Tuesday, September 09, 2008

Burying the lede

Ronald Blum's review of Woody Allen's opera directing debut -- in LA Opera's Gianni Schicchi -- is full of praise, leaving this key fact about the "hilarious and memorable" production hidden in the middle:
An unexpected ending is added when Buoso's cousin Zita (Jill Grove) returns to the stage and stabs Schicchi as he sings his final notes
What!? Was no one at the company able to warn Allen that changing the ending like this is a cheap, tired trick?

As for the rest of Trittico, I'm impressed: Los Angeles -- with Mark Delavan as Michele, Sondra Radvanovsky as Angelica, and Thomas Allen as Schicci -- got a much better cast than we did.

2 comments:

  1. Now, how on earth could you know that. You weren't there, were you? Tom Allen as Schicchi -- are they on drugs out there?

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  2. True, Allen's been past it vocally for a while, but he's at least got personality. Delavan was a fantastic Michele here not too long ago, and Frittoli... I hope is inspired next week, because for years she's been a shadow of her debut self.

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Absolutely no axe-grinding, please.