Magicarena

[ironymaiden]

Backstage doc about the 2013 production of Aida in Verona. (It's the world's largest outdoor opera, held in a Roman amphitheater.) I enjoyed it, but it's of the show don't tell school and is very light on explanation of what is going on. I'm still trying to figure out if they actually get away with using a loudspeaker backstage during performances. Everything about the production is huge - life-sized mechanical elephant, chariots, set pieces coming in by crane.* I left humming the famous bits of Aida and considering a trip to Verona.

*First bad q&a of the festival: some woman held forth on the elaborate nature of the production and how this was ruining opera. Never did ask a question, audience was audibly complaining. I think she actually said she had sung Aida at Verona. If this is true, either she's delusional or opera people don't study theater history. I'm going with delusional.