Rough Pearl: Seattle Opera’s Pearl Fishers nearly hits the mark

Sasha Cooke’s thoughtful role debut anchors Paul Curran’s visually and musically alert but dramatically uneven production.

Presented without staging, Seattle Opera’s concert Daphne places Strauss’ extreme vocal demands and saturated orchestral writing in sharp relief, offering a high-risk encounter with a rarely heard late opera.

Eye-popping, hand-drawn animation melds with Mozart's fantastical world and the silent film era to create a colorful and energetic new-to-Seattle production.  

A world premiere opera about the Fisk Jubilee Singers, the intrepid troupe of African American singers who changed music history. 

Thoughtful cuts, an extremely skillful orchestra and active, inventive staging made this sexy dark comedy engrossing and highly watchable. 

Despite some confused visual elements, an excellent musical performance makes Seattle Opera's production well worth watching.