Ah mes amis...

OMFG!!! We just got back from the Met broadcast of La Fille du Régiment. It was THE best opera that we have seen this season. Completely enjoyable and fulfilling in every respect. The voices sent shivers down my spine and it was, in places, laugh-out-loud funny; it is an opera comique afterall. The two main characters - Juan Diego Florez as Tonio and Natalie Dessay as Marie, were outstanding, both in their acting performances and their singing. Both are very demanding roles - the tenor has NINE top Cs in a single aria! - and they both rose to the challenge, as did all of the other singers and the chorus. If you have never been to an opera before, this would definitely be a great initiation. All of the lyrics are in subscript, so it's no problem following the action. Today's performance is being rebroadcast on May 10. I would highly, highly recommend it. This production has travelled from London to Vienna to New York, with today being the finale in NYC. Here is a clip from the Covent Garden performance. Juan Diego Florez (from Peru) is absolutely adorable. Enh... Scratch that. He's a hunk! Check it out: