To start our new season, we are pleased to welcome back Eli Jacobson, whose own description of his planned program will eclipse anything we might say in describing it:

“Straight Or With A Twist(ed)” will present comparative paired interpretations of (mostly) well-known arias by stars of the present and distant past. Each pairing begins with a “straight” interpretation, in which the singer cleaved more or less to the score as written. It will be followed by a rather idiosyncratic interpretation from another singer. The idea is to present contrasting examples that each made a valid claim. It is not intended to be a ‘good vs. bad’ comparison with a ‘good’ interpretation followed by a risible attempt a la Florence Foster Jenkins. Each singer is a professional, in mid-career and not a pathetic voiceless has-been or never-was, but a professional singer who makes bold unorthodox choices. For some, the bold choices will be successful, for others it's a party record. It might be camp but it’s not intentional camp. You will be the judge.”

Eli Jacobson has been a regular opera critic for Gay City News, New York City’s leading LGBT publication, since 2007. He has also been a contributor to the UK’s Opera Magazine and the Opera Britannia blog.

Mr. Jacobson has presented programs on operatic subjects for the Gay Men’s Opera Club at the LGBT Center for over 20 years now. Among his programs have been lectures on Italian Opera Composers in Paris (1797-1867), Shakespeare in Opera, The Operas of Giacomo Meyerbeer, and Voice vs. Art: the Kunstdiva and the Stimmdiva – a comparative survey of recordings. These programs were also wonderfully received at the VRCS. His last program for us was Romeo and Juliet at the Opera in 2019. Mr. Jacobson was briefly seen as a talking head in the documentary WAGNER’S DREAM by Susan Froemke, which chronicled the travails of the Lepage RING production at the Met. This film was shown at the NY Film Festival and on PBS.

All of Eli Jacobson’s programs are superbly researched and beautifully presented and we curse the pandemic for keeping him away from us for three years. Do plan to attend his presentation in September to see what we’ve been missing!

DATE: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2022 (THE SECOND FRIDAY!) TIME: 7:30PM SHARP
PLACE: CHRIST CHURCH THIRD FLOOR MEETING ROOM, 60TH ST. & PARK AVE., N.Y.C.