glimmerglass opera

I've been a fan of the Rodgers & Hammerstein show Carousel for years, but I never had the opportunity to see it performed live. A friend of mine happened to discover that Glimmerglass was mounting a production of it. I'd never heard of Glimmerglass and couldn't imagine it would be a superlative performance, but it wasn't too expensive so I decided to make a long weekend of it and bought tickets.First of all, when we arrived we were blown away by the campus. It was absolutely gorgeous, and the bars/restaurants scattered about the grounds were a wonderful way to relax and enjoy the beautiful surroundings before the show. We caught a pre-performance talk where Doug Peck, the conductor, explained the history of the show and put it in context. My companion found this incredibly useful as he had no prior exposure to the show.My expectations for the performance itself were so exceeded that I simply had to write this review. The talent on that stage was every bit the equal of anything I've seen on NYC or the West End of London. The voices, the acting, the pit musicians were all top notch. I confess I was in tears for most of the show, and that's very out of character for me. This was the only performance I've seen at Glimmerglass, but if it was representative of the caliber of production they typically mount, I can't recommend them enough and will be back again and again. If you're pondering a visit to Glimmerglass and your only reservation is that the production in this tiny mountain town might not be up to snuff, trust me and book now and book often. It ranks among the highest in quality that I've ever seen.

I have been taking friends here every year, for about 3 or 4 years now, and I really try to make it an annual outing, for at least one show. It's such a convenient and affordable way to see world-class opera (in person, not in the movie theaters) without going to NYC. I live in Rochester, which is only 3 hours away, so I usually do a matinee. I leave at 9am, arrive around noon to eat a picnic, then watch the show and am home by about 8pm. Highly recommended!

The highlight was Ariadne auf Naxos with Christine Goerke in the lead, currently the best in the world in this part. Also worthwhile were a Goerke concert featuring young artists and apprentices from the company and The Young Artists Bel Canto concert. The loser was Madama Butterfly, of which Act I was so awful that we left after it, so if the rest of the opera was suberb, I missed out. Both the tenor and the soprano had ugly voices that could not caress a phrase or convey anything but effort.

to the superb productions, great performances ...lovely setting. Can hardly wait forTHE MAGIC FLUTE next year!!!!We saw Carousel and Madame Butterfly!. Excellent singers, orchestra, direction,and we loved the beautiful ballet that was added to the ending of Carousel...pleasant surprise.Butterfly had a strong voice and was able to project herself ...her son was areal scene stealer. The Broadway Hopefuls were truly amazing!The local people are friendly, the Norman Rockwell setting is lovely and GlimmerglassFestival is superb...Go see for yourself!!!!!

Saw a fantastic performance of Madame Butterfly. Better than the Boston Lyric in Boston! Go early and have dinner - bring a picnic or buy something on-site. You can also pre-order a meal from Black Cat Cafe, but it is expensive for what you get. The site is gorgeous, so eating outside is a real treat. I recommend that you go to the pre-opera talk which is really informative - even if you are familiar with the opera. The venue is open to the weather, so plan accordingly. We took blankets with us because the evening was cold.

Beautifully sung performances with excellent staging. The young performers were extremely talented and impeccably trained. Diction was so good that I did not look at the super titles (very unusual for English). The pre-concert talks were informative. We were PERSONALLY welcomed as it was our first visit. The grounds are lovely. We thoroughly enjoyed arriving early for the matinee, purchasing a picnic lunch. (healthy, interesting salads with many extras), and eating at an outdoor, shaded table with our own wine. Even if you are not an opera fanatic (which I am), give it a try!

We saw Madame Butterfly this summer and it did not disappoint. Each year we try at least one production at Glimmerglass. It is a charming and intimate setting to see wonderful productions. There is always a new twist to give the productions a more modern feel. And the talent is exceptional. If you like opera....or if you are new to it...try Glimmerglass. It will be a lovely day.

We saw Carousel and Ariadne auf Naxos. Both were first rate productions with first rate singers. Christine Goeke in Ariadne was amazing as was Rachel Gilmore as Zerbinetta. 5 1/2 hour bus ride from NYC...but well worth it.

Generally excellent productions with a very fine orchestra, featuring a mix of world-class artists and a young artist program.

