 Mar 14 / Los Angeles Times
Interview with Saimir Pirgu
Albanian tenor Saimir Pirgu shot to stardom at the age of just twenty-one. His resplendent lyric tenor combined with his dashing looks make him one of the most appealing young artists today.
Albina Shagimuratova-opera is a special kind of love and madness
Coloratura soprano Albina Shagimuratova, performing 'Lucia di Lammermoor' at the L.A. Opera, talks about a most demanding -- and 'beautiful' - role.
Los Angeles Opera debuts rare glass harmonica for 'Lucia'
Who knew the sound of insanity could be so beautiful?
Billy Budd

Los Angeles Opera


No. of reviews: 10

Billy Budd! The word on the street
25 Mar 14 / ConcertoNet (English)
LA Opera's 'Billy Budd' hard to surpass
8 Mar 14 / 89.3KPCC
LA Opera's moving Billy Budd puts maleness to the test
6 Mar 14 / LA Downtown News
Sex, revolution and sea in jaw-dropping opera
5 Mar 14 / People's World
LA Opera Powerfully Tells A Classic Tragic Tale In 'Billy Budd'
28 Feb 14 / Laist
A bedazzling "Billy Budd"
28 Feb 14 / LA Observed
Billy Budd continues a superb season at L.A. Opera
28 Feb 14 / The Huffington Post
‘Billy Budd’s’ return to L.A. is musically powerful, but it is not about sex
25 Feb 14 / LA Daily News
Los Angeles Opera's seafaring drama 'Billy Budd' is an in-your-face standout
25 Feb 14 / Los Angeles Times
Though evil triumphs, beauty prevails in LA Opera’s Billy Budd
24 Feb 14 / Seen and Heard
'Billy Budd' cast learns how to survive a hanging
The scene in which Billy Budd (Liam Bonner) is hanged has meant careful planning to avoid injury. The production is the high point of Los Angeles Opera's year-long tribute to composer Benjamin Britten.
Die Zauberflöte

Los Angeles Opera


No. of reviews: 10

L.A. Opera's smash production is a happy marriage of Mozart and silent-era Hollywood
13 Dec 13 / The Hollywood Reporter
Silent screen magic in 'Flute'
5 Dec 13 / LA Opus
The Magic Flute is wonderful at L.A. Opera!
3 Dec 13 / The Huffington Post
The question is: was it ‘The Magic Flute’?
29 Nov 13 / Opera Theater Ink
Barrie Kosky’s The Magic Flute
28 Nov 13 / ConcertoNet (English)
The happy results of a speedy shift
27 Nov 13 / New York Times
Fun, flat 'Flute'
27 Nov 13 / Wall Street Journal
L.A. Opera’s ‘The Magic Flute’ is an eye-popping must-see
27 Nov 13 / Press-Telegram
Brilliant transformation of 'The Magic Flute'
26 Nov 13 / Los Angeles Times
Silent era film comedy meets Weimar cabaret in this entertaining Magic Flute
25 Nov 13 / Seen and Heard
A new ‘Magic’ for Mozart’s opera
Opera director Barrie Kosky didn’t like Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” when he first saw it at age 10.
L.A. Opera's unlikely - and unusual - 'The Magic Flute'
Los Angeles Opera's 'The Magic Flute,' with live performance and animation, is decidedly nontraditional. Barrie Kosky is its contrary creative force.
L.A. Opera adds performance of 'Magic Flute' even before it opens
When the Komische Oper Berlin debuted its edgy and nontraditional reimagining of “The Magic Flute,” combining live singing and hand-drawn animation, the 2012 run of 13 performances sold out in two days.
Barrie Kosky
The director shaking up LA Opera's 'Magic Flute'.
Falstaff

Los Angeles Opera


No. of reviews: 8

Once upon a Falstaff
3 Dec 13 / ConcertoNet (English)
Verdi blows out candles
23 Nov 13 / Duly Noted
Comedy was at a premium
21 Nov 13 / The Huffington Post
A rollicking good time at the LA Opera
13 Nov 13 / British Weekly
L.A. Opera delivers comeuppance in ‘Falstaff’
12 Nov 13 / Daily Bulletin
Three cheers for a button bursting Falstaff at the Los Angeles Opera
12 Nov 13 / Seen and Heard
'Falstaff' dramatically flawed but musically bracing
12 Nov 13 / Los Angeles Times
L.A. Opera’s ‘Falstaff’ celebrates the joy of gluttony and song
12 Nov 13 / Press-Telegram
Einstein on the Beach

