Harmony of contrasts
La Cieca wonders if the horrific accident during last night’s performance of the Spider-Man musical (which promises to re-open Wednesday night with “additional safety protocols“) reminds you of, well, anything familiar?
Cher Public
- MrGuy1804: You are right on the money. I was not terribly impressed with any of the singing. There were a few... 12:29 AM
- Camille: That was fun, thanks! I had completely forgotten Eastern Airlines, the Wings of Man. With a name like... 12:22 AM
- Henry Holland: Thanks! Too bad they didn’t do Der Zwerg instead of the (wonderful) Puccini. The LA Opera... 12:09 AM
- Camille: Thanks Blue, for the review. Lord, what are “earthy colorings”? 12:06 AM
- Gualtier M: Here is Carmelita Pope in the actual 70′s era Pam commercial at 2:36 in: httpv://www.you... 12:03 AM
- CruzSF: kashania, please tell us more about these performances. Who? How presented? And don’t neglect the... 12:03 AM
- bluecabochon: Lucky you, Bob! I;d see it again if I could. Here’s TT’s New York Times review:... 11:53 PM
- kashania: HH: I thought of you tonight while watching the COC’s double of Florentine Tragedy and Gianni... 11:28 PM
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Has something ever happened during any of the Taymor Magic Flute performances? Maybe she just doesn’t like actors/singers.
Speaking of Taymor’s Magic Flute, saw it today and it is way more camp than I remembered.
tannengrin, that really doesn’t make any sense. Julie Taymor has been working in the profession for decades, her work depends on actors and singers. The problem, I believe from what I have seen and read of this production, is that everybody involved beginning with the writers and the producer, and then everybody who signed on is that they were trying to make a movie in a live theater production. They may have made some mistaken decisions based on trust in technical equipment, but I doubt very strongly that any of them approaches the cast members as disposable commodities.
I have heard that her Lion King is responsible for an awful lot of trips to physical therapists due to the heavy costumes.
As someone who has done stage tech, the safety of performers and crew should be the first priority for everyone, always. And when you’re talking about a Broadway show that people might be performing in for years, long-term stress can be a health issue as well (as I believe is the problem with Lion King).
New York City, NY Metropolitan Opera House Accident, Jan 1905 — THIRTY PEOPLE HURT. MUSIC WAS DROWNED BY SHRIEKS.PANIC IN THE VAST AUDIENCE PREVENTED BY PRESENCE OF MIND OF THE CHORUS AND THE EARNEST PERSUASION OF HEINRICH CONRIED — BRIDGE USED IN THE FIRST ACT OF “CARMEN” COLLAPSES. http://www3.gendisasters.com/new-york/17096/new-york-city-ny-metropolitan-opera-house-accident-jan-1905
I’m not sure the article quite lives up to hype of the headline, but it is fully remarkable in its own way. I’ve got a box of Godivas that says Spiderman closes by Valentine’s Day.
Wasn’t there a series of accidents in Tristan and Isolde? The Tristan (Gary Lehman) slid on the raked stage and hurt his head? Or something?
Yes, the sled he was on careened out of control and he bonked his head on the prompter box. This was the performance after Deborah Voigt fled the stage in the middle of Act II to go throw up. It was, to say the least, a lively run.
Merci Monsieur Croche. Could not remember the details.
I was there and that was not the night Voight was ill. It was one helluva scary incident and Lehman was heroic, after a brief interlude, to continue the performance. One horror per evening please.
Perhaps I should have expressed myself more clearly – the previous performance, as noted, was the one with the ill Voigt. I was there for the retching Isolde, but not for the bethwacked Lehmann (who, if I recall correctly, was rewarded for his heroic demeanor by being denied the subsequent HD telecast….)
The retching wretched Isolde, first grabbed the scenery, nearly pulling it down and heaved into the wings, and then ran off.
A Night at the Opera.
Monsieur, I misread your post and apologize.
In April of 1977, during the Met’s tour in Cleveland, a female chorister was killed before the performance of Il trovatore. Her scarf was cought in the elevetor door and she was strangled in a freak accident like Isadora Duncan, the dancer. The audience was kept in the dark, and the news came out the next morning.
Well – Aeschylus was killed when an eagle dropped a tortoise on his head. Accidents will happen.
Haha!
I thought La Cieca was referring to the new Ring production and the possibility of danger there. Maybe I am wrong. The planks seemed to move so slowly in Rheingold that it is hard to believe there would be any accidents. Frankly, I was going to go to the full Ring when it came out in Spring 2012, but after seeing Rheingold I doubt I will. I expected to be wowed but I feel the plank thing did not help tell the story. Instead it actually hindered acting and movement because everyone is stuck downstage for the most part. I am on the verge of becoming a Ring-Head. I saw the LA Ring last summer and plan to see SF’s Ring (3rd cycle if anyone else is going) this coming summer. I was planning to go to the Met’s Ring in Spring 2012 but I’ll decide after seeing Die Walküre in HD. I hope to see Seattle’s Ring in Summer 2013. So far Rheingold disappointed me production-wise mainly because it did not use technology to improve the story and wow us; instead it simply limited the scenes, the acting, the space for singers, etc. Some moments like the Rhinemaidens escaping Alberich did not work b/c they couldn’t really move. Die Walküre is going to have to really surprise me to decide to do the full Ring.
