Podcasts about monday evening quarterback

[@ 3 min] Alright, this week, it's Monday Evening Quarterback on the 2025 Boston Early Music Festival, and we'll be joined by Amanda Forsythe with a scoop on the 2027 centerpiece opera! We promise this is the only opera podcast talking Telemann. [@ 21 min] And then...the centenary of Dietrich Fischer Dieskau's birth was last month, and we have a Free Throw from one of his last pupils, Benjamin Appl. Considered to be one of the all-time great Lieder interpreters, WE will consider Dieskau's notable opera roles. [@ 43 min] Plus, in the ‘Two Minute Drill'…a decline in tourism coupled with the rise in deportations may be adversely affecting ticket sales at the Met...but that's not stopping the Laffont competition from scouting in South America. GET YOUR VOICE HEARD operaboxscore.com facebook.com/obschi1 operaboxscore.bsky.social

[@3 min] Alright, this week…we go Inside the Huddle with Gemma New. Having already achieved operatic glory in Opera Theater St Louis's acclaimed production of Susannah, find out how the Kiwi conductor is preparing for her upcoming debut at Santa Fe Opera! [@17 min] Then...in Monday Evening Quarterback, we give you the play by play of the US premiere of a new orchestration of Scott Joplin's Treemonisha- which gets us thinking, what are the best operas never to be seen by their composers? [@42 min] Opera Theatre names Patricia Racette as its new Artistic Director, and Sonya Yoncheva wants to teach your children about classical music..first lesson, Tosca! GET YOUR VOICE HEARD operaboxscore.com facebook.com/obschi1 operaboxscore.bsky.social

[@ 2 min] This week, we're recording on December 2nd, the 101st anniversary of the birth of Maria Callas. And to celebrate, we'll go Inside the Huddle with Sophia Lambton, author of the new biography, "The Callas Imprint." [@ 30 min] Then, it's a Monday Evening Quarterback on “Maria,” the film now in select theaters and coming to Netflix this month! [@ 38 min] Plus, in the ‘Two Minute Drill'…we may be celebrating Callas' birthday on the show today, but Puccini's birthday was nearly ruined at La Scala… GET YOUR VOICE HEARD operaboxscore.com facebook.com/obschi1 @operaboxscore IG operaboxscore

[@ 4 min] In our new segment, ‘Swings & Misses', we look at the best and worst decisions from Operaland, starting with the home runs and strikeouts of Anthony Freud's tenure at Lyric Opera of Chicago… [@ 25 min] He was in Fantasy Football enemy territory, but did he enjoy Opera Philadelphia's Festival O23? Oliver tells all in ‘Monday Evening Quarterback'… [@ 36 min] In the ‘Two Minute Drill'… How would *you* look if you were naked onstage and 4.9 billion years old...? SHOW NOTES https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/sep/20/opera-actor-82-furious-with-critic-for-saying-she-looked-a-fright-on-first-night GET YOUR VOICE HEARD operaboxscore.com facebook.com/obschi1 @operaboxscore IG operaboxscore

[@ 3 min] In ‘Chalk Talk'… Ashlee looks past your Patricks Mahomes and your Toms Brady to spotlight some of opera's linemen, and how those unsung heroes are the key to winning the game… [@ 30 min] And then… A field report from the O Festival at Opera Philadelphia, and the return of ‘Monday Evening Quarterback' on “Fiddler on the Roof” at Lyric Opera of Chicago... [@ 42 min] Plus, in the ‘Two Minute Drill'… Has Spotify fouled out of the streaming game? SHOWNOTES https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/sep/27/theres-endless-choice-but-youre-not-listening-fans-quitting-spotify-to-save-their-love-of-music operaboxscore.com facebook.com/obschi1 @operaboxscore IG operaboxscore

[@ 4 min] This week… George goes ‘Inside the Huddle' with Scott Stroman, artistic director of Highbury Opera Theatre and composer of “Fever Pitch,” an opera about football. And by football, we mean soccer… [@ 26 min] And then… It's the return of ‘Monday Evening Quarterback', when George reviews Covent Garden's “Così fan tutte” and “Alcina” at Glyndebourne… [@ 37 min] Plus, in the ‘Two Minute Drill'… Rene Papé is either a fully functioning alcoholic or a homophobe. Or possibly both. Stay tuned as we wade through this PR nightmare… operaboxscore.com facebook.com/obschi1 @operaboxscore IG operaboxscore

