The Arts in NYC Fall 2012

I wasn’t sure what to expect when we went to see Aida. I always thought that operas were long and dreadfully boring, from the opinion of others. However, I neither had any knowledge nor ever attended an opera, so I couldn’t have an opinion of my own.

Thankfully, Jake came to class and taught us the styles and techniques of operas, which would make it easier for us to understand what was going on in Aida. He showed us parts of previous Aida performances and explained which parts of Aida were the big pivotal points of the plot. For example, he showed us Amneris’s jealousy scene, which I immediately recognized in the Monday night performance. If it wasn’t for Jake, I would’ve missed and not understood a big part of Aida.

At the end of the opera, I was relieved that it was finally over. I didn’t enjoy Aida as much as I thought I would. The storyline was actually interesting and full of drama, and would probably make a good movie. But the singing, acting, and prolonged scenes made it seem like it was moving very slow. Even the horses wanted to get off the stage because they felt bored. I couldn’t really see the faces of the actors, but I’m told that their faces were as blank as their acting. Some scenes, such as the scene where Aida and her father fight over whose side she should pick, weren’t dramatic enough. Others seemed to last a lot longer than they should have.

The set, however, was beautifully done. Of course, Lincoln Theatre is known for being beautiful, but I was really surprised by the quality and extravagance of the set and the costumes. If the acting was as good as the setting, this would’ve been a perfect opera. The singing was also very good, but I would expect any star in an opera to be a good singer.

Overall, the opera was definitely an interesting new experience. I really liked the setting, costumes, storyline, and singing, but the acting and length of the show took away from the experience overall. I think that sometime in the near future, I will go to a different opera and see if I have a better experience than this one.