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 →