That’s right. The same opera that today uses the most modern lights and sound techniques goes back well over a millenium in its history. And, as stars like Jackie have shown, they have kept the appeal – I would wager that anyone would enjoy watching the following example, and could easily see the connection with the action sequences we see in our theatres:

Part of the Great Blog Off!

Post from: Fame or Famine

In the category of “stage to screen” I could probably somewhat justify Al Gore’s famous slideshow, An Inconvenient Truth. After all, it went on to become not just a book but also a Nobel-Peace-Prize winning movie. Well, ok, Mr. Gore got the prize, but it wasn’t for his work as V.P.

Turning It Up to Eleven

Now, however, it’s going the other way, as Giorgio Battistelli of Milan’s La Scala opera house is going to undertake to turn it into an opera, set to debut in 2011. Yes, that’s right, an opera about global warming.

Battistelli is no stranger to difficult tasks. Given an opera containing a cast clad all in underwear, wearing masks of prominent politicians and swimming in Iraqi oil, he was asked to “take out the satirical parts”, according to the Independent. He didn’t – but ended up with an opera that got a seven-minute ovation. Not too shabby.

I confess, while it seems ludicrous to me at first, I can see why it might work, and I can’t see someone of his stature taking on a project without a pretty amazing inspiration as to where it can go.

Post from: Fame or Famine

That’s right – Millenium Park, really, is worth visiting even when the Chicago Opera Theater is not there; the architecture, the Bean, the video art sculpture, it’s a real example of public art done right.

But this is even more of an example of public arts done right – two 20,000 lumen projectors will be doing a “live simulcast” to a projected crowd of 11,000 eager opera fans (and opera-fans-in-waiting). And it’s FREE. It’s nice to see the traditional arts taking part in such a Social Media type promotion…

Post from: Fame or Famine