We really enjoyed The Met’s new production and reworking of Strauss‘s Die Fledermaus, BUT….
We’ll get to the BUT later!
First, let’s talk about all the things the Metropolitan Opera did well and keeps doing right!
The grandeur and superb musicianship is a given. What’s new, though, is The Met’s explicit and effective attempts at at broadening their audience – actively finding ways for their productions to appeal to younger people and folks of various backgrounds and incomes.
With their production of Die Fledermaus, we applaud
A) The choice of material! An operetta! Something LIGHTHEARTED and fun!
B) That the show was reworked and presented in English, instead of the original German.
C) The incorporating of dance and some fabulous dance numbers in the show.
D) The decision to cast two of Broadway’s finest musical theater actors, Betsy Wolfe and Danny Burstein, in the show.
E) The biting and TIMELY comedic new dialogue, courtesy of the wonderful Douglas Carter Beane.
BUT…..
Having said all that – and that’s a lot to applaud – the show clocked in at three hours and fifty minutes!
We expect the opera to be long, but if you’re trying to be more modern… you can’t have a FOUR HOUR show!!!
There was so much that could have been trimmed!
Baby steps, we guess. Hopefully next season there won’t be shows longer than three hours!
P.S. Jane Archibald stole the show! Our favorite performance and THAT VOICE!!!!!!