Tannhauser at LA Opera

So my new favorite thing is to buy $20 rush tickets for the L.A. Opera at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Last night I scored big time with an excellent seat, third row center! Not only could I have practically reached out and touched the back of the conductor's head, I could also make eye contact with the singers on stage! Now I know how the other half lives.

Wagner's magnificent Tannhauser created quite a spectacle early on because of the explicit eroticism of the Bacchanale sequence in the goddess Venus' domain. My God, they found some absolutely beautiful young dancers to strip naked and writhe around stage humping each other. It was glorious: boys humping girls, boys humping boys, girls going down on one another, simulated blow jobs, groping, kissing, nuzzling, and oh yeah, more humping! It was quite graphic and extremely erotic. Talk about schwing!





After that opening scene, the real drama began and I really enjoyed hearing the music and seeing this spectacular production on stage. Some people love Wagner, others hate him. I don't know his work well enough to form a complete opinion, but so far I love him. The colors he created musically and the never-ending melodies full of chromatic harmonies...Wagner truly defined the Romantic period.

I sat next to a charming older woman who engaged me in conversation during the intermissions (there were two -- it's a long-ass opera!). She reminded me a bit of Carol Channing, just because of the sound of her voice and some of her mannerisms. She also resembled Channing a bit, except with dark hair. Perhaps they go to the same plastic surgeon? I don't know how old this woman was; she looked quite good facially, but her wrinkled and spotted hands spoiled the illusion. Nevertheless, it was a pleasure to enjoy the music with someone who apparently frequents LA Opera -- she's seen dozens if not hundreds of performances there -- and we shared similar opinions on the performance of Tannhauser.

If you're a Wagner fan, you must check out this production; and if you're new to opera or just want to test the waters, I also recommend this production. The story is much easier to understand than some other operas, and the music is majestic and memorable. It also helps to attend the pre-concert lecture by our excellent new maestro, James Conlon. He's like our resident Leonard Bernstein, a man dedicated to educating the public and sharing this great cultural heritage with the world.

I can't wait till the next performance!