Latest news with #FloridaGrandOpera
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘RHOM' star Julia Lemigova reveals ‘sad and disturbing' Adriana de Moura friendship breakup: ‘What's done is done'
'Real Housewives of Miami' star Julia Lemigova is getting real about her fallout with ex-bestie Adriana de Moura. Calling in to SiriusXM's 'Page Six Radio' on Friday, Lemigova told us about the 'sad and disturbing' end of their friendship while discussing her current role in the Florida Grand Opera's 'Carmen.' 'Sorry to break [this to you]. [De Moura] will not be coming to watch me in 'Carmen,'' said the Bravolebrity, who has performances at the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale on April 24 and 26. 'For years, people have been telling me not to trust certain people, and I think I wanted to fight that, to fight what they were telling me,' she continued. 'But now I'm finally opening my eyes and seeing maybe they were right all along.' Lemigova, 52, joined 'RHOM' in Season 4 when Peacock rebooted the reality show in 2021 after eight years off the air. She entered the fray via de Moura, 59, a longtime friend, who starred as a full-time cast member in the original iteration, but has maintained a 'friend of' role in its revived state. Lemigova told 'Page Six Radio' that she and de Moura clashed while filming the forthcoming seventh season of 'RHOM,' further claiming that the 'Feel the Rush' singer came 'directly at' her on camera. In video footage that circulated on social media in December 2024, Lemigova and de Moura were seen in a skirmish for which production was present. In one clip, de Moura seemed to tell Lemigova, 'I see you for who you are … and now I'm going to treat you how you treat me.' Months later, Lemigova — a native of Russia who made history as the first out lesbian 'Housewife' to be cast on the juggernaut franchise — seems befuddled by de Moura's assessment of their discord. Lemigova is curious to discover more details about de Moura's reasons for engaging in a feud when 'RHOM' returns. (Bravo released a teaser for the new season this week, but the network has yet to announce a premiere date.) This story was featured on a recent episode of , a daily morning show serving up the hottest celebrity headlines, exclusives, and behind-the-scenes buzz. Catch Danny, Evan and Ian chat with celebrity guests every weekday on SiriusXM from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. ET on Stars Ch. 109. SiriusXM service required. See Offer Details. 'Adriana is a very mysterious person. You never really know with her. You will see it,' explained Lemigova, who is anxious to see what de Moura said behind her back when the women filmed separately. 'The incredible part is, as you're watching the show, you will be discovering things about our relationship at the same time as I am discovering them myself.' Lemigova told 'Page Six Radio' that while the future of her friendship with de Moura remains in flux, a reconciliation doesn't seem imminent. 'There are still maybe some things I don't know [about why we fell out]. I don't even know what and why. I just know some facts, and it's very sad and disturbing. But, you know, what's done is done,' she said. 'And life is going on. You just have to learn from things and just keep going. So I don't know what tomorrow's going to bring — but for now, all I can say is, no, Adriana will not be coming to see me in 'Carmen.'' Several of Lemigova's 'RHOM' co-stars — including Kiki Barth, plus off-and-on couple Alexia and Todd Nepola — did, however, come to see her light up the stage as Carmen's nemesis, Manuelita, when the opera played in Miami on April 12. Typically, Manuelita is seen for just 10 seconds onstage and, in some productions of 'Carmen,' only mentioned by name. But director Maria Todaro wanted to utilize Lemigova's star power, showcasing her character — who doesn't sing but delivers a physically demanding performance — in all four acts. 'It's a very sexy show,' said Lemigova, noting that Alexia, 57, and Todd, 52 — who recently finalized their divorce but appear to still be dating, hitting up events on the Miami social scene and even smooching in public — seemed to be be so 'hot and bothered' by the opera that they had to 'excuse themselves' from the audience. The entertainer added, 'They did leave. Maybe it was a little too hot to handle and they had to go home, but I think that just means we did a good job onstage.'
