It was an entirely enjoyable opera that lived up to my expectations. Nothing was in English, so we did miss some of the plotline, but the comedy transcended. It involved Falstaff with his Hello Kitty towel, Silly Stringing the conductor who was dressed in a pink, purple and yellow outfit, and human featherdusters.
Falstaff was sung by a a Finnish guy, who was very talented. Most of the other parts were Taiwanese. The costume design was by a Taiwan company, i prefer, and it was certainly eye catching. Kathy said she had to close her eyes in order to really appreciate the music instead of focusing on all the visual drama on stage.
I loved what the director did to make the production unique and exciting. I really felt like it was a production that was interpretated for our times. The best part was the dual story line, in the huge frame at the back of the stage. While the main roles were doing the scene in front of the orchestra, there were a group of dancers miming out a parallel action behind the orchestra, and at times breaking into the main story.
The theatre was only about half full, and I'm sort of tempted to go back on Sunday afternoon. It's too bad it's not on longer, so Claire could see it too.
Next year's NSO Opera season is Cosi Fan Tutte and the Marriage of Figaro, both of which I've seen recently; so I think I will enjoy them even more.
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