What a way to open an opera season! When San Diego Opera education director Nicolas Reveles and board chair Carol Lazier walked onto the stage of the Balboa Theatre on Sept. 5, the audience greeted them so raucously it sounded like we were at a football game. Reveles is among staff members who saved the opera from closure, and Lazier became board chair last spring, when numerous board members, who’d voted to shut up shop, stormed off in protest. Needless to say, most of the departed were absent from the traffic-jam-causing recital, billed as the first event of the company’s 2014-2015 season, in celebration of its miracle 50th anniversary. The event, featuring Ailyn Pérez and Stephen Costello in recital, was hardly an opera, not even a substitute for an opera production; however, the stars surpassed their advance promo and more than filled the stage with their lively, amazing work, beautifully accompanied by Danielle Orlando. Pérez wore three gowns, and she and her husband Costello were scrumptious. It was the classical music event of the season. ‘Pianist’ at the Rep The musical motif continued with Hershey Felder’s “The Pianist of Willesden Lane” at San Diego Repertory Theatre’s Lyceum (through Sept. 28). It’s a must-see one-woman show Felder adapted from pianist Mona Golabek’s acclaimed book, “The Children of Willesden Lane.” Felder also directs the piece, in which Golabek, a fine concert pianist and actor, portrays her Viennese mother, Lisa Jura, who in 1938, at age 14, was sent to London via the kindertransport, designed to transport war-threatened children to Great Britain. She survived the London Blitz, entertaining other Jewish war orphans with whom she lived out the war. Among others, the composers are Edvard Grieg, Ludwig van Beethoven and Alexander Scriabin. It’s an inspiring tale and a tribute to those who sent their children away in hopes that they would survive. sdrep.org or (619) 544-1000. Tech-savvy CCdd There’s technology, and then there’s technology. La Jolla Playhouse resident company Circle Circle dot dot knows a little about the latter – its “Red Planet Respite,” about a resort on the Mars of 2044, is the most technically advanced of the Playhouse residency shows thus far, and Soroya Rowley’s Deimos, the robotic hostess, is a stitch! New chief at an old venue Following a months-long search involving more than 60 candidates from around the world, Diversionary Theatre has named Matt Morrow as its executive artistic director. Morrow, whose background includes directing and financial development, will join the company in mid-November.
Morrow, a former associate artistic director at Pittsburgh’s City Theatre Company, will be relocating from New York, where he has held various positions at several companies. He replaces John Alexander, who left the company in 2013. Todd Nelms had been serving as acting executive artistic director since October of that year. The nonprofit Diversionary, founded in University Heights in 1986, is the nation’s third-oldest venue to produce plays that explore the issues, characters and stories of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. On the docket Hillcrest’s daring ion theater company opened its “Out of the Box” season Sept. 13 with Chloe Moss’s award-winning “The Wide Night.” Described as “haunting” and “hope-filled,” the work continues through Oct. 11 at BLKBOX @ 6th & Penn in the black box theatre at 3704 Sixth Ave. iontheatre.com or (619) 600-5020.
The Center for Jewish Culture presents “Sheldon Harnick: A Conversation & Celebration” at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 21, at the David & Dorothea Garfield Theatre, 4126 Executive Drive, La Jolla. Harnick wrote lyrics for “Fiddler on the Roof” among many other shows. Don’t miss the Pulitzer Prize-winning “Next to Normal,” presented at the North Park Theatre by San Diego Musical Theatre Thursdays through Sundays, Sept. 26 through Oct. 12. The extraordinary musical (adult content and language) stars Robert J. Townsend and Bets Malone as a married couple trying to create family stability despite mental illness. sdmit.org or (858) 560-5740.
Bach Collegium opens its 12th season at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 26, at St. James-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church with a performance of “Singet dem Herr nein neues Lied,” BWV 225. bachcollegiumsd.org. Write Out Loud reprises its popular “Bubbeleh, Listen to This!” at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 6, at the Athenaeum Music and Arts Library, 1008 Wall Street in La Jolla. Write Out Loud’s “Orpheus Speaks,” consisting of stories, poems and other short works dealing with art and music, opens its fourth season at The Athenaeum beginning Nov. 10 and continuing Jan. 26 and March 30. ljathenaeum.org.