Long Beach Opera - Long Beach
29 March 2024

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Performance reviews

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Isola

Long Beach Opera


No. of reviews: 1

Isola is a monodrama for our self-conscious age
9 Feb 24 / San Francisco Classical Voice
The Romance of the Rose

Long Beach Opera


No. of reviews: 2

Long Beach Opera’s endearingly messy, profound ‘Romance of the Rose’ is an operatic triumph
23 Feb 23 / Los Angeles Times
A new opera puts real emotions in a fantasy garden
21 Feb 23 / New York Times
The Central Park Five

Long Beach Opera


No. of reviews: 2

How well does opera represent reality? LBO and L.A. Opera take differing approaches
23 Jun 22 / Los Angeles Times
Long Beach Opera reprises The Central Park Five, minimally staged
22 Jun 22 / San Francisco Classical Voice
Giustino

Long Beach Opera


No. of reviews: 2

Rock ‘N’ Wry Handel: ‘Giustino’ in the Mojave, sparked by a trap drum
28 May 22 / Classical Voice North America
Handel in the desert
25 May 22 / San Francisco Classical Voice
Voices from the Killing Jar

Long Beach Opera


No. of reviews: 2

Long Beach Opera’s midsummer nightmare double bill
18 Aug 21 / San Francisco Classical Voice
An astounding singer lifts Long Beach Opera’s ‘Killing Jar’ at the Ford
17 Aug 21 / Los Angeles Times
Pierrot Lunaire

Long Beach Opera


No. of reviews: 2

Long Beach Opera’s midsummer nightmare double bill
18 Aug 21 / San Francisco Classical Voice
An astounding singer lifts Long Beach Opera’s ‘Killing Jar’ at the Ford
17 Aug 21 / Los Angeles Times
Les enfants terribles

Long Beach Opera


No. of reviews: 2

Up on the roof: a Glass opera in parking garage
5 Jun 21 / Classical Voice North America
Long Beach Opera breaks its pandemic silence with a drive-in opera
2 Jun 21 / San Francisco Classical Voice
King Arthur

Long Beach Opera


No. of reviews: 8

Pow! Zap! Zowie! Wowie! -or- Arthur, King of Long Beach
20 Jan 20 / Opera Today
Presto change-o: he’s King Arthur in his own head
18 Jan 20 / Classical Voice North America
Hang onto your crowns!
16 Jan 20 / Signal Tribune
King Arthur meets Trump and Superman in Long Beach
15 Jan 20 / Los Angeles Times
Long Beach Opera pairs Purcell with agitprop
15 Jan 20 / San Francisco Classical Voice
Long Beach Opera reimagines legend of King Arthur
14 Jan 20 / The Grunion
Long Beach Opera’s cartoon treatment of Purcell’s ‘King Arthur’ is an ill fit
14 Jan 20 / Press-Telegram
The twenty-twenty season is off to a rollicking start
14 Jan 20 / Broadway World
The Central Park Five

Long Beach Opera


No. of reviews: 2

Central Park Five as opera pulls no punches
26 Jun 19 / San Francisco Classical Voice
‘The Central Park Five,’ now an astounding world premiere opera
25 Jun 19 / People's World
In the Penal Colony

Long Beach Opera


No. of reviews: 1

Long Beach Opera gets political with in the Penal Colony
30 Apr 19 / San Francisco Classical Voice
The Black Cat

Long Beach Opera


No. of reviews: 3

Government shutdown hits the Long Beach Opera stage, but ‘The Black Cat’ goes on
23 Jan 19 / Los Angeles Times
Long Beach Opera’s ‘Black Cat’ overcomes government shutdown to prowl on stage
22 Jan 19 / Press-Telegram
It was the Baroque instrumentalists who stole the most honors
21 Jan 19 / Broadway World
Le vin herbé

