Nude seniors in Mickey Mouse masks? A provocative night at the opera
16.05.2008 15:05
Arts
- Source: cbc.ca
 Kresnik enlisted 35 seniors to appear nude while wearing Mickey Mouse masks for the opera. (Jens-Ulrich Koch/AFP/Getty)Despite a flood of negative reviews and urges for a boycott, a controversial revamp of a Verdi opera is playing to a packed house in Germany. Provocative choreographer and theatre director Johann Kresnik's new staging of Un Ballo in Maschera (A Masked Ball) has been blasted by critics and booed by some audiences since its debut in April in the eastern German city of Erfurt. Verdi's opera, loosely based on the 18th-century assassination of Sweden's King Gustav III, was controversial even during its debut in 1859, because it depicts the killing of a European monarch. The composer succumbed to censors and set the opera in the New World colony of Boston instead.  A scene from Johann Kresnik's updated version of Verdi's opera Un Ballo in maschera (A Masked Ball.(Jens-Ulrich Koch/AFP/Getty)Kresnik has kept the U.S. as the opera's setting, but moved the action to the ruins of New York's World Trade Center after Sept. 11, in an anti-capitalist retelling of Verdi's work. He has also mined U.S. pop culture figures — including Mickey Mouse, Marilyn Monroe, Uncle Sam and Elvis impersonators — and used them in colourful but bizarre interpretations. For instance, masks of Walt Disney's famed mouse are worn by 35 nude seniors who enlisted to appear as extras in the opera. Another shocking depiction is a role portrayed by a female vocalist wearing a Hitleresque moustache and a ball gown who delivers Nazi salutes. "I changed neither Verdi's music nor his text. I simply have given the opera another interpretation," said the 68-year-old Kresnik, known for his provocative stagings, as well as a tendency to feature nudity in his productions. A local politician called for a boycott of the Kresnik production, and several of Germany's major newspapers have given the opera poor reviews, but audiences have nonetheless continued to flock to the show, which continues at the Theater Erfurt until the end of May. With files from the Associated PressStory Tools: E-MAIL | PRINT | Text Size: SMLXL | REPORT TYPO | SEND YOUR FEEDBACKRelatedInternal LinksGerman theatre stages Rushdie's Satanic Verses without incidentNo violence as Idomeneo restaged in BerlinMore Theatre HeadlinesNude seniors in Mickey Mouse masks? A provocative night at the opera00Despite a flood of negative reviews and urges for a boycott, a controversial revamp of a Verdi opera is playing to a packed house in Germany. In The Heights, August: Osage County lead Tony race00Lively musical In The Heights will be the show to beat at next month's 62nd annual Tony Awards, while family drama August: Osage County leads the play nominees.South Pacific scores 4 trophies from Outer Critics Circle00The much-praised revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific scored a leading four trophies at the Outer Critics Circle Awards Monday, the day before nominations for the prestigious Tony Awards are announced.Broadway hit Spring Awakening gets new Melchior from Saskatoon00Kyle Riabko, a young Canadian musician, is set to take over the pivotal role of Melchior, the thoughtful student heartthrob of the Broadway production Spring Awakening, last season's Tony-winning best musical.Leyla Gencer, La Diva Turca of opera, dies00Soprano Leyla Gencer, who made her career at Italy's famed La Scala opera house, has died in Milan, officials said Saturday. She was 80. More Arts HeadlinesComedian Russell Peters named Toronto's tourism envoy00Officials in Toronto are hoping humour will have tourists laughing and flocking to the city after naming comedian Russell Peters as the city's first new global ambassador for tourism. Mad magazine pioneer Will Elder dies00William Elder, the illustrator who pioneered the visual style for iconic humour title Mad magazine, has died at the age of 86.TV's Ellen plans wedding after gay marriage law passes00Ellen DeGeneres is putting the California Supreme Court ruling in favour of gay marriage into action — she and Portia de Rossi plan to wed, DeGeneres announced during a taping of her talk show.Quebec artist Claude Thberge dies at 7300Quebec artist Claude Thberge, whose oeuvre spanned painting, creating murals, sculpture and stained glass, has died at the age of 73.Canadian singer Shania Twain splitting from music-producer husband00Award-winning Canadian pop star Shania Twain is splitting from her music-producer husband Robert (Mutt) Lange, a representative for the singer revealed Thursday. Arts FeaturesBreaking sound barriersVictoriaville festival celebrates 25 years Disc of the weekDeath Cab for Cutie's Narrow StairsHot pursuitAn appreciation of the most memorable chase scenes in filmWhat lies beneathAfghan war rugs weave tales of the country’s recent past Designed to shockThe 10 most controversial videos of all timeMaximum overdriveThe live-action kids flick Speed Racer reaches a dangerous velocityPeople who read this also read …
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