Portland Opera

I attended the last showing of Madame Butterfly with my daughter, for whom I'd bought tickets as a Christmas present. Neither of us had ever attended an opera, and we were awestruck with the talent and heart-stirring orchestration. Hats off to the staff and performers at the Keller Auditorium for the unforgettable evening. We were left with the fullest intent of attending again, and the thought of becoming a season ticket-holder looks very appealing now that I see what I've been missing!

The situations that these funny people could get in was very real to what happens in life today. Love and lust are a part of being human and always has a twist to make it most interesting.

The Prince was outstanding! All cast were beautiful singers and the acting was superb.

The set was stunning and versatile. Humor satire and beautiful voices! What more could you ask for "Marriage". The Countess was remarkable in her arias with a beautiful tone and phrasing. The Count may lack in moral value but had a glorious voice. Figaro and Susanna had a great interplay of words and with outstanding voices. The comic roles were well played. An enjoyable evening.

Staging and costuming was great; some vocals, while well executed, were not loud enough; overall, a fun and enjoyable performance. This was the first opera for my companion, and he thoroughly enjoyed it! We'll be back!

Well done, talented cast, awesome music, great costumes

There was a lot of beautiful singing, but a fair emphasis on the educational outreach of Portland Opera, even bringing in a teacher. We should all know more about the state of arts education in our schools, and this was highly enjoyable at the same time. Getting a grant for a free concert broadcast outside the Keller was great idea to expand your future singers and audience in schools and parks as well.

I loved the whole festival. Food carts, rock and roll, and a Marx Brothers movie outside afterwards. Plus a night of opera greatest hits. The music was wonderful. Thank you!

What a fun, enthusiastic and enjoyable evening. Beloved music sung with wonderful voices - the entire evening brought credit to the opera association and their effort to reach a broad audience. they also did an excellent job highlighting their education outreach efforts. thank you!!

I would wish that AFTER you mostly sellout inside, that you would provide a large screen for others to watch outside---all the more to offer Opera widely to the public! Loved closing off the street in front of the Keller. Loved closing off the water to the fountain. Loved having all the outdoor activities BEFORE starting time inside. I would want at least one more "play" song...loved the Westside Story song. Loved the length of the show inside; then I left & don't know about the outside events AFTER the show....But did we luck out on the weather?! Thank you, S

A wonderful event for the whole community. Also quite educational about Portland Opera, about which we knew little.

This opera was terrible. I would never recommend this to anyone and I was sorely disappointed. It was supposed to be for a romantic night with my fiancee but we ended up leaving at the intermission. Another couple we knew that went said it only got worse after the intermission.

I was a little skeptical about this opera from the beginning, however bought the tickets out of curiosity. The staging was good, the stage was well done to emulate the mirror doors to the after death. My big complain is not the acting or the staging, but the music. It was hardly emotive and more like background music for a movie. It was very repetitive ... The singing was just elongation of the voice sounds while speaking. I went to see La Boheme, which was the first opera of this season and found it to be spectacular. In a scale from1to 10 I give La Boheme a 10. Orphee would be a 1. I would expect the opera season to keep getting better with each performance, however this last opera was a big disappointment.

Music and myth made a beautiful marriage in the production of Orphee by Philip Glass, inspired by Jean Cocteau's film of the same name. The performance never touched the ground, with its airy presentation. The music was a perfect fit for the lightness of the story. I found it very beautiful.

Philip Glass's opera Orphee, based on Cocteau's earlier film, is a brilliant production. The use of repetition, doubling, mirrors,and reflections is in some ways Shakespearean. The set worked very well to complement the idea of two worlds, different yet mirrored in each other. The music highlighted the voices and the subject matter. It also enhanced the ideas circling around the creative process that the Opera unfolds. Yes, I would definitely recommend it to certain friends! Rene

The combination of Philip Glass' music and the dreamlike quality of the set and the halting, reserved movements by the people onstage lent a fantastic quality to the entire story. The whole time, between the effect of mirrors slowly moving across stage and the minimalist compositions, you weren't quite sure what was going on, but you knew that it was something amazing. Orphee is an amazing work, and it shows that opera isn't the sole property of long-dead composers like Rossini and Puccini and Mozart. When I heard that it was based on a film, I didn't understand how closely he would follow the scripting of said movie, but Glass did an amazing job making this his own, and then giving it to all of us to see the many ways that music can be interpreted and folded into projects, enhancing them and creating something entirely new. Also, the fact that it had ties to the Orpheus and Eurydice story led me to think I would know exactly what would happen, as I am very familiar with that story and all of its various versions, but with the complications and the characters of Heurtebise and the Princess, the story is expanded and changed into something different, something that seems much more fitting in the world we now live in, while still having fantastic qualities that make you wonder...was it all a dream?

