I preface this by stating

I preface this by stating that I'm no opera queen, but I don't dislike it by any means ...

Saw Baz's Boheme last night and, try as I may to get caught up in the whole thing, I'm still underwhelmed. It was "opera lite." The music and singing were beautiful -- although at times (and thanks Bert, for making me think about this), it sounded oh-so-perfectly mixed, like a studio production. The sets were amazing and the staging very cool -- so much going on, especially during the 2nd half of Act 2. Loved Marcello (Eugene Brancoveanu). And a big shout out to the blonde in the wife beater in the downstage right balcony.

But when all's sung and done, I didn't ever connect to the show. I do remember getting that connection when I saw it at the Met a few years ago. It all seemed so compact (how did they land that helicopter on such a tiny stage?) Maybe because it's so edited down (the whole show runs 2.25 hours, including scene changes and a 20-minute intermission). Maybe it's because I thought the "modern" subtitles trivialized it. Maybe it's just an overproduced theatrical event that didn't live up to all the hype. Maybe I'm just missing something. I said the same thing about The Lion King. It's pagentry, not musical theater. I'm glad to have seen it, but I think less is more. Bring back Once On This Island.

Take all this with a grain of salt ... I was probably one of the 5 fags in the world who left Moulin Rouge! saying, "yeah, I guess it was all right." I'm told it's better the second time.

And to the idiot behind me who, when talking about the last time he was at the Broadway, seeing Miss Saigon, said, "I felt like a POW myself, having my fingernails pulled out." Yes, it may have been the Harlequin Romance of musicals, but think about what's coming out of your mouth. We've got (at least) seven of them out there right now. Have a little respect.