think pink!
La Cieca is of course delighted to learn that dear John Waters intends to have Pink Flamingos adapted into an opera — though, sadly, he might as well forget about having the work premiered in his home town.
La Cieca can’t imagine which currently active composer might be up for the daunting task of setting to music the text “Now, Mama, that’s just egg paranoia. I think you’re being very silly. There will always be chickens. Why, there are so many chickens now that we can eat some and let some of them live in order to supply us with eggs. Chickens are plentiful, Mama. The world will never be without chickens. You can be sure of that.”Â
But she (La Cieca, that is, not Babs Johnson) is ready to entertain discussion on how the opera should be cast. And she’ll warn you right now you get zero points for the obvious suggestion of Lauren Flanigan for Connie Marble.
UPDATE: An old favorite, but still the front-runner, so far as La Cieca is concerned.
Thanks for the update, tenornmd, I thought I’d missed the Bergonzi obit. Loved his voice. A few years ago, I think I read that he owns a restaurant in northern Italy.
Speaking of Alexandra Deshorties did she ever perform at the Met again after that hysterical Konstanze broadcast?
Not a huge fan of his music, but this seems like just the project for Michael Daugherty…
As for composer, I think this calls for a Brit. Thomas Ades might have the right sensibility.
With the Divine creations the only thing I remember is a tragic grossly overweight ugly looking and behaving drag queen that should have stayed in some 10th rate flop house sleaze floor show. It would have perfectly ‘framed’ the creation.
Most of early Waters work was plain stupid kitsch, deliberately repulsive and trying so desperately to shock from the word go.It suited the rebellious times of one particular generation. The bust out generation for anything you care to name.
On the other hand, Serial Mom is the one enduring John Waters thoroughly modern work worth turning into Opera. It was for once, truly controlled and smack on the mark to this day. The perfectionist ‘sit-com’ woman slowly progressing forward with her zealous OCD to reach maniacal homicide. We first accept the character as wholesome, nothing out of the ordinary,family caring, and even mindful of re-cycling her garbage in sweet suburbia. Nothing to indicate someone twisted. Then it is like watching a disbelieving daylight nightmare happen before our eyes in an acceptable normal setting. Waters then pulls the carpet out from under every traditional cliche ever used to support that same environment. Nor would it need minimalist ‘crap’ music to drive it.
tannegrin (comment 54#) Why would a John Waters work need a British ‘compositor’? Haven’t they f@*cked up enough musical works already with their stiff upper lip pretentiousness. John Waters Works are American; apparently some people yet realize it? Talk about ‘another plot’ for insidious British invasion!
#56 considering Ades wrote the infamous “fellatio” aria in his opera “Powder her Face” stiff upper lip is not the most felicitous choice of phrases.
Lighten up, Harry. Sir M got it right.
So what would, it could be said ‘do the British do that’ any other way?
#56 considering Ades wrote the infamous “fellatio†aria in his opera “Powder her Face†stiff upper lip is not the most felicitous choice of phrases.
tannegrin: U don’t think so. I thought the British were renowned for ‘dirty kickers’ most of all.