On Saturday, April 24th, the Opera Company of Philadelphia teamed up with the Reading Terminal Market Italian Festival for a large-scale "Flash Opera" event! Over 30 members of the Opera Company of Philadelphia Chorus and principal cast members of LA TRAVIATA performed the famed "Brindisi" in the aisles of Reading Terminal Market, entertaining hundreds of Philadelphians, and proving that the perfect accompaniment for all things Italian is a little Verdi! The Opera Company sincerely thanks members of the Opera Company of Philadelphia Chorus and cast for generously volunteering their time and talents... BRAVI TUTTI!! LA TRAVIATA runs from May 7 - 16 at the Academy of Music. For tickets/info: 215-893-1018 or operaphila.org
Via Bill Nothstine.
That is just all kinds of awesome. I haven't been to an opera since a sixth grade field trip, but I loved that.
Posted by: mac | Friday, July 09, 2010 at 12:12 PM
It makes for a forceful reminder that opera, especially Italian opera, was the pop music of its day. It can go anywhere an accordion can go, and it's easy to sing badly.
Posted by: Davis X. Machina | Friday, July 09, 2010 at 01:25 PM
It makes for a forceful reminder that opera, especially Italian opera, was the pop music of its day.
There's a famous story about Verdi's "La donna e mobile" (from Rigoletto) that it had to be rehearsed in secret before the premiere because Verdi knew it was his "hit single" and he didn't want it leaking out before the show opened.
Sure enough, within a few hours of opera's premiere, every gondolier in Venice was singing the song.
Posted by: Mnemosyne | Friday, July 09, 2010 at 11:03 PM
This is great. TBogg linked to you today!
Posted by: Cathie from Canada | Saturday, July 10, 2010 at 03:44 AM
Fantastic, Lance. Thanks.
Posted by: Batocchio | Saturday, July 10, 2010 at 04:00 PM