by Neal | 29 Jan 2012 | Music, Theatre
Our latest opera at the Grand Theatre in Leeds was Bellini’s Norma. This has probably one of the most popular arias in opera (Casta Diva) and was the role Maria Callas sang the most, and who gave us arguably the best recording off the opera. It is Bellini bel...
by Neal | 3 Dec 2011 | Theatre
Not got much time for a big blog post but just had to mention the superb Top Hat musical we saw this evening. It is the first time the famous Fred and Ginger film has been presented on stage, and it is currently touring before going to the West End. Starring was Tom...
by Neal | 26 Oct 2011 | Theatre
Last night was a real treat. Never seen a Tchaikovsky opera live before and Opera North has been very bold this season in taking on The Queen of Spades. The scale in terms of production, cast and orchestra is huge and we were not disappointed! The Queen of Spades is...
by Neal | 6 Oct 2011 | Theatre
Just got around to posting a review of Opera North’s 2011 revival of last year’s production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Ruddigore. This was actually the first Gilbert and Sullivan I’d seen, and I must say I was much impressed! The story is pretty complicated but...
by Neal | 23 Aug 2011 | Theatre
After a holiday of Agatha Christie goodness, it was very exciting to return to the now annual visit of the Agatha Christie Theatre Company to Leeds Grand Theatre. Verdict is not the typical Christie ‘whodunnit’ but more of a psychological study into the effects of a...
by Neal | 24 Jun 2011 | Theatre
It’s taken a while to get a review written of this since last Saturday, been rather a busy week! Anyway, Das Rheingold is the ‘preliminary evening’ to the three much longer operas in the Ring Cycle. A bit like Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, the Ring Cycle involves...
