Opera Box Score

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/

Tenor and visual artist Luther Lewis goes ‘Inside The Huddle’ with the OBS team. Luther is part of “Illustrations”, a gallery exhibition and concert which celebrates the contributions of African-American singers to opera. You'll get Luther's insights on the genesis of this interdisciplinary project and hear what sorts of obstacles remain for black classical music artists... The infamous ‘Pop Quiz’ segment returns when Oliver drops the needle on important singers you should know... In the ‘Two Minute Drill’, a mezzo sweeps the awards at the Operalia competition, Miss America sings opera and two opera birthdays are celebrated... www.facebook.com/OBSCHI1/

Despite promising to take Labor Day off, the OBS boys can't stay away from the mics... Enjoy a recap of the interview with John von Rhein, who recently retired as the Chicago Tribune’s classical music critic, when he joined the show live via phone ‘Inside the Huddle’ with his highlights and lowlights from over forty years of attending and writing about classical music performances in Chicago... Then catch the replay of the OBS team working through the 2018 World Cup bracket using each country's opera strengths to predict the winners... And, on Monday September 10th at 9 pm CT, it's the kickoff to the fourth season of the OBS! www.facebook.com/OBSCHI1/

The world’s most famous countertenor, David Daniels, and his husband, conductor Scott Walters, have been accused of drugging and violently raping another opera singer. In a ‘Chalk Talk’ double header, the team takes a look at the evidence for the accusation, recent developments in the story, as well as the ways in which other voices in the opera world have responded to these allegations... [WARNING: While profanity isn't used on our show, some listeners may find the details of the conversation to be graphic.] In the ‘Two Minute Drill, the OBS guys: guess how many roles Plácido Domingo has sung, argue why atonal music promotes drug abuse, and say farewell to soprano Inge Borkh... www.facebook.com/OBSCHI1/

John von Rhein, who recently retired as the Chicago Tribune’s classical music critic, joins the show live via phone ‘Inside the Huddle’ with his highlights and lowlights from over forty years of attending and writing about classical music performances in Chicago... Then the OBS team takes off on another summer opera festival road trip. This time they head overseas to the Granddaddy of Them All, the Bayreuth Festival in Germany... Plus, in the ‘Two Minute Drill’, tribute is paid to Aretha Franklin's opera voice, and the best way to punish your neighbors with opera is revealed... 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/

Matt Boresi returns as a guest co-host to help celebrate Leonard Bernstein's 100th birthday. Hear the team's favorite clips from the best of Bernstein and get an inside look at 'Mass', performed last weekend at the Ravinia Festival... But first, the crew react to an exhaustive -- and exhausting -- article by Anne Midgette in 'The Washington Post' detailing the stories of over fifty victims of sexual harassment within the classical music world... Then, find out the connection between baseball and opera, and who'll be stepping up to the plate at the Kennedy Center Honors... www.facebook.com/OBSCHI1/

This week, the team takes the road trip to Cooperstown! Go 'Inside the Huddle' with Glimmerglass Festival's Christopher Powell and find out about the podcast "Breaking Glass", which explores social justice through the lens of opera. Then, Benjamin Britten is inducted into the OBS 'Hall of Fame'. Find out why satire, ostracism, and all things nautical float George Cederquist's boat. In the 'Two Minute Drill', Cecilia Bartoli stars as an Italian, Anna Netrebko may be hazardous to your health, and a farewell to Brian Kellow of "Opera News". www.facebook.com/OBSCHI1/

We kick off the OBS tour of America’s summer opera festivals. Over July and August, we’ll take you to our favorite locations to hear opera and sweat at the same time. We start by going off the beaten path to some personal favorites… But first… a recent article in the ‘Wall Street Journal’ described how Europe’s opera houses won over millennials. How did it happen? Can it be replicated in America? Plus… it’s the ‘Two Minute Drill’: everything you need to know from the past week in OperaLand, plus our team’s hot takes on those stories... www.facebook.com/OBSCHI1/

