Art means never doing the same thing twice. It is innovation and originality and weirdness. All we need to do as appreciators of art is have an open mind. I will be the first to admit that this is not my strongest attribute. Aside from the arts I use logic and facts to make my decisions. But when I watch a movie or look at a painting I usually judge things too quickly based on how they make me feel.
When I was choosing an article to review I wanted to pick something I knew I could write about, something that provoked emotion. So when I saw the headline “An Opera Plot Ripped From the Tabloids” I assumed it would be interesting. I read the quick summary before I clicked on the article and saw that it was a review of the opera based on the life of deceased Playboy model Anna Nicole Smith.
I immediately thought that the review would be very critical. Due to a lack of funding the Anna Nicole Smith opera could be the only opera put on by the New York City Opera this season. The first few sentences of the article discussed how much this upset opera fans. How they expected something more sophisticated than a story about a Barbie doll turned drug addict. And honestly that is how I felt as well. I thought that the review would be trashing the vulgar costumes and the director’s classless subject choice.
At first the reviewer, Anthony Tommasini, seemed to be of the same opinion. He, like me and many New York Opera fans, heard about the ‘Anna Nicole Smith’ opera and was predisposed to be negative. He believed that it would be a shallow rendition of the reality star’s life; the New York Opera’s attempt to attract a younger, less cultured audience.
But instead he spent the next eleven paragraphs talking about how it defied his expectations. Tommasini asserted that the opera isn’t at all like the MTV musical many people thought it would be. According to him it offers a completely different perspective of Anna Nicole Smith’s life. We aren’t shown a Playboy gold-digger, instead the director shows us a poor young woman who does whatever is in her power to escape a bad situation.
I haven’t seen the opera yet so I can’t say whether or not this review is accurate. But what I did realize over the course of the article is that I was much too quick to judge the performance. Having never seen the opera and knowing very little about Anna Nicole Smith’s life I had already made up my mind that the show would be ridiculous.
The reviewer Tommasini didn’t persuade me that the opera is as amazing as he believes it to be. But he did persuade me to give it a chance and soon I hope to go to the New York City opera and see it for myself. And if I do I will go with an open mind.
Link to the article: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/19/arts/music/a-bittersweet-opening-for-anna-nicole-and-city-opera.html?ref=arts&_r=0
All pictures were taken from the New York Times article
I agree with you, reviewers shouldn’t be to quick to judge. They should understand that once they make their opinion public, they are creating a snowball effect that can create a large amount of damage on the reputation of the actors and the theater.
I noticed the New York City Opera is lacking funding. Although this should not be an excuse for poor performance it does have a significant impact. I believe a critic should take other factors into account other than solely performance.
Based on Anthony Tommasini review, “Annie Nicole Smith” opera was a wonderful experience for him. I’m glad there are critics who can come in with an open mind and avoid the snowball effect, regardless of the amount of negative comments generated by others. Hopefully New York City Opera will not close and receive the much needed funding to continue making productions.
I also agree about coming in without heavy bias. There is so much going on that you can miss due to preconceived notions. An opera about a playboy model carries a lot of negative connotations and social stigmas. One does get a feeling that it is almost inappropriate for an opera. People like to encourage free speech and expression but matters concerning pornography or sex seem to bother people to the point where it is almost seen as taboo. I think people need to grow past that old belief and open their eyes to things like this. The reviewer made the opera sound fantastic so all bias and personal opinion aside, it was probably pretty interesting and well done. But avoiding an opera like this for its topic is being stuck in the past. It also seems to ignore the presence of said problems. This opera raises issues about Anna Nicole Smith and pornography in general that people should not simply disregard because it makes them uncomfortable.
It would make sense that the New York Opera is trying to appeal to a younger audience since most of our generation have no interest in opera. Whether or not this is a good way to convince young adults to help opera stay alive as an art is questionable. They probably should have chosen something that wouldn’t have be judged so quickly.
It also makes sense that people would see an opera about Anna Nicole Smith in a bad light considering that this is a bit untraditional. Maybe opera is trying to move in a different direction? Either way, we would have to expect that because this is the truth of Anna Nicole’s life. Back to the direction; It doesn’t seem like that is working so well. However, it is good that reviewers like Anthony Tommasini is trying to shed some light on this opera.
Janice Fong
I think the idea of such a modern opera is interesting in itself. This is the kind of production that would catch my attention as well and I would like to see Anna Nicole Smith’s life interpreted in the form of an opera. It is shocking that it got good reviews and I’m pleased that the performance was better than expected. The New York Opera’s modern idea seems to have had a positive effect. Maybe the New York Opera’s only motive wasn’t attracting a younger crowd, but to draw attention to the opera as well enticing a crowd to come see something of interest. This is definitely something I would be interested in seeing.
