Opera on Broadway? — Page 2

The Met doesn't use body mics. The Kathleen Battle story is a false rumor that has persisted over the years. There was a similar story about Cecilia Bartoli, which is also untrue.

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Updated On: 5/15/07 at 10:43 PM

No probs--yeah that's always interested me and of course now in London they've in a way switched it back to its more musical theatre type route

As for Phantom being an opera... meh I dunno. QUality questions aside ALW does refer to his sung thru shows as operas I know but...

I'm actually always on the fence with opera. I grew up listening to more classical music than pop or even musicals as a kid because I was very serious into the violin--so had exposure to opera too. But now quite often when I go to a performance of a classic--I guess years of Sondheim etc have changed my expectations but I'm often (and this is usually more true of older operas) disappointed by how many classic opera does *not* subscribe to the theory that each song should advance characterization or plot (and I'm not defending Phantom, but if we're to complain fo its awful lyrics I have to point out that most operas have no better ones--no matter whatlanguage)

Of course there are MANY operas where this isn't true, but...

I assume because it's largely all sung. I'm always fascinated by where the barier is between opera nd musical...

E

One of the differences between opera and MT for me has been the text.

Musicals usually have LYRICS which more often than not rhyme, where as LIBRETTOS are usually more concerned with poetics.

In which case I would agree that LiTP is an opera in that sense, and POTO is not.

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Yeah, this is the first time I've ever heard POTO classified as an opera.

The whole barrier is becoming blurrier it seems - didnt we have a huge thread on this a few months ago? It seems no one can get the answer right, and probably doesn't have to. But I agree that its an interesting debate

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It is part of City Opera's mission to present one musical theatre piece every season.

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I would consider Sweeney Todd an operetta. A Little Night Music, too.

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Carmen? I'm suprised - why was that? I could see hesitation towards something like Dialogues of the Carmelites, maybe.

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I don't know what your professor is talking about. Carmen and Contes are definitely operas.

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just to flip the original question - do you think opera houses will ever start presenting musicals?

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Unless I've missed it, no one has referred to the comments that Stephen Sondhiem made when asked what the difference between an opera and a musical is. I won't quote it but, instead, make someone work for by looking it up and getting back to the board

Fen haven't we convinved you yet that Sondheim is a God among men even if he did break your friend's left kneecap or whatever?

(teasing )

Actually I thought he said something besides just the venue--I think it may have had to do with lyrics sharing importance in musicals and not in opera, etc (and maybe dialogue) but I can't remember... When he was meant to write a Sunset Blvd very briefly in the 70s he did say something about how he didn't wanna write it cuz it couldn't be a musical--the subject had to be an opera (though he also said it's awfull hard to write a story about a woman who lost her career because of her voice)

Light in the Piazza is more than half dialogue... That would be why I wouldnt' classify it but ya it is all relative. However I think there's some reason to have the definitions--there definetly are people who vastly prefer OPERA to musicals and vice versa and there's a reason for that (and it's not just snobbism or reverse snobbism )