[@ 3 min] This week in ‘Chalk Talk'… The season announcements are coming in faster than Anna Netrebko's separation from Putin, and harder than Will Smith at an awards ceremony. The OBS Crazies talk you through all the season details you need to know… [@ 32 min] And then… “Fire Shut Up In My Bones” is, well, on fire.  The OBS QBs play ‘Monday Evening Quarterback' and review the recent PBS screening… [@ 47 min] Plus, in the ‘Two Minute Drill'… Anna, Anna, Anna, what have you done this time? operaboxscore.com dallasopera.org/tdo_network_show/opera-box-score facebook.com/obschi1 @operaboxscore IG operaboxscore

Mike Mercado welcomes in Christian Simpson from the Monday Evening Quarterback podcast & The Daily Blitz back to the show! Who is actually good in the NFL? How close is the MVP race? How dysfunctional are the Chicago Bears? All this and much more with Dan Marver, Paul Chivari, Devin Tingle, and Mike Mercado on the latest edition of The Sports Cubicle Sunday Nights 9pm10-pm WCPT 820 Chicago. Advertise with us inquiry at mercadoairwaves@gmail.com Links: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/mercado-airwaves/id1197066772?mt=2 https://open.spotify.com/show/6drV95Mt4foLzeQp90J7A1?si=0WdNH4XxT0aHtvTWBRaLTA https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL21lcmNhZG9haXJ3YXZlcy9mZWVkLnhtbA?sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwio1LKu64fsAhXFa80KHfMJBLYQ4aUDegQIARAC&hl=en https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/231d98a7-cdaa-4d69-a62a-2c15e443bf94/Mercado-Airwaves https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/mercado-airwaves https://mercadoairwaves.podbean.com/ https://soundcloud.com/user-530853141 https://tunein.com/podcasts/Media--Entertainment-Podcasts/Mercado-Airwaves-p1187820/ https://gonemissingpodcast.podbean.com/ https://www.youtube.com/user/mikemercado2333 ROKU CHANNEL- THE REWIND SPORTS :60 https://www.patreon.com/MercadoAirwaves https://mercadoairwaves.myteespring.co/ The Sports Cubicle 9pm-10pm Sundays WCPT820.com

[@ 8 min] This week… The OBS cheeseheads go ‘Inside the Huddle' with Kathryn Henry, the soprano who went from standby to stardom in the world premiere of “The Lord of Cries” at the Santa Fe Opera... [@ 48 min] Then… Well, the OBS team finally saw it: the Barrie Kosky production of "TheMagic Flute”. And that also means the return of Monday Evening Quarterback… [@ 57 min] Plus, in the ‘Two Minute Drill'… Elina Garanča announces that she has grown neither horns nor wings, and we get to the bottom of why exactly opera singers don't deafen each other onstage… operaboxscore.com dallasopera.org/tdo_network_show/opera-box-score facebook.com/obschi1 @operaboxscore IG operaboxscore

[@ 3 min] Oliver goes ‘Inside the Huddle’ with pianist Chris Reynolds who reveals how he plans to be a change agent within the GWM opera mafia... (And check out Chris’ opera playlist at bit.ly/309NzqV…) [@ 54 min] ‘Monday Evening Quarterback’ returns when the OBS Jedis review an animated version of “The Magic Flute” featuring a particularly… Force-ful… Tamino... [@ 1 hour 3 min] In the ‘Two Minute Drill’... Hey, let’s commit to producing a full “Ring” cycle in the middle of a pandemic... operaboxscore.com dallasopera.org/tdo_network_show/opera-box-score facebook.com/obschi1 @operaboxscore IG operaboxscore

The OBS boys are joined by conductor Cathy O'Shaughnessy as a guest co-host and go ‘Inside the Huddle’ with conductor Michael Christie. At Minnesota Opera, Christie led 24 productions over six seasons as its first-ever Music Director, including the world premiere of Kevin Puts and Mark Campbell’s opera “Silent Night”. Plus this guy flies planes... In the ‘Two Minute Drill’, Plácido Domingo celebrates a milestone... Oliver plays ‘Monday Evening Quarterback’ on Verdi’s “Il Trovatore” at Lyric Opera of Chicago... www.facebook.com/OBSCHI1/ @operaboxscore

