Intermission feature
A faithful reader has just informed La Cieca that, two weeks ago at the Met, during an intermission of La bohème, he saw Henry Kissinger, “flanked by two bodyguards twice his height and twelve times his weight.” Which led this reader to pose to you, cher public, the following trivia question:
“What makes Henry Kissinger unique of all visitors to the Met this season (other than, of course, that the rest of us aren’t unindicted war criminals whose Nobel Peace Prize, in the words of Tom Lehrer, made satire obsolete)?
I wonder how many people have ever gone to see themselves as a character at the MET, or the opera?
Well, we can throw out Cristoforo Colombo for starters. That is an intriguing question and sounds like a good quiz.
I guess Jiang Qing never got to see herself in Nixon in China, did she?
I thought I remembered something about prison from the liner notes. From Wikipedia ” Though initially sentenced to execution, her sentence was commuted to life imprisonment in 1983, however, and in May 1991 she was released for medical treatment. Before returning to prison, she committed suicide.” So, no.
If there had been any cosmic justice, she would have been forced to watch an entire run of performances of “I Was Looking At The Ceiling When I Saw The Sky.”
Alas, cosmic justice seems to be in short supply these days.
Jerry Springer has probably seen Jerry Springer: The Opera. Intermezzo is a sort of opera-a-clef – don’t know whether that qualifies. Perhaps somebody knows whether Elizabeth Taylor ever saw herself in Jackie O, or Dianne Feinstein saw herself shimmying through Harvey Milk.
Re Intermezzo – no-one was fooled by the à clef subterfuge. Hofmannsthal refused to write the libretto and the Strausses house-servant Anna was furious to see herself depicted on stage in her own name. Nice that Strauss invited her to the premiere, though
The ghost of Charles V?
Sister Helen Prejean, in all likelihood…..
OT – Anna Netrebko is appearing in La Boheme tomorrow at the Opera in Copenhagen. It’s quite a big deal for the Opera and its director who claimed that this appearance by Anna now placed the Opera in the equivalent of the “Champions League” – something known to soccer fans.
Anna’s sister has lived in Denmark for a number of years and as a result Anna has visited on occasion. Of course the Opera is ecstatic at having snagged her for two performances.
In the press conference today Anna was reported as saying that while the “big” opera houses plan their seasons years in advance, it is possible for stars to appear in “simple” ( presumably traditional) productions when an opening appears in their calendar.
Hopefully the director will take this to heart and reconsider some of the junk he’s been subjecting his countrymen to – including a Nabucco that while musically superb ( it was discussed in the chat room here) was a disgusting mess involving a lot of throwing of blood and other “imaginative” devices. Or perhaps he just wants to bring soccer to the stage of the opera.
One swallow doesn’t make a summer. Presumably they coughed up mega-euros – I doubt if La Nebtrenda accepts Danish kronor – for its appearance.
Dame tank is not learned in the ways to start a new topic here… I would love to see a discussion on the recent news that Tyne Daly will portray La Divina Callas in a new production of MASTERCLASS on Broadway. Daly??? Really????
Well, despite the fact that Daly is probably a litle old for the part right now, what is the problem? Bitch can act…
Can she???
well, I don’t know, you tell me. If she could not act, how would you expnain all this. Actors come and go in Hollywood, but very few stay. Again, I understand people saying she might not look the part, or be the right age, or her acting style might not be right, or any subjective thing, but to say she can’t act? come on.
Well, I did not say she couldn’t… I was just asking. I am not that familiar with La Daly other than Cagny and Lacy! I would think someone like Patti Lupone who looks and acts more like La Callas would be a reason for a revival of a so-so play… Just my opinion, caro Lindoro! I have not seen your Tyne in much…
Having seen Tyne Daly in Gypsy, I assure you she can act. I would see her in Masterclass.
Her several season in Judging Amy were reason enough to watch.She played “Amy’s mom, a recently widdowedwoman who was struggling with aging, her relationship with her daughter, her work,etc. Her character showed Daly’s broad range and specifically her vulnerability.
If you only know her from a show that happened over 20 years ago and you have not seen her recent work, don’t you think you should wait until she takes on the role?
Personally, I think the only reason to revive that play would be because Dixie Carter personally asked for a revival of that show, and we know that ain’t gonna happen.
