Inspired by the antics of the Rat Pack, it is skilfully directed by Broadway and musical-theatre guru Michael Mayer, who won a Tony Award for Spring Awakening, and makes his Met debut with this new production. The young Italian maestro Michele Mariotti conducts his first company performance with perceptive vigour.
Mayer's cast is sensational, with Serbian baritone Željko Lucic soaring in the title role of Rigoletto, well supported by German soprano Diana Damrau, who is charming as his innocent daughter Gilda.
Verdi's masterwork features one of the most famous arias of all of opera, La donna e mobile, and it is gloriously sung by Polish tenor Piotr Beczala, the predatory and womanising Duke who is now portrayed as an amoral lounge singer whose entourage includes the world-weary comedian of the title. Equally brilliant is Slovakian bass Štefan Kocán, who stars as the assassin-for-hire Sparafucile and Belarussian mezzo-soprano Oksana Volkova makes her Met debut as his seductive sister Maddalena.
Mayer's super extravagant update is realised by his Broadway teammates: Christine Jones' set designs brilliantly allows the action of the opera to come alive, Susan Hilferty's vibrant costumes define the characters, and Kevin Adams's awesome lighting design illuminates a world of treachery and deceit (especially the final act in which Adams conjures up pure magic with neon lights).
It is impossible to be able to join the singers centre stage, but with this superb screening you get an intimate tour by glamorous host Renee Fleming, who gives an insightful introduction to each act, and also interviews the principal cast as they exit off stage. This is truly as real and spontaneous as any interview can possibly get, with some singers barely catching their breath and still immersed in their character and performance, and then talking about the experience. There are also insightful interviews with the director and his creative team, making this screening a triple treat: it's highly entertaining, immensely educational and also informative.
Whether you are a seasoned opera buff or newcomer, you will leave the cinema as an expert on the world of opera. And, even if you have seen Rigoletto countless times, Mayer's production is so invigorating that it feels as if a new opera is born.
That's what the HD Live experience is all about, not only having the best seat in the house watching one of the greatest operas of all time, delivered by a perfect cast, but having an exclusive and intimate journey into this magnificent art form. This is not merely opera you enjoy, but an experience you will definitely indulge in! Also, be prepared for four glorious hours immersed in total magic (this includes two intermissions of 20 minutes, which allows you to stretch your legs or enjoy a coffee). Book your seats at www.sterkinekor.com.
Two lucky BizLounge readers in Cape Town and Johannesburg can win seats to a screening of Rigoletto on Sunday, March 24 at 2pm at Cinema Nouveau. All you have to do is tell us where the Met Opera is situated and send your answer and contact details to az.oc.oidutsgnitirw@leinad before 12noon on March 22. Read more about the production as well as upcoming HD Live screenings: http://www.writingstudio.co.za/page2264.html
