Glimmerglass Festival spotlights opera-musical divide

Cooperstown, NY

WHAT'S the difference between an opera and a musical? Theories abound. Some say opera is through-sung while musicals include spoken dialogue (though there are many operas with spoken dialogue; think Carmen). Some say opera is unamplified, while musicals are mic'd (except that there are many operas written for amplification, and many musicals that weren't).

But ask composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim, as Jamie Bernstein did in a public discussion on Saturday afternoon at the Glimmerglass Festival, and you'll hear that it has to do largely, simply, with the expectations of the audience.