Category Archives: Personal ruminations & essays

AF and why

Posted on February 21, 2020 by

Huge preamble coming. If you want to skip to the review itself, look under the photo.I went to see AF and am daring to review it. I feel I need to say this after having read Yvette Nolan’s piece, responding … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Personal ruminations & essays, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Not #MeToo

Posted on February 14, 2020 by

I’m upset. It’s not that I’m having a bad day. I just keep hearing news that’s upsetting. Two very different women I knew, each an avatar of female strength, have passed away. I met each of them, knew them very … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Literature, Opera, Personal ruminations & essays, Politics, University life | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

#COCgingerbread: Joel Ivany softens a Grimm tale of cruelty

Posted on February 9, 2020 by

It’s called “Hansel and Gretel”, not “kill the witch”. And in the original the witch isn’t even the nastiest character. You may already know that the new Canadian Opera Company production of Humperdinck’s Hansel & Gretel modernizes the setting to … Continue reading →

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TBA

Posted on February 7, 2020 by

On Monday February 10th the Canadian Opera Company will tell us what they’re producing next season aka  their “Season Reveal” aka #2021COC.  It’s a celebratory moment, and can feel a bit like Christmas morning as we unpack the goodies, for those of … Continue reading →

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Joker reminds me of….

Posted on February 4, 2020 by

Resonance is a function of history, right? You’ll pick up allusions and associations depending on what you usually see. So of course it’s no wonder Todd Phillips’ 2019 film Joker reminds me of Wozzeck as someone who’s more likely to … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema, video & DVDs, Opera, Personal ruminations & essays, Politics, Popular music & culture, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Lost Karaoke Tapes

Posted on January 31, 2020 by

I’m impressed. Nicole Lizée has more reason to be pompous & full of herself than any composer or performer I know. But she seems to be totally unpretentious. Exhibit “A”: the piece we saw & heard tonight is called “Karappo … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Architecture & Design, Music and musicology, Personal ruminations & essays, Popular music & culture, Psychology and perception, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Money is the root of all opera

Posted on January 26, 2020 by

You probably didn’t expect that did you? Did you anticipate where that sentence was going? It starts like a truism that we hear so often about money being the root of all evil, which I can relate to heartily. How … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Personal ruminations & essays, Politics | Leave a comment