"He can still sing!" we overheard one distinguished patron of the opera asserting to his wife as they filed out of their seats for intermission at the Wednesday performance of the first-ever LA Opera production of Verdi's "Simon Boccanegra." "And he moves around the stage, too!" the wife observed with comparable enthusiasm. "He," of course, is Placido Domingo, arguably the world's greatest opera singer—and star—of the last four or five decades. more ›

Watching the LA Opera’s production of La Traviata on its opening night, it was easy to see why this is one of the most-performed pieces of music in the classical repertoire. Its themes are writ large: sex, death, decadence, betrayal, and all-conquering love, set to a rapturous score, one that consistently rewards the most heroic of singers. While it may seem like LA’s been getting too much of a good thing lately (it’s been part of three of the last four seasons at the Chandler), it really is the kind of thing you can watch again and again, especially when the production’s this good. more ›