Burn This

I am catching up on all the plays and shows that we’ve seen.  It has been over a year since we’ve seen this play and to be honest, I could not remember it.  So thank goodness for Google and I found reviews of this play and it all comes back to me.

Anna is a dance-choreographer who lives in a loft in Greenwich Village with two gay men, Larry and Robbie.  The play starts with Anna and Larry grieving after hearing that Robbie died suddenly in a boating accident.

Later that evening, Barton, Robbie’s brother bulldozes and staggers into their loft, drunk.  To me, Barton is not good enough for Anna, but there is this underlying attraction for one another.  They finally get together and Barton straightens out, but I still don’t think he was good enough for her.

It was okay and not memorable.

Opera-Il Turco in Italia

The title means, “The Turk in Italy”, written by Gioachino Rossini.  It was performed for the first time in 1814 in our Bucket List Opera House, La Scala.  From what I’ve read, the Milanese turned up their noses at it. 

For this performance the costumes and setting is set in the 1950’s.  There are a lot of twists and turns as I try to keep track of who is who.  But surprisingly, no one dies at the end because if is an enjoyable Opera buffa, a comedy. 

The first scene takes place in a gypsy camp where Zaida talks about her escape from Turkey. She is in love with the Prince Selim, but false rumors about her infidelity forces her to flee to Italy.  Also in the camp is Don Geronio who wants his fortune told.  He laments about his frivolous wife, Fiorilla.

Selim arrives in Italy and meets Fiorilla who falls in love with him.  Despite the fact that she is a married woman, she invites Prince Selim to her home where there is a confrontation with Geronio. 

There is a costume party and with masks, where Fiorilla forces Selim to choose between her or Zaida.  At the end, Selim and Zaida are back together and they sail back to Turkey.  Geronio decides to punish Fiorilla by throwing her out of the house.  As she leaves to live with her parents in shame, Geronio pardons her.

It was a fun opera and like most operas, we will probably see it again and again.  The different singers, costumes and settings always make it seem new.