Seattle Opera - Seattle
20 April 2024

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Performance reviews

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Madama Butterfly

Seattle Opera


No. of reviews: 8

A controversial culture clash
9 Aug 17 / The Daily
A production rich with unforgettable moments
9 Aug 17 / Queen Anne & Magnolia News
A transcendent “Butterfly” at Seattle Opera
9 Aug 17 / Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Trying to rethink Madama Butterfly at Seattle Opera
8 Aug 17 / Bachtrack
Seattle Opera’s ‘Madame Butterfly’ packs an emotional punch
8 Aug 17 / The Seattle Times
Seattle creates magic in opening night Madame Butterfly
7 Aug 17 / Broadway World
Die Zauberflöte

Seattle Opera


No. of reviews: 8

Magic Flute zips, but also overruns spirit Of Mozart
21 Jun 17 / Classical Voice North America
Debutto con successo per Christina Poulitsi
22 May 17 / Operaclick (Italian)
A whimsical adventure where love and friendship conquer hate and ‘fake news’
15 May 17 / The Daily
Seattle Opera successfully infuses Mozart's The Magic Flute with Trump-world commentary
13 May 17 / The Stranger
A magical “Magic Flute”
12 May 17 / Seattle Post-Intelligencer
A Spellbinding 'Magic Flute' at Seattle Opera
11 May 17 / City Arts Online
Seattle Opera’s ‘Magic Flute’ is a delight for the eyes and the ears
9 May 17 / The Seattle Times
Seattle Opera's Magic Flute as enchanting as ever
9 May 17 / Bachtrack
Il combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda

Seattle Opera


No. of reviews: 3

La Seattle Opera saca la artillería barroca para hablar de intolerancia
12 Apr 17 / Opera World (Spanish)
In Seattle Opera's must-see, immersive show, The Combat, Muslims and Christians make love and war
5 Apr 17 / The Stranger
Seattle Opera’s ‘The Combat’ brings tragic love story right to the audience
3 Apr 17 / The Seattle Times
Kat'a Kabanova

Seattle Opera


No. of reviews: 9

Káťa Kabanová in its Seattle début
20 Mar 17 / Opera Today
Corinne Winters’ searing performance as Seattle Opera’s Katya Kabanova
18 Mar 17 / Opera Warhorses
Seattle Opera psychodrama – Melody Moore’s magnificent Katya Kabanova
18 Mar 17 / Opera Warhorses
Tragic thrills
6 Mar 17 / Oregon Artswatch
Seattle Opera’s stark American tragedy
4 Mar 17 / Seattle Weekly
Los cantantes salvan la Katia Kabanova de la Ópera de Seattle
1 Mar 17 / Opera World (Spanish)
Opera's 'Katya Kabanova' packs potent visceral punch
1 Mar 17 / Queen Anne & Magnolia News
This Katya Kabanova is slow going and not the most effective way to engage new audiences
28 Feb 17 / Seattle Post-Intelligencer
A searing ‘Katya Kabanova’ on the Seattle Opera stage
27 Feb 17 / The Seattle Times
La Traviata

Seattle Opera


No. of reviews: 10

Per la prima volta sul podio di Seattle, Stefano Ranzani ha diretto con grande sensibilità
7 Feb 17 / Operaclick (Italian)
This Traviata doesn’t meet the ambitions declared for the company by its director and board
27 Jan 17 / Opera Today
Another minimalist set design from Seattle Opera
25 Jan 17 / The Daily
A fast-paced ‘Traviata’ for today at Seattle Opera
20 Jan 17 / The Sun Break
Seattle Opera leaves Verdi unsettled
19 Jan 17 / Seattle Weekly
La Traviata adulterada de Peter Konwitschny llega a Seattle. Y triunfa
18 Jan 17 / Opera World (Spanish)
A travesty of “Traviata” at Seattle Opera
18 Jan 17 / Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Seattle Opera's La Traviata challenges "decency" in an indecent society
17 Jan 17 / The Stranger
At Seattle Opera, a much different look at ‘La traviata’
17 Jan 17 / The Seattle Times
Two Violettas in 24 hours: Seattle Opera fields double-casts in Konwitschny's Traviata
17 Jan 17 / Bachtrack
Hansel und Gretel

