New York City Opera

Brokeback Mountain is coming back to New York, this time in the form of an opera.

The New York City Opera has commissioned American composer and New York native Charles Wuorinen to adapt the E. Annie Proulx short story and subsequent Oscar-winning film for its 2013 spring season. It will be Mr. Wuorinen’s second world premiere at City Opera, his first being an adaptation in 2004 of Salman Rushdie’s Sea of Stoires.  read more »

As the New York Sun reports, the New York City Opera’s home at the New York State Theater in Lincoln Center is currently undergoing renovations. So to keep the music alive, the Opera will tour the five boroughs during its 2008-2009 season with a series of concerts, showcases, screenings and discussions at various theaters throughout the city. Stops will include the St.  read more »

Last week in this newspaper, Rex Reed wrote, “The music scene has been more interesting lately than the movies, and that’s a fact.” I’ll drink to that—and did, at Minetta Tavern, just after attending the first session (on May 10) of “VOX 2008: Showcasing American Composers,” held at N.Y.U.’s Skirball Center for the Performing Arts.

Four days later, the venerable Minetta Tavern went out of business. VOX, however, is stronger than ever in its ninth year.  read more »

The New York State Theater will go dark during New York City Opera’s 2008-9 season so that it can be renovated. Susan L. Baker, chairwoman of the company, said that opera officials did not resent having to lose the company’s home for 2008-9, even though the New York City Ballet is not making similar sacrifices. (They share the same Lincoln Center stage). Changing the State Theater was largely City Opera’s idea, she said; the company has long been unhappy with the stage, which was designed to muffle footfalls.  read more »

We told you last month that the New York City Opera and the New York City Ballet company finally came to an agreement about renovations to their shared Lincoln Center theater. But those renovations might cause the Opera to cancel its 2008-09 season at the theater, or maybe relocate performances to other venues, according to the Associated Press.  read more »

The New York City Opera and New York City Ballet have finally retracted their claws and come to agreements about renovations to the New York State Theater they share at Lincoln Center. The two tenants, who alternate seasons at the center, have been bickering over issues like whether to create a center aisle (the opera was strongly in favor; the ballet, adamantly opposed) and how to adjust the acoustics (the opera believes they are in dire need of redress; the ballet thinks they’re fine) for several years. Now, the City Ballet has given up on finding a new home and a modular acoustical system that can be moved in for the opera and out for the ballet will be installed.  read more »