Tamerlano

We have had the privilege of going to an opera that starred Placido Domingo.  We missed having that experience with Luciano Pavarotti, but we can say we have heard Placido sing live at the L.A. Opera.

Tamerlano is actually the name of the villain in this opera and means Timur the Lame.  Placido plays Bajazet, a Turkish sultan who has been defeated in war by Tamerlano.  As part of his victory, Tamerlano wants to marry Bajazet's daughter Asteria.  Bajazet is outraged and tries to stop the marriage.  Asteria, in the meantime is in love with Andronico, Tamerlano's Greek ally.  Andronico is also in love with Asteria but doesn't know how to tell Tamerlano without provoking his anger.

Interestingly enough, Andronico is sung by a woman.  Tamerlano is sung by a countertenor. I didn't quite know what that meant until I heard him sing.  Songs are sung very high and could have even been sung by a woman, also.

Because of Asteria's rejection, Tamerlano was going to give her to his slaves.  Bajazet commits suicide, but before he dies, curses Tamerlano.  That was a great scene for Placido as he dies, sings, hurls curses, sings some more, then finally dies.  Shamed by Bajazet's death, Tamerlano forgives Asteria and Andronico so that they can marry.

This is against the normal story line of an opera, but the star (Placido) still dies.  I wasn't tearfully grief-stricken, but it was an enjoyable opera.

Parade

If the title is "Parade" and a musical, one would think it would be a happy, happy play.  NOT!!

The play takes place in the early 1900's in Atlanta, George and is based on the Leo Frank case.  Leo is a Jewish man from New York who has not felt comfortable living in the south even though he has married a Jewish woman.  The difference is that she is able to assimilate to the life in the south, but he has not.  

A young girl is murdered in the basement of the pencil factory he manages.  Based on an eye-witness testimony by a black man who has a questionable reputation, Leo is found guilty in court and in the eyes of the community.  But due to efforts by wealthy supporters from the North to appeal his case, it seemed as if the Civil War was being fought again.  In fact, at the start of the play is the tearful farewell of a confederate soldier going off to war as his fiancee waves goodbye.  The same soldier, in his old age sees the death of the young girl similar to the death of his fiancee who did not survive the Civil War.  The emotions of the community raise up against Leo as a way to still fight against the Northerners.  At the end, Leo is lynched and what a terrible scene to watch.

I have mixed emotions when such a terrible story is presented in a musical format.  But it still worked.  The main character was played by T.R. Knight, an actor who plays a resident doctor in Grey's Anatomy.  Singing wasn't his strong point, but he held his own.

Good job.