Video Excerpts
Review Quotations
A Trip to Old Hollywood (And Some Great Voices) in Don Pasquale Pittsburgh Opera’s new production of Don Pasquale [goes] beyond opera-lovers-only territory and turns it into something that demands wider attention...There are a thousand brilliant touches to the staging...For film lovers (particularly of a TCM bent), it’s a treat; for anyone, however, it gives plenty of rich, entertaining context to the comic opera, a smart move to contemporize a centuries-old tale…This show is a delight, regardless of your affinity for opera or knowledge of the material… it’s a production that should draw you in out of curiosity and convert you into a fan by the end of the evening.
Pittsburgh Opera’s Don Pasquale: One part Donizetti, one part Oropesa…Stir This version of Don Pasquale must be associated with its Director’s name, Chuck Hudson. It is distinctively his as well as Donizetti’s and Ruffini’s…Director Hudson’s staging includes added physical humor, sight gags, and amusing early-style Hollywood-film clips…The classical production of the opera is amusing, but Mr. Hudson’s is laugh-out-loud funny in quite a few places…How Director Hudson managed to have all these comedic players and effects and still keep pace with the score, I do not know, but it works, and it makes for a very entertaining evening…In truth, I started watching the performance with some concerns whether the comedy would be funny and whether I would like what Pittsburgh Opera had done to a Donizetti classic with updated trappings, but also in truth, I must admit that I left with a happy smile on my face, only regretting that I could not remain in Pittsburgh to see another performance. There is so much packed into this production, it might be even funnier the second time.
Pittsburgh Opera’s “Don Pasquale” a Clever, Campy, Comic Delight For the final work of its 80th season, Pittsburgh Opera is presenting Chuck Hudson’s novel “Hollywood” spin on Donizetti’s Don Pasquale, and its first performance last night delighted a surprisingly slim audience at the Benedum in an evening of song and comedy that seemed to end as quickly as it began…in a manner which is thoroughly entertaining in all particulars…Words and still photography can’t sufficiently describe how effectively such touches as keeping Pasquale in “black and white” –against an increasingly Technicolor background –work, or how cleverly the silent movie asides, sight gags and other bits of fun make Donizetti’s score shine even more brightly than it already does…This final production of Pittsburgh Opera’s current season is also one of its best, and hopefully the remaining performances will draw fuller houses. This reviewer has every intention of seeing it again simply to enjoy another evening (maybe two) of tunefully fun entertainment before the long wait for next season begins.
. Pittsburgh Opera revisits silent Hollywood in waggish season finale production Directed by Chuck Hudson…this version of Don Pasquale is quality work, a genuinely funny bit of opera and fine way to close the Pittsburgh Opera season.
Best of Culture in Pittsburgh: Don Pasquale The classic comedic opera gets a fresh ’50s backdrop for the first production of its kind held in Pittsburgh. This will be director Chuck Hudson’s ninth run of “Don Pasquale,” an opera with a flair for wit and a touch of drama.
Top Events in Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh Opera is giving Gaetano Donizetti’s comic opera “Don Pasquale” a fresh new lease on life with a premier production set in glamorous 1930s Hollywood.
Don Pasquale Offers Laughs at Pittsburgh Opera…Don Pasquale will leave audiences laughing uncontrollably from start to finish, all amongst a beautiful array of arias and sets so splendid it will truly leave audiences wanting more.
10 Must See Operas in 2019: In celebration of the new year, let’s take a look at the operas OperaWire believes are not be missed in North America in 2019. 10. Don Pasquale – Pittsburgh Opera. Lisette Oropesa, who has dominated the European stage throughout the past year will make one appearance in the U.S. stage during the 2018-19 season. This alone makes this production a must-see. In this revival production, Oropesa will be joined by Kevin Glavin, Joshua Hopkins, and Javier Abreu. Performance Dates: April 27-May 5, 2019
The 5 best classical concerts in April: Pittsburgh Opera presents “Don Pasquale,” set in 1950s Hollywood.