Los Angeles Opera


No. of reviews: 5

Beachy Einstein
29 Oct 13 / LA Opus
A beatific visitation from another realm
23 Oct 13 / The Huffington Post
For a work that is now 37 years old, "Einstein on the Beach" remains challenging and utterly modern
16 Oct 13 / The Hollywood Reporter
Time and space are one in thrilling 'Einstein on the Beach'
14 Oct 13 / Los Angeles Times
Of bathing caps and spaceships: Einstein on the Beach for the twenty-first century
14 Oct 13 / Seen and Heard
Glass' 'Einstein' is opera because 'that's where the stuff was'
As Los Angeles Opera prepares to present 'Einstein on the Beach,' composer Philip Glass discusses the 37-year-old work's creation.
Carmen

Los Angeles Opera


No. of reviews: 9

Irrefutably captivating
12 Oct 13 / LA Opus
This ‘Carmen’ was ‘All in the Family’ with guests
6 Oct 13 / Opera Theater Ink
L.A. Opera's Carmen gets a dose of sexy intelligence
28 Sep 13 / LA Downtown News
New LA Opera season starts off with a bloodless 'Carmen'
26 Sep 13 / Laist
LA Opera’s Carmen feels bloated, opulent
26 Sep 13 / Daily Trojan
Domingo at helm for a stellar “Carmen”
25 Sep 13 / Opera Warhorses
Muddled and slow, ‘Carmen’ lights up the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion for awhile in the middle
24 Sep 13 / Press-Telegram
L.A. Opera's 'Carmen' means business as Domingo adds sizzle
24 Sep 13 / Los Angeles Times
A Carmen at Los Angeles Opera, short on sex appeal
23 Sep 13 / Seen and Heard
Patricia Bardon plays 'Carmen' with L.A. Opera, Placido Domingo
Patricia Bardon played a recording of 'Carmen' featuring Placido Domingo 'to death,' she says. Now she's starring with him conducting.
Tosca

Los Angeles Opera


No. of reviews: 5

A well sung Tosca, unmoored from history
7 Jun 13 / Seen and Heard
“Tosca,” fortunately, lives or dies on its three principal singers. And this “Tosca” lives victoriously
1 Jun 13 / Variety
'Tosca' presents weak end to L.A. Opera's season
23 May 13 / LA Daily News
A blood-soaked new production
21 May 13 / The Guardian
Sondra Radvanovsky is resplendent in title role
21 May 13 / Los Angeles Times
La Cenerentola

Los Angeles Opera


No. of reviews: 8

A new Cinderella at Los Angeles Opera makes an impression
5 Apr 13 / Los Angeles Times
'Cenerentola' effervesces at L.A. Opera
30 Mar 13 / Orange County Register
With Cinderella, a fairy tale opera
30 Mar 13 / LA Downtown News
Los Angeles Opera's 'Cinderella' is a marvelously perfect show, rats and all
30 Mar 13 / LA Daily News
Rossini’s Cinderella casts enchanting spell on LA
28 Mar 13 / Daily Trojan
'Cinderella's' many rewards
26 Mar 13 / Los Angeles Times
What’s on display at LA Opera lacks romance and magic, much less genuine wit and charm
25 Mar 13 / Variety
A musical, visual, and comedic delight
25 Mar 13 / Seen and Heard
Der Fliegende Holländer