Miami Herald
08-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Florida Grand Opera's ‘Carmen' has plenty of legacy and a ‘Real Housewife' of Miami
Behind the scenes of Florida Grand Opera's 'Carmen,' there are intriguing legacies: This will be the 24th production for mezzo soprano Ginger Costa-Jackson who will be singing the role of 'Carmen'; Julia Lemigova, one of the stars of the reality television series 'The Real Housewives of Miami,' is in the production in a role that has always been miniscule but now has more stage time; and director Maria Todaro comes from a long line of 'Carmen' history – her mother, a celebrated Brazilian mezzo-soprano, has sung the role of Carmen 250 times. Todaro has reimagined the production, taking it out of George Bizet's early 19th century Spain and placing it in the midst of the Spanish Civil War in 1937. Todaro, who has been with Florida Grand Opera (FGO) since October 2023, first as its interim general director and general director and CEO since 2024, conceived and directs FGO's 'Carmen,' opening Saturday, April 12, at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts. It will also be performed in Fort Lauderdale at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts on Thursday, April 24 and Friday, April 25. 'This is for me, an enormous joy,' says Todaro, who has sung the role as a mezzo soprano in her own professional career, 'because I'll be working with exquisite artists that I've chosen and without changing a word, without changing the music, we are telling a very powerful story. [It is] the same story, but with layers that are deeper and empowering for women.' For the French-born Todaro, 'Carmen' is not just an opera, but a deeply personal, artistic and familial touchstone. 'When I was an opera singer, I performed many Carmens,' says Todaro. 'And my mother was the youngest singer in the history of 'Carmen.' She is the daughter of opera singers José Todaro, a Spanish/Italian operatic tenor, who frequently played the role of Don José, and Brazilian mezzo soprano Maria-Helena de Olivera who, at 21 was the youngest singer to debut in the role, performing at La Monnaie in Brussels. She went on to perform the Spanish gypsy 250 times. In FGO's production of 'Carmen,' Todaro cast Ginger Costa-Jackson in a role that has become her signature, performing as Carmen in productions with major companies in Seattle, San Diego, San Francisco, Nashville, Detroit, Vancouver and Tokyo. In a first, her soprano sisters, Marina Costa-Jackson and Miriam Costa-Jackson, will alternate performances as Micaëla, the first time all three have performed in a production together, albeit only sharing a brief scene. 'There's only one moment that In Act 3 where Micaëla and my character interact on stage. She's disguised as a boy and I am actually the one that removes her hat because she is in disguise and the minute I take off her hat, I see all of her hair falling down and I say, 'It's a woman.' ' Ginger Costa-Jackson recalls that during rehearsals the sisters would all 'break down laughing because we have this face off and we would just crack up when I would reveal Micaëla's identity.' She says they have been working to remain serious when the curtain goes up. While Ginger Costa-Jackson has worked with Todaro in other productions, this will be the three sisters debut with FGO. 'And you've heard that we have a Miami housewife with us,' says Costa-Jackson. Lemigova, the wife of tennis star Martina Navratilova, and the first LGBTQ+ housewife to be featured in Bravo's reality television show, has been studying voice with Florida Grand Opera for the past year, and is making her opera debut in a non-singing role as Manuelita, a factory work and Carmen's rival. 'We have some cat fighting scenes together and it's so fun,' says Costa-Jackson. Todaro says it is a very physical role she's given Lemigova. 'Usually, the character is seen for about ten seconds and, in some productions you don't even see her, she is just mentioned. In my version, you'll see her in all four acts,' says Todaro, who worked with Lemigova on stage combat, a disfiguration sequence, and 'intense interactions' with the cast. Todaro says deliberately expanding the character's presence in the opera emphasizes the role of women in the director's Spanish Civil War setting. 'The Spanish Civil War offers a context that Carmen is a freedom fighter,' says Todaro. She references the book 'Carmen' by Prosper Mérimée, the original novella from 1845 that inspired the classic opera by Bizet. 'Before Carmen dies, she says 'I was born free and I will die free.' So this statement from Mérimée is really the epitome of who Carmen is,' she says. 'Placing it in the Spanish Civil War allowed me to give another sense to the word freedom that is always so emphasized. It's not just her sexual freedom. She says, 'I have had many lovers. And one day they are here and one day they are gone.' Now, her mission is the fight for freedom during a war.' 'Carmen,' Bizet's opera of a free-spirited Gypsy woman, has become one of the most frequently performed operas. Some of the French opera's arias have become part of pop culture, such as the recognizable 'Habanera,' with its familiar pizzicato strings and orchestra used as a soundtrack for television and movie comedic moments — such as the Swedish Chef and Beaker singing together on 'The Muppets,' in a Doritos commercial during the 2008 Super Bowl, and to dramatize Mr. Carl Fredricksen's long descend down the stairs to start his day in Disney Pixar's film 'Up.' 'The traditionalist will look at it with an eye of 'ooh, I'm surprised,''' says Todaro about her 'Carmen.' 'There are things in this production like the treatment of 'Habanera,' for instance and the first time Carmen enters the stage. Usually, you see her as a femme fatale, but I've done something very different. But I don't want to give away the secrets.' She does divulge that she inserted writer Ernest Hemingway into her version – the novelist was in Spain during the Civil War as a correspondent. Since her opera is set in the midst of Francisco Franco's dictatorship she had to consult with her prop master about elements on the set that would be relevant to 1937. Should a poster say 'Libertad' like she had used in a previous production she directed in 2018 or would she rather 'Unidad' in 2025? 'In my other shows I always had 'libertad,' like a cry for freedom. In today's context, we debated about the purpose of art and the responsibility that we have. Whatever is happening in the world does not belong to me, the interpretation is for the audience. This company is a place of connection, of unity, a place where we want to create dialogue and where it should be a safe place for everyone to come and to discuss.' Todaro says as the executive director, CEO of FGO and the director of its current production,' she sees her job as this: 'My role is not to influence. My role is to present.' If you go: WHAT: Florida Grand Opera's 'Carmen' (Sung in French with English and Spanish projected translations) WHEN: 7 p.m. Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday and 8 p.m. April 15; also in Fort Lauderdale, 7:30 p.m. April 24 and 26. WHERE: Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, 1300 Biscayne Blvd., and Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW 5th Ave., Fort Lauderdale. COST: Miami: $22- $258; Broward: $25 – $215 INFORMATION: 800-741-1010 or is a nonprofit source of theater, dance, visual arts, music and performing arts news. Sign up for our newsletter and never miss a story.