Good music if you like Glass -- a solid example of his use of churning, repetitive orchestral patterns to create a cohesive atmosphere. There are no memorable melodies, but you don't expect that from a Glass opera because it isn't the intent. You do get a pleasing sense of geometry and balance. The staging made intriguing use of the mirror motif, setting duplicate props in order to seem to reflect back on themselves from different parts of the stage. The mechanical walking was overdone and got old, but I'm not sure how I would have handled it better. I understand the need to fill non-singing time with movement. The main gripe I have with the opera is how the story is treated. It doesn't make sense as presented, and you feel lulled into a belief that it must be profound because it doesn't make sense. The story is presented as a treatment of the tension between artistic passion and human passion, when really the fatal flaw of the Orphee character is his extreme narcissism -- hence the mirror. Is listening to a creepy repetitive radio sending meaningless transmissions from the underworld really a legitimate artistic endeavor? No, it's creepy. The real reason Orphee is required never to look at his wife is because he's already chosen a life of not looking at her, of not really seeing her, because he's been hypnotized by his morbid facination with death. But this isn't clear in the opera. In fact, it's contradicted. It looks like the love affair with death is supposed to be ok if only it weren't forbidden by Whoever has decided that it's against the rules. It's not true that you can make something profound by being confusing enough. That's the flaw of Orphee.

Excellent production! I wasn't expecting it to be so cerebral!

I went to this opera with a friend who had never been to one before. I was a bit concerned that it was going to be less traditional and therefore less representative of what opera is but I was so very pleasantly surprised. This was an amazing display of minimalism within a rich landscape of powerful music and words. I had not listened much to Philip Glass in the past and the way that his music plays with the other elements of the opera is fluid and really sets the tone. It is dark and gives context to the coming events throughout. I look forward to seeing the other two operas he has completed based on Jean Cocteau's films and will also be looking more closely at any other performance art with his name associated with it.

I appreciated the modern setting, and the princess gave an amazing performance. To pass between death and life, one must pass through a mirror, and the way that this was staged on the set was both clever and beautiful. The themes of love, and death, and the ambiguity of whether one is in love with the Princess or with death was well played. What I appreciated most about this opera was the way that the instruments transported us into the emotional tension and surreal nature of this world.

Orphee was both my former Lake Oswego High School classmate's and my very first opera, my inviting him to attend Orphee with me, as I am so enthralled with Philip Glass's music. I had purchased tickets for Friday night's performance in hopes of seeing Philip Glass in the audience. I had attended the Tuesday Discussion, led by Philip, "Creativity and Collaboration" and my only disappointment for that event was that I hadn't the nerve that evening to stand and ask if Philip would consider playing one piece of his choice on the stage piano. I kept hoping that another audience member would make the request for me. My friend and I thoroughly enjoyed the opera. I listened closely to Philip's music compilation and was pleased to recognize his style included into the opera. Our seating was 5 rows back from the orchestra far to the right, so we couldn't appreciate the full impact of the stage mirrored effect, but we found the mirrored set concept an excellent one. We appreciated the feature of English translations of the French. I found Lisa Saffer's La Princesse performance and voice quality excellent. Both of us enjoyed what we saw in Orphee Friday night. Thank you so much! Kathleen in Oregon City and John in Lake Oswego, both hoping to see Philip in musical performance in Portland in the near future!

