There was skating on the Yangtze last night

sonja In promoting the Great Performances at the Met telecast of Turandot, the copywriter for Channel 13 seems to miss the point by about as wide a mark as possible without actually hitting another point.

With its grand, dazzling sets, the production by Franco Zeffirelli has been an audience favorite since its premiere at the Met in 1987. Of the first production, The New York Times raves: “Turandot can be something more than a gelid fairy tale held together by gaudy pageantry, but Mr. Zeffirelli chooses here to stress razzle-dazzle rather than any emotional substance. As a result, this version of Puccini’s last, unfinished opera has the emotional impact of a night at the Ice Capades.”