The awesome Sarah B., the world's foremost authority on everything theatrical -- knows everything you need to know -- if you really have to -- about cla$$ical mu$ic arti$t$ appearing at the Beijing Olympics.
Among them:
The Divas are Renée Fleming, Angela Gheorghiu and Sumi Jo, with special guests divos Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Marcello Giordani, Salvatore Licitra, Ramón Vargas and Jonas Kaufmann. The first concert was last night with Angela Gheorghiu at the National Grand Theatre. On Monday the 11th, Sumi Jo will also perform at the National Grand Theatre. On the 13th, three tenors Marcello Giordani, Salvatore Licitra and Ramón Vargas are up at the Great Hall of the People. Each are under the baton of Emmanuel Villaume. On Thursday the 14th, Renée Fleming, Sumi Jo, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Jonas Kaufmann and Chinese singer Zhu Jiali are conducted by Nicola Luisotti at the Great Hall of the People. The final concert, at the National Grand Theatre, is on Saturday the 16th with Renée Fleming and Jonas Kaufmann, conducted by Nicola Luisotti. The China National Opera Orchestra will accompany each evening.
Of course, last time Western artists went to play for some undemocratic unelected peoples in Asia, Lorin Maazel got spanked pretty bad by the usual suspects.
But then, North Korea does not provide us with enough sweatshops to get a "Global Harmony" free pass.