ok, let's set a few things down, and don't you dare start with me tonight i'm still jet lagged and a little bit cranky because OC is back in NYC from a much warmer Milan (wtf NYC? Winter much?) and celebrated her arrival with The Metropolitan Opera's la prima of Sergei Prokofiev's The Gambler.
Temur Chkheidze's production for the Met was dusted from the storage racks circa 2001, and the familar sets of green astroturf were laid. Since no opera production is complete without blinding fireworks and flaming horse statues rocketed up to the heavens, this production was, um, yeah. Maestro Valery Gergiev flayed the Met orchestra and gave it all his liquid energy rocket fuel, but the dynamic, brash, lively essence of Prokofiev's composition was a little too distilled. But more on that tomorrow (also with pictures!!).
Before I eat it (my bed, not my Flintstones vitamins), I wanted to share the MET's last pimping of their Wagner <3fest of Tristan und Isolde. Drink the hypeshake. I mean, the poor Gambler got pushed aside like the middle child between Debbie V and Ben Hepp. Gergiev who? I am a sinner! I have abandoned my Gergiev!
Tonight's program for The Gambler had an insert written in 14-point TNR font that said:
"Special notice! Tomorrow night's performance of Wagner's Tristan und Isolde, starring Deborah Voigt and Ben Heppner, will be streamed live at metopera.org, starting at 7 P.M."
It's like the second coming of Juice Newton and Eddie Rabbitt. Go here for the Met newsflash.
OC will be back at the Metropolitan Opera on Saturday for Bohème with Gheorghiu and the Fargster. Two words: 1) drama 2) llama. There's also a planned tribute on Saturday to MVP Frengo, from today's NY Post. All you need is a quarter and a 4rd-grade reading level.