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Miami City Ballet's artistic director is leaving. What's next for her and the company?
Just a day after the Miami City Ballet announced its 40th anniversary season, Lourdes Lopez, only the second artistic director since the company was founded in 1985, announced she is stepping down at the end of the season. Speaking from her Coconut Grove home, Lopez says she first wanted to dispel rumors. 'I'm in totally great health. I have energy, vitality, all that. My family is great. My husband is great. My daughters are great, knock on wood.' Lopez, 66, who was hired by the Miami City Ballet in 2012 and officially became the artistic director in May 2013, had two years left on her contract and says her departure was not a decision she took lightly. However, she felt there was something more she could do for the arts in Miami. While her new vision is still in what she calls 'the hypothetical stage,' Lopez wants to be a centrifugal force in building a stronger collaborative infrastructure for all arts groups in Miami to work together. 'There's a vitality to Miami; it's an international city, and there are these pockets of neighborhoods. But there are also certain things within its infrastructure that make it difficult for the arts to truly flourish,' she says. She rattles off names of some of Miami's professional companies — Nu Deco, Miami New Drama, New World Symphony, Florida Grand Opera, and, of course, Miami City Ballet. 'They are producing some high-level quality work on our stages, really impressive programming,' but she concludes that everyone is fighting for the same audience. 'We have the same donors, the same boards. We're all sort of eating each other's lunch. Is there a way to pull our resources together and put all of that under one roof?' She cites an example of Florida Grand Opera presenting 'Carmen,' the first major production to be directed by its new general director Maria Todero in April and only weeks before Miami City Ballet presents its world premiere of Bizet's 'Carmen' by internationally known Colombian-Belgian choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa. 'But what if, in a perfect world, or a different world it would be possible for both companies to work together — some kind of shared idea where we aren't competing against each other but working together?' She sums up her new vision: 'I want to figure out the arts in Miami.' Lopez was born in Cuba in 1958. Her parents defected from the island in 1959 and she and her sisters came to the United States two years later. When she was 11, she received a full scholarship to the School of American Ballet (SAB), the New York City Ballet's official school, splitting time between Miami and New York City. At 14, she devoted to full-time studies at SAB, and, at 16 she joined the corps de ballet at the New York City Ballet. She was with NYCB for more than two decades, interpreting many of George Balanchine's and Jerome Robbins's roles as a principal dancer. The role of artistic director for the Miami City Ballet was her first time managing a large organization, she says. There was 'an extraordinary board, group of dancers and artistic team that, when I arrived and I said, 'I have a vision of what the ballet school and the company might look like,' they didn't blink.' During her tenure, she curated groundbreaking programming, including the U.S. premiere of Alexei Ratmansky's 'Swan Lake' and expanded the company's repertory with world premieres including bringing a fresh look to Balanchine's 1962 narrative masterpiece, 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' for the company's 30th anniversary in 2016. She enlisted Miami-born award-winning artist Michele Oka Doner to redesign the ballet's set and re-design the costumes and Liberty City-born Oscar-winner Tarrell Alvin McCraney to guide the dancers through the dramaturgy. She also led the company through the pandemic and ensured that the holiday staple 'The Nutcracker' wouldn't miss its annual performance developing an outdoor COVID-19 safe 'George Balanchine's Nutcracker in the Park' in downtown Doral in 2020. Acknowledging her challenges, opportunities and successes in moving the Miami City Ballet forward, Lopez believes every organization comes to a place where change is necessary. 'After a while, all organizations need new leadership, a company needs new energy, a new way of looking at the dancers, a new way of looking at the community.' Jeff Davis, chair of MCB's board of trustees, in a prepared statement, said that the company has flourished under Lopez's leadership. 'MCB's Board of Directors recently adopted a strategic framework with valuable input from Lourdes. The plan outlines initiatives centered on three main objectives: elevating Miami's profile as a national arts and cultural leader; growing artists and arts enthusiast; and building an endowment for future sustainability. This strategic direction will help guide our search for the next artistic director.' The company has an annual operating budget of about $25 million. The board will begin the process of a search for a new artistic director although no timeline has been set, according to the company. is a nonprofit media source for the arts featuring fresh and original stories by writers dedicated to theater, dance, visual arts, film, music and more. Don't miss a story at
Miami Herald
15-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Miami City Ballet's artistic director is leaving. What's next for her and the company?