The OBS boys go ‘Inside the Huddle’ with soprano Ailyn Pérez, who was just named a 2019 ‘Opera News’ Awards Honoree… The guys play ‘Monday Evening Quarterback’ on last week’s productions of Wagner’s “Siegfried” at Lyric Opera of Chicago, Tchaikovsky’s “Iolanta” at Chicago Opera Theater and the Met in HD broadcast of Nico Muhly’s opera “Marnie”... David Daniels' reputation continues to crumble in the 'Two Minute Drill'... www.facebook.com/OBSCHI1/ @operaboxscore

In a recent article in the ‘Daily Telegraph’ newspaper in London, Royal Opera House chief executive Alex Beard said the inclusion of the word “royal” in the name of his company is quote off-putting to the general public. So, what’s in a name? Just how much does the identity of an opera company rest on its title? That’s in ‘Chalk Talk’... In the ‘Two Minute Drill’, you get a front row seat at last Sunday's Richard Tucker Award Gala... Then, creative consultant Oliver Camacho plays a ‘Monday Evening Quarterback’ double header. He and Weston fill you in on recent performances of Mozart’s “Idomeneo” and Puccini’s “La bohème” at Lyric Opera of Chicago... www.facebook.com/OBSCHI1/

Oliver plays ‘Monday Evening Quarterback’ on Orlando di Lasso’s “Lagrime di San Pietro” seen at Ravinia last week... the OperaWire website reports that soprano Elizabeth Blancke-Biggs was recently fired from Maryland Lyric Opera’s concert performances of Puccini’s “La Fanciulla del West” for standing up to abuse from the company’s music director. Our team tries to figure out what happened... In the ‘Two Minute Drill’, Kim Witman at Wolf Trap Opera Company has released her annual stats on what arias are sung first in auditions and WQXR writer Fred Plotkin has given out his biennial list of forty opera singers under forty that are worth looking out for. We’ll go through the lists... www.facebook.com/OBSCHI1/

Oliver Camacho returns from a father and son-in-law concert at the Ravinia Festival for a double-header ‘Monday Evening Quarterback’ review... Matt Cummings offers up a family feud style ‘Pop Quiz’ with disastrous results... In the ‘Two Minute Drill’, Anne Midgette follows up on her sexual harassment expose with a classical music primer, "Bel Canto" rears its head again, and Kathleen Battle turns 70... www.facebook.com/OBSCHI1/

An annual report by arts consultant Drew McManus shows that the average compensation for the music directors of sixty four American ensembles has topped $600k for the first time ever. The OBS boys ‘Crunch the Numbers’ to figure out why conductors’ salaries are on the rise... A handful of OBS alums, including Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen, Justin Kim, and Madison Leonard sang high profile performances last week. The guys play ‘Monday Evening Quarterback’ and review their work... In the 'Two Minute Drill', it's revealed that Orff's "Carmina Burana" actually does have bad words in it... www.facebook.com/OBSCHI1/

Soprano Madison Leonard, a winner of the 2018 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, joins George, Tobias and guest co-host Catherine O'Shaughnessy 'Inside the Huddle' to talk through her big night at the Met, how she got there, and what happens next... Then, George plays ‘Monday Evening Quarterback’ and reviews "Jesus Christ Superstar", now playing at Lyric Opera of Chicago, while Tobias and Cathy ‘Crunch the Numbers’ and look at Washington National Opera’s upcoming season.  Where will the District’s house fall on the Dodson Scale™...? Plus, it’s the ‘Two Minute Drill’: everything you need to know from the past week in Operaland, and our hot takes on those stories... www.facebook.com/OBSCHI1/

