Fans of Leonard Bernstein will “love this music, very Bernstein. It’s a perfect introduction to opera. It’s in English with supertitles. And the story is very smart, as relevant today as it was when he wrote it” in 1951.
Opera buffs who support Union Avenue Opera can enjoy an evening of song and partying with singers and musicians as they help the company do a little rainmaking (ie., raise money) at a gala concert Nov. 3.
We now have evidence that music has healing properties. But some of the best music ever written or performed has been done so by very sick persons. The question of how we approach music created by a "vile" person is raised with the production of Richard Wagner's Ring Cycle by Union Avenue Opera.
Richard Wagner called “Das Rheingold” a prelude because it introduces most characters and the relevant themes of power and its abuse that are developed in later works. The opera, produced by Union Avenue later this month, starts the first full cycle presented in St. Louis since 1930.
Opera lovers thirsty for Verdi’s big, beautiful melodies can drink deeply the next two weekends as several gifted singers make their St. Louis debuts in his “Un Ballo in Maschera (A Masked Ball)." Courtney A. Mills, of Springfield, is one of the lead singers.
For 17 years, Union Avenue Opera’s season kicked off in summer. Now the company has decided to open in April in the hopes of reaching more people and helping the bottom line. Its "Acis and Galatea" opens this Friday and plays through the weekend.
Mr. Grinch (left) remains as cuddly as a cactus with a teeny tiny heart somewhere beneath that verdant fur as he comes to the Peabody Opera House stage. Wonder whether he'll ever change? And the boy who needed no lesson in giving is at the Union
While the tradition is not -- yet -- as long as the NBC telecast of the Toscanini production, Union Avenue Opera's "Amahl and the Night Visitors" is becoming a seasonal event for many. Ricky Johnson, 13, of St. Charles returns in the title role.
The strength of the production can be seen in the fact that after two weeks of rehearsals the cast and staff are still emotionally affected. But this story of Sister Helen Prejean and whether the death penalty is right or wrong does not preach.
Some St. Louisans plan to lift their spirits above the unrelenting dog days with an evening of ravishingly beautiful music in a tale of good people triumphing over self-centered meanies. Gioacchino Rossini
Scott Schoonover · Marc Schapman · Juliet Petrus · Courtney Mills · Emanuel-Cristian Caraman
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Meeting in St. Louis next week, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious will have its first opportunity as an assembled group to consider what to do after the Vatican issued a mandate for change this spring. It calls on the conference to reorganize and more strictly observe church teachings.
When a family of four goes to the St. Louis Zoo, they can be forgiven for not knowing it will cost them $60, $72 if they park. If they can't pay, the alternative is to tell the kids they can't do what kids do at the zoo.
Missouri House Speaker Steve Tilley gave reporters less than a half-hour’s notice today when he announced that conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh’s sculptured bust will be formally installed in the Capitol at 1 p.m.
Developers on the south side come in all shapes and sizes, with ambitions that vary from single buildings to entire city blocks. In the first of a two-part story, Jason Deem talks about building community.
Author M.M. Costantin, who has lived near the Loop for more than 40 years, compiled a photo book that shows Delmar when it was bustling, when it was dangerous and when it came back to life.
They arrived four years ago as fifth-graders, behind in their work and not used to rigorous classes, but they've advanced rapidly and have a strong academic grounding for high school.
The Beacon's Mary Delach Leonard and Rob Koenig extensively covered flooding in 2011 in Missouri. Now this coverage is compiled in an iBook. Read the stories.
Organizers aren't trying to replace the rib fest, but music lovers will be able to find tangy sustenance as they listen to such greats as Mavis Staples (pictured), Big George Brock, Trombone Shorty, Kim Massie and Marquise Knox take the stage.
Isley, a world-class guitarist as well as a gifted songwriter, communicates and connects swith an audience on an intimate level at "An Evening of Music and Discussion." He is hosting the event on Thursday in O'Fallon, Mo.
Like many artists, dancer Antonio Douthit hears a different drummer. But the drumbeat that changed his life at 16 wasn’t in his head. It wafted from a window on Washington Avenue. Douthit comes home for a May 25 performance in "Spring to Dance."
Donna Korando is the Beacon's arts and features editor. You can contact her at dkorando@stlbeacon.org.
Developers on the south side come in all shapes and sizes, with ambitions that vary from single buildings to entire city blocks. In the first of a two-part story, Jason Deem talks about building community.
Speaking to reporters at Monsanto, Howard Buffett warned that future generations would foot the bill for irresponsible soil use. He urged leaders to address thorny issues such as malnutrition and environmental destruction.
Twenty winners will split a million dollars and a wide array of professional services after this year's Arch Grants competition. Victors will also see one-on-one business mentoring in their prize package. The diverse group includes everything from biotech concerns to fashion enterprises.
Innovation and entrepreneurial activity are on the rise in St. Louis, especially in bioscience, technology and alternative energy. The Beacon's InnovationSTL section focuses on the people who are part of this wave, what they're doing and how this is shaping our future. To many St. Louisans, this wave is not yet visible. InnovationSTL aims to change that. We welcome you to share your knowledge, learn more about this vibrant trend and discuss its impact.
The Academy of Science-St. Louis hosts tours of EarthDance, an organic farm, and the Monsanto Agronomics and Breeding Facility May 21-22. The workshop is meant to prompt discussion and answer questions about these two competing philosophies of food production.
Speaking to reporters at Monsanto, Howard Buffett warned that future generations would foot the bill for irresponsible soil use. He urged leaders to address thorny issues such as malnutrition and environmental destruction.
Vernon Bowman's challenge to Monsanto Co.'s patent on its Roundup Ready soybean seeds was billed as a David vs. Goliath contest. Goliath won and won big. The Supreme Court ruled unanimously that an Indiana soybean farmer had violated Monsanto's patent on its genetically engineered soybean seeds.
Sally Altman is the Beacon's Health and Science editor. You can contact her at saltman@stlbeacon.org.
You have to know your audience: McDonald's regulars don't need free-range chicken or a certain breed of beef; a second-chance high school needs personally motivated students as opposed to people ordered to attend and low-income Democrats by and large don't want a cigarette tax.
Last week, Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura sacrificed his crown as the King of America. He faced an individual decision to play against the best in the nation or the best on the planet. Find out what happened at that world-level tournament.
Our world sees rapid change in many ways -- how we view women, races, sexual minorities and other populations, for instance. While a daily delivery of new and different can be exhausting, it can force us to reflect and consider how to move forward, often incrementally, toward what is good and what bring value to our lives.
Donna Korando is the Beacon's Voices editor. You can contact her and submit opinion pieces for possible publication at dkorando@stlbeacon.org.