Just a day after the Miami City Ballet announced its 40th anniversary season, Lourdes Lopez, only the second artistic director since the company was founded in 1985, announced she is stepping down at the end of the season. Speaking from her Coconut Grove home, Lopez says she first wanted to dispel rumors. 'I'm in totally great health. I have energy, vitality, all that. My family is great. My husband is great. My daughters are great, knock on wood.' Lopez, 66, who was hired by the Miami City Ballet in 2012 and officially became the artistic director in May 2013, had two years left on her contract and says her departure was not a decision she took lightly. However, she felt there was something more she could do for the arts in Miami. While her new vision is still in what she calls 'the hypothetical stage,' Lopez wants to be a centrifugal force in building a stronger collaborative infrastructure for all arts groups in Miami to work together. 'There's a vitality to Miami; it's an international city, and there are these pockets of neighborhoods. But there are also certain things within its infrastructure that make it difficult for the arts to truly flourish,' she says. She rattles off names of some of Miami's professional companies — Nu Deco, Miami New Drama, New World Symphony, Florida Grand Opera, and, of course, Miami City Ballet. 'They are producing some high-level quality work on our stages, really impressive programming,' but she concludes that everyone is fighting for the same audience. 'We have the same donors, the same boards. We're all sort of eating each other's lunch. Is there a way to pull our resources together and put all of that under one roof?' She cites an example of Florida Grand Opera presenting 'Carmen,' the first major production to be directed by its new general director Maria Todero in April and only weeks before Miami City Ballet presents its world premiere of Bizet's 'Carmen' by internationally known Colombian-Belgian choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa. 'But what if, in a perfect world, or a different world it would be possible for both companies to work together — some kind of shared idea where we aren't competing against each other but working together?' She sums up her new vision: 'I want to figure out the arts in Miami.' Early years Lopez was born in Cuba in 1958. Her parents defected from the island in 1959 and she and her sisters came to the United States two years later. When she was 11, she received a full scholarship to the School of American Ballet (SAB), the New York City Ballet's official school, splitting time between Miami and New York City. At 14, she devoted to full-time studies at SAB, and, at 16 she joined the corps de ballet at the New York City Ballet. She was with NYCB for more than two decades, interpreting many of George Balanchine's and Jerome Robbins's roles as a principal dancer. Tenure with Miami City Ballet The role of artistic director for the Miami City Ballet was her first time managing a large organization, she says. There was 'an extraordinary board, group of dancers and artistic team that, when I arrived and I said, 'I have a vision of what the ballet school and the company might look like,' they didn't blink.' During her tenure, she curated groundbreaking programming, including the U.S. premiere of Alexei Ratmansky's 'Swan Lake' and expanded the company's repertory with world premieres including bringing a fresh look to Balanchine's 1962 narrative masterpiece, 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' for the company's 30th anniversary in 2016. She enlisted Miami-born award-winning artist Michele Oka Doner to redesign the ballet's set and re-design the costumes and Liberty City-born Oscar-winner Tarrell Alvin McCraney to guide the dancers through the dramaturgy. She also led the company through the pandemic and ensured that the holiday staple 'The Nutcracker' wouldn't miss its annual performance developing an outdoor COVID-19 safe 'George Balanchine's Nutcracker in the Park' in downtown Doral in 2020. Looking ahead Acknowledging her challenges, opportunities and successes in moving the Miami City Ballet forward, Lopez believes every organization comes to a place where change is necessary. 'After a while, all organizations need new leadership, a company needs new energy, a new way of looking at the dancers, a new way of looking at the community.' Jeff Davis, chair of MCB's board of trustees, in a prepared statement, said that the company has flourished under Lopez's leadership. 'MCB's Board of Directors recently adopted a strategic framework with valuable input from Lourdes. The plan outlines initiatives centered on three main objectives: elevating Miami's profile as a national arts and cultural leader; growing artists and arts enthusiast; and building an endowment for future sustainability. This strategic direction will help guide our search for the next artistic director.' The company has an annual operating budget of about $25 million. The board will begin the process of a search for a new artistic director although no timeline has been set, according to the company. is a nonprofit media source for the arts featuring fresh and original stories by writers dedicated to theater, dance, visual arts, film, music and more. Don't miss a story at