He’s sung Mozart, Stravinsky, and Handel in the world’s major opera houses. He’s given recitals at Carnegie Hall and London’s renowned Wigmore Hall, and has just made his debut with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under Riccardo Muti. American tenor Paul Appleby goes ‘Inside the Huddle’ with Oliver Camacho… But first, a recent article in Chicago’s NewCity magazine suggests that due to what’s onstage at Lyric Opera of Chicago, the city risks becoming “a provincial opera town where operatic bonbons are being perceived as a mainstay diet.” We’ll give you our hot takes on that story... Plus Tobias and Weston play ‘Monday Evening Quarterback’ on last week’s production of Gregory Spears and Greg Pierce’s opera ‘Fellow Travelers’ at Lyric Unlimited… And then, it’s the ‘Two Minute Drill’. We tell you everything you need to know about the past week in Operaland, and we grade Opera Philadelphia’s recently announced 2018-2019 season on the Dodson Scale™... www.facebook.com/OBSCHI1/

It’s a triple header from Lyric Opera of Chicago... Composer Gregory Spears joins us live via phone. With librettist Greg Pierce, he created the opera ‘Fellow Travellers’. Find out why the two Gregs were drawn to the story of forbidden love in McCarthy-era 1950s Washington, DC... And then, Oliver goes ‘Inside the Huddle’ with tenor Andrew Stenson who’s singing the role of Ferrando in Lyric’s production of Mozart’s “Così fan tutte”. Oliver and Andrew discuss singing Mozart and they commiserate over the pressures of being a hot Asian dude in opera... Plus, Oliver and Matt play ‘Monday Evening Quarterback’ and review Lyric’s recent production of Gounod’s “Faust” as well as the Met in HD presentation of Rossini’s “Semiramide”... www.facebook.com/OBSCHI1/

We take an inside look at Chicago Opera Theater’s 2018-2019 season announcement, and we score it on the Dodson Scale™. Will COT make it into the plus points column...? But first, the Boston ‘Globe’ recently published an in-depth article on James Levine, featuring interviews with two dozen former students, one of whom describes the conductor’s years at the Cleveland Institute of Music as a “cult”. We'll tell you what these interviews add to the on-going Levine saga... And it’s the ‘Two Minute Drill’: everything you need to know from the past week in Operaland, and our hot takes on those stories... Plus, Oliver plays ‘Monday Evening Quarterback’ on the recent production of Mozart’s “Così fan tutte” at Lyric Opera of Chicago... www.facebook.com/OBSCHI1/

Tonight, Oliver and Tobias go ‘Inside the Huddle’ with baritone Anthony Clark Evans.  The 2017 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World main prize finalist is currently singing the role of Riccardo in Bellini’s “I Puritani” at Lyric Opera of Chicago... And then, the Metropolitan Opera just announced its 2018-2019 season.  We crunch the numbers of those titles on the Dodson Scale™ in 'Chalk Talk'.  Also, James Levine has finally stepped aside as the Met's Music Director and, in an appointment that surprised precisely no one, the forty-one-year-old Québécois conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin has been named as Levine’s successor.  We’ll tell you how that affects the Met’s season... Plus, it’s the ‘Two Minute Drill’: everything you need to know from the past week in Operaland, and our hot takes on those stories... Double plus, we’ll squeeze in Oliver playing ‘Monday Evening Quarterback’ on Chicago Opera Theater’s production of Puts and Campbell’s opera “Elizabeth Cree”... www.facebook.com/OBSCHI1/

Weston, Tobias and Matt react to Sunday’s Super Bowl (where a backup quarterback stepped in for an injured QB to win the game) by talking about singers who have stepped in last minute and won over audiences and critics alike -- as well as their colleagues -- to become stars themselves... Plus, Oliver plays ‘Monday Evening Quarterback’ via phone and reviews Bellini’s “I Puritani” at Lyric Opera of Chicago... And then, it’s the ‘Two Minute Drill’: everything you need to know from the past week in Operland, and our hot takes on those stories... www.facebook.com/OBSCHI1/

Our ‘Fantasy Fachball’ segment returns! Tobias and Cummings each pick a tenor to battle it out in an excerpt from Gounod’s “Faust”... But first, we take a closer look at the recent season announcements from San Francisco and Los Angeles Operas, and Oliver plays ‘Monday Evening Quarterback’ by reviewing the recent Met in HD version of Puccini’s “Tosca’... Plus, it’s the Two Minute Drill. You get all your opera headlines from the past week and our hot takes on them... https://www.facebook.com/OBSCHI1/

