Two of the cher public (thanks, Paul and Michael!) have tipped La Cieca to what may be the ne plus ultra of operatic Regie, a new production of Un ballo in maschera in Erfurt. According to an article in the Telegraph, This “different . . . provocative” staging of the Verdi warhorse sets the tale of political intrigue “on the ruins of the World Trade Centre.”

As director Johann Kresnik explained in a press conference before the premiere. “The naked stand for people without means, the victims of capitalism, the underclass, who don’t have anything anymore.” Uh, naked? As in nude? Oh, but don’t worry. The supers playing the underclass in this production are not totally nude. (Mild but creepy NSFW content after the jump)

In other ways, the production is very traditional; for example, Kresnik delivers the classic Verdian image of Mickey Mouse beating up on Drag Hilter.