Well, I'm just back from today's matinee, and now I understand exactly what the Chronicle reviewer meant. I felt like I had gone to watch Barry Bonds play, and the other team kept pitching around him, so I never got to see him really swing the bat. Nothing in the performance made me doubt that I was seeing one of the greatest performers of her generation, but I couldn't help but think that she didn't have much to work with.
This was especially true in the Poulenc piece. I will admit that I'm not an opera buff, but I just didn't get it. This woman has a 45 minute phone conversation with a man who just dumped her? Did I miss something?
The LaChiusa piece was actually quite good once they got the sound adjusted so you could hear Audra over the orchestra. It allowed her to show a much greater range of emotions and use her acting ability. The unfortunate irony is that having this piece first highlighted the shortcomings of the Poulenc.
For those who might be thinking of coming to the show, there were plenty of empty seats, and I think they may even have some discount tickets for some shows. If you do come to see Audra, I would highly recommend making time to see Journey's End as the Alley Theatre across the street. I don't think you will see a better set of performances anywhere this year.
For those who asked, they are recording the performance for NPR's World of Opera.
Pass it on - Take a kid to a show.
