Guise Magazine: Sat in suspense as the lights dim and the eager chatter of the crowd subsides, I relax deep into my seat- an unspoiled view of the iconic stage- and wonder what on earth the Royal Opera House has in store for me. My brain boggles as to how (and even why) the ROH, steeped in tradition, have chosen this abundantly modern opera based on the life of controversial and doomed star, Anna Nicole Smith, to open their infamous autumn season.
3 comments:
This looks absolutely amazing. I would LOVE to see an opera like this. Anna Nicole has been described as the modern day Marilyn, and thus, I think would be a perfect story to tell in a theatrical context. Her life was indeed incredibly dramatic, and I feel like theres a lot of themes to explore in terms of modern celebrity that have not yet been explored on the stage like this. Many people admired Anna's strength and courage in dealing with the trials of her lifetime, and perhaps even pitied her. The author seemed to be impressed with the overall production, which excites me. I hope that these types of themes continue to be explored and written in modern plays and musicals.
The idea of making this woman’s life into an Opera, I think, is a great idea because it is an interesting and tragic story AND as sick as this sounds, it was very captivating. I remember at the time of her death there was reporting all over the news for weeks after revealing more and more about her life and death. By the photos and the description of the show by Welch, the show seems really trashy in the production design which is a shame because such a story does not need to be retold in such away. The media had its own frenzy with trashy retellings right after Ms Smith’s Death. What intrigues me about what Welch said was that it the show portrayed her as a heroine as she lived through her struggles which may be the only way to portray her life with a certain level of respect. At the same time I am all for a more honest and brutal storytelling so it would be interesting to hear how dramatized or romanticized this story is compared to the one Ms Smith lived through.
I think the only person who would appreciate her life being made into an overly dramatic and incredibly oversized opera would be Joan Rivers; maybe next time. This opera has the potential to be just as dramatic and crazy as any opera that has every existed. The difference here is that they could really just use Anna Nicole's life. I'm amazed that one person went through so much in such a short lifetime. It is truly a harrowing tale. I truly believe her over the top personality and Marilyn-esque charm will lend itself perfectly to being the centerpiece of a modern day, covered in pink, opera.
I hope it is well received by audiences and that they don't shy away because it is modern and not fitting into the operatic norm. I think what opera is doing in modernizing itself is incredible and going to be very great to watch happen over the next several years.
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