I have been attending the Glimmerglass Opera since its inception in the 1970s. In the early years the company rose to the challenge of a high school auditorium and produced delightfully inventive and charming productions. After its move to a new state-of-the-art theatre the company began to stage productions that were sometimes a bit dull visually. Since Francesca Zambella took over as general manager the productions have frequently been utterly misconceived. This year's Ariadne in (sic) Naxos hit a new low for Glimmerglass (especially sad since Glimmerglass has produced it twice before in marvelous productions). Instead of being set in the "house of the richest man in Vienna" as specified in the score, the action took place in a barn in central New York State, livestock and all. The role of the composer, specified by Strauss and Hofmannsthal as a young man (sung by a soprano), became a lesbian intent on seducing the soubrette Zerbinetta. During the sublime final scene the metamorphosis of Ariadne and Bacchus was upstaged by the composer and Zerbinetta making out on a piano bench downstage left. The title role was well sung by Christine Goerke, but her low-camp send up of the role (clearly imposed on her by Zambella) did nothing to distinguish the tragedienne of the opera seria from the burlesque set of comics. hence the essential incongruity disappeared. The production of Carousel was relieved by the excellent Billy Bigelow of Ryan McKinney, whose young son in the role of Trouble was the only appealing thing in the charmless production of Butterfly. The best thing this season was the production of Tobias Picker's An American Tragedy, perhaps because--as an unfamiliar opera--it did not suffer by comparison with any previous performance the audience might have seen. It's hard to understand how someone was as little talent as Francesca Zambella continues to find employment.

The combination of top notch opera productions with fantastic young singers utilizing the best talent you can find in American music theatre is uniquely appealing. Add the idyllic setting on Otsego Lake and the charm of Cooperstown with its museums and restaurants, and you realize that this the perfect summer getaway from hectic city life. The incredibly talented and energetic director Francesca Zambello has managed to create one the most appealing summer festivals ANYWHERE. Count me in for 2015!

We experienced two terrific musical operas here--the 1945 Carousel called the best musical of the 20th Century, directed by Charles Newell, and, the following afternoon, the 1910-era Ariadne in Naxos, artistically reconfigured to fit into a contemporary upstate rural New York setting and directed by Francesca Zambello. This production of Carousel will break your heart, especially as you watch a dead father revisit unseen his fifteen-year-old daughter as he tries--too late--to protect her. And the delicious counterpoint between the Prima Donna, Ariadne, and the funky, sexy Zerbinetta will hold you you riveted, entranced, and laughing by turns. Glimmerglass has captured us, and will draw us back again and again.

We were traveling with two young boys( ages 7 and 9) to the Baseball Hall of Fame and attended the 75 Years of the Baseball Hall of Fame production. This was held in the Pavilion, where seating is at round tables. Food and drinks are available for purchase and can be eaten during the performance. This was an entertaining hour of musical theatre weaving the story of baseball through song and of course a dramatic reading of "Casey at the Bat". It finished with a rousing sing-along of "Take me out to the Ballgame". It was just long enough for the two boys to stay focused and ticket prices were less that those of a movie, at $10 for adults and $5 for children. It was well worth it. I hope more such productions for those of us going to the baseball Hall of Fame are in the offing.

I am talking about Carousel. It was about 20 minutes to long. The best performer was the second lead, the seats were too expensive for this performance. Need an upbeat musical. No more suicides!!!

Since Francesca Zambello took it over some years ago, the Glimmerglass Festival (3 operas and 1 musical) has been "discovered" and is now considered a hot ticket. Since performances change, there is no point on commenting on productions--i will just give some practical tips.DRESS WARMLY, in levels. My wife brought along some nice dresses but we realized after the first night that is totally impractical. The theatre does not have a good HVAC system and is far colder inside than the temperature outside. We were there mid-August 2014 and, while it was "cool" outside (high 60s), it was absolutely FREEZING inside. They even offer blankets on request but the blankets are quite thin and don't help much. After that, we wore just about every level of clothing we had and were still cold!There are not enough bathrooms and the lines are very long. This applies for both men and women. If you have to wait in the bathroom line during intermission, you might not make it back before the show begins again. I recommend watching your liquid intake before the performance."Do" get their "opera crossing" postcard. It is the only sign of its kind in the world, I think.If you are staying at the Otesaga Hotel or the Coooperstown Inn, there is a free trolley to take you to/from the opera--but be prepared with an alternative! For one performance, it mysteriously failed to appear. We had to run for our car and race to get to the theater (about 8 miles away on a two-lane road).