“We always want to do more intimate things, and this was the opportunity,” said Weiss.
Weiss and Kareth began rehearsals for “The Medium” more than once during the last year and a half, often starting the process and then canceling rehearsals due to lockdowns and other COVID-19 scenarios.
Opera director Shirit Lee Weiss who is directing two brand-new productions, ‘The Medium’ and ‘Mothers’ at the New Israeli Opera in May and June 2021 (Courtesy New Israeli Opera)
“You create something and you return to it and then you say, wait, what was I doing with this? And, is it still correct? And why? Then you start rehearsals again and you return to it and you’re happy that you can,” said Weiss.
Jessica Steinberg covers the Sabra scene from south to north and back to the center.
The New Israeli Opera will open its doors again on Thursday night, but don’t expect a grand opera just yet.
For now, the Tel Aviv opera house is starting up with some lighter fare, beginning with conductor David Sebba’s arrangement of “Hebrew Songs,” performed by four opera singers with the Ra’anana Symphonette Orchestra.
With songs by Natan Alterman, Matti Caspi, Naomi Shemer, Ehud Manor and other early Israeli music, the performance brings favorite Israeli classics alive onstage.
The two performances of “Hebrew Songs” on Thursday and Friday, March 11 and 12, will be followed by “The Sopranos,” another Sebba arrangement of opera highlights, with opera singers performing popular arias, duets and ensembles from “The Magic Flute,” “La traviata,” “La forza del destino,” “Les Contes d’Hoffmann,” “Don Giovanni,” and “Le nozze di Figaro,” conducted by Sebba a