Long Beach Opera


No. of reviews: 5

Love a potion for success at LBO
19 May 18 / The Grunion
'The Love Potion': Tristan and Isolde, the Long Beach Opera way
17 May 18 / Los Angeles Times
Long Beach Opera intoxicates with The Love Potion
17 May 18 / LA Weekly
Romance and tragedy mix in The Love Potion
16 May 18 / Long Beach Post
Bernard Holcomb and Jamie Chamberlin were romantic lovers who held onlookers’ interest
16 May 18 / OperaWire
The Invention of Morel

Long Beach Opera


No. of reviews: 5

A new operatic sci-fi take on eternal life
25 Mar 18 / People's World
Moody, mysterious Morel
23 Mar 18 / Opera Today
Long Beach Opera’s ‘Invention of Morel’ offers a fascinating journey
21 Mar 18 / Press-Telegram
Mysterious Invention of Morel haunts Long Beach Opera
21 Mar 18 / San Francisco Classical Voice
Long Beach Opera raises life's questions, loudly, in Stewart Copeland's 'Invention of Morel'
20 Mar 18 / Los Angeles Times
The Consul

Long Beach Opera


No. of reviews: 4

Patricia Racette made her role debut here as Magda Sorel
31 Oct 17 / Opera News
Long Beach Opera makes statement with "Consul"
21 Oct 17 / The Grunion
Bureaucratic nightmare; operatic dream
20 Oct 17 / Stage and Cinema
1950 opera still a powerful affirmation of humanity
19 Oct 17 / People's World
Frida

Long Beach Opera


No. of reviews: 12

A worthy night out at the opera
6 Jul 17 / Signal Tribune
Rodriguez’s score is eclectic, sprinkled with plenty of Latin-based rhythms and styles
6 Jul 17 / Showmag
Small cast, big performances and beautiful pictures make LBO’s ‘Frida’ a can’t-miss treat
6 Jul 17 / Singerpreneur
Long Beach Opera's presentation of Robert Xavier Rodríguez's bio-opera about Frida Kahlo is often delightful
6 Jul 17 / LA Weekly
The acting and singing was consistently excellent from the small cast
6 Jul 17 / Culture Spot LA
‘Frida’ se despidió, pero no será fácilmente olvidada
6 Jul 17 / Hoy Los Angeles
A real life opera
6 Jul 17 / The Grunion
Bio-op brings revolutionary artists alive
6 Jul 17 / Hollywood Progressive
Sensuality and sorrow
6 Jul 17 / Easy Reader News
The life of Frida Kahlo, an opera waiting to happen
23 Jun 17 / People's World
Mexico’s Wonder Woman: Long Beach Opera tells the tale of Frida Kahlo
23 Jun 17 / Press-Telegram
Death haunts Frida Kahlo's long and clumsily winding road to the lyric stage
19 Jun 17 / Los Angeles Times
As One

Long Beach Opera


No. of reviews: 7

"As One" harmonizes
26 May 17 / The Grunion
Transgender opera “As One” gets transcendent Southern California premiere
26 May 17 / People's World
Long Beach Opera’s thoughtful “As One”
19 May 17 / Easy Reader News
As One strips away the showy conventions of classic opera
18 May 17 / Signal Tribune
Long Beach Opera’s ‘As One’ takes on the issue of transgender metamorphosis
17 May 17 / Press-Telegram
'As One,' the every(wo)man transgender opera
17 May 17 / Los Angeles Times
As One is not what you generally get at a night at the opera
15 May 17 / Random Lengths News
The Perfect American

Long Beach Opera


No. of reviews: 4

Long Beach Opera premieres Glass opera
18 Mar 17 / The Grunion
An opera about Walt Disney, in commuting distance of Disneyland
15 Mar 17 / Los Angeles Times
The mouse that roared: Philip Glass takes on Walt Disney
15 Mar 17 / San Francisco Classical Voice
Long Beach Opera’s ‘Perfect American’ examines the life of Walt Disney
15 Mar 17 / Press-Telegram
The Fairy Queen

Long Beach Opera


No. of reviews: 1

A gamble pays off: Long Beach Opera transports 1692 'Fairy Queen' to modern-day Vegas
25 Jan 17 / Los Angeles Times
The News