Los Angeles Opera


No. of reviews: 10

L.A. Opera's 'Flying Dutchman' back in action
23 Mar 13 / Los Angeles Times
A Los Angeles, débuts fracassants, in loco, de Matos et Tomasson
21 Mar 13 / ResMusica
The forceful discipline of James Conlon and the orchestra created wave after wave of sonic beauty
19 Mar 13 / Blogcritics
Ghostly "Dutchman" flies to Music Center
15 Mar 13 / LA Opus
The Dutchman sails into town
15 Mar 13 / Laist
'The Flying Dutchman' is long, but the music is worth every minute
15 Mar 13 / Daily Breeze
Drama - both on stage and off - at the opera's opening night
14 Mar 13 / Los Angeles Magazine
An entertaining but perplexing staging of The Flying Dutchman
13 Mar 13 / Seen and Heard
'The Flying Dutchman' is earthbound on opening night
11 Mar 13 / Los Angeles Times
The production is stylish but wanting, the music proficiently handled
11 Mar 13 / Orange County Register
Jay Hunter Morris stepping into 'Flying Dutchman' at L.A. Opera
The title sea vessel in Los Angeles Opera's production of "The Flying Dutchman" by Richard Wagner is starting to resemble a beleaguered Carnival Cruise ship thanks to a series of unfortunate passenger illnesses
L.A. Opera drama
In minutes, Julie Makerov steps into lead role in L.A. Opera's The Flying Dutchman
The Flying Dutchman in L.A. a high for international opera stars
Soprano Elisabete Matos and baritone Tomas Tomasson voice excitement in making their Los Angeles debut in the L.A. Opera's 'The Flying Dutchman.'
Illness sidelines Jay Hunter Morris from L.A. Opera's 'Dutchman'
Operatic tenor Jay Hunter Morris has withdrawn from Los Angeles Opera's upcoming production of Wagner's "The Flying Dutchman," due to "a severe case of gastroenteritis."
Madama Butterfly

Los Angeles Opera


No. of reviews: 10

Toned down and tuned up
6 Dec 12 / The Huffington Post
Madame Butterfly flies
29 Nov 12 / LA Downtown News
While Ms. Dyka can sing beautifully, fragile she isn’t
28 Nov 12 / Los Angeles Magazine
A 'Butterfly' done up right
27 Nov 12 / Orange County Register
Sparkling, fresh new “Butterfly” alights at Los Angeles Opera
27 Nov 12 / Opera Warhorses
A back-to-basics "Butterfly"
27 Nov 12 / LA Observed
Soprano Oksana Dyka soars as 'Madame Butterfly,' but she's no child bride
24 Nov 12 / Press-Telegram
L.A. Opera's 'Madame Butterfly' is no young child bride, but soprano Oksana Dyka is worthy of the role
21 Nov 12 / Pasadena Star-News
The production, borrowed from San Francisco Opera, is simple and stylish
19 Nov 12 / Variety
A lesser 'Madame Butterfly'
19 Nov 12 / Los Angeles Times
Don Giovanni

Los Angeles Opera


No. of reviews: 7

This lucid, straightforward production admirably lets this classic speak for itself
10 Oct 12 / The Hollywood Reporter
The cast is quite strong in this up-close version of the opera
10 Oct 12 / Blogcritics
A dandy Don at L.A. Opera
2 Oct 12 / LA Downtown News
Music Center season begins with a busy calendar
1 Oct 12 / LA Opus
'Don Giovanni' back in town and on the prowl at LA Opera
28 Sep 12 / Laist
A musical triumph; too bad about the boring sets
26 Sep 12 / Pasadena Star-News
L.A. Opera's 'Don Giovanni' upholds tradition expertly
24 Sep 12 / Los Angeles Times
I due Foscari

Los Angeles Opera


No. of reviews: 8

L.A. Opera's 'Foscari' rings in Segerstrom
3 Oct 12 / Orange County Register
Music Center season begins with a busy calendar
1 Oct 12 / LA Opus
Domingo continues to be a vocal marvel after a 50-plus-year career
25 Sep 12 / Variety
Domingo is back in the L.A. Opera's estimable production of Verdi's little-known sixth opera
21 Sep 12 / The Hollywood Reporter
Endzeitstimmung in L.A.
19 Sep 12 / Wiener Zeitung
Placido Domingo launches the Los Angeles Opera's new season with a seldom-staged Verdi production
18 Sep 12 / The Hollywood Reporter
It takes two
18 Sep 12 / Out West Arts
'The Two Foscari' and Plácido Domingo rise to the occasion
17 Sep 12 / Los Angeles Times
L.A. Opera holding Twitter contest to honor Placido Domingo
Plácido Domingo will create his 140th operatic role when he debuts next month in Verdi's "The Two Foscari" at Los Angeles Opera. To note the occasion, the company is hosting a Twitter contest.
La bohème

