Kelli O'Hara IS performing at Metropolitan Opera starting New Years Eve

[vf]

Posted: 2/12/14 at 6:33pm

That rumor site was right, Kelli O'Hara's appearing in the Merry Widow. Renee Fleming stars, Kelli O'Hara plays Valencienne. Susan Stroman is the director. Sher, Szot, Burstein, now O'Hara all working at the Met. South Pacific people really crossing over there.


Merry Widow details from Met Opera's online brochure Updated On: 2/12/14 at 06:33 PM

[PalJoey]

Posted: 2/12/14 at 6:47pm

What are YOU doing New Year's Eve?

[vf]

Posted: 2/12/14 at 6:49pm

The Merry Widow will also be shown in movie theaters in the Live in HD program, so it will eventually be on PBS too.

Paulo Szot is appearing in Death of Klinghoffer which will also be shown Live in HD.
2014-2015 Live in HD Schedule

[vf]

Posted: 2/12/14 at 7:29pm

Just adding, that the second time The Merry Widow is performed Danielle de Niese plays Valencienne, so that must be a substantial singing role, since de Niese is a pretty big opera star. I'm not familiar with this operetta, maybe others can provide more info. Jeremy Sams did the Merry Widow English translation, and he also did the same for (or to) Fledermaus, which has gotten him a lot of criticism.

Since this will have a gala and stars Renee Fleming I'll bet it will be a beautiful production, and that New Years Eve tickets will be really expensive.

And that song "What Are You Doing New Years Eve" reminds me of Ella Fitzgerald, shouldn't there be an Ella Fitzgerald musical?
MetOpera press release

[PalJoey]

Posted: 2/12/14 at 8:03pm

It's not Paolo Szot though. It's Nathan Gunn.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 2/12/14 at 8:18pm

I didn't think Sams got all that much criticism for Fledermaus, it was Douglas Carter Beane's libretto that did.

Nice to see them add Tchaikovsky's Iolanta (which will be well paired with Bartok's Bluebeard's castle) to the rep.

[Play Esq.]

Posted: 2/12/14 at 8:38pm

So she'll be the only person on stage with a mic? She couldn't fill Avery Fisher without amplification...ain't no way she'll fill the cavernous Met without.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 2/12/14 at 8:41pm

Do they mic the shows when they have dialogue?

[vf]

Posted: 2/12/14 at 8:59pm

Seems like the Met would have made sure she could be heard before they hired her. I doubt they would mic one singer. Or any!!! It's the Met, that's their thing, singing without amplification. Here's what the NYTimes wrote about Fledermaus:

"In rehearsals, Mr. Sams has taken special care rehearsing one of the trickiest things about “Fledermaus” — all those scenes without music.

Those stretches can leave opera singers feeling exposed, especially in a house the size of the Met. This year, the Met plans to amplify the dialogue to make sure it can be heard. (Officials stress that they will not amplify any of the singing, which is verboten in serious opera houses.)"
https://mobile.nytimes.com/2013/12/29/arts/music/jeremy-sams-directs-die-fledermaus-at-the-met.html

I would think it would be really confusing to sing without amplification loud enough so that 3800 people could hear you and then to speak into a microphone.

She just tweeted about it:
"Now I can shout it from the mountain tops...a dream come true! The Merry Widow @MetOpera https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Kelli-OHara-Susan-Stroman-to-Make-Met-Opera-Debuts-in-THE-MERRY-WIDOW-on-New-Years-Eve-20140212# …"

Didn't she major in opera or am I imagining that?




Kelli O'Hara's excited tweet about Met Opera debut Updated On: 2/12/14 at 08:59 PM

[Play Esq.]

Posted: 2/12/14 at 9:22pm

Eric: Yes, they mic at the met.

Generally, it comes down to artist (John Adams required it for Dr. Atomic) and Chenoweth COULD NOT have made her debut without (essentially, her show performed at the Met).

VF: have you been to the Met? Please don't get me started on management's hiring....this season announcement suggests a great lack of taste, to a new level. In opera, it comes down to whether you can sing there or you can't. Many GREAT artists have only performed once (or not at all...) there because of the venue's size. The acoustics are incredible, but the space unforgiving.

[Play Esq.]

Posted: 2/12/14 at 9:43pm

And VF: Tommasini (of the New York Times) is generally INCREDIBLY off the mark when it comes to productions in opera (he was one of the few to praise, even halfheartedly, DF). Don't rely too heavily on Times' support of your position; it's not worth much for those who regularly attend opera.

To his credit, however, Tommasini's review of Prince Igor was spot on!

[Play Esq.]

Posted: 2/12/14 at 9:50pm

Danielle de Niese?


Talk to anyone who follows opera, and you'll realize that as a "pretty big opera star," she has many divisive opinions...ask her husband.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 2/13/14 at 10:52am

The thing about discussion threads about opera is...you have to ignore the bitchy comments.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 2/13/14 at 11:01am

Didn't she major in opera or am I imagining that?

She did. Studied under the same voice teacher as Kristin Chenoweth.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 2/13/14 at 11:14am

The thing about discussion threads about opera is...you have to ignore the bitchy comments.

That applies to every single thread on BWW.