R. and I went to see The Marriage of Figaro last night, put on by the Toronto Opera Repertoire. R. expected it to be two people appearing in balconies on either side of the stage "and shouting at each other for awhile, then they leave and two new people come out to shout at each other." I've studied Figaro (and some other operas) my core opera class, so I had a slightly more accurate expectation.
Still, it was not what either of us expected.
Despite their highfalutin' name, the Toronto Opera Repertoire is a sort-of-amateur production company. Several of the leads were professionals with a singing and performance background. They were fantastic. Other performers were doing opera for the fun, and to "bring affordable opera to the masses" (to paraphrase the Toronto Opera Repertoire mission statement). These singers tapped their feet and bobbed their heads to keep the beat, and grew increasingly tired throughout the performance. I can't blame them. I certainly couldn't sing Mozart arias for three hours.
All considered, I really enjoyed the opera, part-sincerely and part-ironically (enhanced by my choice of companion). I would probably go see a Toronto Opera Repertoire opera again.
This post's theme word: termagant, "a quarrelsome or overbearing woman."
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