Le Donne Curiose by Ermano Wolf-Ferrari was a new work, new composer, new venue for us. First sung in German in 1903 and then in Italian in New York in 1912, it is a light piece presented with some charm at the Players Club in Manhattan. The Players Club is an interesting venue, of course, with pictures of its members past--Edwin Booth, John Barrymore, Peter O'Toole--everywhere you look. However, in the end the venue defeated us. Rarely for us we left at the second intermission. The room is flat and was very crowded so that even though we had "preferred theater seating" as opposed to unpreferred or the pricier "Prohibition package" (the theme of the evening was the 1920's with costumed audience to match), we could not see the singers most of the time. In addition there were no surtitles so audience members who do not understand sung Italian were clueless. Those who did understand, however, appeared to enjoy the humor.
The plot concerns a group of women who want to know what goes on at their husband's club and plot to get in. You can sort of write the scenes yourself. Self-satisfied men at the club. Women are curious. Men rebuff them. Women plot to get the entrance keys. And so on.
Light, sort of fun, not worth sitting at the back for.
Opera Moderne is one a New York's many small companies performing less known works with charm.
The plot concerns a group of women who want to know what goes on at their husband's club and plot to get in. You can sort of write the scenes yourself. Self-satisfied men at the club. Women are curious. Men rebuff them. Women plot to get the entrance keys. And so on.
Light, sort of fun, not worth sitting at the back for.
Opera Moderne is one a New York's many small companies performing less known works with charm.
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