Opera on-screen!
While skimming friends’ Facebook posts this morning, I came across a few comments relating to Placido Domingo & Stephen Colbert having sung Verdi’s La Donna e Mobile on last night’s “Colbert Report.” Having missed the broadcast, I immediately Googled the performance & was delighted with the video I found. Both men sound great & look as if they’re having a blast! Of course, I was well aware of Mr. Domingo’s musical credentials, but not of Mr. Colbert’s. Turns out he majored in theater at Northwestern University & originally intended to perform on the stage, not the small screen. He also performed in Stephen Sondheim’s “Company” at Lincoln Center last year – at the composer’s invitation! You can read more about that adventure here: http://www.npr.org/2011/06/14/137109384/stephen-colbert-in-good-company-on-broadway
I’ve posted before about all of the hand-wringing in the opera biz re: the future of the art form & am sure I will do so again. It’s not unjustified, but I think perhaps it gets out of hand (or at least is handled poorly) on occasion. Judging from the studio audience’s reaction to Mr. Domingo’s & Mr. Colbert’s performance, opera isn’t dead yet. If pop culture audiences were exposed to more opera, would they actually buy tickets to live performances? Hmm.
Speaking of opera in a pop culture venue, Jonathan Palevsky & I will be at the Charles Theater tomorrow to welcome the audience for the Met’s Live in HD broadcast of Verdi’s “Ernani.” Showtime is 12:55 pm; hope to see you there!
To see the video of “La Donna e Mobile”, visit www.colbertnation.com
Tags:Charles Theater, Ernani, La Donna e Mobile, Lincoln Center, Met Live in HD, Metropolitan Opera, Northwestern University, opera, Plácido Domingo, Rigoletto, Stephen Sondheim, theater, Verdi