The music underlying the vocals was Glass at his best, mood setting and moving - as well as moving the plot. The vocals floated above the orchestra resulting in wonderfully haunting passages. The setting initially appeared ordinary, tho elegant, but became spectacular through the use of mirrors, both real and figurative, and staging. Both Sopranos were superb, as was the tenor. It was Opera as it should be, with theater on top of exquisite music. The only flaw was the let down after the spectacular crescendo of the collision of two worlds, discovery and awakening. The Opera could have ended 5 minutes earlier.

This was Glass at his best. I was drawn in my the score, the story, and the voices. An amazing night--it still resonates through me.

The talented young cast brought not only high musical art, but also the perfect blend of humor and physicality to the flying carpet stage for a rousing evening of Rossini at his best. I was delighted at almost every turn and trill! Portland Opera's staging of operas like Handel's Rinaldo and Rossini's Italian Girl in Algiers in the Newmark Theatre brings the audience a richer and more intimate experience of both music and stagecraft. I look forward to these productions.

Enjoyed the show and thought Laura Beckel Thorsen did an amazing job in her role

In short, I saw the show twice. I've seen enough theatre to know second viewings don't startle and please like first viewings. This show however is a great exception. It was even better. Kudos and downy pillows to all involved.

When the lead displayed a banana hanging from his waist, that was bad enough. When he started stroking it to simulate masturbation, that was simply poor taste

This was a great performance. The "Flying" carpet stage setting was unique and very well done! Voices were clear and good volume.

I've been looking forward to seeing this production live for years! We had wonderful seats and the orchestra was awesome! The acting/singing was great! I cannot lie, I am disappointed they did not use blood as I was curious to see how it was worked with on stage. But I would recommend this to others. Thanks for a fun night!

Outstanding. That sums it up. Simply outstanding.v

The voices were gorgeous, wonderful and the production, outstanding.

This is a favorite opera, which I have seen at least a dozen times. In this production the singers were fine, but the direction didn't give them much to do. Especially the flirtations between Papagano and Papagena were pretty basic. The sets by Maurice Sendak are charming, but occasionally limited our view of the players from the side of Keller's main floor. The Queen of the Night did not quite hit those killer high notes, but few can. All in all, a very good effort.

The acting was terrific. We were sitting near the front of the orchestra section and the projection, expressions, and talent all came through very clear. All six of us thought the extremely loud (as in painfully loud) horn was ridiculous and extremely unnecessary. We had to plug our ears several times throughout the performance because of the damned thing. Please don't do that again!

Went to the last performance of Sweeney Todd. Thought the show was amazing! Wonderful performances, and signing with a touch of humor.

Such a spectacular show. Would go again in a heartbeat. Top rate performers and orchestra. If you have the chance to attend.. do it!

This was a fantastic performance all around. I have always wanted to see Sweeney performed on stage having only seen the movie (BAD), the Angela Lansbury stage version (fantastic), and the Neil Patrick Harris staged concert (also fantastic). I thoroughly enjoyed all the performances. The costumes, lighting, set design, blocking, and orchestra were all top notch. I will definitely be going back for future shows!

First time seeing Sweeney Todd in person and it was awesome. The Bass playing Sweeney was wicked, I love a deep voiced lead. The other standouts were the sing playing Mrs. Lovett, who portrayed the tongue not so in cheek pie maker to perfection, and the singer who played the young sailor. Loved it. Loved it. Loved it. Will be back to see more by each of the singers.

The story was wonderful and the cast was fantastic.

The most talented cast I have EVER SEEN!!! Best singers!!

My daughter and I really enjoyed Sweeney Todd. The costumes were great and the music was awesome.

I took my 12 year old daughter to this show to introduce her to Opera. The vocals from the star performers as well as the supporting performers were on key and crystal clear. Outstanding performances. The morbid story line was interlaced with spots of humor and joviality. My daughter loved it!

Susannah thanks for never trading Portland in for New York allowing continual high quality entertainment to the area. Susannah stole the show among a wonderful cast.

Amazing! My teens loved this a very good first opera for them

This (opera) was awesome. There were some added parts of humor, some surprise (and scary) add-ons, but definitely stayed true to the characters in their original form. Loved it!

