Jeopardy! Goes To The Metropolitan Opera For Costumes Category

Playing Henry VIII in the costume department for a behind-the-scenes video of Alex Trebek for Jeopardy!.

Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek dressed as Méphistophélès in the MET costume department.

Contestants looked stunned trying to answer opera costume questions on Jeopardy!

Stephen Costello Leans On Family Member During Tough Times

Familial Lifeline: Stephen Costello (left) with his cousin
Brian Costello (Photo: Facebook)

"'Not trusting people, not believing you have anyone there to support you. I did have people, but I just didn’t know they were there.' One of the few people who knew the full story was Costello’s cousin Brian Costello. They grew up together in the working class suburb of Northeast Philadelphia. Brian’s dad Pat co-founded a boxing club for underprivileged teens from the neighborhood with their uncle, Tim, named the Jack Costello Boxing Club after their father, Costello and Brian’s grandfather. At the opening of the boxing club in 1996, Stephen sang the national anthem for the inaugural exhibition fight, in which Brian fought. They were 15. Born less than a month apart, Costello and Brian grew up together having sleepovers every weekend, watching horror movies, and eating pizza. Costello’s interest in music started in sixth grade; Brian played the saxophone and Costello “wanted to be like Brian,” so he took up the trumpet. Brian, sober since 2010, lives in their grandmother’s old house in the Tacony section of Philadelphia right down the street from the boxing club with his wife Nicole and two children. When Costello first decided to divorce he called Brian, who flew immediately to be with him in Chicago. In the midst of his Traviata cancellation crisis, Costello called Brian again, just after he had pulled out of the first performance, and the second one approaching. Brian told The Daily Beast, 'He called me and I could barely hear him. He had such a depressed tone. He felt like he let people down.' Brian told Costello he had to let go of everything that happened prior, and the stress of worrying about what people thought and how things looked. He came to join him in New York, and attended Costello’s second night of Traviata, Brian’s first opera at the Met, and the first opera he had seen Costello in. Brian gave Costello the 24-hour AA coin they had given him the day he left rehab. 'I told him what happened yesterday or last week

Anna Netrekbo In Dramatic Photos From Opernhaus Zürich "Bolena"

Stunning images have emerged from Anna Netrebko's performances of Giancarlo del Monaco's production of Anna Bolena at Opernhaus Zürich. The cast includes Ismael Jordi, Luca Pisaroni, and Veronica Simeoni. The opening night performance took place March 20, 2015. For ticket information, click here. Full cast list and more photos, after the jump.

MET Cover Tenor Taylor Stayton Takes Center Stage At PBO

Tenor of the High Seas: Taylor Stayton
shows off his top C's in Florida

"Life is good for tenor Taylor Stayton. Wearing baggy shorts, t-shirt and a boyish smile, he was celebrating his 30th birthday last Friday when he arrived for an interview at Palm Beach Opera’s production center in West Palm Beach. On Friday and Sunday, he will make his role debut as Tonio in the company’s production of Gaetano Donizetti’s comic opera The Daughter of the Regiment....Not many tenors are up to portraying Tonio. That’s because of the nine high Cs in his first act aria 'Ah, mes amis…Pour mon ame.' It’s the aria that rocketed Luciano Pavarotti to stardom when he sang it in 1972 at the Metropolitan Opera. 'The thing is, it’s like a secret among us tenors,' he said. 'If you have a high C, it’s not that difficult'....But it wasn’t just his facility with high Cs that persuaded Palm Beach Opera to cast him. Beauty of voice, tone and line are paramount in bel canto opera. 'His voice has such a lyric quality that the parts that aren’t high Cs are also beautifully sung,' said Scott Guzielek, director of artistic operations. As a teenager, Stayton sang, played guitar and performed in school musicals and choirs. He grew up listening to bands such as Aerosmith, The Beatles, Steely Dan and The Band and still loves classic rock. He was steered into opera at Ohio State University. In addition to performing with smaller companies, he’s covered several roles at the Met. One memorable night in 2011 he wound up on stage as Percy in Anna Bolena alongside soprano Anna Netrebko, when Stephen Costello fell ill in the middle of the show. 'Within five minutes, they threw me into costumes and makeup,' he said. 'It was better that way. If he’d canceled two days before I would have had to sit for two days and gotten my nerve up.' In April, he will return to the Met to cover Costello in The Merry Widow. At this stage of his career he prefers comic roles. 'That’s my personality,' he said." [Source] Click here for more information about the Palm Beach Opera production of Donizetti's The Daughter of the Regiment by clicking here.

