Opera Review: The Girl in the Bubble

Kristin Opalais returns as Manon Lescaut.
by Paul J. Pelkonen

Cast aside: Kristin Opalais in the last scene of Manon Lescaut. 
Photo by Ken Howard © 2016 The Metropolitan Opera.

When the Metropolitan Opera opened its new Richard Eyre production of Manon Lescaut last February, it stirred up a firestorm of criticism. Mr. Eyre moved the action ahead to France in the 1940s, an occupied and defeated nation under the Nazi boot. On Monday night, this revival featuring Kristin Opalais in the role that she created last season seemed particularly on point, its oppressive sets, decadent, doomed atmosphere and the libretto's treatment of women as a commodity a set of mirrors for these troubled times.

Metropolitan Opera Preview: Manon Lescaut

Anna Netrebko takes on Puccini in the title role of Manon Lescaut
by Paul J. Pelkonen

Anna Netrebko and Marcelo Àlvarez are down and out in Paris
in a scene from Manon Lescaut. Photo by Ken Howard © 2016 The Metropolitan Opera.

Anna Netrebko, currently the most marketable soprano on the planet takes on a major Puccini role in her continued bid for world supremacy. She will play the title role in the Met's new-ish production of Manon Lescaut, just five years after she played the title role in Massenet's Manon.

Opera Review: The Sleazy Life in Paris

Dell'Arte Opera Ensemble mounts Massenet's Manon.
by Paul J. Pelkonen

In a scene from Act III of Massenet's Manon, the title character (Olivia Betzen)
works her wiles on the hapless Des Grieux (Sean Christensen.)
Photo by Mark Baker for Dell'Arte Opera Ensemble.

When presenting the classic opera repertory, sometimes it is good to do a lot with very little. That is the mantra behind this handsome but economical staging of Massenet's Manon, currently running at the Nagelberg Theater, located deep within CUNY's Baruch College. This Manon is part of Dell'Arte Opera Ensemble's ongoing summer festival. Traditional in its costuming and yet modern in the staging approach of director Victoria Crutchfield, it proved a satisfying experience on Monday night.

Metropolitan Opera Preview: Manon Lescaut

Kristine Opolais and Jonas Kauffmann Roberto Alagna heat up February.
by Paul J. Pelkonen

She's got the ways and means to New Orleans: Kristine Opolais is a glamorous Manon Lescaut.
Photo by Kristian Schuller © 2015 The Metropolitan Opera.

Jonas Kaufmann is out and Roberto Alagna will make his debut as the Chevalier des Grieux in a new production of Puccini's Manon Lescaut. Kristine Opolais sings the title role. Director Sir Richard Eyre updates Manon Lescaut to Paris during the Nazi occupation. (Why, we're not sure.)

He Won't Be Sailing to America

Star tenor nixes Met Manon Lescaut.

Jonas Kaufmann  and Kristine Opolais (left) will not reunite in the Met's new Manon Lescaut.
Here they sing the roles of Manon and Des Grieux in Munich in 2014.
Photo © 2014 Wilfried Hönl.

Jonas Kaufmann, the German tenor who rose to become one of the most popular opera singers both on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera and in the opera houses of the world, has cancelled his February appearances in New York City, including his commitment to sing in the Met’s new production of Manon Lescaut. The announcement came earlier today.

Opera Review: The Ways and Means to New Orleans

Patrica Racette sparkles in Washington's Manon Lescaut.
by Paul J. Pelkonen

Her just deserts: Patricia Racette in the last scene of Manon Lescaut.
Photo by Scott Suchman © 2013 Washington National Opera/The Kennedy Center.

Mention the name Patricia Racette around opera lovers and you'll get a knowing smile. The New Hampshire-bred diva may enjoy have the same "instant" name recognition as other artists at her current level, but she is known for her smoky, spinto voice, committed acting and regal stage presence. All those qualities were on display Monday night at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, where Ms. Racette is singing her first run in the title role of Puccini's Manon Lescaut.

Opera Review: Déjà vu All Over Again

The Met's new production of Manon is all too familiar.
by Paul Pelkonen

"Chéri, which opera are we in?" Anna Netrebko vamps in Act III of Manon.
Photo by Ken Howard © 2012 The Metropolitan Opera. 

The physicist Albert Einstein once defined insanity as "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." That maxim might apply to Peter Gelb's administration of The Metropolitan Opera, which rolled out its new production of Massenet's Manon as a star vehicle for soprano Anna Netrebko. While the cast was (for the most part) strong, their efforts were undercut by a bland mise-en-scène by director Laurent Pelly, in his second show for the Met.