la boheme

admittedly la boheme is an opera and not a movie, but since it’s baz luhrmann’s production and he is somewhat of a movie guy i am cheating and posting what i thought of it here.

it’s gorgeous. i can’t even begin to describe how incredible the sets are. they are so amazing it’s scary. it’s basically as if you were sitting on the sound stage of moulin rouge and watching them build paris in front of you. they have these huge transferred photo backdrops, three story buildings, larger than life signs and constructions. and it’s all on this tiny little stage at the curran theatre on geary street in san francisco.

for those of you who don’t know, the opera is merely opening here in san francisco for a preliminary run before moving straight to broadway in november. if you want to read the san francisco chronicle’s review, go here.

the singing, the acting, the cast were all great but really it was the elaborate, while still attuned to the smallest detail, staging and set design that really struck me about this theatrical experience. although going out to dinner with one of the ensemble members and hearing lots of backstage dirt on the production was pretty fucking sweet too.

so although i would love to say, hey peeps go see this. i really don’t feel i will because i spent $90 on a ticket and i know there is no fucking way any of you who read this would ever spend that much to see an opera. but it was incredible and i at least am so glad i got the oppurtunity not only to go, but also to have some of the best seats in the house thanks to mansard connections. (go ady!)