Sondra Radvanovsky & Jamie Barton: Opera Rivalry And Friendship

Donizetti Darlings: Jamie Barton (left) and Sondra Radvanovsky take on historical figures at the Lyric Opera of Chicago starting December 6, 2014. (Photo: Zbigniew Bzdak/Chicago Tribune)

"On a recent afternoon backstage at Lyric Opera, Sondra Radvanovsky and Jamie Barton were behaving like the gal pals they are, hugging each other and singing each other's praises. Quite the contrast to the emotional sparring partners the singers are playing in Lyric's new production of Gaetano Donizetti's Anna Bolena — the castoff consort Anne Boleyn and Jane Seymour, Anne's lady-in-waiting and rival for the affections of the cruel King Henry VIII. Indeed, in conversation, neither the Berwyn-born soprano nor the Georgia-native mezzo-soprano came across as your standard-issue diva, however imperious they behave in the long-awaited Lyric return of Donizetti's bel canto masterpiece, which opens Saturday night at the Civic Opera House. 'It's fun

Sondra Radvanovsky as Anna Bolena
(Photo: Todd Rosenberg/Lyric Opera of Chicago)

and exciting when we put our voices together,' said Radvanovsky, who's familiar to Lyric audiences for her portrayals of the big Verdi soprano roles, and who's lately been enhancing her star status in the bel canto repertory as well. 'Yes, it's fascinating how well our voices blend,' agreed Barton, a singer whose stellar promise Lyric has nurtured in various supporting roles since her company debut in 2011. The sublime beauty of classically trained voices intertwining in soaring melodic arcs is one of the hallmarks of bel canto opera, of which Anna Bolena (1830), Donizetti's first big international success, is a shining example." Read the full interview and see lots of rehearsal photos by clicking here. Lyric Opera's production of Donizetti's Anna Bolena opens at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and continues through Jan. 16 at the Civic Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive; $34-$244; $20-$40 children; 312-827-5600, lyricopera.org. [Source] One more production photo after the jump.

Anna Netrebko, Stephen Costello, Peter Gelb on "Charlie Rose"

Soprano Anna Netrebko, tenor Stephen Costello and General Manager Peter Gelb, stop by the studio of the Charlie Rose Show to discuss the current David McVicar production of Donizetti's Anna Bolena. Watch the full episode by clicking here.

Metropolitan Opera Opening Night Gala Dinner Photos

Henry Kissinger, Met Opera General Manager Peter Gelb, bass-baritone Erwin Schrott, soprano Anna Netrebko, Sid Bass, Mercedes Bass and Oscar de la Renta.
(Photo: Amanda Gordon/Bloomberg)

“'Let’s just say, I think this is my time,' Anna Netrebko suggested after her performance in Anna Bolena at the Metropolitan Opera’s opening gala last night. 'Tomorrow it’s going to be someone else’s.' Netrebko sang in a new staging of Donizetti’s opera about Anne Boleyn, whose beheading started a trend at the court of Henry VIII. Netrebko had taken her seat at the post-performance supper. The meal was spiced lamb and pearl couscous. The decor included giant banners of Holbein paintings, candlelight and bowls filled with flowers, grapes and pears. It was a sumptuous conclusion to Anna’s final mad moments when she swept her long hair away from her neck and ran off to her beheading. Netrebko, seated next to her director, David McVicar, recalled staging the moment. 'We worked together, and we came up with the simplest solution,' McVicar said. 'He is the one who decides,' Netrebko said. 'What I work on, is if I have enough rings on my fingers to really sparkle.' 'She is the true queen of the opera,' Mercedes Bass, chairman of the gala and wife of oil billionaire Sid Bass said, as waiters passed around sherry trifle. 'She controls the stage.' The Basses funded the production, the Met’s first of the opera. The Met plans to produce Donizetti’s two other Tudor operas, even though Netrebko has declined to sing in them." Click here to see more photos of the event. [Source]

Fashion at the Opening Night of the Metropolitan Opera

Photographer Patrick Michael Hughes focuses on the glamour of an opening night crowd attending the performance of Anna Bolena last night at the Metropolitan Opera. "The people of Manhattan are always fashion-forward. DNAinfo.com captures the latest style and accessory trends, from sunglasses to shoes and handbags to hairdos, as they're worn out on the streets." Click here to access the photo gallery of images. One more image after the jump.

Opera star Bryn Terfel arrives with Susana Llanio who is wearing an Escada gown.

Watch a Video Excerpt of Anna Netrebko as Anna Bolena

Click on the photo to launch the video excerpt of "Coppia iniqua."

