Smutty opera - where do you stand?

[AuntNi]

Any opera lovers here? I used to sing professionally, but got a real job when I decided I liked eating and being able to pay my bills. And since DD was born, my opera attendance has been nil.

I was so excited to see that "Tales of Hoffmann," one of my favorite operas, is in town this summer. They're even doing an afternoon performance for schoolkids. I've played bits of it for DD, and she loves the tunes. But when I called to buy tickets, the lady stammered, "Uh . . . we're *strongly* recommending no one younger than middle school, at the youngest, attend this show." Having performed in this opera several times, I couldn't think of anything objectionable. But it turns out the staging is totally smutty! It must be really bad, because the lady pretty much refused to sell me tickets for my 6-year-old.

Now, I definitely am NOT one of those parents who thinks everything in life should be geared to my pwecious widdle baby's sensibility. We don't take her to any cultural events, or let her watch grownup TV, and it's no skin off my teeth. #1, I can't guarantee that her behavior will be perfect, and I don't want to distract paying grownups. And #2, most of it would be boring and/or inappropriate. So it's not that I'm mad that I can't take her to the opera, not at all.

But smutty opera? Really? Being a big gal opera singer, I sure as heck don't want to be seen nearly naked on stage. And seriously, if I want to see sexually explicit performances, I'll turn on Cinemax, thanks very much.

I realize that many opera's themes aren't appropriate for kids, which is why we stay home. They highly recommended the school performance of "Madama Butterfly," for instance. Um, abandoned war bride commits suicide? No thanks! But I just don't get gratuitous sexual situations in shows where it's not called for in the text. And I don't think the majority of opera fans want to see that either.

Just curious what you'all think? (So sorry this got so long!!! Can you tell I'm a little passionate about it?)

[madskye]

Attendance must be down!

There was an extremely handsome opera-man on Colbert the other night, and there was some footage of him singing a love scene, shirtless, and he really was quite sexy. I didn't see anything that was rated R though. (And this was on cable!)

I can't imagine what they are going to do to sex up this opera. Please post back and let us know.

[AuntNi]

Originally Posted by madskye

There was an extremely handsome opera-man on Colbert the other night,

Oh yeah, Nathan Gunn's a hottie hot hottie - all my boy friends l-o-v-e him! My bff worked with him back in the day, and this mezzo I hated at conservatory dated him.

I dunno - it just feels kind of yucky and like we're being pandered to when tame opera stories are sexed up. I'm sure it has to do with trying to attract younger audiences, because the blue hairs won't be around forever to support the arts. But this young opera fan doesn't go to the opera to see smut - I have my movie budget for that, and I spend it liberally on Johnny Depp! Maybe I'm just an "elitist" snob.

[kmeyrick]

Googling Nathan Gunn. If you look at Chaucer's Canterbury Tales of Shakespeare's work, well, that was all smut smut smut. Eloquent smut chockful of SAT words, methinks. So why shouldn't Opera be raunchy? Didn't it used to be way back?