SHAMELESS HOLIDAY SELF-PROMOTION: But what’s new around here?

Sorry that the C.C. vibe has atrophied in recent to a mere drizzle of self-promotion. But I HAVE to! “It’s in my nature.” So without further apology… First: I’ve had the immense honor (and enormous pleasure) to assemble the opening musical medley for the illustrious, lustrous, and lustful Justin Bond’s “Christmas Spells” opening tomorrow (Wed, [...]

It Is Written

As some of you may know, I have been hard at work on a new opera over the last few months. It is now finished and had its world premiere this past weekend at the Mt. Tremper Arts summer festival in the Catskills. With my ensemble, Collective Opera Company, we created SCARLET FEVER, an evening-length [...]

Der Bling des Nibelung: Götterdämmerung

Jeez, this NYCO situation just keeps getting sadder. Yesterday, Bloomberg reported that an AGMA union strike was imminent, based on a memo AGMA sent out to its members, calling a strike “likely.” It seems the memo also goes so far as to recognize the possibility that a strike could sink the City Opera for good. [...]

Der Bling des Nibelung: Siegfried!!!

Der Bling des Nibelung: Die Walküre

Der Bling des Nibelung

So, enough with the depressing news! As much as it’s fun to report on all the havoc the economic meltdown is reeking upon the arts, it’s just getting too depressing. So I thought I’d lighten things up a bit by presenting a Blingee preview of the Ring Cycle I had intended to bring to NYCO, [...]

Killing The Family To Build The House

So, crap. Friday, Dan Wakin reports that our dear Brooklyn Philharmonic has canceled all of its concerts for this season, as well as “all of next season’s subscription concerts”. Ironically, the educational programs will still continue, since they still have funding from the government. This is the kind of crap that drives me insane. It’s [...]

TO DO: “Pussy Faggot”

TONIGHT @ The Delancey, ubiquitous downtown producer Earl Dax is throwing a birthday bash for himself, which doubles as a fundraiser for Dixon Place’s HOT! Festival of queer performance. In light of Claudia La Rocco’s insightful piece on the negative impact capital campaigns and anchoring real estate ventures can have on the missions of small [...]

TO DO: 8 SONGS

I don’t know what else to say, but: GO SEE PETER TANTSITS TONIGHT. He’s performing his fierce production of Peter Maxwell Davies’ legendary and totally insane vocal theater work, “8 Songs for a Mad King”, tonight–FOR ONE LAST TIME–at Le Poisson Rouge. Not only will you have very few opportunities in your lifetime to see [...]

“Manchester, England, England!”

Early last evening, C.C. hit a little cocktail party/press conference at the W hotel in Union Square for the second Manchester Festival, an original-work biennial festival taking place in the jolly old town of Manchester UK. This year’s festival, taking place over two weeks in July, features a pretty serious 17-day performance art attack on [...]