Accolades Start Pouring In For Anna Netrebko's Performance

Anna²: Netrebko meets Bolena
(Photo: Kathy Willens/AP)

The first reviews are starting to appear online for Anna Netrebko's opening night debuting Donizetti's Anna Bolena for the first time ever in the Metropolitan Opera's history. First off will be the glowing review from Mike Silverman for the Associated Press: "Netrebko, always a naturally charismatic presence on stage, has now at age 40 grown into the vocal demands of the role. Her dark, syrupy, slightly melancholy tone has deepened and taken on more power, without any noticeable loss of lyric freedom at the top of her range. In fact, she has worked hard to cultivate a respectable trill — something she was criticized for lacking in earlier forays into the bel canto repertory. So she can melt our hearts one moment with a soft high C of great delicacy, then pin us to backs of our seats the next with a ferocious outburst of notes cascading over more than an octave. That mournful song about her past, 'Al dolce guidami castel nation' ('Lead me to the dear castle where I was born'), accompanied by English horn, is part of the opera's concluding scene in which Anna's mind wanders as she prepares to meet the executioner's ax. But hearing offstage revelry as Henry weds her successor, Jane Seymour (Giovanna in the opera), restores her wits, and she denounces them in a fiery finale, 'Coppia iniquia' ('Wicked couple'), which Netrebko delivers with dazzling virtuosity. Although she sang the role for the first time just last spring in

Vienna, Netrebko has already put her stamp on it. One particularly telling moment comes at the end of Act 1, when Henry has ordered Anna and several other characters thrown into prison. He tells her that a panel of judges will weigh the evidence against her — and the realization that her fate is sealed begins to sink in. 'Giudici! ... ad Anna!' ('Judges! For Anna!') she cries. Then she repeats the same lines — spoken more than sung — and finally turns the words around, 'Ad Anna! Giudici!' Many sopranos spit out the words in defiance, but Netrebko makes us feel her terror at what they imply." [Source]

Ildar Abdrazakov as King Henry VIII and Netrebko as his young bride. (Photo: Ken Howard/MET)

"Never mind Anna Bolena. One might as well name the show Anna Netrebko....Netrebko sang the reflective passages sweetly, with shimmering pianissimo tone and a lovely legato. She earned admiration for holding nothing back in forte outbursts. She comported herself with queenly dignity as needed, and with unaccustomed restraint." [Source]

Just a girl who wants to go back to the castle where she was born. (Photo: Sara Krulwich/NY Times)

"Ms. Netrebko sang an elegantly sad aria with lustrous warmth, aching vulnerability and floating high notes. When the audience broke into prolonged applause and bravos, Ms. Netrebko seemed to break character and smiled a couple of times, though her look could have been taken as appropriate to the dramatic moment, since the delusional Anna is lost in reverie about happy days with her former lover. Then at the end of this 'Mad Scene,' when Anna, restored to horrific reality, curses the king and his new queen, Giovanna (Jane Seymour), and stalks off to her execution, Ms. Netrebko dispatched Donizetti’s cabaletta, all brilliant coloratura runs and vehement phrases, with a defiance that brought down the house." [Source]

The royal couple off to a rocky start and a bloody finish. (Photo: Kathy Willens/AP)

"The new monarch — ruling not over England but the Met — is Anna Netrebko, whose radiant performance at the company’s opening night Monday catapulted her to 'prima donna assoluta': undisputed superstar. Already celebrated for her glamorous face and voice, the fiery Russian-born diva has developed into a great tragic performer. Her climactic, 30-minute mad scene set in the Tower of London ranged from despair to rage. It’s music that demands everything in a diva’s arsenal, and Netrebko delivered, her ravishing soft high C’s and delicate trills contrasting with slashing coloratura plummeting through the full soprano register. In the last moments, her voice easily soared over the full chorus and orchestra as Anna marched off to her execution." [Source]

As more articles are written, they will be linked to this posting.

Stars Come Out For Metropolitan Opera's Season Opening Night

NY1 reports from the red carpet on some of the stars attending the Metropolitan Opera's opening night of the 2011-12 season with Anna Bolena. Check out the video interviews with Maxwell, Leelee Sobieski and Tyra Banks, by clicking here. Also in attendance were (from left to right) Archie Panjabi, Katie Couric, Martha Stewart, Crystal Renn and Tyra Banks. Check out some large images of the stars here.
And in case you missed the Metropolitan Opera posting of the in-depth conversation with Anna Netrebko and David McVicar about the production, check it out below:

Stephen Costello Gets Some Limelight Love From WSJ

Stephen Costello (l) with Keith Miller (r)
in Anna Bolena (Photo: Ken Howard)

