Union Avenue Opera’s ‘L’elisir d’amore’ Finds the Real Magic

Union Avenue Opera’s ‘L’elisir d’amore’ Finds the Real Magic

By CB Adams Gaetano Donizetti's "L'elisir d'amore" ("The Elixir of Love") has delighted audiences for nearly two centuries. Union Avenue Opera's current production, directed by... Details
Union Avenue Opera Finds the Operatic Voice of ‘Fiddler on the Roof’

Union Avenue Opera Finds the Operatic Voice of ‘Fiddler on the Roof’

By CB Adams Union Avenue Opera's "Fiddler on the Roof" returns to the artistic conversation from which the musical emerged. Stage director Kasey Cox reunites... Details
Center Stage Delivers a Winning Showcase for OTSL’s Young Artists

Center Stage Delivers a Winning Showcase for OTSL’s Young Artists

By CB Adams Concert presenters have a name for performers and composers who reliably fill seats: bankers. Beethoven is a banker. Wagner is a banker.... Details
OTSL’s ‘The Pirates of Penzance’ Sails On Music, Wit and Comic Precision

OTSL’s ‘The Pirates of Penzance’ Sails On Music, Wit and Comic Precision

By CB Adams The performing arts do love a new label, especially for an old idea. Take “poperetta,” a recent coinage for musical theater that... Details
OTSL’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ Finds the Emotional Truth in a Familiar Story

OTSL’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ Finds the Emotional Truth in a Familiar Story

By CB Adams Opera Theatre of Saint Louis closes its 2026 festival season with a production of Charles Gounod's "Romeo and Juliet" that understands exactly... Details
OTSL’s ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ Matches Tennessee Williams Note for Note

OTSL’s ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ Matches Tennessee Williams Note for Note

Patricia Racette's production finds operatic scale, emotional truth and remarkable balance in Williams's enduring tragedy. By CB Adams Andrew Boyce's scenic design announces Opera Theatre... Details
Voices and Visual Elegance Carry OTSL’s ‘The Light in the Piazza’

Voices and Visual Elegance Carry OTSL’s ‘The Light in the Piazza’

by CB Adams Opera Theatre of Saint Louis’ production of “The Light in the Piazza” consistently achieves the atmosphere of operatic emotional depth, even if... Details
At Human Scale, Winter Opera’s ‘Roméo et Juliette’ Finds Its Emotional Power

At Human Scale, Winter Opera’s ‘Roméo et Juliette’ Finds Its Emotional Power

By CB Adams Opera succeeds when theater, singing, and orchestra move together. Winter Opera St. Louis brought those forces into satisfying alignment with Charles Gounod’s... Details
Winter Opera Builds Verdi’s “Un Ballo in Maschera” with Discipline and Grace

Winter Opera Builds Verdi’s “Un Ballo in Maschera” with Discipline and Grace

By CB AdamsWinter Opera St. Louis’ “Un Ballo in Maschera” succeeds through design. Dianna Higbee approaches Verdi’s tragedy as an architectural problem — how to... Details
Union Avenue Opera’s One-Act Fest Finds Big Truths in Small Forms

Union Avenue Opera’s One-Act Fest Finds Big Truths in Small Forms

By CB Adams Union Avenue Opera’s inaugural One-Act Festival is intimate in scale and ambitious in reach, a chamber-sized gesture that embraces the big questions... Details