I can finally say that I have attended one of those live-streaming Metropolitan Opera shows! I was sold the moment I heard that wonderful Renee Fleming and dreamy Nathan Gunn were starring in that perennial favorite, the Merry Widow. EVERYONE loves the charming fairy tale of Mittel-European fun in Gay Paree of the 1890’s–bursting with gold-braided uniforms and dissipated courtiers and irresistible waltzes–and, of course, the fabulous Can-Can girls at Maxim’s–silly wonderful show! With a sparkling new translation that sounded as if it were actually MEANT to be in English. For instance, the song sung by the delightful ladies who so zealously perform the Can Can– “Ja, wir sind es, die Grisetten, Von pariser Kabaretten!” (“Yes, it is us, the Grisettes, From Parisian cabarets! “) was pleasingly translated as “We’re the ladies of the chorus, and the gentlemen adore us!” –which exactly fit the tune AND the idea, while it departed briskly from the exact words (here is a link to a bit of the dance). The two stars were so fine, and it was such fun to watch them camping it up, along with everyone else in the cast–a triumph for the director, Susan Stroman, who comes from grand successes on Broadway.
But here’s what wasn’t grand–the technology was not quite good enough. A little dim, a little low-res, and the sound could have been better. HOWEVER, let us not whine–it was a bargain at the price and the not-having-to-go-to-New-York.
Leave a Reply