Tonight… We go ‘Inside the Huddle’ with tenor Jonathan Zeng, who’s currently singing the role of Edwin in Chicago Folks Operetta’s production of Emmerich Kálmán’s “The Csárdás Princess”. Find out why this piece has been largely ignored on American stages, and how Jonathan prepared to play this unique role... And then… in ‘Chalk Talk’... it’s the OBS World Cup. Our panel predicts the outcome of the world’s greatest sporting event. How? By using each country’s contributions to opera as the deciding factor in their respective soccer matches, of course... Plus… it’s the ‘Two Minute Drill’: everything you need to know from the past week in OperaLand, and our team’s hot takes on those stories... www.facebook.com/OBSCHI1/

Tonight, in a ‘Chalk Talk' double-header, we get you ready for Independence Day by honoring America and its contributions to opera, looking in-depth at the works and artists we think are uniquely “American” and how they define the role opera serves both in our country and worldwide... And then, it’s the ‘Two Minute Drill’: everything you need to know from the past week in Operaland, plus our team’s hot takes on those stories... www.facebook.com/OBSCHI1/

Tonight… Creative Consultant Oliver Camacho walks you down the hallowed corridors of the ‘OBS Hall of Fame’. Find out which opera singer’s picture he’ll tack to the wall in Studio Two, next to past inductees Leontyne Price and Luciano Pavarotti… But first… In a ‘Chalk Talk’ field report, conductor and past OBS guest Catherine O’Shaughnessy joins Executive Producer George Cederquist in a lightning round recap of their whirlwind week at the 2018 Opera America conference in Saint Louis. They’ll reveal just how many hours of opera conversation one can actually absorb in a single day... And then… It’s the ‘Two Minute Drill’: everything you need to know from the past week in Operaland, plus our team’s hot takes on those stories... www.facebook.com/OBSCHI1/

Tonight... Tobias Wright walks you down the hallowed corridors of the OBS Hall of Fame with a look at the life and recordings of one of his favorite opera singers… But first, it’s that time of year again… people scrambling for hotel rooms… folks grabbing tickets for sold-out shows… crowds gate-crashing invite-only events… Why, it’s the Opera America conference, of course. George previews the best sessions on the docket at next week’s annual meeting of opera’s movers and shakers... Then… 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/

Tonight, in 'Chalk Talk'... Our guest is Santosh Venkataraman, a frequent contributor to the OperaWire website. We talk with him about diversity in all parts of the American opera house, and we get him to play 'Monday Evening Quarterback' and review a show... Plus... Tenor Henry Pleas III joins us by phone to add to the conversation on diversity... Then… 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/

Tonight… The first living singer to be inducted into 'The OBS Hall of Fame' is a beloved American soprano? Find out from Matt Cummings who receives this inimitable honor... But first… Season ticket subscriptions to your local opera house have likely been the lifeblood of its existence. But is the importance of subscribers coming to an end? Our team scrambles for an aisle seat in our ‘Chalk Talk’ segment... 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

We introduce our new segment ‘The OBS Hall of Fame’, in which one of our team shares stories and clips about the ways in which one artist -- or one opera -- changed their life. Weston Williams kicks things off. Find out who -- or what -- he chose... But first, we take a look at an article in last week’s Washington ‘Post’, in which music critic Anne Midgette wrote: “Every once in a while in the life of a critic, something one does on one’s beat comes to define them for some time to come. I had one such moment this spring. To the outside eye, the choice may not have seemed that momentous.” We’ll tell you what her decision was... 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/

Tonight, it’s a ‘Chalk Talk’ double header. Our team responds to a recent article in ‘The New Yorker’ magazine on African-American countertenor John Holiday. And then, we look at why one of Britain’s most distinguished singers has accused fellow devotees of Richard Wagner of repeated attempts to undermine her position and “rewrite history”... But first, we ‘Crunch the Numbers’ on English National Opera’s 2018 season on the Dodson Scale™. Find out how ENO stacks up against its European rivals... Plus at 9.40 pm, 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/

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/

Creative consultant Oliver Camacho goes ‘Inside the Huddle’ with costume designer Meriem Bahri. Find out how the French biologist went from academia to being Haymarket Opera Company’s secret weapon... But first, in ‘Chalk Talk’, we take you back. Way back. We’ll listen to some old school recordings made around the turn of the century using Thomas Edison’s wax cylinder equipment, and compare those to recordings of today’s opera singers using similar old-fangled technology... And later, 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/