"No problem can withstand the assault of sustained thinking."

Costumes and scenery by Antoni Clavé balance grittiness against style as only the French can.

In swapping out the usual story of dazzling the elders at the temple in favor of a non-canonical text about the child Christ, Chanticleer adds unexpected novelty, making it a richer experience for the audience.

All proceeds support the award-winning education and community outreach programs of San Francisco Opera Guild that reach more than 50,000 young people in 200 schools throughout Northern California every year.

Special recognition must go to Lisa Marie Woods, who seizes the opportunity to showcase her dramatic skill and expressive balletic moves during an exquisitely choreographed ballet sequence. Bravo!

Being largely unfamiliar with these lieder, I appreciated Moore’s performance of two different settings for the same poem (An den Mond) because it pointed the way to how Schubert’s handling of the material matured over time.

Each passage totally exhausts the possibility of what can be done with this material, leaving the audience amazed and stunned at what can be done with this simple six-word passage set as a texturally dense, five-part fugue.

The creative design elements of the shocking opening scene augur well for what is yet to come.

The three hour show included all that we love about ZinZanni - a great 5 course meal, crowd involvement in riotous competitions and performances, spell binding acts, and even the train transformed into a Mexican themed event.

This multi-layered tale of a young man’s mental instability is perfectly delivered by one of the most stellar casts that City Lights Theatre has put together this year.