I have to admit that when I first saw the advertisements for the “Anna Nicole Smith” opera, I immediately thought poorly of it. Although I had yet to watch it, I associated the opera with a meaningless story of a “Playboy gold-digger.” It did not appeal to me at all, and I had no intention to see it. I do realize now, that I was too quick to judge. It was nice to read that the opera portrayed Anna Nicole Smith as a determined woman, contrary to what most people think of her. I’m sure that many audience members attended the opera not only for the plotline, but also to enjoy the artistic elements of the piece. I know it was wrong of me to make assumptions before actually watching the opera, and reading this post has enlightened me on the things I’ve missed by failing to be more open-minded.
I think this is an interesting way to attract interest in Operas. At the same time, I think it’s relatively effective. Whether controversial or not, people will be talking about it. In that perspective, it’s best people talk about a show than simply whether it be negative or positive, this generates hype.
I also think the reviewer, Tommasini, did a good job by being able to persuade you to see it and keep an open mind. I think all fresh and new ideas to generate interest are always interesting to look into, and this one is no exception. If it gets people excited to see it, or simply talking about it, I think this controversial opera has done it’s job. Otherwise, this opera about Anna Nicole Smith seems intriguing, and overall just an interesting idea. I like how people can come up with new ideas to keep art fresh, innovate and controversial because it gives the public more to discuss or think about.
I am very glad reviewers like Anthony Tommasini are coming in with an open mind. There is often a lot of negative bias towards unconventional plays and operas. Most people find pornography as an inappropriate topic for operas, and therefore, dismiss it. I respect Tommasini’s ability to walk in without any preconceived notions and judge it by the quality of the performance. That is something most people will have a hard time doing because we often let society and our judgments get the best of us.
I’m really glad New York City opera decided to show this because it shows how any topic has the potential to generate a good show, even a topic as negatively viewed as pornography. This review could help people open their eyes and leave their preconceived notions behind when they go to operas and shows. Also, I really hope New York City opera finds a solution to their financial problems soon.
When I initially heard of an Anna Nicole Smith opera, I was quick to dismiss it. I immediately thought it would be some shallow show with no actual substance. I mean, who would want to see an opera about a Playboy Barbie doll drug addict? In addition, the New York City Opera has been struggling financially so I figured this show would also be low budget and poorly made.
Even before seeing this opera, I had all these preconceived notions about it and this article proved me wrong. Unlike me, Anthony Tommasini saw the opera with an open mind and his review showed critics that they shouldn’t be so quick to judge. The show portrayed Anna Nicole Smith in a more positive light and depicted the hardships she faced. After reading this article, I am actually slightly interested in seeing the Anna Nicole Smith opera.
I think Anthony Tommasini’s experience clearly demonstrates how we are predisposed to think something without giving enough thought to it. As you mentioned before, one cannot truly appreciate a piece of art with a narrow and judgmental mindset. The fact, however, is that we are all prone to draw conclusions before fully understanding the meaning and depth of the matter. It’s an experience like this one that allows us to keep an open mind and see things for what they are, rather than what we expect them to be. (Honestly, I had a similar experience after watching the ballet adaptation of “Metamorphosis,” which surpassed my expectations in numerous ways.)
Regardless, some skepticism in the Anna Nicole Smith opera is reasonable, considering the controversies that once surrounded the celebrity. However, I think after reading Tommasini’s review, this opera would appeal to many people. It will give them a balanced view of Smith’s life rather than the one-sided perspective that is pervasive in the tabloids. Personally, I think that making an opera on Smith’s life is a creative endeavor that must have taken a lot of commitment, especially because the makers intended to show the viewers an unseen perspective on Smith’s life.
Furthermore, I think the financial issues that New York City’s Opera is currently facing needs to be resolved. There has been a lack of financial resources in many sectors, but arts in general should not have to face the brunt of these circumstances. This is most certainly true for a city as artistically rich as New York.
Mariel, I like your observations on and cognizance of how the reviewer of the opera changed his opinion after being a bit close minded regarding this particular opera. I think that there is a lesson for all consumers of the arts to learn here – not to be too influenced by one’s expectations when viewing the arts. Not only that, but it’s great life advice, for dealing with people and such. Have no expectations. I’ve found that not having expectations can work great in some situations, so that I’m not underwhelmed. And when it comes to this opera, it seems like the reviewer became overwhelmed by how good it was, which is nice too. Keeping no expectations has allowed me, when viewing the arts, to have a more positive outlook on the work in question, and enjoy my experience more overall. For example, when listening to music outside of genres that I am accustomed to (such as country music), I try to cleanse my palette of any preconceived notions I have of the music (country music is goofy – erased from my mind), and I can appreciate it more when I listen to it (even if it ends up being goofy in the end anyway). I encourage everyone to go a day without expectations and to see how it affects the day.
I like Mr. Turnage’s spin on an Opera centered on Anna Nicole Smith. There will always be provocative and controversial topics in theater, and I think something like this is a great step in becoming more sex-positive and understanding as a society. It presents a different view of Anna Nicole, someone who was exploited by the press after her death. Readers of tabloids were programmed to focus on her sexuality and drug use and this opera shines a new light on Anna Nicole: she was human and had a difficult background, much like most other people. While I can see why opera fans would be upset, it can’t be denied that an opera focused on Anna Nicole Smith draws attention, and funds from this opera could very well support the production of other performances.