Michael Cavanagh Delivers the Miraculous Essence of Mozart by Jennifer Ann Charron San FRancisco Opera’s production of Mozart’s “Così fan tutte” (All Women Do It, or The School for Lovers) is one the most efficiently fabulous operas I’ve seen. Director Michael Cavanagh showcases the best opera has to offer, all wrapped up in a…
Kait Kerrigan Unravels Intimacy in Its Many Forms by Jennifer Ann Charron “Father/Daughter” drills down into the ways that intimate relationships form and change over time. Playwright Kait Kerrigan gives us a bird’s eye view of three relationships: two male/female romantic partnerships, and one father/daughter connection. Despite her title “Father/Daughter,” Kerrigan spends most scenes…
Matthew Ozawa Modernizes Beethoven’s Ode to Justice by Jennifer Ann Charron Beethoven, with help from friends like Matthew Ozawa and the cast, orchestra, and crew of SF Opera gave me two-plus hours of unadulterated joy. Ozawa’s new “Fidelio” updates Beethoven’s opera about triumph over tyranny—delivering a contemporary win over political injustice. Ozawa’s modern detention…
Janáček & Khuner Deliver Lush Emotional Score by Jennifer Ann Charron West Edge Opera’s new production of Leoš Janáček’s “Katya Kabanova” premiered July 24, in the Bruns Amphitheater, the first of three operas of their 2021 Festival. This is my first live performance since the pandemic, and it does not disappoint. Janáček’s voluptuous, melodic…