Aida

[sabotabby]

The COC's production of Aida had me at the skeletal women in gold lamé dresses dry-humping death-masked Egyptian soldiers in a field of corpses.

Aida has a special place in my heart in that it is the first opera I ever saw. We went on a class trip when I was in grade school. I was very excited, because Grand Spectacle! With Elephants! And I had listened to the music and found myself enjoying it, despite my aversion at that age to anything that didn't have an electric guitar in it. Unfortunately, the production I saw as a kid was godawful. It was at the Skydome, so that music that I'd loved was practically inaudible. It was a special rehearsal for the children, so they cut out quite a bit and it made no sense. Also there was not an elephant.

So when chickenfeet2003 had an extra ticket, I jumped at the opportunity to see a production that was deemed "controversial" and thus was probably pretty good. It was fantastic. Strong singing all around, particularly from Sandra Radvanovsky, and near-flawless staging. (As chickenfeet2003 mentions in his review, the Temple of Vulcan scene didn't quite work, and they could have done fun things with the religious aspect but didn't.

Apparently the set designer was booed on opening night, which I didn't even think happened anymore. (The reception was enthusiastically positive when we saw it.) The choice to put the title character in the costume of a cleaning lady (as opposed to the more glamourous outfits typically worn by slaves in Egypt? I got nothing) was none too popular with a certain segment of the audience. I thought it was brilliant. As chickenfeet2003 said as we were leaving, "art's about asking thought-provoking questions, not taxidermy."

All in all, a fine evening.

Comments

[chickenfeet2003.livejournal.com]

I spent a few minutes this morning reading the comments on Alexander Neef's post about this production. Quite depressing really. I think I am coming to the conclusion that the opera audience splits into two camps; those who go simply to be entertained and those who go because "drama is part of the human condition". I'm not putting that latter very well. What I mean is, for people like me, if I don't come out of the theatre having learned something new or had my preconceptions challenged I feel unfulfilled. I want my comfort zone to be invaded. Clearly there are people who don't want that at all. It sort of reminds of the husband in Shirley Valentine who always has egg and chips for tea on Thursdays.

[sabotabby]

This. I guess that, for my generation (probably for yours as well), only eccentric people get into opera in the first place. So one would think they already lacked mainstream taste.

Before you showed up, I was waiting around with the blue-rinse set by a stack of NOW magazines. The doors to the Four Seasons were closed. The woman next to me scoffed, "Oh, I guess I could just read NOW while I wait...as if I'm interested in that." I suspect she was not as impressed by the staging as I was.

[mistersmearcase.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately the people who give the opera big checks are old and rich and boring. If ticket sales were all...stuff like Satyagraha (insane, wonderful production) and From the House of the Dead (Patrice Chereau, pretty devastating) sells very well once someone manages to publicize it among people under forty. Sorry, I shouldn't go off on this or I won't shut up.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_ex_cowboy/]

http://www.adl.org/main_Anti_Israel/top_ten_anti_israel_groups.htm?Multi_page_sections=sHeading_2

[sabotabby]

I was disappointed to see that Al-Awda was only #2 until I realized it was in alphabetical order.

[dendritejungle.livejournal.com]

"The COC's production of Aida had me at the skeletal women in gold lamé dresses dry-humping death-masked Egyptian soldiers in a field of corpses."

This was the first thing I read when dipping into LJ for the first time in two weeks.

Bless ya.

[sabotabby]

You've gotta see it. You'd love it. There's also a great Mad Men-esque Les!Yay scene.

[mistersmearcase.livejournal.com]

I. Love. Sandra Radvanovsky. This sounds so fun. Stuff gets booed here all the damn time now because people demand their taxidermy.