richard-in-cincy
Well-known member
Went to the Cincinnati Opera last night to see Aprile Milo in Tosca. And oh my was I in for a treat!
Aprile Milo, who is quite the Jessye Norman figure these days (über-Rubenesque to the nth--the size lady people talk about singing at the end of things, etc.), tripped over her gown leaving Scarpia's salon at the end of Act II after she kills Scarpia. She went splat as the curtain was falling, then tried to recover and "pretend" she meant to do that.
But what is really funny, in Act III when she's telling her lover Mario to fall down when they shoot the fake bullets at him at his "pretend" execution (doncha just love Pucinni operas?), she says, and the surcaps translate for ALL to read:
"Fall down, it's a stage trick I've used many times!"
The audience burst out laughing at this point at a very serious moment in the drama.
Then, Mario laughs and repeats (surcaps again):
"Oh yes, I'll fall down just like you!"
--audience is guffawing--
To which Tosca replies (surcaps):
"Don't laugh! I'm serious!"
I thought I was going to pi$$ myself I was laughing so hard.
Who needs the Marx Brothers to destroy an opera?!?!?
ROFL!
Aprile Milo, who is quite the Jessye Norman figure these days (über-Rubenesque to the nth--the size lady people talk about singing at the end of things, etc.), tripped over her gown leaving Scarpia's salon at the end of Act II after she kills Scarpia. She went splat as the curtain was falling, then tried to recover and "pretend" she meant to do that.
But what is really funny, in Act III when she's telling her lover Mario to fall down when they shoot the fake bullets at him at his "pretend" execution (doncha just love Pucinni operas?), she says, and the surcaps translate for ALL to read:
"Fall down, it's a stage trick I've used many times!"
The audience burst out laughing at this point at a very serious moment in the drama.
Then, Mario laughs and repeats (surcaps again):
"Oh yes, I'll fall down just like you!"
--audience is guffawing--
To which Tosca replies (surcaps):
"Don't laugh! I'm serious!"
I thought I was going to pi$$ myself I was laughing so hard.
Who needs the Marx Brothers to destroy an opera?!?!?
ROFL!