The Metropolitan Opera opened Offenbach's Tales of Hoffman with Anna Netrebko on Thursday night at the opera house and will broadcast it worldwide live and in HD on Saturday, December 19. Slideshow of this new production by Bartlett Sher, featuring Anna Netrebko as Antonia the ill-fated singer, below. I love seeing who the simulcast host will be. Who is the next Racette or Fleming? It's somebody from an upcoming production no doubt.
To buy tickets: Met broadcast tickets.
Theaters around San Francisco.
The Met suffered uplink problems recently in North America with it's live broadcast of Turandot. The technical problem created audio and visual glitches. My colleague Steve Smoliar says he spoke with somebody who said they encountered the same uplink problems in the encore presentation, which is a recording. Some left the theater to ask for a refund. I saw none of that when I attended the live broadcast in San Francisco.
I may try going to the smaller theater in Berkeley on Shattuck Avenue this time, just to get a different ambiance. It's at the Regal Theater where I saw the Michael Jackson documentary recently and it felt good to be back in UC Berkeley territory. Much more earthy and young than the upscale shopping crowd at Westfield Center's new theater.
The last time I saw Hoffman it was the off off Broadway production at Berkeley Opera. David Scott Marley the librettist and wizard masterminded an English version in the style of goth-like Steam Punks, which you may google. He didn't make that up.
I used to identify with the starving poet Hoffman's disillusionment over his love interest. The real Hoffman would fall in love with his music student(s) but lose out to men such as her wealthy businessman husband. I myself have had to give up money, I cannot afford it.
Tales of Tiger
Speaking of money. Now I am watching the Tales of Tiger unfold. One buddy from the set of Trauma said to me, the thing about having more than one love interest is that one must make each feel she is the only one. That's how the international playboy thing works. However a jet pilot acquaintance emailed to me that while that sort of Tiger Woodsian double life certainly happens, it doesn't last and somebody always gets hurt, it's not victimless. Thank you captain, right answer. Integrity. That's why you are the captain.
The captain did add though that some men just know their limitations and that's why they never marry. So that's another form of integrity. Hoffman never seemed to admit to himself his own limitations did he? That's what his muse is for. She's his integrity in waiting. Ever so patiently. Give him enough rope and Hoffman hangs himself.
Anna Netrebko's "Souvenirs" of restless hearts
Anna Netrebko sings Violetta in June's La Traviata
Puccini's "Turandot" live in HD with host Patricia Racette
Verdi's "Aida" broadcast live from the Met to theaters: Captain loves a slave
Renee Fleming enlivens Met HD simulcasts with backstage interviews
Pat Racette and Paulo Gavanelli in Gianni Schicchi, third part of Puccini's triptych (Part Three)
Seattle Opera's Ring of Fire: Women and warriors need heroies and protection from cowards
Russian classic Eugene Onegin part of World Stage series at Vogue Theater (obscene?)
Three Violettas as Donald Runnicles conducts La Traviata
Tales of Hoffman and taking on the bourgeoisie
Tales of Hoffman sells out in a good not bourgeois way
Tales of Hoffman: Bourgeousie and the devil thwart poet's love
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