Opera Box Score

Matt Boresi returns as a guest co-host to help celebrate Leonard Bernstein's 100th birthday. Hear the team's favorite clips from the best of Bernstein and get an inside look at 'Mass', performed last weekend at the Ravinia Festival... But first, the crew react to an exhaustive -- and exhausting -- article by Anne Midgette in 'The Washington Post' detailing the stories of over fifty victims of sexual harassment within the classical music world... Then, find out the connection between baseball and opera, and who'll be stepping up to the plate at the Kennedy Center Honors... www.facebook.com/OBSCHI1/

This week, the team takes the road trip to Cooperstown! Go 'Inside the Huddle' with Glimmerglass Festival's Christopher Powell and find out about the podcast "Breaking Glass", which explores social justice through the lens of opera. Then, Benjamin Britten is inducted into the OBS 'Hall of Fame'. Find out why satire, ostracism, and all things nautical float George Cederquist's boat. In the 'Two Minute Drill', Cecilia Bartoli stars as an Italian, Anna Netrebko may be hazardous to your health, and a farewell to Brian Kellow of "Opera News". www.facebook.com/OBSCHI1/

We kick off the OBS tour of America’s summer opera festivals. Over July and August, we’ll take you to our favorite locations to hear opera and sweat at the same time. We start by going off the beaten path to some personal favorites… But first… a recent article in the ‘Wall Street Journal’ described how Europe’s opera houses won over millennials. How did it happen? Can it be replicated in America? Plus… it’s the ‘Two Minute Drill’: everything you need to know from the past week in OperaLand, plus our team’s hot takes on those stories... www.facebook.com/OBSCHI1/

Tonight… We go ‘Inside the Huddle’ with tenor Jonathan Zeng, who’s currently singing the role of Edwin in Chicago Folks Operetta’s production of Emmerich Kálmán’s “The Csárdás Princess”. Find out why this piece has been largely ignored on American stages, and how Jonathan prepared to play this unique role... And then… in ‘Chalk Talk’... it’s the OBS World Cup. Our panel predicts the outcome of the world’s greatest sporting event. How? By using each country’s contributions to opera as the deciding factor in their respective soccer matches, of course... Plus… it’s the ‘Two Minute Drill’: everything you need to know from the past week in OperaLand, and our team’s hot takes on those stories... www.facebook.com/OBSCHI1/

Tonight, in a ‘Chalk Talk' double-header, we get you ready for Independence Day by honoring America and its contributions to opera, looking in-depth at the works and artists we think are uniquely “American” and how they define the role opera serves both in our country and worldwide... And then, it’s the ‘Two Minute Drill’: everything you need to know from the past week in Operaland, plus our team’s hot takes on those stories... www.facebook.com/OBSCHI1/

Tonight… Creative Consultant Oliver Camacho walks you down the hallowed corridors of the ‘OBS Hall of Fame’. Find out which opera singer’s picture he’ll tack to the wall in Studio Two, next to past inductees Leontyne Price and Luciano Pavarotti… But first… In a ‘Chalk Talk’ field report, conductor and past OBS guest Catherine O’Shaughnessy joins Executive Producer George Cederquist in a lightning round recap of their whirlwind week at the 2018 Opera America conference in Saint Louis. They’ll reveal just how many hours of opera conversation one can actually absorb in a single day... And then… It’s the ‘Two Minute Drill’: everything you need to know from the past week in Operaland, plus our team’s hot takes on those stories... www.facebook.com/OBSCHI1/

Tonight... Tobias Wright walks you down the hallowed corridors of the OBS Hall of Fame with a look at the life and recordings of one of his favorite opera singers… But first, it’s that time of year again… people scrambling for hotel rooms… folks grabbing tickets for sold-out shows… crowds gate-crashing invite-only events… Why, it’s the Opera America conference, of course. George previews the best sessions on the docket at next week’s annual meeting of opera’s movers and shakers... Then… It’s the ‘Two Minute Drill’: everything you need to know from the past week in Operaland, and our hot takes on those stories... www.facebook.com/OBSCHI1/