I saw her at Feinstein’s earlier this year, and while her singing voice isn’t very polished, she is a remarkable actress who tells a story beautifully in song. By the time I saw her in “Gypsy”, it was well into the run and her voice was rough, but she was marvelous. I sometimes found her work on TV to be bit mannered, but overall I’m quite biased as I worked with her once and her instincts and intelligence made it a pleasure to be in her company. I’m looking forward to seeing her as Maria Callas. She’s pretty fearless and I agree with Lindoro, is an interesting combination of tough and vulnerable at the same time.
Daly just did a run of Masterclass in DC.
Daly is amazing as an actress. I also saw her in Gypsy and the voice couldn’t possibly compare with Merman, Lansbury, Lupone (although with much better diction), et al. But she will will be terrific in the play. But this part of the thread reminds me of two other actresses who started at roughly the same time – Zohra Lampert and Andrea Marcovicci. Marcovicci, who was a remarkable cabaret artist, would be terrific. Lampert might actually be older than Daly. More importantly, Daly has a sizable fan base and will sell tickets. SO it’s a win-win for theater. Opera queens will come out to see the play because it’s about Callas and Daly fans will come out to see it because it’s Daly. THe difference for me between Daly and Lupone is that with Daly, I watch the performance and the play/tv show/etc. With Lupone, I’m always aware of not just Patti Lupone, but PATTI! LUPONE!
I bow to your learned judgement! All I have seen are youtube excerpts of La Daly in MasterClass and I was not impressed!
Dixie Carter = Maria Callas??? BAHAHAHAHA!!!!
Dixie carter worshiped Maria Callas and credited her for being the inspiration behind Ms Carter pursuing training to become an opera singer. Not only that, but even after that didn’t pan out, she continued to talk about the influence that Callas had as an artist on her.
The moment Masterclass came out, Carter expressed the desire to play Callas, and got her chance, eventually. Unfortunately I didn’t see it,but I am sure that someone did, I am willing to bet that Carter went into great pains to make sure she got the role right, Callas being her idol and all.
Now, I only know very little about the career of Dixie Carter and only know her mostly from Designing Women and several guest appearances late in her career; but as an artist, and a famous and respected one at that, she took it away from herself to give it to someone who had been dead and buried for well over a decade. How many actors do you hear doing that, and meaning it? Furthermore, how would that not play into the care an actor would put into creating a role?
So far, Dame dear, you are not batting really well. You could not say anything about Daley and her career pass, what? 1980 and felt compelled to question whether she had the chops to take on the role. Then you diss Dixie Carter, a lady in every sense of the world and a GREAT actress and artist. Care to do a 3 for 3?
Years before I moved to New York, I made a pilgrimage up here to hear Voigt and Domingo in Walkuere. While I was here, I went to some other stuff, including The Little Foxes with a miscast Stockard Channing. I struck up a conversation with the woman sitting next to me, who said “If you see one thing while you’re here, it should be Dixie Carter in The Master Class.”
I thought: well that sounds just terrible. But it was one of not that many things I wanted to see that was up on TKTS by the time I got through the line, and I went ahead and saw it. She was really good. Who knows if I’d think so now, after seeing a lot more theater, but you know, my recollection of it is that she was funny in the funny parts and over the top in the over the top parts…it is, after all, Terrence McNally. She wasn’t playing Phedre.
there’s obviously no justice in this world, otherwise, this pig would not be walking the earth anymore. he should be assassinated (along with cheney and shrubby).
in the book about the 9/11 investigation, it tells how after kissinger had been nominated by bush to be chairman of the 9/11 commission, the widows of 9/11 went to meet with him. while he was pouring them coffee, one of the widows asked him point blank, “mr. kissinger, how many saudi clients does your firm represent?” and kissinger just spilled coffee all over the table. a day later, he withdrew from the commission.
may his soul rot in hell for eternity.
The Kissing monster can’t travel overseas, he’d be arrested. Same fate awaits Bush, Cheney, Rice, Powell, Hillary and many American monsters, and Obama of course, who turned out to be an uncle tom who makes Nixon look progressive.
I’ve had the displeasure of seeing the monster up close at the MET on two occasions or so. He knows he’s safe at the MET which caters to a lot of conservative scum like him.
