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Finally, after all these months, La Cieca begins to understand the ways of Fthà in arranging the universe so that Francesca Zambello would be chosen new honcho (honcha?) of the Glimmerglass Festival. At first it seemed this turn of events was to transpire only so that dear ‘Cesca could stage half-baked feminist rewrites of Annie Get Your Gun up in the middle of nowhere, but, no, that wasn’t it. In fact, He Who Was Young Ere the World Was Old (i.e., Fthà) had more far-ranging plans in mind.
And what, you ask, might those plans entail? Why, Working Title Films is going to produce a live-action version of the material that made “Zambello” synonymous with top-quality Broadway musical theater-flavored cheese spread, The Little Mermaid. And since good old Fthà has arranged for Cesca to have her hands full up in OswegoOneontaAtaypura Otsego, the picture will have to be helmed by someone else (or, as I believe it was put in the production meeting, “anyone else”) who in any case is Joe Wright (Pride and Prejudice, Atonement, The Soloist). Joe, you’ve got your work cut out for you surpassing the haunting sense of melancholy Cesca brought to this delicately wistful material.
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.
Parterre Box concludes the thrilling first year of Talk of the Town by inviting your lightning rod opinions on several more categories of operatic argumentation.
Parterre Box concludes the thrilling first year of Talk of the Town by inviting your lightning rod opinions on several more categories of operatic argumentation.