Operaland was rocked over the weekend when allegations of sexual abuse were leveled against famed conductor James Levine. Michael Rice, the disgraced Godfather of opera podcasting (wait, sorry, the creator of the OperaNow! podcast) joins Oliver and Tobias live via phone with his take on this developing story... Then, George plays ‘Monday Evening Quarterback’ and reviews last week’s Met in HD Encore screening of Thomas Adès “The Exterminating Angel”... Plus, it’s ‘The Two Minute Drill’: all your opera headlines from the past week and our hot takes on them... www.facebook.com/OBSCHI1/

We look back at the career of Russian baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky who died last week at the age of 55, and we take a closer look at the vocal technique of phrasing, for which Dima was so famous... But first, Oliver plays ‘Monday Evening Quarterback’ and reviews the production of Bizet’s “The Pearl Fishers” at Lyric Opera of Chicago... And later it’s ‘The Two Minute Drill’, when you get all your opera headlines from the past week and our hot takes on them... www.facebook.com/OBSCHI1/

Stage director Amy Stebbins and composer Hauke Berheide are working on a new piece for children called “Einar hat einen Vogel”. They talk about what you need to remember when you’re writing for kids. And some picky critics tackle Dean Burry’s opera for children “The Scorpions’ Sting”, which was at Lyric Unlimited here in Chicago last weekend... But first, Amy and Hauke update you on what’s happening in opera in German-speaking Europe, including details on some important changes of artistic leadership that have taken place in the past year, including the promotion of several women at major German and Austrian houses... And then, it’s ‘Monday Evening Quarterback’ with creative consultant Oliver Camacho. Although he’s not live in studio tonight -- he’s sitting one out recovering from seeing five operas in four days -- Oliver checks with reviews of Verdi’s “Rigoletto” at Lyric Opera of Chicago and Sir John Eliot Gardiner’s Monteverdi trilogy... www.facebook.com/OBSCHI1/

Daniel Grambow is the Artistic Director of the Floating Opera Ensemble in Chicago, where he's currently directing the company’s upcoming production of “War and Peace”, a composite opera about the First World War. He joins us ‘Inside the Huddle’ to talk directing, and what it’s like to do opera in a cemetery... Then, George plays ‘Monday Evening Quarterback’ and reviews the final Met in HD broadcast of this season, Robert Carsen's new production of Richard Strauss’s “Der Rosenkavalier”. He’ll tell you what the biggest moment of the night was. And it wasn’t Renée Fleming’s curtain call... And of course you get all your opera headlines and our team's hot takes on them in the ‘Two Minute Drill’... operaboxscore.com @operaboxscore

George goes ‘Inside the Huddle’ with designer Julia Noulin-Mérat. She designed the production of Stravinsky’s “The Rake’s Progress” that opened last night at Boston Lyric Opera. They talk about that show, plus why her New York City-based design studio has a Las Vegas branch, and what she thinks needs to change in the way opera productions are designed in America... But first, it’s ‘Chalk Talk’: Oliver and George try to answer a question posed in last week’s edition of Crain’s Business magazine: Can Lyric Opera of Chicago survive the 21st century? Then, Oliver plays ‘Monday Evening Quarterback’ on two shows he’s seen recently. And it’s the ‘The Two Minute Drill’: all the opera headlines from the past week that you need to know... @operaboxscore #operaballs

OBS announcer Norm Woodel joins us live in studio. We’ll talk sports, voiceovers, theater and hell, yeah, we’re gonna talk some opera. Don’t miss what book George asks him to read in his best announcer voice at the end of the show... Also, it’s ‘Monday Evening Quarterback’ with Creative Consultant and co-host Oliver Camacho who has a thirsty, rave review for Tchaikovsky’s ‘Eugene Onegin’ at Lyric Opera of Chicago, in a revival of the 1997 Robert Carsen production starring Lyric’s community ambassador Ana Maria Martinez. Plus, Norm gives you his own reviews of two other Lyric shows... Then, it’s the ‘The Two Minute Drill’: all the opera headlines from the past week that you need to know, and George's hot takes on them... @operaboxscore voxershorts.com

Many of America’s big opera houses have released details of their 2017-2018 seasons: Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, DC. George and Oliver tell you why these houses programmed what they did, what productions you need to see, and what you should skip... Oliver plays Monday Evening Quarterback and reviews the current production of Bellini’s 'Norma' at Lyric Opera of Chicago... And you get all your opera headlines and our hot takes on them in ‘The Two Minute Drill’... @operaboxscore #operaballs

