Carmen
I saw the opera Carmen at Opera of the Ozarks (kudos to them for snagging the opera.org domain name) Saturday, and it was an enjoyable experience, having never been to an opera before. Good performances by the college group that performs the opera on opening night. I'll also say that the setting for the outdoor covered opera stage with a backdrop of the Ozarks is a beautiful one, if nothing else.
Actually, seeing this reminded me of my experience watching Casablanca for the first time. My first reaction was: "Hey, this movie is full of quotes!" It's hard to imagine what it would be to watch it divorced from its status as a cultural staple (or for that matter, while World War II was still going on). Likewise when I saw Carmen, the presence of the music was so familiar, it was hard to place it in the context of what I was seeing at times, and not in the hundred other contexts I'd already seen it.
Regardless, if you're in the NW AR area, I'd recommend seeing it. In fact, the Opera of the Ozarks will be giving a special limited performance of Carmen at the Rogers Public Library June 25 at 10:30 AM. Come by, there's no cost and you'll get a chance to see some of what local talent has to offer.
Actually, seeing this reminded me of my experience watching Casablanca for the first time. My first reaction was: "Hey, this movie is full of quotes!" It's hard to imagine what it would be to watch it divorced from its status as a cultural staple (or for that matter, while World War II was still going on). Likewise when I saw Carmen, the presence of the music was so familiar, it was hard to place it in the context of what I was seeing at times, and not in the hundred other contexts I'd already seen it.
Regardless, if you're in the NW AR area, I'd recommend seeing it. In fact, the Opera of the Ozarks will be giving a special limited performance of Carmen at the Rogers Public Library June 25 at 10:30 AM. Come by, there's no cost and you'll get a chance to see some of what local talent has to offer.