Latest news with #GregorySpears
Boston Globe
07-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Some modest proposals for what might safely play at a ‘First Lady Melania Trump Opera House'
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up And we'll lay aside the fact that under current federal law, it Advertisement Whatever the outcome, Trump's ideas of what is acceptable (or not) as art are already having an impact on the opera house's programming. This past spring, Gregory Spears and Greg Pierce pulled their smart Dupont Circle drama ' Advertisement Trump, meanwhile, has indicated his desire for no further 'drag shows or anti-American propaganda' at the nation's cultural center. That rules out a significant number of titles, whether that be because they feature roles intended to be performed en travesti (that means 'in drag' in opera-speak, also known as Italian) or they depict American characters as entitled and greedy — for example, Puccini's 'Madama Butterfly,' which associates snippets of 'The Star-Spangled Banner' with the dishonest American Navy Lieutenant Pinkerton. So what can the opera house play? Fortunately, there are plenty of operas that should satisfy the commander-in-chief's scruples while also pleasing audiences who don't necessarily agree with him. We combed the repertoire for a few possibilities. DON GIOVANNI (W.A. Mozart) 'Madamina, il catalogo è questo …,' the popular aria, is just one of the reasons why this Mozart dramedy would make the pitch-perfect season opener. Not only does Don Giovanni pack some of the most relentless earworms in the operatic repertoire, but the plot revolves around a deceitful philanderer and carries a prescient moral: No matter how much money and social clout one may possess, or how many loyal lackeys one may have to shield them from vengeful exes, jealous husbands, and angry members of the public, no one can run forever from the consequences of their actions. In the Don's case, that means getting dragged to hell in the final scene by a statue of a man he murdered at the beginning. Advertisement NABUCCO (Giuseppe Verdi) Nothing's more dangerous than a leader who thinks he's a god; just ask the King of Babylon in this beloved Verdi opera. He gets struck down by lightning, driven insane, and thus tricked into signing a death warrant for all the Israelites in his kingdom as well as his own daughter. WOZZECK (Alban Berg) At its heart, 'Wozzeck' is a cautionary tale about the dangers of trusting quack doctors who prescribe fad diets. Eat nothing but beans and mutton, and you might just murder the mother of your child, terrify everyone in your local watering hole, and hallucinate your way into a long walk off a short pier. Who knows what might happen if you follow a so-called CATS (Andrew Lloyd Webber) Not an opera? Close enough, it's sung through! And believe it or not, 'CATS' is having a bit of a moment — and it's not because of the never to cause any queer awakenings. Skintight leotards and leg warmers for all! Advertisement NIXON IN CHINA (John Adams) Need we really say more? A.Z. Madonna can be reached at
New York Times
27-03-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Under Trump, Kennedy Center's Classical Offerings Will (Mostly) Go On
The Kennedy Center's flagship opera company and symphony orchestra announced Thursday that they plan to present robust and fairly typical programs next season, the first full season since President Trump took over the institution. But one prominent work was missing from the lineup: Gregory Spears and Greg Pierce's 'Fellow Travelers,' an opera set in the 1950s about two men working for the government who become lovers. The work was withdrawn by its creators because of concerns about Mr. Trump's takeover, according to a letter obtained by The New York Times. Washington National Opera said the 2025-26 season would include classics like Verdi's 'Aida' and less commonly heard works like 'Treemonisha,' an opera by the ragtime composer Scott Joplin. The National Symphony Orchestra is planning warhorses by Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich and world premieres by Carlos Simon, the Kennedy Center's composer in residence; Valerie Coleman; and others. In a sign of the political sensitives at the Kennedy Center, the leaders of the opera and the symphony declined to be interviewed about the new season. The center has been in flux since Mr. Trump purged its previously bipartisan board of Biden appointees and had himself elected chairman. The president's actions have prompted an outcry, leading some artists to cancel engagements there in protest. The musical 'Hamilton' scrapped a planned tour there next year. The classical field, in which seasons are planned years in advance, has largely been unaffected. But the creators of 'Fellow Travelers,' an opera based on the 2007 novel by Thomas Mallon, confirmed this week that they were pulling the work, which was supposed to have its Washington premiere next year. The creators said in a recent letter to Washington National Opera that Mr. Trump's takeover ran counter to the values of 'freedom and liberty for all people' that are highlighted in the opera. 'We have made the impossibly difficult decision that the Kennedy Center is not a place the team feels comfortable having the work presented,' said the letter. In a statement, the leaders of Washington National Opera, Tim O'Leary and Francesca Zambello, said they were disappointed by the decision to withdraw 'Fellow Travelers.' 'We deeply regret that the creative team of 'Fellow Travelers' has decided to deprive W.N.O. audiences of the chance to experience this opera,' Mr. O'Leary and Ms. Zambello said. 'Art and music have the power to rise above division and bring people together to find common ground. The W.N.O. has long been a place for everyone to enjoy the power of the opera and it will remain a place for patrons of all backgrounds and beliefs.' 'Fellow Travelers,' which is set in Washington and premiered at Cincinnati Opera in 2016, will be replaced by a new production of Robert Ward's 'The Crucible.' It will be conducted by Robert Spano as part of his inaugural season as the opera company's music director. The season announcement came as the Kennedy Center undergoes significant change under Richard Grenell, a former ambassador to Germany, whom Mr. Trump appointed as the Kennedy Center's new president. This week, the center gutted a community outreach program known as Social Impact, firing several employees and deleting some references to the program on its website. The program had worked to expand the audience for opera and symphony performances; to commission works by underrepresented voices; and to 'advance justice and equity.' (The Trump administration has shuttered many diversity-themed efforts across the federal government.) Marc Bamuthi Joseph, who was dismissed as a vice president at the center who oversaw Social Impact, lamented the end of the programs. 'They were wildly successful, they were growing, there was a positive trajectory,' he said in an interview. 'There was no evidence at all that the programs were a detriment to the institution.' The Kennedy Center did not respond to a request for comment about the cuts. But Donna Arduin, the center's new chief financial officer, wrote in a letter to staff on Wednesday that the center was facing serious fiscal challenges. 'The road out of this economic environment will not be easy and the shift will be felt across the center,' she wrote. Mr. Grenell, in a social media post on Wednesday, said the center would begin by 'cutting executive pay and downsizing the staff where possible.' Despite the upheaval, many artists and employees have chosen to stay on. The conductor Gianandrea Noseda recently renewed his contract as music director of the National Symphony through at least 2031. And Mr. Simon, the center's composer in residence, said in an interview that he would maintain his affiliation, saying he felt his music could 'reflect what's happening in the world — unapologetically.' Mr. Simon, who will premiere a double concerto for violin and cello next season with the National Symphony, said he felt he had creative freedom at the center. 'Now is not the time to pull back,' he said. 'Now is the time for artists to create.'