Seattle Opera


No. of reviews: 6

Hansel y Gretel en Seattle, una inesperada novedad
26 Oct 16 / Opera World (Spanish)
At Seattle Opera’s Hansel and Gretel, let the buyer beware
22 Oct 16 / Seattle Weekly
Laurent Pelly's cautionary fairy-tale
20 Oct 16 / Bachtrack
An open letter to the nasty lady at ‘Hansel and Gretel’
20 Oct 16 / The News Tribune
Sasha Cooke as Hansel and Ashley Emerson as Gretel are an adorable duo
20 Oct 16 / The Daily
A fun and feisty trip through the woods
18 Oct 16 / The Seattle Times
Le Comte Ory

Seattle Opera


No. of reviews: 6

Le Comte Ory y Lawrence Brownlee abren la temporada en la Ópera de Seattle
24 Aug 16 / Opera World (Spanish)
Le Comte Ory di Gioacchino Rossini andato in scena a Seattle ha inaugurato la nuova stagione
16 Aug 16 / Operaclick (Italian)
Giacomo Rossini’s gender fluid Count Ory explores lust and sex at the Seattle Opera
11 Aug 16 / The Stranger
Musicianship alone can’t pull off a staging with so many inherent obstacles to success
10 Aug 16 / Opera Today
Seattle Opera’s spicy comedy is second to nun
10 Aug 16 / Seattle Weekly
Seattle Opera’s ‘Count Ory’ bubbles with vibrant visuals, sensational singing
9 Aug 16 / The Seattle Times
Der Fliegende Holländer

Seattle Opera


No. of reviews: 5

Greer Grimsley, as The Dutchman, created some electrifying moments
27 May 16 / National Business Review
Buona la prova dell’orchestra, incisiva nel suono e ricca nella tavolozza timbrica
16 May 16 / Operaclick (Italian)
Seattle Opera's 'Dutchman' doesn't disappoint
11 May 16 / Queen Anne & Magnolia News
Seattle Opera’s ‘Flying Dutchman’ unleashes gloriously perfect storm
10 May 16 / The Seattle Times
“It was a dark and stormy night”: Seattle Opera's intensely riveting Flying Dutchman explodes the cliches
10 May 16 / Bachtrack
Maria Stuarda

Seattle Opera


No. of reviews: 4

Donizetti fever rages on from coast to coast
12 Mar 16 / Bachtrack
Seattle Opera wins with a pair of queens
9 Mar 16 / Seattle Weekly
Successo pieno e pubblico sedotto dalla bravura del cast
7 Mar 16 / Operaclick (Italian)
Brava! Sopranos face off as feisty queens in a fiery ‘Mary Stuart’
2 Mar 16 / The Seattle Times
Seattle Opera receives $30,000
Seattle Opera has received a $30,000 grant from National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), in support of the February, 2016 production of Donizetti's Mary Stuart.
Le nozze di Figaro

Seattle Opera


No. of reviews: 8

Roaring laughter and applause rang throughout Seattle Opera’s performance
26 Jan 16 / The Daily
Vibrant production of Mozart’s opera about changing times signals the company’s changing of the guard
23 Jan 16 / Oregon Artswatch
Buono il cast femminile
22 Jan 16 / Operaclick (Italian)
Figaro was right at home in the Pacific Northwest
21 Jan 16 / Opera News
Seattle Opera embraces comedy, physicality of ‘Figaro’
21 Jan 16 / City Living Seattle
Seattle Opera embraces comedy, physicality of ‘Figaro’
20 Jan 16 / Queen Anne & Magnolia News
Arresting aristos make for a fine Figaro in Seattle
19 Jan 16 / Bachtrack
Madcap Mozart at its best
18 Jan 16 / The Seattle Times
Chat with soprano Nuccia Focile
Sicilian soprano Nuccia Focile shares her perspective on interpreting the role of the maid Susanna in Mozart's opera Marriage of Figaro during an interview conducted while she was in Seattle.
Les pêcheurs de perles

Seattle Opera


No. of reviews: 5

Seattle Opera stages a dynamic ‘Pearl Fishers’
27 Oct 15 / Queen Anne & Magnolia News
The melody in The Pearl Fishers is so brilliant
21 Oct 15 / The Stranger
Seattle Opera’s luminous and vital ‘Pearl Fishers’
20 Oct 15 / The Seattle Times
A visual & auditory spectacular that captivates from beginning to closing curtain
20 Oct 15 / The Huffington Post
Rough Pearl: Seattle Opera’s Pearl Fishers nearly hits the mark
19 Oct 15 / Bachtrack
Nabucco

