Moby Dick Opera

by Pixie Stardust

Seeing the beautifully drawn advertisement for Moby Dick immediately piqued my interest, once I saw that it was to be sung in English, I was convinced. Having never been to an opera, I thought that going to one where I had some familiarity with the story would be a good start. I was prepared to be confused and maybe a tad bored, so I was pleasantly surprised by this engaging work. I found the story easy to follow, and rarely needed to read the surtitles to understand the singing. The cast were all men with good bold voices, with the exception of the role of the young man Pip, who was played by a female soprano. I liked her singing the least, but that is just my personal taste. The set and special effects (mainly projection) were unique and effective. It really felt as if the men were on a ship on the ocean. As is to be expected, the ASO were excellent, providing the grand, emotional sound required for such an Opera. I was most impressed by the singer, who played the malevolent Captain Ahab wearing a wooden peg leg. I consulted with my opera loving companion who revealed that the singer had strapped his leg up and was hobbling about with his knee balanced on top of the peg leg. It looked very realistic. I was disappointed to see that few people had bothered to dress up. I wore a black and silver evening gown and my date wore a black suit and beautiful handmade Italian shoes. There are relatively few places to get dressed up these days, so I think that when attending the opera, the ballet or the theatre, one should make the most of the opportunity. I was dismayed to see a young man wearing thongs and shorts; I thought this was a tad disrespectful. Regardless, it was a most enjoyable evening, and I will certainly consider seeing another opera when the opportunity arises.