Opera Chic

Outbound Speight Jenkins for Inbound Aidan Lang at Seattle Opera

Say hello to this guy as the Seattle Opera crowns British-born Aidan Lang as its new general director, the third in its fifty-year history. Outbound Speight Jenkins, who's been at the GD directorship since 1983, will depart in August 2014. Lang's been the New Zealand Opera's general director since 2006. Prior to that, he's held artistic positions at the Buxton Festival, Glyndebourne Festival/Touring and Opera Zuid in the Netherlands. Lang's also flexed his muscle as an opera director: his productions have appeared at venues such as Salzburg and the Welsh National Opera.

Asher Fisch's Orgasmic Turandot for The Seattle Opera

Asher Fisch knows how to get butts into the opera house. On describing Puccini's Turandot, which opens at The Seattle Opera next weekend, the Israeli conductor said that the music is an "orgasm of sound."

Watch where you're pointing that finger, buddy...

Seattle Opera Young Artists' Don Pasquale

The city of Stabucks and Kurt Cobain prepares a Donizetti Don Pasquale at the Seattle Opera with its Young Artists Program.

Positively Gay With Excitement: Seattle Opera Launches LGBT Nights!

(Above: William Burden in Opera Company of Philadelphia's The Pearl Fishers, 2004. Credit: © Kelly & Massa Photography)

Seattle Opera announced today an awesome new addition to their programing. With open arms for new audiences, the 2008/09 season will offer three Friday night operas, which will be part of "LGBT Nights", where LGBTers can meet & greet other Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender opera lovers. LGBT always makes me think of a yummy club sandwich, so there's no way this can fail. The image above, btw, was not curated by OC...rather the Seattle Opera as their header for the LGBT Nights announcement. Magnificent bastards!

The tickets are offered at an easy $100 package that includes an orchestra seat, two private intermission cocktails (first break for drinks, the second for coffee&cake), and free admission to the pre-show lecture. The Friday nighs that are designated are an August 22 '08 Aida, a January 23 '09 Les pêcheurs de perles, and a May 15 '09 Le Nozze di Figaro. Spokesman Alvin Alexander Henry for the Seattle Opera said:

“We are delighted to welcome friends and family from the LGBT community to three unforgettable evenings of entertainment and merriment for an affordable price. Our guests will be able to socialize, make new friends, and network with other opera goers while attending performances at one of the premier opera companies. Opera is for everyone.”