For those of you that don't know, I LOVE opera.
It's not like I have seen a million of them, but I know enough to know what I like. The best opera (or the one that I enjoyed the most) was HANDS DOWN the Anthony Minghella directed production of Madame Butterfly that I saw at the ENO in London, February 2008. I had tears streaming down my face before the first notes were even played, and I was continually moved throughout the next 3 hours. The music, the emotion, the staging, the puppetry, the passion....it was one of the best theatrical moments of my life. And for better or for worse, I always think of this night when I return to the opera...unfortunately, this leads to me often being disappointed.
Last Thursday, I took Tonga to see La Boheme at the ENO for a belated birthday present. And it was....ok. For me, opera is almost never BAD, but I just felt that that this production lacked the energy and passion that I was craving. First of all, I just don't think I like the story that much. A cheesy love story between some starving artists, one of whom dies...it all seemed so trite and hollow, which I WAS NOT expecting from what was supposed to be one of the great love stories. Perhaps I am just too jaded about love at the moment to enjoy these types of stories...but I am inclined to blame the lackluster energy from the performers and the boring staging. It was by no means a horrible production, it just felt a bit unoriginal. There were moments when I was moved and the music is undeniably beautiful...but I was just expecting more.
If anyone knows THE hot opera ticket right now, tell me now so I can go and be BLOWN AWAY.
Who knows, maybe the fact that I had a TERRIBLE cold and had been on my feet since 8 am had something to do with my less than stellar response...or maybe I just don't like traditional opera as much as I think I do? Heaven Forbid....
The Royal Opera House is mounting a production of an opera based on the life of Anna Nicole Smith. That is not a typo. Anna. Nicole. Smith. How awesome/absurd is that? Who wants to go with me?
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