‘Tosca’ features searing drama and music
Opera San Jose begins its illustrious 32nd season with "Tosca," Puccini’s most melodramatic opera. “Tosca” is based on Victorian Sardou’s 1887 French language dramatic play La Tosca. The play starred Sarah Bernhardt, who played the lead in over 3,000 performances. Puccini became obsessed with turning the play into an opera. Librettist Luigi Illica advised Puccini against trying to turn the play into an opera because he felt it could not be adapted to a musical form and was too violent.
Annie get your treat, and did you have a clue that the iron is gone?
Is there nothing sacred in this world? So many things that we took for granted are now just fading memories. You know, like necker’s knobs on our steering wheels; 78 and 45 RPM phonograph records; even using clothes pins to fasten playing cards to the fork of our Schwinns so they protruded into the spokes and made it sound like we were riding a motorcycle. All these are gone. And we’ve learned to live with those changes, I guess.
“Valley of the Heart” – A nostalgic visit to a disturbing past
“Valley of the Heart” is a heart wrenching story of actual happenings and how the almost forgotten Second World War affected the people of the time. It jars those of us that lived through that moment to remember a time we would rather forget. It also shows this generation what went on and cautions about it not letting the past happen again.
