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photo: Ross Brown
CARMEN at St James Theatre
reviewed by Ann Hunt 12 Jun 2010
Feral grace amid dated choreography
[The Pieter Symonds / Michael Braun pairing.] Carmen was first performed by the Royal New Zealand Ballet in 2002. This time around the company have got it right by casting Pieter Symonds and Michael Braun in the leading roles as Carmen and José. Their partnership works surprisingly well ... [more]

SWAN LAKE ON ICE at St James Theatre
reviewed by Ann Hunt (The Dominion Post) 9 Jul 2010
Spirited ice show enchants crowd
The young child next to me sat entranced on the edge of her seat and whispered: “It’s so beautiful!” And it was. This enchanting production captures all the magic of the original ballet and adds theatrical punch and psychological depth. There are changes to the scenario, which work well in this context. [more]

MADE TO MOVE - THE ROYAL NZ BALLET at St James Theatre
reviewed by Ann Hunt (The Dominion Post) 28 Feb 2013
Triple treat for 60th anniversary
The company, in outstanding form, deliver a night of spirited dancing in entertaining, thought provoking and beautiful works. [more]

Photo: Neil Mackenzie
LA BOHèME at St James Theatre
reviewed by John Button (The Dominion Post) 12 May 2008
from a low key beginning to a powerful, believable, finale
... This production moves way from the traditional - Paris in the 1830s - and sets it in the present day. In doing this the creative team takes a risk. Many operas benefit from modern settings but, for me, La Boheme is not one of them. It makes it points within an atmosphere of 19th century lighting, and our stylised, even sentimental, idea of Bohemian life in Paris. [more]

Photo: Neil Mackenzie
THE ITALIAN GIRL IN ALGIERS at St James Theatre
reviewed by John Button (The Dominion Post) 12 May 2009
A dazzling, stellar Isabella
Thanks to great casting all bases are covered in this supremely polished, endlessly effervescent, production. [more]

Photo: Jane Ussher
EUGENE ONEGIN at St James Theatre
reviewed by John Button (The Dominion Post) 12 Oct 2009
Delivers on promise of excellence
Simply put, this is, surely, the most polished, most evenly cast, production that New Zealand opera has yet given us. [more]

Photo: Neil Mackenzie
THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO at St James Theatre
reviewed by John Button (The Dominion Post) 17 May 2010
Superb staging of Figaro sets new standards for Mozart opera
Having missed the last Marriage of Figaro done by New Zealand Opera in 2002 – and the outside performance during the summer in Eastbourne – it is a while since I have experienced a local production of the opera, but I still suspect that this thought-provoking, and stunningly realised production directed by New Zealand Opera’s general director, Aidan Lang, is a benchmark for Mozart opera in New Zealand. [more]

Photo: Neil Mackenzie
XERXES at St James Theatre
reviewed by John Button (The Dominion Post) 17 Mar 2011
Sheer skill and enjoyment here
This production is the first full staging of a Handel opera in New Zealand, and even given that such ‘authentic’ productions are common in Europe, this is one of the few that uses counter tenors in the roles of both the brothers, Xerxes and Arsamene. [more]

Photo: Neil Mackenzie
CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA AND PAGLIACCI at St James Theatre
reviewed by John Button (The Dominion Post) 29 Aug 2011
Much to delight eye and ear
For most people, including regular opera fans, the Cav & Pag double bill is more talked about than experienced. Of course, everybody knows snippets from both – the Intermezzo from Cav and ‘Vesti la giubba’ (Put on the motley) from Pag, but very few have experienced a top professional production. [more]

Photo: Fraser Harding
THE VALKYRIE (DIE WALKüRE) IN CONCERT at Michael Fowler Centre
reviewed by John Button (The Dominion Post) 24 Jul 2012
Standing ovation for NZSO's Wagner
No-one in the world of music has polarised opinion as much as Richard Wagner, and no creative endeavour has so transcended the narrow world of music quite like his vast cycle of four music dramas – The Ring of the Nibelung. Yet, here in July 2012 was the first time the most "stand-alone" of the four operas has been performed in New Zealand, albeit in a concert performance. [more]
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