Los Angeles Opera


No. of reviews: 5

Mr. Costello and Ms. Pérez sing beautifully
5 Jun 12 / Los Angeles Magazine
La Bohème returns to the stage with LA Opera run
22 May 12 / blogdowntown
'La Boheme' sings with freshness, passion
18 May 12 / Daily Breeze
L.A. Opera's 'La Boheme' has young cast in old production
14 May 12 / Los Angeles Times
"La Boheme" isn't great dramaturgy, but it has great music in it
14 May 12 / Variety
Albert Herring

Los Angeles Opera


No. of reviews: 8

Christine Brewer’s battle-axe of a Lady Billows stalked the stage with a mostly sour expression
16 Mar 12 / Los Angeles Times
A bit of 'Downton Abbey,' 'Being Earnest' in L.A. Opera's 'Albert Herring'
2 Mar 12 / Daily Breeze
Sacrifice the virgin: L.A. Opera stages a mixed Albert Herring
2 Mar 12 / LA Downtown News
LA Opera heads to an English province with 'Albert Herring' in the driver's seat
29 Feb 12 / blogdowntown
A peach of a production
28 Feb 12 / ConcertoNet (English)
The elixir of love
27 Feb 12 / Out West Arts
The cast is winning, especially Alek Shrader’s brightly sung and enthusiastic Herring
27 Feb 12 / Los Angeles Times
Opera director John Curran knows how to delineate each character for maximum comic effect
27 Feb 12 / Variety
L.A. Opera tries new pricing scheme for 'Albert Herring'
For "Albert Herring," the company is trying something different -- $25 tickets designed to reel in new opera-goers.
L.A. Opera goes for laughs with 'Albert Herring'
L.A. Opera performs the comic opera 'Albert Herring,' about a young man coming of age, later this month. Unlike melodrama, comedy's a lot harder than it looks.
Simon Boccanegra

Los Angeles Opera


No. of reviews: 9

Placido Boccanegra in LA
25 Feb 12 / Seen and Heard
Placido Domingo is 'Simon Boccanegra' at LA Opera
19 Feb 12 / Laist
Long live the Doge
17 Feb 12 / ConcertoNet (English)
Like a boulder, 'Simon Boccanegra' takes time to get rolling
17 Feb 12 / Daily Breeze
Simon Says Occupy L.A. Opera
17 Feb 12 / LA Downtown News
Plácido Domingo brings a grand 'Simon Boccanegra' to LA Opera
16 Feb 12 / blogdowntown
Domingo gave a nuanced, deeply committed portrayal
14 Feb 12 / Variety
Seascape
13 Feb 12 / Out West Arts
Placido Domingo in L.A. Opera's 'Simon Boccanegra'
13 Feb 12 / Los Angeles Times
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Performance schedule
Puccini
18 May to 8 Jun 2024
Puccini
21 Sep to 13 Oct 2024
Gounod
2 to 23 Nov 2024
Kouyoumdjian
19 to 23 Feb 2025
Mozart
8 to 30 Mar 2025
Verdi
31 May to 21 Jun 2025

News & Articles

James Conlon to step down as L.A. Opera music director
James Conlon to step down as L.A. Opera music director in 2026, a transformative year for city’s classical music.
14 Mar 2024 / Los Angeles Times
LA Opera releases apology
The LA Opera has released an apology following a post that was intended to celebrate International Women’s Day but led to anger and frustration.
9 Mar 2024 / OperaWire
LA Opera announces its 2024/25 season
LA Opera 2024/25 season to include Romeo and Juliet, concerts from Kelli O'Hara and Kristin Chenoweth, and more.
4 Feb 2024 / Broadway World
LA Opera announces details of 2022/23 season
The company will return to pre-pandemic levels with six mainstage productions-four of which will be new to Los Angeles-along with three concerts presented at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.
8 Feb 2022 / Broadway World
Renée Fleming joins LA Opera as advisor for special projects
The superstar soprano will perform with the company each year for the next three seasons.
8 Oct 2021 / Broadway World