Holbrooke just escaped The Hague by dying. Let’s hope Kissinger lives to be 100, as hope never dies.
Ardath – I share your distaste for many of the politicians you’ve listed, but when I look at your factual claims (“can’t travel overseas”), I do wonder what planet you live on. Btw, you may not realize it, but “uncle tom” is a racist term which offends many people, not just the politician you intend to insult.
Thank you, m. croche.
While I might not really think of President Obama as an “Uncle Tom”…( just as one of the most disappointing hopefulls in recent history, perhaps…)..I don’t consider the use of the term racist, per-se…I always thought its usage meant a Black person who went out of his way to win favor …to the extent of stepping on other Blacks, and aping crude White opinion–with the oppressive White majority….
The expression isn’t meant to be flattering…but is it really “racist”….?
(Black folk use it quite a bit, talking about one who…in their opinon has sold out to White folk)
And some rappers also use the n-word – so what? Bottom line: you couldn’t call a non-Black politician an “Uncle Tom”. Just because some blacks might use the term among themselves doesn’t make it any less racialized or any more appealing – there are many such similar words that would also be unacceptable in the present context (“race-traitor”, “oreo”, “banana” etc.) Obama is not even descended from former slaves, so the epithet was hurled specifically at his race, not his ethnicity.
m. croche:
With the very best respects to you–I respectfully disagree with your reply..
But– I suppose this “ain’t” the forum for this discussion…so I apologize for persuing it..
but i will say..– in some quarters–the accusation of “Uncle Tom-ism” has nothing to do with racism–and more to do with selling out…in general,,,
BTW..”Banana”…??..that’s a new one, to me…!-lol!
I’ve never heard “Uncle Tom” used to mean “sell-out” in general. It’s always had a racial element (specifically, black or African-American). But then, I’m not from New York.
What amazes me is that people didn’t see Obama as a politician. Now we know…
Well, to be fair, the expectations were really unrealistic. A huge part of the voting block, across gender and color lines, saw Obama as a Messianic figure to lead us out of the dark Bushian ages.
But he went along with it, while in reality he really is (just) a canny politician. Surprise, surprise. Still, far all his apparent shortcomings, look at the alternative. Although really my biggest fear was that McCain would be elected and then promptly check out. So far he’s still kicking….
Uncle Tom is not a racist term, it’s a critical term. And it describes Obama precisely. Uncle Tom is a term for a black person who behaves in a subservient manner to white people. Try a simple online research before embarrassing yourself next time.
As for Kissinger, he’s a wanted war criminal and there’s action to arrest him in Ireland and other countries. What planet are *you* on?
Why, it’s both a racist term and a critical one! It’s only direct towards black people, invokes a specifically-black caricature. You’d get the same response if you called a Jew a “Shylock”.
As for Kissinger – “the action to arrest him in Ireland” was a ludicrous political stuntby some activist that utterly failed. I did a very quick survey of some travels from the past few years and found him attending events in England, China, and Germany. Now, I personally wouldn’t mind seeing Kissinger encountering a whole pile of legal troubles, but simply wishing it won’t make it so.
And the notion that Holbrooke “just escaped” the Hague was equally preposterous. I mean, really crazy.
you’re showing your true colors and defending war criminals, m. croche, whoever you are, you’re irrelevant. Uncle Tom is not a racist term, you’re wrong, just admit it.
you’re part of the scum that wants, for instance, Julian Assange extradited. People like me who advocate on behalf of humanity are not “crazy”, m. croche. We are just people. But you, you’re just some kind of breed, definitely not human.
A bit more civility would be nice, I think. Also, “scum” is not really an argument. Besides, before you start insulting someone, ardath_bey, you should perhaps read their posts without any preconception. If you did, you wouldn’t accuse m_croche of defending war criminals, for one.
Ardath makes my points much better than I myself could. I am content.
A manly bow (Klaus Florian Vogt after a sensational Parsifal):
http://www.tubechop.com/watch/115511
And how sensible that they dressed relatively comfortable for that onslaught of a work.
Today is also the birthday of that wonderful singer, Mr. Philip Langridge, who would have been 71 years old today.
Perhaps some of our British contingent would care to post some memories or videos of this fine artist.