Tonight, in 'Chalk Talk'... Our guest is Santosh Venkataraman, a frequent contributor to the OperaWire website. We talk with him about diversity in all parts of the American opera house, and we get him to play 'Monday Evening Quarterback' and review a show... Plus... Tenor Henry Pleas III joins us by phone to add to the conversation on diversity... Then… It’s the ‘Two Minute Drill’: everything you need to know from the past week in Operaland, and our hot takes on those stories... www.facebook.com/OBSCHI1/

Tonight… The first living singer to be inducted into 'The OBS Hall of Fame' is a beloved American soprano? Find out from Matt Cummings who receives this inimitable honor... But first… Season ticket subscriptions to your local opera house have likely been the lifeblood of its existence. But is the importance of subscribers coming to an end? Our team scrambles for an aisle seat in our ‘Chalk Talk’ segment... Plus... It’s the ‘Two Minute Drill’: everything you need to know from the past week in Operaland, and our hot takes on those stories... www.facebook.com/OBSCHI1

We introduce our new segment ‘The OBS Hall of Fame’, in which one of our team shares stories and clips about the ways in which one artist -- or one opera -- changed their life. Weston Williams kicks things off. Find out who -- or what -- he chose... But first, we take a look at an article in last week’s Washington ‘Post’, in which music critic Anne Midgette wrote: “Every once in a while in the life of a critic, something one does on one’s beat comes to define them for some time to come. I had one such moment this spring. To the outside eye, the choice may not have seemed that momentous.” We’ll tell you what her decision was... Plus, it’s the ‘Two Minute Drill’: everything you need to know from the past week in Operaland, and our hot takes on those stories... www.facebook.com/OBSCHI1/

Tonight, it’s a ‘Chalk Talk’ double header. Our team responds to a recent article in ‘The New Yorker’ magazine on African-American countertenor John Holiday. And then, we look at why one of Britain’s most distinguished singers has accused fellow devotees of Richard Wagner of repeated attempts to undermine her position and “rewrite history”... But first, we ‘Crunch the Numbers’ on English National Opera’s 2018 season on the Dodson Scale™. Find out how ENO stacks up against its European rivals... Plus at 9.40 pm, it’s the ‘Two Minute Drill’: everything you need to know from the past week in Operaland, and our hot takes on those stories... www.facebook.com/OBSCHI1/

Soprano Madison Leonard, a winner of the 2018 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, joins George, Tobias and guest co-host Catherine O'Shaughnessy 'Inside the Huddle' to talk through her big night at the Met, how she got there, and what happens next... Then, George plays ‘Monday Evening Quarterback’ and reviews "Jesus Christ Superstar", now playing at Lyric Opera of Chicago, while Tobias and Cathy ‘Crunch the Numbers’ and look at Washington National Opera’s upcoming season.  Where will the District’s house fall on the Dodson Scale™...? Plus, it’s the ‘Two Minute Drill’: everything you need to know from the past week in Operaland, and our hot takes on those stories... www.facebook.com/OBSCHI1/

Creative consultant Oliver Camacho goes ‘Inside the Huddle’ with costume designer Meriem Bahri. Find out how the French biologist went from academia to being Haymarket Opera Company’s secret weapon... But first, in ‘Chalk Talk’, we take you back. Way back. We’ll listen to some old school recordings made around the turn of the century using Thomas Edison’s wax cylinder equipment, and compare those to recordings of today’s opera singers using similar old-fangled technology... And later, it’s the ‘Two Minute Drill’: everything you need to know from the past week in Operaland, and our hot takes on those stories... www.facebook.com/OBSCHI1/

Facebook Live sensation Jakub Józef Orliński joins Oliver ‘Inside the Huddle’ to talk about how a video of the Polish countertenor went viral, and about just WHO is in charge of writing the ornaments for the Vivaldi and Handel da capo arias Orliński is singing all over the world, and now, as an exclusive recording artist for the Erato label.  (And yes, they do talk about the whole breakdancing thing...) But first, the Deutsche Oper in Berlin recently announced its 2018-2019 season.  Weston and George ‘Crunch the Numbers’ and run the schedule through the Dodson Scale™.  Surely a German opera house will set a new high score, right…? And later, it’s the ‘Two Minute Drill’...  We get you up to speed on everything from the past week in Operaland and our hot takes on those stories... www.facebook.com/OBSCHI1/

