Classical Music
Mozart's 'The Marriage of Figaro' : Heinz Blankenburg, Mirella Freni, Leyla Gencer; Silvio Varviso, conductor (Glyndebourne, three CDs); $51.98; available from various retail and online stores.
Another recording of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro? Well, yes. And one to be grateful for, at that. The summer opera festival at Glyndebourne on the grounds of an elegant estate in the south of England has enjoyed an exceptional cachet since 1934. Thanks to an enterprising fellow who recorded most Glyndebourne performances since the late 1950s, the company has a treasure of operatic gold in its vaults and is now sharing it with the world.
This 1962 live recording of Mozart's divine comedy is about as good as it gets. Among the standouts in the stellar cast are the late Leyla Gencer, a truly noble Countess, and Mirella Freni, an exquisite Susanna. Refined conducting by Silvio Varviso completes this valuable souvenir.
Tim Smith
DVD
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day : Universal; $29.98; available Tuesday.
This screwball frolic set in 1939 London stars Amy Adams as would-be West End headliner Delysia Lafosse and Frances McDormand as Miss Pettigrew, the failed governess who winds up as her social secretary. It's an unusual and engaging romantic comedy because it's mostly about how these women ready each other for real love; their friendship is the fulcrum on which success with men is based.
Adams, a paragon of originality, can even be curvy in individualistic ways. She's marvelously innocent at striking a statuesque pose behind a bath towel, yet she can also melt into a fur coat. McDormand is like a willowy reed who turns out to be made of spun steel. Every emotion around her registers with a twang. The result of their partnership registers like a cheery 1930s pop song with alternately droll and heartfelt lyrics about innocence and experience.
Michael Sragow
Theater
'Jerry Springer: the Opera' : 8:30 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays, 7:30 p.m. Sundays through Sept. 7; Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St. N.W., Washington; $34-$39; 202-332-3300 or studiotheatre.org.
You're getting another chance to laugh at the man who, according to the writers of this zany musical, literally is the Talk Show Host from Hell. Jerry Springer: the Opera has broken box-office records at Studio Theatre in Washington, selling more tickets in a single day than any other production in the company's history, prompting officials to extend the run by three weeks.
