What Has Tan Dun?
Well, you’re too late for the $550 Center Parterre Premium seats or the $350 Orchestra Premium seats for tonight’s premiere of Tan Dun’s The First Emperor at the Met but if you hurry it looks like you can still grab one of the bargain $250 orchestra seats. (I have a couple of mere $80 seats in the alpine section later.)
In the meantime, us poor people can read about the Mr. Tan’s opera foo young in the Met blog or perhaps lurk at the stage door for a glimpse of Placido Domingo or Elizabeth Futral or maybe even the great film director Zhang Yimou (To Live, Raise the Red Lantern, Hero, House of Flying Daggers), making his Met debut. Maybe he’s made up with Gong Li. Maybe she’ll be there. Hey, I may go and stand outside myself.
Think of how shocked I was when my Hungarian friend Peter Vidor referred to some composer named “Bar-took.”
Thanks for the heads up on the movie theatre simulcasts. At this point, January 13 is open, so it looks like a good idea (there are three theatres in my area participating? Wow!)
Just got my ticket for the Union Square ‘showing.’ Such a good idea — full list of theaters around the country HERE. Tix available at Fandango! Cheap! No opera glasses!
Seems to me, as winners of the Deems Taylor etc, S21 could have made a real enough case for some press passes to review the sucker.
the joke makes sense if you read the whole thing in a scottish brogue.
oh, and i’ve had a sneak peak at the ashley libretto. some great stories…
It is phoenetically [tan doon], but I still think your joke is funny Jerry. Aaron, were you the guy at newmusicbox with the comment about “Messiah” – Part One?
ashley’s joint doesn’t go up until january 17th, so if you’ve got something to do on dec 26, i doubt it’ll conflict… =)
I will be able to see “The First Emperor” live in High Definition at my local movie theatre (http://www.metoperafamily.org/metopera/broadcast/hd_events.aspx)
I’ll be there on Dec. 26, too. (And missing the Robert Ashley, alas.) I did see a preview of the Tan Dun a few days ago and thought it was quite intriguing (at least, Act I, Scene 1), perhaps due to director Zhang Yimou. I particularly liked the Chinese percussionists onstage – 12 of them – all playing drums using pairs of stones, and a singing “narrator” who is apparently one of China’s biggest stars.
The Ashley’s waaaaay cheaper, and stands a better chance of being listened to/talked about 10 or 20 years down the road than the Tan Dun. It’s a no-brainer where to plunk down your money & show up!
Tan Dun uptown, Robert Ashley downtown: see my current blog.
Elodie Lauten