The Atlanta Opera — Attraction in Atlanta

I love opera music, and Atlanta is my hometown so the Atlanta Opera is necessarily my go-to venue to hear it. Some of the shows are totally amazing, some are so-so. They tend to repeat certain operas (Madama Butterfly, La Boheme) every couple of years when true fans have been waiting forever to see some other classics like The Magic Flute and Lucia di Lammermoor, but generally I'm happy with their offerings. What I'm NOT happy with is their poor services to subscribers. My group of friends has had a subscription for the past 4 or 5 years. Every single year it's like pulling teeth to renew. They either can't provide information on upgrades in a timely manner, or attempt to renew the wrong number of seats, or bill us the wrong amount - it never ends. And the worst thing is their lack of responsiveness. Last season my friend who handles the renewal had to contact them more than five times over a period of two months - just wow. This year she's called twice already and received no response, so she's going to go to the box office in person to attempt to straighten out the latest mistake on our renewal. Honestly, you've got to be a really dedicated opera fan to continue to bother with this. We shouldn't have to beg them to take our money . . . and bill us the correct amount due. If you're just purchasing single tickets from the website you likely won't encounter problems. But if you have to deal with the staff or renewal, Godspeed with this disorganized and unprofessional bunch. One final note: during the last performance I saw there (a couple of weeks ago) the ushers were talking in normal, "outdoor" voices during the show. There's really no...

We really enjoyed "The Daughter of the Regiment" - a good opera which featured a very good cast. Cobb Energy Center is a large theatre and was about 75% full for the performance. The set was good, not great. The lighting was lacking in moods and relied on cues and states that were general and not reflective of time, mood or atmosphere. The performances were very good but not world class. Having seen the very best performances in the world, I would suggest that the Atlanta arts scene is somewhat second-tier to London and New York. Indeed, the opera was directed well, but lacked a tightness. The chorus was good but some tableaux work lacked and there was evidence of too much 'acting' in terms of chorus members faking commentary on the action. Less is sometimes more - don't grimace when it is not needed. Suffice it to say that the evening was enjoyable in this impressive theatre. Where the company is very good, it has yet to reach the standards of the best on the world stage and be regarded as excellent. For this, it needs tighter direction and a...

I enjoyed The Golden Ticket very much and I commend the Atlanta Opera for going out on a limb to produce a new opera! That takes courage and commitment, especially in these tough economic times, to support new works. The special effects were excellent, combining multiple lighting effects with multiple projections to great effect. The interior of the chocolate factory was a delight and the Oompa Loompa chorus practically stole the show. Each child character had a chance to shine in both acts, although I felt the second act was a little too long and could use a bit of pruning, especially in the flying sequence.

Hats off to all the cast, especially Daniel Okulitch as Willy Wonka, Keith Jameson as Grandpa Joe, Gerald Thompson as Mike Teavee (outstanding coluratura!) and Ashley Emerson as...