Monday, August 31, 2009

The Ring Report 4

Everybody dies! Folks, the Ring Cycle is over. I'll get to the particulars when I review this beast, but let me say that it was mostly fantastic. I mean, they even had a real horse! That's what you call commitment to the gag. It was a very pretty horse, but like everyone else (except maybe Alberich), it died in the end, too. And speaking of ends, there are three things that they have to show by the time the music stops:
1. Brünnhilde immolating herself on Siegfried's funeral pyre;
2. The Rhine Daughters drowning Hagen;
3. Valhalla burning with all gods and heroes aboard.

These things happen in rapid succession, and in nearly every cycle I've seen, they're done in a very unsatisfactory way. How did this production measure up? Well, you'll just have to read the review. It'll be up in a few days.

Just let me say that I was having a drink after the show and Alberish edged past me. I was genuinely starstruck. The guy absolutely rocked, being all evil and such. It's a very crucial part and he did a great job with it. Funny thing, here I am complaining about the dwarfs being so tall in this production - well, he was actually pretty short. Well, forget that I said anything about that...

Anyhow, the Ring is done. It's my fifth cycle, and I enjoyed this one more than the previous four combined.

1 comment:

Jim said...

Too bad you left the bar when you did. The Rhine daughters showed up still wearing their green eye make-up and face glitter.