Bring Your Cellphone to the Opera, Please

[mrdreamjeans]

Not sure how I feel about this trend .....


The New York Times

March 27, 2009
Arts, Briefly

Bring Your Cellphone to the Opera, Please

Compiled by DAVE ITZKOFF

Even Mozart is being updated for the “American Idol” age. A coming production of his opera “Così Fan Tutte” will ask audience members to vote at intermission for which characters should be married in the final scene. The production, called “Così Fan Tutte: Defining Women,” will be performed by the Underworld Productions Opera Ensemble at Symphony Space on April 29 and 30, and it invites audience members to vote by sending text messages from their cellphones. Cast members will then perform the chosen ending. In a release the opera company notes the production will be set in modern-day Massachusetts, “where nuptials between any combination of three men and three women would be legal.”

Comments

[notdefined.livejournal.com]

NO, NO NO!!!!

Write a new opera, don't rewrite a classic and then attach Mozart's name to it, because it is then NOT the same opera. The SF opera restaged the Elixer of Love recently. They set it in the SF Wine Country. The lyrics/music did not change, and what happened in the setting remained the same, just the location changed. Even THAT was close to bordering on blasphemy, IMHO. But, now as it was then, a production has to make money so companies do what they must. ::sigh::

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

I wish I knew how to change fonts and text size!! Your answer is very effective:) I thought you might have a strong opinion.

HUGS!

[notdefined.livejournal.com]

Each time you put <big> on the line, you will get the next size font. be sure to end it with a </big> for each <big> that you entered. Fonts are a little tricker, so I'll have to look them up. Here are some other 'tricks' . I'll substitute [ and ] for the left and right angle brackets:

[b] & [/b] bold the text
[i] & [/i] make italicised
[strike] * [/strike] strike through the text
[blink] & [/blink] make the text blink

These are just a few, I will put together a larger list.

Hugs.

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

I didn't know about "big" .. I would really like to know how to change fonts and to wrap text.

Thanks!

[notdefined.livejournal.com]

I will look that up, it should not be to difficult. What you are doing in embedding standard HTML. Nearly all metatags are supported. Not ALL though.

[notdefined.livejournal.com]

Check out this link to see which meta tags are valid. I'll try to post of some examples.

[furrytxcub.livejournal.com]

My brain is going to explode just thinking about it.

What a terrible, terrible, terrible idea.

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

I agree! I hate it when my fellow performers have their cell phones on in the dressing room. Like no one knows you're at work .. What can't wait?

[billeyler.livejournal.com]

Unusual, to say the least.

I wonder how our patrons would go for it. Most of the modern dress Shakespeare we bring in through Aquila is looked at with raised eyebrow as it is, especially when the actors play opposite sex roles.

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Did you ever see the Caryl Churchill play "Cloud Nine"? It was directed off-Broadway in the 80's by Tommy Tune. Actors played one set of characters in the first act, another in the second .. changed genders, ages, etc ... I don't mind it so much if the writing is up to the experiment. As to the cell phone voting .. I think it's a bad idea.

[billeyler.livejournal.com]

Yes, I agree with "bad idea" written all over it re: the cell phone vote!

Yup, I did see Cloud 9, probably in 1984 or 1985!

[bendoutdoors.livejournal.com]

This must be intended to bring in a younger audience. Most of the folks my age wouldn't be interested in this. Or have I become a curmudgeon? Personally I often enjoy when OSF mixes up their Shakespeare productions with modern dress. Different strokes for different folks... :-)

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

I don't mind some innovation .. or placing a piece in a different time and space .. if it's consistent and even .. makes some sense. I rant about the intrusion of cell phones often, so inviting folks to bring them and to turn them on ... Yuck!

[dewittar.livejournal.com]

Okay, I'm going out on a limb here to say that I think it's a brilliant approach. Imagine how many people (of all ages) may be exposed to an art form that otherwise might have no appeal to them whatsoever.

I say "good for them!", and encourage the rest of us to see what we might learn from their adventure with it.

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

There is that argument to be made, but where does the line get redrawn? I hate when I'm performing and a cell phone goes off or there's lights blinking because folks are texting. It's really distracting.

You make a good point about exposure to an art form, but imagine the new audience's surprise when you can't use your cell phone at every opera:)

[dewittar.livejournal.com]

I am totally with you on the annoyance those devices and behaviors create. But, and I say this with some fear and trepidation because I easily adapt to it, I believe this is a battle we've already lost.

The last live stage performance we attended, there were two young women sitting directly in front of us in the front row, if I remember correctly. They both texted during the entire performance, even sharing what was on their screens with one another and making some verbal gestures. I wanted to kill them.

On the other hand, they had purchased the most expensive seats in the house-- not that that excuses it, but it does lend an intriguing (if frustrating) reality check.

As for the surprise the might experience because cell phones are welcomed at all operas: I can imagine a cultural divide where some companies adapt to the technology and others do not. What if, instead of super-titles, you could have the lyrics sent to your cell phone during the performance? Would that be acceptable?

I'm not trying to argue here, just trying to think outside the obvious dichotomies toward a different vision.

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

I didn't feel like you were arguing, but that you're making a cogent argument. I would have made a scene about the texting and asked to have them stop or be removed. The day when cell phone use during live performances is part of the experience, is the day that Neil retires:) You have accomplished your purpose here .. I am thinking about the topic.

Big HUGS!

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Perfect! :)

Though, there is a musical .. "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" where the audience chooses the ending. It's a good solution, as the author of the source material died before providing one.

HUGS!

[designerotter.livejournal.com]

I remember seeing 'Drood' on Broadway - with Judy Kuhn(whom I've come to adore) in the tile role. At the end I voted for 'Princess Puffer ' as the villain ...of course I didn't really think 'she did it' - I just wanted to hear Cleo Laine sing again - LOL
As for Cosi, I thought at first 'what a novel idea' - then I went 'Hey wait a minute; this is Mozart. How dare you ?!!!'
But there is one irony in all this: "cosi fan tutte" means (loosely) 'they all do it' :0)
Hugs!

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

I saw the show in NYC too . My "Drood" was Betty Buckley. George Rose, Patti Coehenour and Cleo Laine were also starring. Like you, I voted for Puffer so I'd hear Cleo sing the ending! :)