Ruth Elleson
@ruthelleson.bsky.social
Church/choral musician (alto), massive opera nerd, surtitle operator, and project planner working in public transport. Idiots not tolerated. She/her.
She’s on the Zambello Carmen DVD with Antonacci and Kaufmann.
November 16, 2025 at 11:32 PM
She’s on the Zambello Carmen DVD with Antonacci and Kaufmann.
I can’t discuss this in any more detail in public, seeing as I count 4 of those 5 singers as personal friends! But a couple of my truly memorable ones from the left field, for different reasons: Marina Poplavskaya and Lisette Oropesa. And I absolutely loved Norah Amsellem in it in the mid 2000s.
November 16, 2025 at 11:27 PM
I can’t discuss this in any more detail in public, seeing as I count 4 of those 5 singers as personal friends! But a couple of my truly memorable ones from the left field, for different reasons: Marina Poplavskaya and Lisette Oropesa. And I absolutely loved Norah Amsellem in it in the mid 2000s.
I’m like that with most productions, but because of whoever asked me randomly in 2011 how many Traviatas I’ve seen, I built a detailed record from my archives.
I no longer keep archives… and literally the only opera stat I now keep track of is how many Traviatas I’ve seen. Just because.
I no longer keep archives… and literally the only opera stat I now keep track of is how many Traviatas I’ve seen. Just because.
November 16, 2025 at 11:20 PM
I’m like that with most productions, but because of whoever asked me randomly in 2011 how many Traviatas I’ve seen, I built a detailed record from my archives.
I no longer keep archives… and literally the only opera stat I now keep track of is how many Traviatas I’ve seen. Just because.
I no longer keep archives… and literally the only opera stat I now keep track of is how many Traviatas I’ve seen. Just because.
I’ll forget a portrayal, but I’ll rarely forget a name… 🙈😬
November 16, 2025 at 11:15 PM
I’ll forget a portrayal, but I’ll rarely forget a name… 🙈😬
The lack of memorability may be partially because I was 21 and I had no breadth of experience. But also I’ve seen that production literally more than 100 times in the intervening 25 years and I know who I found memorable and who I didn’t.
November 16, 2025 at 11:13 PM
The lack of memorability may be partially because I was 21 and I had no breadth of experience. But also I’ve seen that production literally more than 100 times in the intervening 25 years and I know who I found memorable and who I didn’t.
She was literally the second Violetta I ever saw in that production live (third if you count as “live” the big screen relay with Gheorghiu in 1996). You’d have been about 6 years old at the time. Literally the only things I remember about it is that she was OK and she was blonde.
November 16, 2025 at 11:10 PM
She was literally the second Violetta I ever saw in that production live (third if you count as “live” the big screen relay with Gheorghiu in 1996). You’d have been about 6 years old at the time. Literally the only things I remember about it is that she was OK and she was blonde.
Stefania Bonfadelli is directing opera now? She’s one of the largely-forgotten (by me) members of my vast anthology of “people I’ve seen as Violetta in the Richard Eyre Traviata”. @larkingrumple.bsky.social
November 16, 2025 at 10:57 PM
Stefania Bonfadelli is directing opera now? She’s one of the largely-forgotten (by me) members of my vast anthology of “people I’ve seen as Violetta in the Richard Eyre Traviata”. @larkingrumple.bsky.social
I am British born and bred (admittedly with enough Irish to give me a handy EU passport) and I celebrate Christmas in a fairly traditional culturally-Christian way, and I haven’t had turkey for Christmas dinner for years. Why would you if you’re not feeding a large crowd? Other meats are nicer.
November 15, 2025 at 9:37 PM
I am British born and bred (admittedly with enough Irish to give me a handy EU passport) and I celebrate Christmas in a fairly traditional culturally-Christian way, and I haven’t had turkey for Christmas dinner for years. Why would you if you’re not feeding a large crowd? Other meats are nicer.
Just re your side note: I always want “baseline” to be pronounced like “Vaseline”. And “milestone” like “minestrone”.
November 15, 2025 at 8:51 PM
Just re your side note: I always want “baseline” to be pronounced like “Vaseline”. And “milestone” like “minestrone”.
To me this is a truly unequivocal case for the valid use of the term “pregnant person”.
Poor child.
Poor child.
November 15, 2025 at 4:12 PM
To me this is a truly unequivocal case for the valid use of the term “pregnant person”.
Poor child.
Poor child.
I’m not judging 😘
November 14, 2025 at 9:14 PM
I’m not judging 😘
And yes, as a single-person household who doesn’t keep instant coffee in stock, that does indeed mean I’m feeding my occasion tradesmen-fixing-stuff-in-my-home on single portions of strong real coffee!
November 14, 2025 at 9:13 PM
And yes, as a single-person household who doesn’t keep instant coffee in stock, that does indeed mean I’m feeding my occasion tradesmen-fixing-stuff-in-my-home on single portions of strong real coffee!
I’m HERE for this content, but please, punctuate 🤣 - my brain eventually parsed this sentence correctly, but its first attempt gave me “4ft, tall, pink, tuxedo-wearing”…
November 14, 2025 at 9:11 PM
I’m HERE for this content, but please, punctuate 🤣 - my brain eventually parsed this sentence correctly, but its first attempt gave me “4ft, tall, pink, tuxedo-wearing”…
Full disclosure: I do not drink instant coffee unless it’s the only thing available when somebody else is hosting. But for people who like instant coffee? You do you. I don’t see the point in being a snob about it - you just have to accept that it fundamentally isn’t the same thing as real coffee.
November 14, 2025 at 9:08 PM
Full disclosure: I do not drink instant coffee unless it’s the only thing available when somebody else is hosting. But for people who like instant coffee? You do you. I don’t see the point in being a snob about it - you just have to accept that it fundamentally isn’t the same thing as real coffee.
Moka pot wanker here!
November 14, 2025 at 9:05 PM
Moka pot wanker here!
Reposted by Ruth Elleson
November 13, 2025 at 10:08 PM
I guessed the purpose of the red football shirts the moment they made their brief first appearance in Act 1!
November 13, 2025 at 10:29 PM
I guessed the purpose of the red football shirts the moment they made their brief first appearance in Act 1!
Presumably playing Left Nipple and Right Nipple respectively.
A two-hander. Or two-nippler, if you will…
A two-hander. Or two-nippler, if you will…
November 13, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Presumably playing Left Nipple and Right Nipple respectively.
A two-hander. Or two-nippler, if you will…
A two-hander. Or two-nippler, if you will…
Thank you! I enjoyed those solos in the Batten.
November 13, 2025 at 2:50 PM
Thank you! I enjoyed those solos in the Batten.
Not me reading this and wondering who was on the cast list…
November 13, 2025 at 1:41 PM
Not me reading this and wondering who was on the cast list…