I’m thinking of seeing the SF ring too, since the walkure I saw was just fantastic. 3rd cycle seems to have the most availability but me being paranoid and all, i’m worried about the cast being fatigued by the the third one….
I know. I am worried about that or about Nina Stemme (the most exciting cast member) cancelling the last cycle, but my friend Lee (78 years old and goes to every Ring she can) is going to the third cycle, and so I bought tickets to that one to go with her. If enough people here are going we should have a Parterre Box get-together at some bar one night!
The 3rd run fit best with my schedule. I’m philosophical – could well be that the cast (or some of it) might be more tired for the beginning of the run than at the end. No sense worrying about it now – all attendees of the ring are at the mercy of capricious and cruel gods.
The one person who I’m sure will be doing his thing every night is Runnicles, who I’ve never warmed to. I tend to find his performances unsubtle and unlovely. Perhaps somebody can explain to me why he is so sought-after, because I confess my heart sinks every time I see him on the roster.
Is this Ring going to be worth the trip across the pond?
No. But perhaps Voigt and Terfel will pull out.
I’m thinking that this is not likely, at least on Voigt’s part. I get the sense that she will follow the pattern, done by so many before her, of continuing well into a period of decline, either oblivious to her increasingly poor singing or else refusing to acknowledge it.
Actually, the singer who decides, “oh I’m into the period of diminishing returns” and either takes that as a signal to hang it up or move into repertory where what they still have is maximized and what has been lost is a less significant part of it, is rare.
And with Voigt, sorry to say, there isn’t a great wealth of expression or even a real specific insight into her roles, her main, and largely sole talent, was the very impressive vocal quality she once had.
So she can sing Brunnhilde and she can sing Elektra, and she probably will do both, without bringing much to either role.
Bart, I’m seeing the SF Ring first cycle. I was insane when I bought the tickets, considering I’ve seen half this Ring production in DC already. But I, too, am edging into becoming a Ring-head.
As for Spider-Man, my fellow vintage comic book fans have been keeping me posted for months now about the many, many problems with this production. No one is doing this for publicity’s sake. It’s for real. Thank god when I saw the old Superman musical (about a thousand years ago), no one thought they had to make him fly much.
Don Carlo,
I watched a video of Julie Taymor stressing that danger is a part of the artistic process. Well, she needs to get up there and dangle from the strings and fly through the air. If she is willing to do that and risk falling, then I might buy her story.
I think even in a Spiderman show the character interaction should still be number one priority and not the dazzle factor. I mean, it is always nice to have the dazzle, but I hope all the effort hasn’t been put into the dazzle.
That was my problem with the new Met Rheingold. The characters did not interact very well, in my opinion, and they tried to simply dazzle us with the “machine.” Well, the machine is a big let down so far. Maybe if they somehow got opera singers who were also Cirque du Soleil acrobats to climb and ride the planks and the “machine” moved faster, we might go, “Wow!” but actually thank God they seem to be taking the safety of the singers very seriously at the Met, but at the same time that causes a very slow machine, no singers doing much on the machine, etc. So it is like this thing that just pushes everyone forward squashed at the front of the stage and, yes, some of the scenes are sort of neat but after the first minute of that scene it is sort of boring. Technology is supposed to make the impossible possible on stage (or close to it), but this “machine” seems VERY limited in what it can show and what kind of scene it creates. I really thought I would love it. I saw the preview clip on the Met’s site and was excited. Than, I saw Rheingold and I enjoyed Levine and the singers but I found the “machine” very limiting and you would think a modern/techno Ring would expand possibilities. Let’s hope Die Walküre is better!
very off topic but I just put 2 tkts for opening of Traviata NEw Yrs Eve on Craigslist then thought if anyone on here should want them I would prefer it. lovely seats in the front row of Balcony Box 7 only $125. don’t know how to do this but if you post under the Spiderman thing in the next day or 2 tell me how to reach you.
Blanchette, I emailed you at Craigslist. I hope I had the right offer.
I think one of the Peter Pans hit a wall during a flying sequence in rehearsals and broke her arm. Supposedly, the crew put up a mattress on that spot with her name on it. Can’t remember if that story was Mary Martin, or rigby or someone else.
$125 for two that is
bluecabochon- I didn’t get your email but got a reply from someone called Antonio so please go to craigslist- it’s the offer great seats Met opera Box 7 seats 1 and 2. it’s up there. email me via them, ok?