Anyone who doesn’t yet know that Kansas-bred former Merolina Joyce DiDonato is a treasurable and highly versatile artist can join her throngs of devotees for “Drama Queens,” a program in which Handel and a variety of Baroque and late-18th-century composers bring to life (and sometimes death) Queens Berenice, Orontea, Octavia, Semiramide, Ifigenia, Armida, and Cleopatra. Prepare for an unforgettable evening in which imaginative, technically astoundingly coloratura is put to the service of dramatic expression. A prerecital visit to an Oxygen Bar is strongly encouraged.
Jason Victor Serinus regularly reviews music and audio for Stereophile, SFCV, Classical Voice North America, AudioStream, American Record Guide, and other publications. The whistling voice of Woodstock in She’s a Good Skate, Charlie Brown, the longtime Oakland resident now resides in Port Townsend, Washington.