Theatre Thursday: The Star of 'Maria Stuarda' Speaks

A portrait of Mary, Queen of Scots, circa 1565. The Blairs Museum. Image public domain.

For the first Theatre Thursday of the new year, I bring you an interview with the star of Donizetti's tragic opera, 'Maria Stuarda', mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato. The interview examines the history behind the script, Italian censorship, and the strict regimen of a professional opera singer. For those who are not lucky enough to see the show in person, 'Maria Stuarda' will be broadcast live in HD on January 19th.

Theatre Thursday: Tudor History, Italian Style!

"Anne Boleyn receiving proof of Henry VIII's passion for Jane Seymour", a 19th century engraving from the novel Windsor Castle. Image courtesy of Inor19 on Flickr.

In past Theatre Thursday features I have included several article links concerning productions of the tragic Italian opera, 'Anna Bolena'. As someone who once performed in Carmina Burana as a child, I really would love to see this operatic production, if it ever comes to my part of the country.

Anna Bolena is the last of Gaetano Donizetti's "Tudor trilogy". His other Tudor themed operas are (unsurprisingly) also tragedies, 'Roberto Devereux' and 'Maria Stuarda'.

Anna Bolena, Giovanna Seymour, and Enrico VIII take the stage in, 'Anna Bolena' !