Having been to a couple other productions of the same play, I went in thinking that I had seen all there was to be seen of this show; I was wrong. The cast of "Sweeny Todd" was stellar. The man who played Toby deserved a standing ovation for his riveting performance of, "Not While I'm Around," and the characters of Mrs. Lovett and the Judge were brought to life in a completely new way for me by their multiple stunning performances. As a whole, this entire production swept me off my feet and left my with memories of the best show I have seen in a very long time.

Sweeney Todd had excellent music. I had some trouble hearing the words but that was mostly covered with the banner strip above the stage. I have seen this play about 4 times and it is always interesting to see how the production treats things like the bodys falling through the trap door.

I have never been to an opera before and to have this great production be my first feels like a real blessing. I have loved the Magic Flute for a long time, but I only knew one version. I was worried that the cartoon-like sets were going to distract from the deeper symbolism and hidden themes. It certainly did not. In fact, I think this is my new favorite, and the guy who played the Bird Catcher (John Moore?) was seriously brilliant. Overall, I count this as one of the top five experiences of my entire life and I don't think it will be bumped off any time soon.

Of course Mozart's music was great. The singers did well, especially Papageno, who had a lot to do and was an excellent actor as well as an outstanding singer. The costumes and scenery were a treat, and the special effects worked well. Overall, an enjoyable experience.

This is the best flute production I've ever seen, really like the set design. Also, the stage director did great job, there's never a dull moment. It was totally worth driving from Seattle to Portland to see it!!!

Loved it! Had a wonderful time and would love to see the show at a better facility. I don't believe this was the artist fault, but the opening scenes were very quiet and hard to hear from the box seats. There were a handful of situations where the mics had difficulty and were scratchy. Since we paid $250 per seat my expectations are at the highest. The set design and lightning was stunning!

The singers were fantastic, and Maurice Sendak's sets had layers of detail that kept me thrilled to be looking at them for hours! So glad that they chose to resurrect his materials for this performance. Sadly, none of this mattered because the material itself was unwatchably sexist and racist. I am appalled that they performed this show without significant edits. I had no idea that people would still fund and perform something this awful in this day and age. I'm accustomed to seeing a few sexist or racist bits in older materials, but the sexism was the main foundation of the plot - it wasn't even subtle - and it was constant. Myself and everyone I went with left at the end of the eventing horrified and disturbed. I wish that we could have enjoyed the music and sets without the distraction of endless bigotry coming out of the mouthes of our heroes.

Don't dumb down the arts! The Magic Flute originally came with soaring music and allegorical tales of the fallibility of man in a humorous construct-- it doesn't need to be converted into a Disney spectacle and served in a sippy cup. The costumes, sets and lighting were less than adequate and not commensurate with a production of artistic and historical significance. Too much sparkle and not enough quality. Bravo to the cast and crew. Their performances were well done considering what they had to work with. This work of art stands on its own and should be presented in its original form.

I generally like Portland Opera productions so I had high hopes in going to see one of the world's favorite Mozart operas, The Magic Flute. Early in the first act I felt that the production would disappoint. The very slow tempo of the direction was shocking, and it did not help that the lugubrious tempo failed to give buoyance to the lackluster Tamino and Queen of the Night performances which would have benefited from some energy. Tamino had a wonderful voice, but his acting could not match it. He should try to look into Tamina's eyes when singing directly to her, not over hear head. This might have helped to achieve a bit of intimacy. Also, I felt that most of the off-script comedic bits were overdone and indulgent and added to the feeling of lethargy in the performance. Albeit, it was a Sunday afternoon performance, but a pick up in tempo might have been just the ticket.

We thoroughly enjoyed the performance of La Cenerentola by the Portland Opera. The cast, costumes, orchestra, directors, were of superb quality. We are looking forward to future performances!

I have enjoyed this year year Portland Opera's presentations. Great cast, terrific musical effect, complimented with a great auditorium setting, Keller Auditorium. If affordable to me, I am planning on attend the complete Opera program this year. Smiles, Mari

My first opera and I was not disappointed. I was very prepared and read up on the play beforehand. My favorite story told beautifully on stage. Thank you.

What a fantastic Opera. The 3-D effects were WOW and well done. Excellent voices.