"Mr. Costello—who arrived for our interview wearing green soccer sneakers, precise facial hair and a slightly rumpled yet European blazer with jeans—began his opera training later than most singers do. He played the trumpet for 15 years, then attended the University of the Arts in his hometown, initially to study musical theater, before going to the prestigious, opera-only Academy of Vocal Arts, also in Philadelphia. Based now in Tennessee with his opera-singer wife, Ailyn Perez, Mr. Costello comes to New York often for continued study with his voice teacher. He also makes a point of seeing Broadway shows when he's here. 'I'm trying like crazy to see Book of Mormon. I have three connections. I'm hoping one of them will work out,' he said, adding that he had already asked the Met's head wig and make-up artist, Tom Watson, who has a number of Broadway credits, including Wicked. 'I said, 'Please tell me you did Book of Mormon. He said no.' The subject of wigs,

Costello with Anna Netrebko as the
title character. (Photo: Ken Howard)

however, brightened Mr. Costello a bit, because in this production of Anna Bolena, he doesn't have to wear one. 'It's kind of nice to use your own head,' he said. "Usually, you've got this wig on, and there's someone poking at you.' That said, the role of Percy calls for other costume constraints. When his character is jailed, he has to sing with his hands bound in front of him. 'It's kind of difficult to breathe, but I'm trying to figure out a way to get comfortable in that scene,' he said. And in an earlier scene, he has to wear a hooded cape, which he's supposed to pull off his head when he enters. But the historically accurate costumes are held against the body with a series of hidden ties that constrict the range of movement. 'The problem,' he said, 'is that it ties under your armpits. So I can only raise my hands so high.' But it's all in a day's work, and at the end of the day Mr. Costello is prone to relax with a burger at the P.J. Clarke's near Lincoln Center: "They have beer. It's my spot.'" [Source]

Wall Street Journal Photo of the Week Features "Anna Bolena"

"Chorus girls sat backstage during rehearsals for the upcoming opera, ‘Anna Bolena,’ by Donizetti, at the Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center on Tuesday. The opera premiers Sept. 26." (Photo: Philip Montgomery/The Wall Street Journal ) Click here to see the full-size original image from above and more "Photos of the Week" at the Wall Street Journal.

Vogue Covers Anna Netrebko's Costumes For "Anna Bolena"

Thanks to Intermezzo who points the way to the this delicious spread from Vogue magazine about the historical accuracy of Anna Netrebko's costumes for the upcoming production of Donizetti's Anna Bolena at the Metropolitan Opera. More photos over at Vogue.com.

Anna Netrebko debuts the opera at the Metropolitan Opera on September 26, 2011 (Photo: Ken Howard)

"The adage 'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned' gets an epic narrator next Monday night, when soprano Anna Netrebko, a true and beloved diva of the classical-music world, reprises her role as Anna Bolena....To master the accuracy of the sixteenth-century petticoats, gowns, double-sleeves, and men’s britches, Tiramani pieced together a 'jigsaw' of references, starting with portraits of the English Court by Hans Holbein the Younger, and moving on to tapestries, wills detailing the deceased’s most prized garments, as well as relics—including a perfect model of a shoe—from Henry VIII’s sunken flagship, the Mary Rose. 'We kept the character of Anna in more of the French style that she seemed to bring to the English court,' said Tiramani, in between acts at a rehearsal this week. 'There really is only one acknowledged portrait of her—in the National Portrait Gallery in London—and it shows her in a French hood, which is the shape we’ve used to separate her from the court.' The result of Tiramani’s careful eye are costumes that are both stunning and believable: a mix of specially made fabrics, black-dyed silk, and intricate hooks, as rarefied and authentic as Netrebko herself. As Gelb points out: 'She is a once-in-a-generation artist. She combines vocal technique and dramatic truth to a degree that is rarely seen or heard on any stage.'" [Source]

A scene from the David McVicar production of Anna Bolena (Photo: Thomas Prior)

Anna Netrebko: The Queen That Changes Diapers

Anna talks Anna with Peter Jarolin of the Kurier

In a new Kurier interview, Anna Netrebko reveals her thoughts about the title role of Donizetti's Anna Bolena which she will debut in Vienna this Saturday, April 2. Other topics in the interview include new recordings (she hopes the performances will be recorded for CD and DVD), upcoming roles (Manon Lescaut and Il Trovatore), her future plans for singing at the Vienna State Opera with Erwin Schrott (Le Nozze di Figaro and Eugene Onegin) and how her German language skills are coming along (she hopes once son Tiago starts kindergarten that he will help teach

her). When the soprano admits that she has always wanted to play a queen on stage, the interviewer says that she is already the "Königen der Oper" to which she responds that all of that doesn't matter when you're changing your son's diapers.
[Source]