The Monkey King at San Francisco Opera combines spectacle and sentiment.
Overall, this was a superb achievement and a thrilling season opener for the San Francisco Opera.
Power struggles, prejudice, feuds and revenge abound in San Francisco at the moment.
The ailing and grief-stricken Pinkerton was shown to give his son a diary about his time in Nagasaki, and as Trouble read it, he (and the audience) was taken back in time as the story came to life, similar to the use of Pensieve in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book 4).
There are no words superlative enough to describe this celebration of Orpheus’ grief, and I truly applaud San Francisco Opera for presenting such food for thought that will definitely resonate long after with me.
The second act of Dream of the Red Chamber reached the apex and provided the audience with soul-stirring fulfillment.
In San Francisco Opera’s new Così fan tutte, the elements that most visibly read as “American” were a penchant for slapstick humor, overcooked blocking, and an abundance of cartoonish period costumes that hobbled the opera’s first act.
Tell us: Filth or dementia?
Hasten thee to feed another quarter of conversation for The Talk of the Town!
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