Aesopera

Beautifully sung, thoughtfully staged, a delightful evening of opera. Opera on this small scale can fall into traps of seeming unproduced or more like a recital, but I think this production threaded the the needle beautifully. Jeffrey Stackhouse gave a really thoughtful performance and and Tania Solomon shone. While I love grand opera productions, it was refreshing to see a production focussed on the music. A welcome offering in the Fringe Festival.... full review

Thank God for Jefferey Stackhouse! He is a powerhouse on stage. From a back-stabbing father to a bitter frog, Jeff brought incredible timing, acting and song. The other singers were very talented! The only gripe was I couldn't understand most of their words even though they were singing in English. The show itself was constantly trying. Trying to do what, I don't know, but I could see it trying. I'm glad I saw it. It should definitely be in the Fringe community. ... full review

Amazing! Jonathan Prices music blew me away. Can't wait to see his future shows including THE ISLAND this July in Noho.... full review

I thought this show was fun! I hadn't seen an opera written after 1900 and thought that the ship had sailed on anything good coming out of the genre. But Aesopera proved me wrong. The five mini-operas were in turn touching and hilarious. And it was only an hour long. Totally worth it! Go see it!... full review

Opera isn't exactly my first choice when it comes to theatre, but if you're into it, then you should have a great time. This show is so well produced, in every since of the word, that it makes up for the small things I had gripes about. The actors are amazing singers but the fact that this is an opera makes them hard to understand at times - especially if you're not familiar with the source material (and yes, it's in English). The acting at times can be a bit of a bore, as no one does anything particularly special to really make their characters stand out. All of that said, the last segment more than makes up for anything that is "wrong" with this show, and if you can stick with it, you should end up having a good time. ... full review

Aesopera is everything I want in a theater-going experience. Throughout these five mini-operas you will find yourself laughing at its zany yet clever humor, tearing up in its moments of heartbreaking tenderness, and, most importantly, getting blown away by the beautiful voices of its extremely talented cast. Overall the cast is very young; and I cannot tell you how refreshing it is to see men and women of that age so passionately and so skillfully singing opera. They were of course lead by the more veteran player, Jeffrey Stackhouse, who I'm certain gave them the inspiration and the confidence they needed to pull off such challenging material. Overall I very much enjoyed Aesopera and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fun a... full review

I attended the June 15th performance, and it was such a treat! I can say that I laughed and cried in the short production that lasted a little over an hour. ... full review

I really enjoyed this opera. The music is melodic unlike some dissonant modern operas. The five mini operas move the action quickly while still giving substance to the topics of each. The singers gave great performances with strong musicality and acting ability. The final opera piece is a hoot with many laugh out loud moments. I would recommend you check it out.... full review

I have to say, I was skeptical heading into this production. I've seen my fair share of opera, but have not developed much of a taste for more modern works. Aesopera was a pleasant surprise! The story lines of these five fables provided the perfect dose of comedy, tragedy, wit and heart - all in about an hour. The cast I saw was particularly strong and versatile in their performances. The tenor, Craig McEldowney, gave a stand-out performance that had me laughing, crying, and entranced with his beautiful voice. Overall, a lovely show that is approachable and fun for the whole family. ... full review

This is definitely a break from what you can normally see at Fringe. The vocalists were true professionals. I am not a big fan of Opera but wanted to make a point of seeing this at the Fringe. The last segment is by far the most entertaining and best acted. While the performers are amazing vocalists I wish there was more character development throughout the majority of the pieces. Due to technical issues this show also started nearly 20 minutes late which led to me worrying more about time and getting to my next show than being able to enjoy the show. ... full review