parterre box

94 comments

• 81
  Zinka the Kunc says:

  March 4, 2009 at 8:06 PM

  Heartfelt congrats to our leader (lieder?) for his being chosen by the New York Post to review the Sonnambula. I always thought this kid was a contendah and I expect that there will be many more
  positions for him to fill.I can just see his beloved and informative literary style as he assumes posts in:

  Jack and Jill
  The Daily Worker
  The Lighthouse
  Bad Housekeeping (Just kidding..his bathroom is spotless)
  Playgirl (Geriatrics edition) (I want to be the center fold)
  American Journal of Extremely Abnormal Psychology
  The Heblew Daily
• 82
  messa di voce says:

  March 4, 2009 at 8:09 PM

  Pausa:

  “Hocking the wall hangings out front” is not a move that could be taken by the GM. Using capital assets as collateral for loans is a decision that would be authorized by the Board.
• 83
  Hal says:

  March 5, 2009 at 12:00 AM

  Supposedly Dessay pressured Zimmerman into this mess of a staging as her clapping at the end suggests. I think we can see the problem now: some reviews praising her frantic and frenetic acting in La Fille went to her head, convinced her that being a over the top comic when singing would enhance her reputation and career, so she has decided to make everything she can into an over the top “comedy.” Good way to cover up any flaws in the singing too. Why Florez puts up with this is a mystery. He did say one thing in a recent interview suggesting disapproval. He said that Dessay “often gets so involved in her acting that she forgets her musical cues” and he has to whisper them to her during the performance. I would hope Dessay runs into more resistance to her zany ideas in the future.
• 84
  Drammy says:

  March 5, 2009 at 12:21 AM

  Dessay did want to be a ballet dancer initially, then an actress. Opera is adequate, for her, but acting is what her real passion is. She does bring a new aspect to houses, a new [over?]dramatic element, if you will. No one who saw her neurasthenic Lucia can say otherwise. It’s all whatever floats your boat. At least her over the top acting makes opera “relevant” to people who would otherwise yawn during a “stand there and sing” session. Myself, I prefer someone who acts and sings to bring down the house – ks. Damrau, please.
• 85
  Reggiani says:

  March 5, 2009 at 1:05 AM

  Apparently, my one and only viewing of this opera was the best way, in concert form. Eve Queler brought her group to Philly with Sutherland, right after her sensational debut at The Met. The excitement was incredible, and the libretto was the last thing on anybody’s mind.
• 86
  operaaficionado says:

  March 5, 2009 at 10:15 PM

  You New Yorkers just don’t get ‘real’ theatre. Too many boring Broadway productions have watered down your sense of theatrical adventure not to mention intelligence. Too many of NYC’s great dramatic and musical productions have started in Chicago. Chicagoans know the Windy City is the real ‘theatre’ town, home to the Goodman, Steppenwolf, Lookingglass, Victory Gardens, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre and numerous other great theatre companies. Mary Z is brilliant! Send her back to us with Dan, Mara and TJ! Love them all!
• 87
  Gualtier Maldè says:

  March 6, 2009 at 5:19 PM

  IMPORTANT QUESTION: Did any of you see “La Sonnambula” last night (Thursday March 5th)? Any changes to the staging?
• 88
  klingsor2000 says:

  March 7, 2009 at 2:28 AM

  The second Sonnambula was tonight, Friday (not counting the final dress.)

  There clearly has been a good deal of subtle tweaking. The timing of a lot of the movement has been sharpened — although that can happen on its own with artists of this caliber. But I’d gues MZ is still around and giving notes.

  The act 1 finale, with all the script tearing and set trashing seems to have been toned down a bit

  Amina did NOT write the word ARIA on the blackboard before Ah non credea.

  The audience chhered and seemed to enjoy the proceedings a lot. There were a couple of boos after the first act. One person kept yelling boo over and over. No doubt some little need not being met. No boos at the end, just cheers. All individual numbers were applauded enthusiastically. House was packed. All standing room sold. Looks like they’ve got a hit on their hands. My third time. I loved it. Seeing two more. Who knows when it will be back.
• 89
  mifune says:

  March 7, 2009 at 8:33 AM

  I was there, and I agree with everything klingsor2000 said. There were a few places where the staging seemed to fight with the music, but I thought that it worked on the whole. Of course, none of it makes sense if you actually start to think about it, but it’s a ludicrous story anyways, and somehow I was able to just sit back and enjoy it.

  In fairness, I have seen a lot of Zimmerman’s theater work and enjoyed it, so maybe I am prone to this sort of thing.
• 90
  iltenoredigrazia says:

  March 7, 2009 at 10:14 AM

  It seems to me that the word “acting” is perhaps misused in some of these blogs. I see in Dessay a very hyperactive person onstage. She’s (almost?) always doing something, moving or running from one place to another, even during the curtain calls. I don’t see this necessarily as “acting” particularly during the introspective scenes so common in opera. It’s like she wants to make sure that everyone’s watching her; that she is the center of attention. I wish she would try to act first with her voice and then with her body rather than the other way around. Calm down a bit. Trust your vocal artistry.
• 91
  Brooklynpunk says:

  March 7, 2009 at 1:18 PM

  EVIDENTLY, BOOING SOMETIMES PAYS OFF….

  a number of changes were made, by the Thursday performance of La Sonnambula–chief among them, Amina/Dessay no ;onger writes “ARIA” on the blackboardm before launching onto the final sleepwalking scene…thereby ending the laughing that caused…
• 92
  GayGlitter says:

  March 7, 2009 at 1:27 PM

  So far Butterfly is wobbling her way in, with no high C
• 93
  David Utterback says:

  March 7, 2009 at 1:30 PM

  Damn, getting to see her write “Aria” on the chalkboard was the only thing I was looking forward to in the Theatercast. On opening night it sounded like she was struggling a bit vocally, I bet she’d sound better in other parts at this point.
• 94
  balabanov11 says:

  March 9, 2009 at 9:52 AM

  As for Chicago theatre, it does literally one thing well – hyper “realistic”, aren’t we all down in the slum dirty modern pieces, where everyone is nasty and screams at each other (which can be fun, ala August:Osage). As for range and classic theatre, not exactly a hotbed. As for Zimmerman, please, please take her back – NYC would be grateful.

  As for Dessay’s current penchant for awful singing during her hypermanic “acting”, she should be forced to sit down and watch youtube vids of a real actress, who could also continually produce gorgeous reems of sound – Teresa Stratas.