The singing was glorious. Mephistopheles was the weakest i have heard in years but both Faust and Margeurite held their own and all of the famous arias were en point. I did not "get" the mise en scene at all. I am sure someone had a vision but I didn't get it. The orchestra was noticeably energetic as were the choruses. All in all, a nice experience

Everything about this production was incredible - the costumes, the sets (amazing!), the music, and of course the wonderful cast. Mephistopheles was ill the night of the performance but still sang and sounded incredible - you can't beat the commitment and talent of these singers, they are all superb!

The look of the play was exceedingly good but the delivery of the composition needed more.

This was my first Opera and it was wonderful. I will be back!

I have enjoyed The Portland Opera for years. This production of Rigoletto totally hit the spot. My wife and I enjoyed it from curtain to curtain! I grew up with Opera. I can't wait to wait to see Aida and Madame Butterfly. Please try to stage these operas!

The musicianship and sets of this opera were incredible, and the voices utterly unforgettable.

Fabulous production. The voices were amazing. The orchestra was very professional. I find myself humming some of the more famous songs from the opera.

Easily the best opera that I have seen in Portland. Lavish Costumes, excellent stage and set design, wonderful cast and brilliant score brought the tragic story to life for one enchanted evening. Keep up the great work Portland Opera!

Absolutely GREAT. The performance was what an opera should be. The scene designs were good and of course the singers are thrilling. What an exceptional voice of the lead lady singer. Gave me chills and of course Rigoleto;s voice as a tenor was beyond compare. I'm glad that this Opera was performed in the "old"style and not re-made into a modern configuration Thank you for a great evening.

First time we attended an opera at Keller Hall and impressed by the physical presence of the theater. The cast for the opera Regoletto exceeded our expectations and would rate them all exceptional. We were very appreciative of the pre lecture and Hanna who played the Maddalena who gave the lecture was excellent in her wealth of knowledge of the opera nd composer.

An excellent production of Rigoletto with pretty much all the boxes checked: vigorous exciting conducting, a mellifluous Gilda with the ability to float a lovely high pianissimo, a tenor with the heft to sell La Donna Mobile, and most importantly a Rigoletto who not only sells the role vocally but dramatically as well. So what if the tenor does NOT look the part (the pageboy hair-do doesn't help), and the chorus is occasionally a little underwhelming; the over-all effect is quite stunning with some truly thrilling Verdian singing.

I do not want my review to seem too negative but I think there are some realities of local opera companies to be aware of. To be fair I am neither a musician or vocalist but I do love opera. Portland Opera vocalists are wonderful, but they are not those on the world stage. The volume of things is critical in Opera. By that I mean that every care should be taken in insure harmony between the orchestra and the vocalists. The Orchestra should not play so loudly that the voice is poorly heard, which is what I think happened for the big night concert. In fact, I think they overshadowed the Chorus as well. It is an Operatic venue, after all.

the talent level was absolutely top shelf, didn't understand a word, but the energy and emotion was really fascinating . . .go see it . . it's an annual show to open the season

The voices in this opera were outstanding; however, the production ended up being campy and circus-like. Really hard to watch the end of the 2nd half.

This was the first opera experience for my wife and I and it was incredible. The Newmark Theatre is very nice and the actors were incredible!

The performance and the players were wonderful. The production was whack. Seriously, what were you thinking with the that set/video/costume tripe? I get that the production budget didn't cover multiple costume changes or sets in period but bad early nineties computer animation isn't the fix for that. Nice tail, BTW, but WTF? Lorenzo Da Ponte's story of deception and infidelity is a pretty tough sell in it's original form; it's not like there are any characters in this play that deserve accolades for their good behavior. Mashed together cheap tricks and hackneyed art flair made me feel sorry for the talent; and they were clearly very talented.

My 2nd opera and it was great. I have a tape of Mozart's music and it was my first time hearing the overture live, and wished it was a larger orchestra, but the the show was very entertaining. Its amazing to watch something that was composed over 200 yrs. ago. The modern twists were fun. It makes me want to see the original version too now.

This was an opera for the modern era. Great music (of course) and singers but brilliant staging too. Great use of video combined with on-stage theatrics. All served to take the edge off a rather mysoginistic basic premise to the piece and produce a flowing story of human frailty. Oh, and the orchestra was magnificent in driving all of this.

