Mtropolitan Opera Instead of Broadway — Page 2

Just adding myself to the Traviata Love Boat. It's one of my absolute favorites, and never fails to reduce me to tears. Violetta's my dream role.

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I am unable to get the link to work see what cities will be showing it. If anyone can get that info, I'd appreciate it. Thanks!
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Experience the excitement of the Metropolitan Opera Saturday Matinees-LIVE in HD on the Big Screen! Six performances will be broadcast live straight from the stage of one of the world's greatest opera houses into select movie theatres equipped with high definition and surround sound. The performances in this historic series are one-day-only events and seating is limited. Don't miss the chance to enjoy thrilling world-class opera from the comfort of your neighborhood theatre. Tickets on sale now for 12/30 and 1/6 performances. Tickets $18 adult/$15 child.


http://www.bigscreenconcerts.com/subpage/index.asp?EventID=610&code=METpage

This has been an interesting first season for Gelb but if you are looking for young singers who can act, New York City Opera has been strong in that area for decades! They did an amazing A Little Night Music in the early 1990's, every Handel production is great music and visually exciting. Their Candide in March 2005 was charming. So the MET does not have a monopoly on good looking singers and excitement.

I'm not a big Opera fan. L.A. Opera is hit or miss... mostly miss.

But Opera at the Met... WOW!!!

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Updated On: 1/13/07 at 02:28 PM

The last two shows at the LA Opera were FANTASTIC! Audiences members were saying that 'The Coronation Of Poppea' was the BEST production of it they had ever seen.

They are now gearing up for 'The Rise And Fall Of Mahagonny' being directed by John Doyle (No, the actors won't be playing instruments..) and it's starring Patti LaPone AND Audra McDonald!

How can you beat THAT?!


Info

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>> In fact many if not most of the great 20th century operas were created for and premiered on Broadway.

Erm... uh... no. Sorry. STREET SCENE and PORGY premiered on Broadway, true, and shows like CANDIDE and SWEENEY are of course making the rounds of the opera houses, but the great 20th century operas were created for opera houses. I cant imagine NIXON IN CHINA or DEATH OF KLINGHOFFER or any other major work playing well on Broadway.

But anyone interested in theatre *must* see the Taynor FLUTE. It doesnt *completely* work, especially in the second act, but it comes damn close.

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I've worked at the Met for 12 years onstage and it's pretty cool to see the response to this years season and the changes Peter Gelb has brought in. Yesterday we did our third live HD broadcast to movie theaters around the world and they've been really succesful. All of these changes are being brought about because we never really recovered from 9/11 like Broadway did and we need to build our audiences back up to preserve the company. The post that said we have loads of cash isn't exactly right. We've had a couple of very large donations in the last couple of years that have helped keep the company solvent. There are fears that Opera as an art form is dying off because of a lack of interest from younger generations. The $20 rush tickets have sure helped to bring younger people to the shows. They've had some problems with people buying the rush tickets then scalping them out front but hopefully that won't discourage them from continuing the program after this first run ends this year.
Keep spreading the word.

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Mooo - does the HD broadcast change/interfere with the experience of people in the audience? They are broadcasting my next performance and since it is Barbiere I don't want cameras and stuff "intruding" especially since I pay such a huge sum for my orchestra seat! (GASP)

Consider some of the best operas written in English, in my opinion.

Almost anything by Benjamin Britten. From the tragically dramatic (Turn of the Screw) to the incredibly funny (Albert Herring)

Also anything by Giancarlo Menotti. Again, he wrote incredible tragedies like The Medium, but its original premiere shared a stage with his cutest comedy, The Telephone.

Also, more contemporary composers are writing incredible operas. Mark Adamo wrote a far superior score for Little Women. Jake Heggie created a masterpiece in his adaptation of Dead Man Walking and Rachel Portman has also written a Little Prince that is much more beautiful than the musical film version.

William Bolcom's A View From The Bridge is a sweeping piece of music drama that I think musical theater fans might find accessible, as well as some early operas of Ned Rorem (Childhood Miracle, Three Sisters Who are Not Sisters) and some of the works of Virgil Thomson, which while a bit odd (Four Saints in Three Acts and The Mother Of Us All both have librettos by Gertrude Stein) are exquisitely beautiful musically.

Anyone have other ideas of favorite opera in English?

Oh, also, some purists may hate this, but my opinion is that if you can't understand the libretto, you're only getting part of the experience. So if the foreign languages get you scared, then Chandos records puts out a great collection of famous operas in English translation, including great ones like Le Nozze di Figaro, Barber of Seville, La Boheme, Aida, etc etc. Great great music with librettos that you can follow while you listen. I, of course, insist that you listen to the operas in the original language once you've grasped the story, but I think its a wonderful guide for great music.

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I second both the operas mentioned above.

It also reminds me of the commercially available videos of The Mozart-DaPonte operas Figaro, Cosi and Giovanni. All masterfully directed by Peter Sellars.

I'd love to see Sellars direct a revival of Follies.

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I hate that Kathleen Battle literally thru her career away.

I believe this production at the Met directed by Bartlett Sher (LITP) is a new production, but I could be wrong. Was the production that you saw directed by Sher?

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