Monthly Archives: October 2018

Seattle Modern Opera Company Presents The Real Housewives of Sparta

Disclosure: Dr. Chris takes voice lessons from one of the cast members of this production.

The Real Housewives of Sparta was the first production of the newly formed Seattle Modern Opera Company (SMOC). In this bawdy and farcical tale adapted and updated from Jacques Offenbach’s La Belle Helene, Paris plots to go behind the back of Menelaus to have his way with the beautiful Helen of Troy.

Brandon Higa, Sammie Gorham, and Anthony James. Seattle Modern Opera Company.

SMOC’s mission is to create a new generation of opera goers by performing modern operas and condensed, modernized adaptations of older works in non-traditional spaces. The small, minimalist set and tiny venue (4 rows of seats) for The Real Housewives of Sparta was a far cry from the grand halls usually associated with opera productions. Opera is generally perceived as one of the most pretentious and stuffy of art forms, and many performers and aficionados tend to reinforce that stereotype. Bucking that perception is a worthwhile goal. Continue reading →

Bad Times at the El Royale

Set in the late 1960s, Bad Times at the El Royale tells the story of a disparate group of strangers who come to stay at a once thriving hotel-casino straddling the Nevada-California border. No one is quite what they seem, and secrets are slowly revealed over the course of one tumultuous night.

Writer-director Drew Goddard makes masterfully effective use of flashbacks and scenes replayed from different characters’ points of view to tell a gripping and unexpectedly complex tale. The numerous subplots and character arcs could have easily turned into a jumbled, gimmicky mess, but Goddard maintains tight control and direction throughout. While the story gets complicated, it remains coherent.

Bad Times at the El Royale features a relatively large ensemble cast including Jeff Bridges, Chris Hemsworth, Jon Hamm, Dakota Johnson, Lewis Pullman, Cailee Spaeny, and award-winning stage performer Cynthia Erivo in her first feature film role. All of them give outstanding performances. There’s not a weak link in the bunch. Hemsworth is turning out to be a much better actor than I would have given him credit for a few years ago. Props to Erivo as well. Some actors never quite manage the transition from stage to screen, but she certainly did.

Jeff Bridges, Jon Hamm, and Cynthia Erivo in Bad Times at the El Royale. IMDb.com

Continue reading →

The Metropolitan Opera Opens a new Season of Live in HD in Grand Style with Aida

No stranger to the Metropolitan Opera’s stage, acclaimed soprano Anna Netrebko sang the title role in Giuseppe Verdi’s Aida to open the Met’s 13th series of Live in HD broadcasts. She made her Met debut of the role in September and gave a superlative performance for this broadcast. Not to be outdone, mezzo-soprano Anita Rachvelishvili was fantastic as Aida’s rival Amneris. Quinn Kelsey did not disappoint as Aida’s father Amonasro, and Ryan Speedo Green imbued his role of The King with a welcomed gravitas. Aleksandrs Antonenko as Radames was the lone weak link in an otherwise outstanding cast.

The word “epic” is sadly overused, but it truly applied to this stage production, with its massive sets and small army of background extras. The orchestra, under conductor Nicola Luisotti, was more than equal to the performers and production.

The Met has made some weird staging and casting decisions in recent years. Thankfully, there was nothing weird or off-putting about Aida. The lavish sets, huge cast, and outstanding performances from the principals marked a refreshing and welcome throwback to traditional grand opera.

Overall rating 8/10

My Neighbor Totoro

Written and directed by the acclaimed Hayao Miyazaki and first released in 1988, My Neighbor Totoro returns to the big screen courtesy of Fathom Events and GKIDS as part of Studio Ghibli Fest 2018.

My Neighbor Totoro tells the story of Satsuki and Mei, two sisters who move to the country with their father while their mother remains hospitalized. As they explore their new surroundings, they encounter a number of nature spirits, including the huge and lovable Totoro, who takes the girls on some wonderful adventures, including a ride on the magical Cat Bus. That’s a giant, multilegged, hollowed out cat with rats for lights that serves as a bus, complete with furry, 70s era shag carpeted seats.

Cat Bus, Totoro, and Satsuki. IMDb.com.