"We need to appeal to the millenials," they said in their first creative meeting for Cosi Fan Tutte. "Get out the whiteboard! What do these millenials like?" "This VR is big! My nephew got one for his birthday and loves it." "Vaping!" "Snapchat!" "Oooh, what if we like, mixed Portlandia into it?" "Great idea! Like voodoo donuts and manbuns. Love it." Such a shame that a brilliant opera and excellent performances were squandered on this piecemeal atrocity. The staging was designed with the sole purpose of distracting and detracting, particularly after the break. Updated operas can certainly work well, but this was a huge swing and a miss. The CGI projections were great when they were subtle, but when they jammed their way into the foreground, they looked tacky and low budget, like something you would expect to see from a computer graphics demo in the mid-90's. Other meta elements worked well. Revealing the backstage to change outfits I found compelling, and the video camera on the audience could have worked better had they shown more brevity with it.

Highly entertaining and well sung by a fine cast. A bit too many monkeyshines (sometimes literally) for what is a fundamentally ambiguous and bittersweet story. Kudos to the conductor for keeping everything on track.

Set were good, orchestra was good (as usual), singing was good. I didn't care for the 'modern' costume bit in act two. I especially did not like the homosexual innuendo from the tents!!!!!

This epic opera was a rare treat for me, as I'm not a season-ticket holder to the Portland Opera. I immensely enjoyed every aspect of it: the gorgeous singing and orchestra accompaniment; the amazing stage sets, lighting, and costumes; the clear sub-titles; and the relatively small, intimate theater with an unobstructed view of the stage. And, oh yes, the well-written program guide, which greatly helped me understand the performance's history and background details. I, personally, would have preferred 100% adherence to the traditional staging, costumes, and dialogue--not the whacky, modern interpretations. Yes, all this was unique and funny--but it wasn't how Mozart and his playwright partner intended their production to be.

This version was terrible: mismatched time period clothing, VR headsets, VooDoo doughnuts, an ayahuasca trip, bean bag humping, monkey heads/paws/suits for unknown reasons, it rained pulls during the wedding, vulgar language (doesn't belong with Mozart)... my friend and I were stunned and disappointed. We went to see a Mozart piece and instead saw the most ridiculous piece of trash they could come up with. Shame on them.

My husband and I have never laughed so hard or enjoyed ourselves at an Opera before this show.

Smashing setting and wonderful voices, especially Mezzo and Tenor. Wonderful house where everything could be enjoyed from the last row in the 2nd balcony!

Enjoyed every minute of it. Beautiful voices and wonderfully performed.

This Mozart opera was fantastic from beginning to end. It had such humor, superb singing, and the sets, by Maurice Sendak, were such fun! I was surprised, and I guess I shouldn't have been, at how very funny this opera is. I highly recommend for people to see The Magic Flute at the Keller...you will love it!

Best Magic Flute ever: fabulous voices, amazing sets, a sense of humor and a live orchestra! Makes me want to go to the Portland Opera again.

Enjoyed play and would go again. Enjoyed the comic aspect of opera.

This was excellent! Whimsical, well sung, so much fun! I call it a starter Opera as it is easy to listen to, fun, and doesn't carry the label "boring opera".

Beautiful singing, convincing characters, sumptuous sets and costumes. Only wished the smaller of the 3 ladies, in attendance to the Queen of the night would sing toward the audience, we couldn't hear her but the larger ladies were loud and clear. Otherwise it was well executed. I also appreciated the talk about the history of the Magic Flute prior to the event, it made it a much richer experience knowing what Mozart was doing at the time of the making of the opera, and the political the back story.

Music, acting, singing, set design... all of it just terrific! But the play itself is pathetic in both it's pace and plot, and it is incredibly masagonistic. I was embarrassed as a man sitting there beside my woman friend enduring the insulting portrayals of the female characters. How does this opera continue to be performed in a contemporary society!?

