Dear Liz Smith reports today:

“THE NEW pope, Benedict XVI, is getting a reputation for slightly eccentric behavior. He likes to disguise himself as a simple priest and go out at night back to his former apartments in a little zone tucked behind St. Peter’s Square. He often goes to his old room and stays there for hours.”

Now, maybe this is just me, but doesn’t that sound like the premise for an opera comique?

Pierette and her confidante Marthe are unaware that the simple
Pere Michel is none other than Pope Benedict XVI! A delicious trio of comic
intrigue ensues. The chiming of churchbells signals the arrival of a band of
gypsies, who dance an infectious if dramatically irrelevant tarantella. The
pope, now slightly tipsy, sings the roguish couplets “Ah, sous la rose
je suis infaillible,” attracting the attention of the love-starved Duc de Boum…

La Cieca

James Jorden (who wrote under the names "La Cieca" and "Our Own JJ") was the founder and editor of parterre box. During his 20 year career as an opera critic he wrote for the New York Times, Opera, Gay City News, Opera Now, Musical America and the New York Post. He also raised his voice in punditry on National Public Radio. From time to time he directed opera, including three unsuccessful productions of Don Giovanni. He also contributed a regular column on opera for the New York Observer. James died in October 2023.

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