Long Beach Opera


No. of reviews: 2

There’s no getting around the fact that The News is a one-trick pony
21 Jun 16 / Random Lengths News
Is it news or entertainment?
21 Jun 16 / Los Angeles Times
La voix humaine

Long Beach Opera


No. of reviews: 5

Hanging on the telephone (literally)
22 Apr 16 / Long Beach Post
Definitely not your run-of-the-mill night at the opera
13 Apr 16 / Random Lengths News
Soprano Suzan Hanson dials up a masterful performance in Long Beach Opera’s ‘La Voix Humaine’
12 Apr 16 / Press-Telegram
Simple enough and simply, effectively delivered
11 Apr 16 / Orange County Register
Suzan Hanson brings immediacy, authenticity to Long Beach Opera's 'La Voix Humaine'
11 Apr 16 / Los Angeles Times
Fallujah

Long Beach Opera


No. of reviews: 8

Blood, sand and tears: A foreign correspondent's view of the opera 'Fallujah'
19 Mar 16 / Los Angeles Times
Long Beach Opera goes to war
19 Mar 16 / Easy Reader News
Long Beach Opera's 'Fallujah' tackles the Iraq war with authentic anguish
16 Mar 16 / Los Angeles Times
Fallujah the opera viscerally exposes the casualties of war
16 Mar 16 / San Francisco Classical Voice
Long Beach Opera’s ‘Fallujah’ is a powerful return to the battlefield
16 Mar 16 / Press-Telegram
On the emotional front, Fallujah is effective enough
16 Mar 16 / Random Lengths News
An Iraq war vet with PTSD turned turmoil into art
16 Mar 16 / LA Weekly
Long Beach Opera gives premiere of Iraq War opera 'Fallujah'
15 Mar 16 / Orange County Register
Long Beach Opera premieres 'Fallujah'
World premiere of opera 'Fallujah' in Long Beach may be among former Marine's most difficult missions.
Candide

Long Beach Opera


No. of reviews: 9

Forgive LBO any errors, because mostly it's on target
8 Feb 16 / LA Observed
Spirited and sloppy
6 Feb 16 / Long Beach Post
Long Beach Opera delivers a brisk, stylish 'Candide'
1 Feb 16 / Orange County Register
Long Beach Opera's "Candide" solves notorious problem
30 Jan 16 / The Grunion
Tragedy with a smile at Long Beach Opera
30 Jan 16 / Easy Reader News
Long Beach Opera’s clever new ‘Candide’
27 Jan 16 / Press-Telegram
LBO’s Candide lives or dies almost entirely on its performances
27 Jan 16 / Random Lengths News
'Candide' is revisited in a playfully imaginative staging by Long Beach Opera
26 Jan 16 / Los Angeles Times
Long Beach Opera opens with a hit
26 Jan 16 / City Watch LA
Hydrogen Jukebox

Long Beach Opera


No. of reviews: 8

LBO once again demonstrates its resourcefulness and originality
17 Jun 15 / Stage Raw
The simple beauty of the final unaccompanied chorale is the musical heart of the work
17 Jun 15 / Showmag
LBO’s modern song cycle brings ’60s back to life
17 Jun 15 / The Grunion
What happens when Allen Ginsberg and Philip Glass create an opera about America?
17 Jun 15 / LA Weekly
Long Beach Opera produces an unsettling dark journey into a neon American apocalypse
17 Jun 15 / Random Lengths News
In Hydrogen Jukebox, the most stunning moments feature either vocalise or spoken text
17 Jun 15 / auscultations
A timely illumination of the American experience
1 Jun 15 / Los Angeles Times
Long Beach Opera makes warehouse sing with Philip Glass' 'Hydrogen Jukebox'
1 Jun 15 / Orange County Register
A man of many voices
Roberto Perlas Gomez in “Hydrogen Jukebox”.
Marilyn Forever

