(no subject)

[listersgirl]

So, all my Wagner-going friends, how was it? Because I don't want to go myself, but I'm still curious.

Comments

[starfishchick]

Long. Hot. Dark.

We left after the second act - neither of us felt up to staying for 2 more hours plus the drive home.

Also, see my comments here:
http://www.livejournal.com/users/starfishchick/211761.html.

One word: ASS

[pipesdreams.livejournal.com]

Shitty staging. All po-mo rafters / beams falling / scaffolding crap. Lots of rocks. Everyone dressed in grey rags. All singers old and overweight, despite casting calling for nubile, sexy youths to play Siegmung and Sieglinde. Voices ho-hum. Acoustics in Hummingbird Centre extremely ho-hum.

Stay home and listen to a recording while reading Books 1 & 2 of P. Craig Russell's "Ring of the Niebelung" graphic novels. It'll be a much more enriching experience, I guarantee.

Re: One word: ASS

[starfishchick]

Will take that under advisement.

I was personally really confused with Wotan's "exposition" during Act 2. Either the surtitles were really fucked up, or this story makes so sense!!

Re: One word: ASS

[sarcasma.livejournal.com]

Not sure about the surtitles, but I think I can safely say the story makes no sense. :)

Re: One word: ASS

[starfishchick]

The synopsis in the program made total sense, but the story the surtitles told totally confused me.

He's a god, and only a man who's independent can save the gods, and his son loves him, but he's taught his son to hate the gods, so he'll be independent?

Wha??

Re: One word: ASS

[sarcasma.livejournal.com]

Oh, I know. "OK, I want my son to save us, so I'll teach him to hate us, but I'll teach my daughters to love him, so that... uh... wait."

Perhaps it makes sense if you're a Norse mythology buff, or indeed a Norse myth.

Re: One word: ASS

[starfishchick]

So it wasn't just me? Good. I was feeling pretty stupid there for a while.

Re: One word: ASS

[sarcasma.livejournal.com]

Voices ho-hum? Wow, I didn't think so at all.

I can't agree they were old and overweight - these are some of the youngest and sveltest people singing this rep - hell, any rep. They're all at the beginning of Wagnerian careers; Adrienne Pieczonka's probably about a size 12. Is that overweight now?

I'll grant the costumes were dull and the stage was dark. But considering that I've always hated Wagner and actually enjoyed this show I don't think it was THAT bad... certainly not the fault of the singers where it failed.

Re: One word: ASS

[sanity-clause.livejournal.com]

Jeepers. Ho-hum voices? Old overweight singers? Can you link me to some actual human beings you've seen live who could sing Wagner that well in a less-than perfect acoustic space, and who look like the 90210 cast you've envisioned?

[morag-gunn.livejournal.com]

Don't stay home! Go see it even if it does suck because many of my friends are in the orchestra. And I'm sure they are good. Just close your eyes or something. :)

[starfishchick]

Your friends are in the orchestra conducted by my secret opera boyfriend Richard Bradshaw?

So. Jealous.

:)

[morag-gunn.livejournal.com]

Oooooooh! A secret opera boyfriend! That sounds fun. I have a secret pirate boyfriend, but it's not nearly as creative as a secret opera boyfriend.

[starfishchick]

Eeee, pirates!

And yes, Richard Bradshaw is my secret boyfriend. He's so funny! And smart and creative and witty!

:)

Ok....am I the only one who loved it???

[mystery-diva.livejournal.com]

Granted, I *always* love stuff like this and feel ho-hum about Italian opera....

I don't think the staging was that boring...at least I don't think there was much more you can *do* with that opera. Tap dancing? I thought it was an amazing cast vocally - Adrianne P. is a goddess, the tenor was fabu (and I never say that), Frances Ginzer rocks, and the Valkyries were great. I wasn't as excited about Woton, but he certainly wasn't bad. I'm surprised more of you didn't like it a whole lot. Yes it moves a bit slowly...it's Wagner...it's to be expected. I just find that it puts me in a different pace, so it didn't even seem *that* long to me.

I say, 2 Thumbs up!
M.D.