With President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration this Friday, who knows if any of us will be around next Monday. So, we here at the OBS figured that if we don’t make it through the weekend, we might as well go out with a bang. We’re pulling out all the stops for this week's show... It’s the first TKO match of 2017, and it's a Masked Mezzo Royal Rumble. Can you guess which mezzo-soprano dares to take on five challengers? Which one will emerge as Vocal Royalty? George and Daina take sides... Then, Oliver plays Monday Evening Quarterback and reviews Lyric Opera of Chicago's production of Mozart's "The Magic Flute"... And of course you get all your opera headlines and our hot takes on them in ‘The Two Minute Drill’... @operaboxscore #operaballs

It's a special podcast-only show! Let the swearing begin! In ‘Chalk Talk’, George and Oliver take a look at those events that happen before and after an opera performance: pre-show lectures, post-show discussions and, as seen last Sunday night at LA Opera, after-parties. Do they add to the experience or do they distract from the main event...? Then, you get all your opera headlines and our hot takes on them in ‘The Two Minute Drill’... Plus, ‘Monday Evening Quarterback’ returns, when we review the new production of “Les Troyens”, by Hector Berlioz, at Lyric Opera of Chicago. Mega hit or epic fail? We’ll tell you what we think... And you tell us what you think! @operaboxscore #operaballs

If you’ve never heard a Heldentenor with a good ol’ boy East Texas accent, you haven’t lived. We go ‘Inside the Huddle’ with tenor Jay Hunter Morris. He’s currently rehearsing Jake Heggie’s opera “Moby Dick” at the Dallas Opera. We talk Cowboys, Cubs and opera careers... Also, Toby and George do a mid-season check in on what’s happened in Operaland so far this Fall, and Oliver plays ‘Monday Evening Quarterback’ on the production of Donizetti’s “Lucia di Lammermoor” at Lyric Opera of Chicago. Plus, you get all your opera headlines in ‘The Two Minute Drill’...

This show is all-Wagner, all the time! In our ‘Chalk Talk’ segment, we talk about what makes Wagner, Wagner; and why his operas matter... ‘Monday Evening Quarterback’ revisits “Das Rheingold” at Lyric Opera of Chicago and Frank Martin’s “Le vin herbé” at Chicago Opera Theater... ‘TKO’ returns! Oliver Camacho is the judge as Jonas Kaufmann and Ben Heppner battle it out singing Siegmund’s aria “Winterstürme” from 'Die Walküre'... Plus, you get all your opera headlines in ‘The Two Minute Drill’... Don't forget to leave us a review -- with stars -- on iTunes, or troll us: @operaboxscore and #operaballs

We took Independence Day off, so we’ve got a loaded show for you this week. Oliver Camacho goes ‘Inside the Huddle’ with baritone David John Pike, who talks about coaching the role of Scarpia from Puccini’s “Tosca” with Sherill Milnes, and also reflects on singing George Butterworth’s song cycle "A Shropshire Lad" on the hundredth anniversary of the Battle of the Somme... But first, it’s our ‘Chalk Talk’ segment. Ticket sales are up at Los Angeles Opera and the Wiener Staatsoper, but down at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. What factors are pushing these numbers up (or down) and who’s responsible? Tobias Wright has some theories to share... Plus, Giovanna Jacques checks in from the Bellini Museum in Sicily, we’ve got all your opera headlines in ‘The Two Minute Drill’, and Oliver plays ‘Monday Evening Quarterback’ after seeing Renée Fleming in concert...

Romans 5:1-11 Instead of the Monday Evening Quarterback, focus on what went right in your life each day this week, from your own effort, from God, or from another. We're perfectly imperfect. Have a beloved week!

We go Inside the Huddle with British composer Iain Bell. In addition to his symphonic and chamber works, as well as song cycles, he’s had great success in Europe and America with his two operas: 'A Harlot’s Progress' and 'A Christmas Carol'. His latest opera, 'In Parenthesis', opens at the Royal Opera House this summer. You’ll get an inside look at his process, plus his take on the future of opera in the UK... George, Tobias and Giovanna also talk about conductor James Levine’s retirement from the Metropolitan Opera. Some are calling it the end of an era. Others are saying he overstayed his welcome. And still more wonder to what degree the Met bosses forced him out... We’ve also got this week’s opera headlines, and in our Monday Evening Quarterback segment, co-host Oliver Camacho reviews last weekend’s Met in HD broadcast of 'Roberto Devereux'. Did Sondra Radvanovsky pull off the Donizetti Tudor queen triple-play...?

