Friday 10 October 2008

La Clique/La Calisto

This was fun, sexy circus/cabaret for trendy Londoners. Its jugglers, acrobats and magicians set alight the Hippodrome in Leicester Sq, a perfect venue for undemanding, edgy burlesque that will run and run.

It segued nicely into David Alden's La Calisto at the Royal Opera the following night, an adaption of Ovid's Metamorphoses by the 17th century Italian Franceso Cavalli. Calisto is a beautiful nymph who becomes the centre of Giove's world, a naughty philandering God. And so on...

Lots of stuff has been thrown at this production, including sexy models brandishing bows and arrows, giant lizards, a shagging satyr and the rest. But try as he might, Alden's cabaret sheen on this overlong tale couldn't really bring this opera to life. I blame Cavalli as there isn't really a big musical hit here. But then, my mind was wandering a bit that night.....

Yes, I will add pictures, promise.

1 comment:

Turtlehead said...

Listen, Muthatucker. Next time I invite you along some some high culture, don't turn up 1/2 hour late and 3 pints for the worse. No wonder you felt your mind wandering. And what do you mean 'no big musical numbers'? This is 17th Century Opera, for crying (singing?) out loud! What did you expect? Michael Crawford prancing around singing a showstopper from Miss Bleedin' Saigon. This is high art - get with the friggin' programme, bruv. If you want all that singy-songy sh*te, go to 'Mama f-ing Mia'.