Opera? Seriously?

I think I saw my first opera when I was about 17, and it impressed me to such a degree that it was about 40 years before I saw another. Actually, my first experience with opera after the age of 17 was in 2000 when I had the lead role in the production of "The Tsar's Bride" by Roseville's Russian American Music Academy. Since then I've seen a few productions at the San Francisco Opera, and they were, indeed, impressive.

But lately, I've become excited about the productions of the Metropolitan Opera that are broadcast in high definition at Century Theaters locally (and at hundreds of other theaters through the U.S. and the world). I've seen "Tosca" and "Aida" and this past Saturday Ginger and I saw "Les Contes d'Hoffman" by Offenbach with our friends, the Ellises.

As impressive as "Tosca" and "Aida" were, I was absolutely blown away by "Les Contes d'Hoffman" -- especially the first act. The singing and orchestration were top-notch, of course, but it was the acting and staging that were especially impressive. I think that even someone who is lukewarm toward opera (as I still am) would have found this performance especially impressive. (It's being rebroadcast on Wednesday, Jan. 6 at 6:30 p.m. (local time throughout the U.S.).

I'm so excited about these productions in general for a lot of reasons. The sound quality is excellent. The visuals are great: brilliant camera work gives you a better experience than you could get watching live in the theater. Costumes and sets are wonderfully creative. And there is a backstory: interviews of performers, director, etc. during intermissions. And you get all of this for about $24.

I plan to see all the remaining productions live on Saturday mornings here in Roseville, and if I've piqued your interest, you can get local details through my Placer Performance Calendar (www.perfcal.com) or the Metropolitan Opera website: www.metopera.org.