It's a bonus episode in our series introducing you to opera in Germany! George's guest is Kirsten Harms, the former Intendantin of the Deutsche Oper Berlin. She’s now a freelance stage director in Germany. You’ll get her take on Berlin’s opera scene and an inside look at her tenure at the Deutsche Oper, as well as her opinion on opera in America... Later, George is joined by Roy Rallo, an American director based in San Francisco, who also is connected to the opera scene in Berlin. His candid opinions about the business of opera will surprise you... Then, George tells you why six weeks isn’t enough time to rehearse an opera, while in his field report from Chicago, Oliver tells you why you better have your poop together if you're going to sing in Marilyn Horne's masterclass, plus Monday Evening Quarterback reviews productions of 'Parsifal' and 'Salome'...

It’s the third and final installment of our three-part series introducing you to the opera world of Germany. Last week, George took you around Germany’s smaller houses. Today he started in Heidelberg and ended up in Munich... George's first guest is Lydia Steier, an American director based in Germany. She's currently directing Wagner's 'Der Fliegende Holländer'. You’ll hear her take on why she came to Germany to work, and whether or not she wants to go home to the US... Later on, George is joined by Amy Stebbins, an American director currently working on a new project at the Bavarian State Opera. She’s got a great take on the future of opera in Germany... We’ve also got this week’s opera headlines, our Monday Evening Quarterback segment, and Oliver checks in from Chicago with a field report...

George kicks off the second of a three-part series introducing you to the opera world in Germany. He goes to Meiningen, Weimar, Frankfurt and Darmstadt... His guest is Stefan Umhey, a multi-talented artist based at the Meiningen Theater. Stefan has lots to say about the challenges facing opera in Germany today. And he’s got a story about the intersection between opera and the recent arrival of Syrian refugees in Meiningen that you simply can't want to miss... Plus George shares with you the Top Five list of things you must have onstage if you’re directing an opera in Germany. We’ve also got this week’s opera headlines, our Monday Evening Quarterback segment, and Oliver checks in from Chicago with a field report...

George launches his three-part series introducing you to the opera world of Germany. He'll take you around Berlin, he’ll take you to the provinces, and he’ll give you insights into the wild and wacky world – mostly – that is opera here in Das Vaterland... George's guest this week is Will Robertson, a resident assistant director at the Deutsche Oper in Berlin. Will is one of a handful of American directors who's really found success working overseas in Germany. This interview gives you an all-access pass to the Deutsche Oper... But first, George lets you know why he came to Germany in the first place. And why he had to come back... Plus we’ve got this week’s opera headlines, our Monday Evening Quarterback segment and a special field report from Oliver back in Chicago.

On tonight’s show, George takes you through the crisis brewing at English National Opera (ENO), London’s major opera house dedicated to performing opera in English. The Artistic Director has quit, the budget has been cut and the chorus is protesting. Is this the end of the road for ENO? Also, Oliver rants about performance etiquette: audiences are clapping less, singers are bowing more. What's up with that? And we've got all your opera headlines, and plus our Monday Evening Quarterback tackles the current production of Strauss’s “Der Rosenkavalier” at Lyric Opera of Chicago.

The Usual Gang of Idiots (George, Oliver and Giovanna) fight over the merits of Lyric Opera of Chicago's 2016-2017 season, and go on to shred a recent article about elitism in opera: http://harvardpolitics.com/culture/tonight-opera-identity-politics-inequality-opera/ You also get The Two-Minute Drill, Monday Evening Quarterback and Pop Quiz. All for free!

Season 2 of the OBS begins with a bang! Oliver talks you through the Metropolitan Opera's new production of "The Pearl Fishers", while Giovanna tips you off to the best events at the Prototype Festival opening in New York City this week. Plus, we baptize two new segments: "The Two Minute Drill" and "Monday Evening Quarterback"! And we announce details about our podcast series which starts next week...