Long Beach Opera


No. of reviews: 6

Fifty-three years following her death, Marilyn continues to fascinate us
31 Mar 15 / Signal Tribune
Why is this Marilyn Monroe opera so un-sexy?
26 Mar 15 / LA Weekly
Starlets and bible black
26 Mar 15 / a fool in the forest
Long Beach Opera unveils intriguing, passionate ‘Marilyn Forever’
24 Mar 15 / Press-Telegram
In 'Marilyn Forever,' Monroe yearns to be merely herself
24 Mar 15 / Los Angeles Times
Long Beach Opera offers a brooding 'Marilyn Forever'
23 Mar 15 / Orange County Register
Thérèse Raquin

Long Beach Opera


No. of reviews: 9

Oui, elle regrette tout
3 Feb 15 / a fool in the forest
A mostly smashing evening of musical theater, intelligent and involving
3 Feb 15 / Stage Raw
Nasty people make great opera for LBO
3 Feb 15 / The Grunion
Thérèse Raquin lives again at Long Beach Opera
3 Feb 15 / Singerpreneur
This is an opera that is a feast for the ears
31 Jan 15 / Signal Tribune
Long Beach Opera delivers a bloodless Thérèse Raquin
28 Jan 15 / San Francisco Classical Voice
Carnal crisis at Long Beach Opera
28 Jan 15 / Easy Reader News
Long Beach Opera revives 'Thérèse Raquin'
26 Jan 15 / Orange County Register
Long Beach Opera puts its own spin on 'Thérèse Raquin'
26 Jan 15 / Los Angeles Times
The Difficulty of Crossing a Field

Long Beach Opera


No. of reviews: 5

Where what is, is not
28 Jun 14 / Long Beach Post
Long Beach Opera revives David Lang’s ‘The Difficulty of Crossing a Field’
25 Jun 14 / Opera West
Superior recent opera, suffused with imponderable mystery, receives an extraordinary production
25 Jun 14 / The Hollywood Reporter
Nothing is as it disappears
25 Jun 14 / a fool in the forest
Long Beach Opera finds no difficulty with ‘Crossing a Field’
24 Jun 14 / Press-Telegram
A Fiddler's Tale

Long Beach Opera


No. of reviews: 5

Long Beach Opera shines in double bill
13 May 14 / Los Angeles Register
Long Beach Opera’s inspired take on ‘A Solider’s Tale’ may not be everyone’s taste
13 May 14 / Press-Telegram
Long Beach Opera offers a provocative Stravinsky/Wynton Marsalis pairing
13 May 14 / Opera West
A prismatic reinvention of the original as contemporary theater
8 May 14 / The Hollywood Reporter
Long Beach Opera stretches Stravinsky with two makeovers
8 May 14 / Los Angeles Times
An American Soldier's Tale

Long Beach Opera


No. of reviews: 5

Long Beach Opera shines in double bill
13 May 14 / Los Angeles Register
Long Beach Opera’s inspired take on ‘A Solider’s Tale’ may not be everyone’s taste
13 May 14 / Press-Telegram
Long Beach Opera offers a provocative Stravinsky/Wynton Marsalis pairing
13 May 14 / Opera West
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20 Apr 2024
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News & Articles

Long Beach Opera unveils 2023 season
The season will open in February 2023 with the world premiere of “The Romance of the Rose” by Kate Soper.
15 Oct 2022 / OperaWire
Long Beach Opera cancels ‘Stimmung,’ director resigns
Long Beach Opera has announced the cancellation of “Stimmung,” its first show of the 2022 season, amid investigation into issues of equity, diversity.
15 Mar 2022 / Los Angeles Times
Long Beach Opera announces 2022 season
Long Beach Opera has announced an audacious 2022 season that seeks to usher in a new era for the company.
13 Aug 2021 / Broadway World
Long Beach Opera names next leader
Long Beach Opera names pandemic go-to director James Darrah as its next leader.
23 Feb 2021 / Los Angeles Times
Long Beach Opera announces fall 2020 programming
Long Beach Opera has announced three programs for its fall 2020 season. All performances and events will be presented virtually.
19 Sep 2020 / OperaWire