Seattle Opera


No. of reviews: 6

A pared-down Verdi at Seattle Opera
20 Aug 15 / Seattle Weekly
Seattle Opera succeeds in giving this early and rarely performed Verdi piece the stylistic edge it needs
13 Aug 15 / The Daily
Seattle Opera’s ‘Nabucco’ gives ‘more visceral impact’
12 Aug 15 / Queen Anne & Magnolia News
Seattle Opera's full-throated 'Nabucco' powers past its awkward staging
11 Aug 15 / The Sun Break
Seattle Nabucco aims for innovation but falls flat
11 Aug 15 / Bachtrack
An old story, told in a new way
11 Aug 15 / The Seattle Times
Ariadne auf Naxos

Seattle Opera


No. of reviews: 4

Buffing the buffa in Ariadne
19 May 15 / Bachtrack
Seattle Opera's Ariadne auf Naxos sparkles
12 May 15 / Northwest Reverb
Richard Strauss’ meta-opera does and doesn’t work today
6 May 15 / Seattle Weekly
You’d like to be marooned with this cast
4 May 15 / The Seattle Times
Semele

Seattle Opera


No. of reviews: 5

Singing trumps spectacle at Seattle Opera
4 Mar 15 / Seattle Weekly
‘Semele’ is a sensuous feast for eyes, ears
26 Feb 15 / The Seattle Times
Tech-heavy ‘Semele’ a sight to experience
25 Feb 15 / Queen Anne & Magnolia News
A ravishingly entertaining Semele alights in Seattle
24 Feb 15 / Bachtrack
Così Semele, Brenda Rae, è una bella, giovane ambiziosa e passionale mortale, innamorata di Jupiter, Alek Shrader
24 Feb 15 / Operaclick (Italian)
Tosca

Seattle Opera


No. of reviews: 4

Un solido cast e una scenografia ricca e sontuosa
27 Jan 15 / Operaclick (Italian)
Things we do for love: A barn-burning ‘Tosca’ at Seattle Opera
14 Jan 15 / The Seattle Times
Performances propel ‘Tosca’ to near-perfection
14 Jan 15 / Queen Anne & Magnolia News
Die, Scarpia, die!
14 Jan 15 / Seattle Weekly
Don Giovanni

Seattle Opera


No. of reviews: 5

The Rake's revels: Don Giovanni parties it up in Seattle
28 Oct 14 / Bachtrack
Don Giovanni reprisal improves on 2007 production
23 Oct 14 / ConcertoNet (English)
Seattle Opera’s new Don Giovanni aims for laughs, not to harass
22 Oct 14 / Seattle Weekly
A morally reckless 'Don Giovanni' says less about the opera's new director than the meaning of art and politics
21 Oct 14 / Crosscut
A dashing ‘Don Giovanni’
21 Oct 14 / The Seattle Times
Les Contes d'Hoffmann

Seattle Opera


No. of reviews: 3

An operatic delight
17 May 14 / The Sun Break
Kate Lindsey steals the show in the romantic episodic
6 May 14 / Crosscut
Speight Jenkins goes out on a high note
6 May 14 / The Seattle Times
The Consul

Seattle Opera


No. of reviews: 4

The Consul is hardly a light and pleasant evening at the opera house, but it is a richly rewarding one
1 Mar 14 / The Huffington Post
Bureaucrats and gunmen
27 Feb 14 / The Stranger
As a stage work, The Consul is contemptible from top to bottom
26 Feb 14 / Seattle Weekly
Seattle Opera revives a gripping, polished ‘Consul’
25 Feb 14 / The Seattle Times
Rigoletto

Seattle Opera


No. of reviews: 5

Puzzling lack of evil in new Rigoletto
30 Jan 14 / Seen and Heard
Linda Brovsky’s decision to set Verdi’s opera in fascist-era Italy undermines dramatic sympathy
22 Jan 14 / Financial Times
A heck of a compelling show
15 Jan 14 / Seattle Weekly
The cursed clown returns
14 Jan 14 / Memeteria
A triumph of singing, acting, playing
14 Jan 14 / The Seattle Times
La fille du régiment

