The University of Tennessee Opera Theatre is taking a break this spring from the staples of the 18th and 19th Century repertoire and is instead exploring the joys and adventure of a contemporary chamber opera based on well known 19th Century literature. Their choice is an interesting one: ‘Middlemarch in Spring’, a recent work based on the George Eliot novel ‘Middlemarch’, with music by Allen Shearer and a libretto by Claudia Stevens.
UT’s ‘Writers in the Library’ Presents Kevin Young and Brenda Hillman
The University of Tennessee’s Writers in the Library reading series wraps up its Spring with poets Kevin Young and Brenda Hillman on April 12 and April 16, respectively. Both readings begins at 7 p.m. in the Lindsay Young Auditorium of the John C. Hodges Library and are free and open to the public.
Review: CBT’s ‘The Dream of the Burning Boy’
Our perception of David West Read’s play, The Dream of the Burning Boy, in current production at Clarence Brown Theatre’s Lab Theatre, might have been quite different without the tragic mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland,…
Review: Knoxville Theatre Club’s ‘The Story Story’
Knoxville Theatre Club’s current production is titled The Story Story and uses as its advertised premise “the seemingly impossible question: where do Stories come from?” Of course, the author/directors of The Story Story, JP Schuffman and Sara Gaddis, intended that…
Review: KSO Indulges in a Lusty ‘Carmina Burana’
The KSO performance put the spotlight on what is important in the piece: a relatively simple musical language that wallows in the indulgent fantasies of spring, charms and satisfies the listener musically, and supports the bawdy and poetic spirit of the Medieval texts.
On Sunday: A Magic Moment? Pianist Igor Lipinski Concludes Young Pianist Series
When one reads about “magical performances” in music commentary, one can assume that a fair amount of hyperbole is being thrown about. After all, music may transport us to a state of enlightenment or bliss, but actual magic is rarely…
Preview: KSO, Knoxville Choral Society, and Soloists Take on ‘Carmina Burana’ This Week
Knoxville Symphony Orchestra Masterworks: “Carmina Burana” Conductor: Aram Demirjian Gustav Mahler: Blumine Kurt Weill: Suite from Die Dreigroschenoper (The Threepenny Opera) Carl Orff: Carmina Burana Tennessee Theatre, 604 S. Gay Street, Downtown Knoxville Thursday and Friday, March 15 and 16, 7:30…
Review: KSO Goes Bach to Mozart with a Freshness and Sparkle
Confessions of a Bachophile — Chapter 17 In my review of the Knoxville Symphony Chamber Orchestra’s February concert that included the J.S. Bach Concerto for Two Violins, I stated—humorously, I thought—that it seemed listeners simply could not get enough of…
Preview: Marble City Opera Follows Up With ‘Follow Suit’
Marble City Opera World Premiere of Follow Suit — music by Griffin Candey, libretto by Emily Anderson Cast: Kathryn Frady and Morgan Smith Stage Director: Matthew Haney Conductor: Griffin Candey Windows on the Park Lounge in Holiday Inn World’s Fair Park…
Yikes! Performance Choices Galore on Sunday March 4th
There was a time when one could just hang out and relax on Sundays without having to anguish over how to fit in all the various performances that were available and enticing. This Sunday, March 4, is definitely not a…