Soprano Angela Mortellaro joins us ‘Inside the Huddle’ live by phone. She’s currently singing two roles in the Donizetti double bill which opened at Chicago Opera Theater last week. We ask her about the unique process of rehearsing two operas at once... And then, in ‘Chalk Talk’… the average age at the Metropolitan Opera is about to get lower. Much lower. The Met is presenting a new opera for babies. The company will present ten free performances of “BambinO” [sic], an opera for babies between 6 and 18 months old. Tobias tells us if he’d take his kids to the show... Plus, it’s the ‘Two Minute Drill’... We get you up to speed on everything from the past week in Operaland and our hot takes on those stories… www.facebook.com/OBSCHI1/

It shocked people when it opened on Broadway in 1971. By 2014, the Catholic Church was blessing productions of it. Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s rock opera "Jesus Christ Superstar" opens at Lyric Opera of Chicago later this month, on the heels of John Legend’s NBC Easter special. So, the operatic stage or the dustbin of history? We discuss where "JCS" should end up... Then, it’s the ‘Two Minute Drill’... Find out who said “Any of this sexual bullsh*t, we don't have it" earlier this week, and get our hot takes on other news stories from Operaland... Plus, we reveal the results from the 2018 International Opera Awards, and just how (in)accurate our predictions were... www.facebook.com/OBSCHI1/

It’s that time of year again... Brackets have been filled out across the country. Upsets abound. Fans are going crazy. It’s the International Opera Awards, of course. The OBS team breaks down the categories, gives you insider info on the nominees and predicts some winners in our two-part ‘Chalk Talk' segment... And then, it’s the ‘Two Minute Drill’... Soprano Nadine Sierra in a bikini? We get you up to speed on everything from the past week in Operaland and our hot takes on those stories... www.facebook.com/OBSCHI1/

He’s sung Mozart, Stravinsky, and Handel in the world’s major opera houses. He’s given recitals at Carnegie Hall and London’s renowned Wigmore Hall, and has just made his debut with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under Riccardo Muti. American tenor Paul Appleby goes ‘Inside the Huddle’ with Oliver Camacho… But first, a recent article in Chicago’s NewCity magazine suggests that due to what’s onstage at Lyric Opera of Chicago, the city risks becoming “a provincial opera town where operatic bonbons are being perceived as a mainstay diet.” We’ll give you our hot takes on that story... Plus Tobias and Weston play ‘Monday Evening Quarterback’ on last week’s production of Gregory Spears and Greg Pierce’s opera ‘Fellow Travelers’ at Lyric Unlimited… And then, it’s the ‘Two Minute Drill’. We tell you everything you need to know about the past week in Operaland, and we grade Opera Philadelphia’s recently announced 2018-2019 season on the Dodson Scale™... www.facebook.com/OBSCHI1/

Tonight in ‘Chalk Talk’: the gloves are off as James Levine sues Peter Gelb and the Metropolitan Opera for defamation and breach of contract. We’ll get you up to speed on the “Face Denter at Lincoln Center”... And then, ‘Pop Quiz’ returns as Oliver and Matt face off in naming the 25 most performed operas in the 2016-2017 season... Plus, we open up the Listener Mailbag and respond to your responses about the Dodson Scale™... And later, it’s the ‘Two Minute Drill’: everything you need to know from the past week in Operaland, and our hot takes on those stories... www.facebook.com/OBSCHI1/

It’s a triple header from Lyric Opera of Chicago... Composer Gregory Spears joins us live via phone. With librettist Greg Pierce, he created the opera ‘Fellow Travellers’. Find out why the two Gregs were drawn to the story of forbidden love in McCarthy-era 1950s Washington, DC... And then, Oliver goes ‘Inside the Huddle’ with tenor Andrew Stenson who’s singing the role of Ferrando in Lyric’s production of Mozart’s “Così fan tutte”. Oliver and Andrew discuss singing Mozart and they commiserate over the pressures of being a hot Asian dude in opera... Plus, Oliver and Matt play ‘Monday Evening Quarterback’ and review Lyric’s recent production of Gounod’s “Faust” as well as the Met in HD presentation of Rossini’s “Semiramide”... www.facebook.com/OBSCHI1/