Seattle Opera


No. of reviews: 5

The daughter of an American regiment
6 Nov 13 / Seen and Heard
All in the family
24 Oct 13 / The Stranger
A lighthearted opera that’s a total romp
23 Oct 13 / The Sun Break
Terrific voices in command of ‘Daughter of the Regiment’
23 Oct 13 / The Seattle Times
Seattle Opera brings a light touch to Donizetti’s 1840 opera
23 Oct 13 / Seattle Weekly
Der Ring des Nibelungen

Seattle Opera


No. of reviews: 15

Seattle Opera's Ring continues to command attention
16 Sep 13 / The Opera Critic
Riveting human interplay and ravishing orchestra in final Wadsworth Ring
31 Aug 13 / Seen and Heard
Götterdämmerung: Alwyn Mellor continued to do more than merely sing the role of Brünnhilde; she seemed to occupy it
30 Aug 13 / The Huffington Post
Siegfried: Brilliantly cast, brilliantly staged
30 Aug 13 / The Huffington Post
Die Walküre: The increased depth in Greer Grimsley's dramatic portrayal is almost impossible to miss
29 Aug 13 / The Huffington Post
Das Rheingold: the real surprise of the evening was Mark Schowalter's Loge
28 Aug 13 / The Huffington Post
Un “Ring” che avrebbe reso Wagner orgoglioso
26 Aug 13 / GBOPERA
Seattle’s ‘Wagner month’ wraps with classic Ring
20 Aug 13 / Vancouver Sun
Burning down the house
15 Aug 13 / Memeteria
Before a possible Valhalla reboot, Seattle Opera delivers its best performance yet of Wagner’s epic
14 Aug 13 / Seattle Weekly
This ‘Siegfried’ is a superstar
10 Aug 13 / The Seattle Times
Siegfried: Stefan Vinke is truly heroic in Seattle Opera’s ‘Siegfried’
10 Aug 13 / Oregon Music News
Die Walküre: Setting the night on fire
7 Aug 13 / The Seattle Times
Seattle Opera’s engrossing Das Rheingold hints at the spectacle to come
6 Aug 13 / Oregon Music News
Seattle Opera not resting on the ‘Ring’
The juggernaut that is Seattle Opera’s 2013 staging of Richard Wagner’s “Ring” cycle has brought opera fans from around the globe. But the key is attracting the next generation of patrons.
The 'Ring' is the thing
Seattle Opera and the future of an arts institution. With Wagner, Seattle made it to the world cultural stage. But how does the company build on the legacy?
Director of Seattle ‘Ring’ operas: Go, ponder, enjoy
Director Stephen Wadsworth, at the helm of Seattle Opera’s acclaimed “green” production of Wagner’s complete “Ring” cycle of operas, discusses the essence of the 4-part spectacle, and how to appreciate it.
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Performance schedule
Rossini
4 to 18 May 2024
Leoncavallo
3 to 17 Aug 2024
Various
12 to 25 Oct 2024
Berlioz
17 to 19 Jan 2025
Mozart
22 Feb to 9 Mar 2025
Puccini
3 to 17 May 2025

News & Articles

Seattle Opera announces 60th anniversary season
To mark the occasion, Seattle Opera offers a range of titles spanning nearly all of opera's history, from the eighteenth century to the 1980s.
11 Jan 2023 / Broadway World
Seattle Opera announces outdoor ‘Die Walkure
The concert will be held at the Seattle Center, Fisher Pavilion Lawn on August 28 and will star Eric Owens in his Seattle Opera debut.
18 Jun 2021 / OperaWire
Seattle Opera eliminates six jobs, continues furloughs
Seattle Opera has cut six administrative positions from its workforce, and has dozens of employees still on furlough, citing losses of revenue from the pandemic.
19 Sep 2020 / The Seattle Times
Seattle Opera announces show cancellation, layoffs
Amid a global pandemic and protests for racial justice happening across the country, Seattle Opera-like all other arts groups at one point or another this year-has reached a moment of reckoning.
5 Jun 2020 / Broadway World
Seattle Opera to launch recital series entitled “Songs of Summer”
Angel Blue, Jamie Barton and Vanessa Vasquez headline Seattle Opera’s ‘Songs of Summer’ recital series.
8 May 2020 / OperaWire