Gollnick
Musical Director
- Joined
- Mar 22, 1999
- Messages
- 29,258
Last evening, I attended the Portland Opera's new production* of Giuseppe Verdi's tale of one hero's fall, Otello.
At the end of Act Two, Iago, left alone on the stage, explains his philosophy of life to the audience. To my surprise, he produce from his pocket, a balisong! He made a half-hearted double flip out-to-in opening and pondered the knife as he pondered his life. The balisong reappeared several times in Act Three always with that double-flip opening and closing.
What a surprise, eh? I was not the only one there with a balisong!
* The sets, costumes, props, etc., for a major musical, play, opera, etc., are very expensive. The complete package for a professionally-presented opera costs hundreds of thousands of dollars, sometimes over a million dollars. Obviously, most performance companies are not able to afford to create their own sets, costumes, etc. So, they rent a package from another company that was able to afford it. This enables the weaker company to afford professional equipment and the rental income helps the stronger company finance new productions. I'm told that the sets and costumes that the Portland Opera used earlier this year for Carmin are now in Seattle where they will be used early next year.
For this production of Otello, though, the Portland Opera has taken the bold, and expensive, step of creating their own sets, costumes, and props. It's an all-new production of Otello. Obviously, they are now looking to rent this package out to other opera companies. It's a huge step for them, an attempt to break into a new strata in the opera world.
My review: two thumbs down. The balisong was a wonderful surprise for me personally, but the rest of it looked like a hodge-podge. Let's face it: Otello is a period-piece; it's set in the late 15th century in Cyprus. Yet Portland Opera has dressed Otello's soldiers and guards in tight black leather with spikes and red hair. They look like punk rockers with swords. Meanwhile, Desdemona clashes temporally in elaborate period dresses. And the set looks more like something from the old TV show Laugh In than a 15th century Greek Palace.
Think W!
------------------
Chuck
Balisongs -- because it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing!
http://www.balisongcollector.com
[This message has been edited by Gollnick (edited 11-12-2000).]
At the end of Act Two, Iago, left alone on the stage, explains his philosophy of life to the audience. To my surprise, he produce from his pocket, a balisong! He made a half-hearted double flip out-to-in opening and pondered the knife as he pondered his life. The balisong reappeared several times in Act Three always with that double-flip opening and closing.
What a surprise, eh? I was not the only one there with a balisong!
* The sets, costumes, props, etc., for a major musical, play, opera, etc., are very expensive. The complete package for a professionally-presented opera costs hundreds of thousands of dollars, sometimes over a million dollars. Obviously, most performance companies are not able to afford to create their own sets, costumes, etc. So, they rent a package from another company that was able to afford it. This enables the weaker company to afford professional equipment and the rental income helps the stronger company finance new productions. I'm told that the sets and costumes that the Portland Opera used earlier this year for Carmin are now in Seattle where they will be used early next year.
For this production of Otello, though, the Portland Opera has taken the bold, and expensive, step of creating their own sets, costumes, and props. It's an all-new production of Otello. Obviously, they are now looking to rent this package out to other opera companies. It's a huge step for them, an attempt to break into a new strata in the opera world.
My review: two thumbs down. The balisong was a wonderful surprise for me personally, but the rest of it looked like a hodge-podge. Let's face it: Otello is a period-piece; it's set in the late 15th century in Cyprus. Yet Portland Opera has dressed Otello's soldiers and guards in tight black leather with spikes and red hair. They look like punk rockers with swords. Meanwhile, Desdemona clashes temporally in elaborate period dresses. And the set looks more like something from the old TV show Laugh In than a 15th century Greek Palace.
Think W!
------------------
Chuck
Balisongs -- because it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing!
http://www.balisongcollector.com
[This message has been edited by Gollnick (edited 11-12-2000).]