I grew up on a PBS recording of The Magic Flute, seeing it live was a treat. I am not the biggest fan of Maurice Sendaks sets (although I'm sure many people are), and I have to say I was disappointed in the Queen of the Nights costume (the headdress just didn't work) and she should enter from the SKY not emerge up from the earth imo, but I did appreciate the staging and costumes of Zorastro and co that played up the Freemason theme. Pamina's voice and acting was beautiful, Tamino was well done too. As I woman of this time I feel I'm expected to be offended by the seemingly antifeminine strains, but I just am not. Mozart was a genius of his time and if his work reflects views that are out of fashion it is really not worth getting hung up over. For me, this is a fairy tale that resonates deeply - the complexity and ultimate tragedy of a parent who becomes twisted, the confusion and despair it causes their children, the journey to maturity, the different paths we can take. I was grateful for how Papagiano was played, as I believe he is a vital character, not just comic relief. In my opinion Papagiano represents the option of a simple life, the concept that not everyone must be a hero or have advanced degrees and noteworthy careers; it is a perfectly acceptable choice to learn to be honest, have a family, enjoy food and drink, and enjoy your work. Bravo.

Fantastic performance! Highly recommended for all ages

GOOD VOICES BUT PRODUCTION VALUES NOT ALWAYS ENJOYABLE. FREDERICK AND MABEL OUTSTANDING. RUTH AND OTHER PRINCIPLES VERY GOOD. DIGRESSION INTO UPDATED MUSICAL ARRANGEMENTS MOST DISTRACTING. GENERAL'S SINGING OK BUT NOT REAL DOYLY-CARTE PATTER QUALITY. CHORUS WELL DONE FOR THE MOST PART. SUPER TITLES WOULD HAVE BEEN HELPFUL DURING DIALOGUE ALSO.

I've seen "Pirates" many times. This was the most unique performance I have ever attended. If you see it, do not expect the pure Gilbert & Sullivan show. There is a LOT of poetic license in the Portland Opera performance. Quite a bit of music is changed/modernized for comical affect. I love the original, but the new interpretations did keep me laughing...and moaning. They found a way to parody a parody.

Think you won't like opera, but still want to give it a try? This is the one for you. Very witty, with clever sets and choreography. You'll be laughing through each scene.

A very good production of the Pirates of Penzance. Although the tempo of the show was slowed down, the modernizing elements helped to keep it moving. The biggest problem with the production was the audio. We could barely hear anyone. So, if you go see this show at the Keller Auditorium, DON'T get tickets in the second balcony.

Imaginative use of bird puppets, amazing singing, cool set, and a funny story that has endured over the years. They added some fun modern touches. Totally fun evening.

My birthday "Night at the Opera" was perfect !! I'm familiar with the plot, and the music, but absolutely fascinated with the subtle dance movements (current) incorporated. Those dance movements added a very sublime humor to the entire show. WELL DONE and thanks

This production was simply marvelous. It combined the charming aspects of the original stagecraft with hilarious interruptions of opera parody and modern choreography. Absolutely unexpected and fresh. We saw the final performance. They announced that Cindy Sadler (Ruth) had laryngitis, but was going to perform anyway. Well! If that is her voice with laryngitis, I can't imagine how much better it could be with health! There were maybe a few moments of strain, but otherwise just lovely. Kudos to Ms. Sadler. All other cast member perfect! Lovely singing, great dancing, perfect comedic timing. Talise - stunning soprano. Kevin Burdette - hilarious! Just a night of pure entertainment joy.

The production was wonderful and had some elements I had not seen before, such as adding in musical rifts from other operas, and putting a contemporary spin on bits of the musical numbers. However, although the vocals were strong, at times the Pirate King seemed to be singing in a muffled voice - like he was almost mumbling at times or swallowing his words. It seemed as if he was trying too hard to achieve an accent or a lower register. That was disappointing. Samuel had an amazing voice, the Major General was perfect!

I'm pretty new to opera, so I have not experienced a "classic" version of PoP. There was another review (somewhere) that mentioned that the reviewer could have done without the modern "upgrades" to the classic script/score. I went home feeling highly entertained, but wondering exactly what the classic version was like. Some of the spoken lines were a little hard to hear (ORCHA, Row-X, 7 - 10). I found myself wishing, at times, that the spoken lines were displayed on the screen above the stage, too, and I missed some of the humor. So much going on on stage, that it was tough to read the words for fear of missing something. Great music, superb vocal talent, and an excellent production.