Going Backstage
Posted by Philipp Brieler on 12/15/2007The excitement during the transmission was palpable everywhere in the opera house—on stage, in the auditorium, and especially backstage. Here are some first-hand impressions of what was going on there during performance and intermission.
“Roméo” Roberto Alagna, coming directly from the stage at the beginning of the intermission, walks to his dressing room…
…where he and co-star Anna Netrebko are being interviewed by fellow soprano Renée Fleming.
A look into the control room, where Netrebko and Alagna can be seen on the screens.
Fleming announcing a clip from the season-opening Lucia di Lammermoor.
Her next interview partner is the legendary Plácido Domingo, who conducted the performance.
Gary Halvorson (with headphones) directs the transmission…
…while General Manager and Executive Producer Peter Gelb (right) looks on.
Photos: Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9)
Elena Park/Metropolitan Opera (5, 7, 8)
December 15th, 2007 at 5:08 pm
Was that Anna Netrebko doing a jump behind Renee Fleming before she interviewed Placido Domingo? It was hilarious. She also made face on the mock suicide scene and after she exited a scene. She’s goofy that she seems having so much fun which is not bad at all because she delivers the goods in her singing and acting.
December 15th, 2007 at 6:22 pm
Thank you for the outstanding and interesting production.
December 17th, 2007 at 11:10 am
Astonishing production, although it was mere luck that I found out about this incredible event. I went to the encore showing of Romeo et Juliette at my local movie theater in Brownsville, TX. Only 8 persons attended the performance, and no information was available, even with the movies personnel. I think that something should be done about promoting this beautiful show, particularly among local schools. The production is excellent by all standards. I have just to say that there were about 3 interruptions of the sound, of about 20 secs in length, I guess some technical bugs of the transmission. Otherwise, I can only congratulate the Met and local participants for bringing the Opera to our small border city in a whole new dimension, thanks to the magic of modern technology. Please keep on going with this remarkable effort. Thank you.
December 18th, 2007 at 5:39 pm
CONGRATULATIONS to the Met for this quite brilliant initiative - we were able to share Romeo & Juliette with you, sitting 3,000 miles away in England at the Regent Centre, Christchurch, Dorset! Their dedicated staff overcame a few technical hitches and everyone, on leaving, had nothing but praise for the whole venture. The Centre became a true opera house for the evening, with hesitant initial applause mounting to ‘Bravo’s at the end … and sneaking us backstage to catch the elves at work and enjoy the principals being waylayed by the peerless Fleming was a treat indeed.
The production was magnificent: Netrebko in fine voice and winning presence, Gunn an affecting Mercutio and Leonard the very best of Stephanos. If Domingo’s baton set a slightly lethargic pace, it still evoked great warmth from the Met Opera Orchestra and the Met Chorus.
I had expressly travelled to hear Alagna sing one of his most heart-stopping roles and he was, indeed, in luscious form - Felicitations, Roberto!
Enjoying it with a like-minded friend doubled the pleasure - and her recording it from the radio, to relish with croissants the next morning, was almost too much pleasure for one weekend …
What a Christmas present! Good luck with further transmissions - please keep them coming!