Why Fly?
Variety Magazine recently published this article about movies invading the opera world. The article makes reference to Paris Opera's recent premiere of The Fly (heading to Los Angeles Opera next month), Il Postino (also heading to our neighbors to the north) and Brokeback Mountain which will premiere at New York City Opera in the near future. This isn't the first time opera has looked to movies for inspiration and the article goes on to cite Dead Man Walking and A Wedding as other examples. Personally I'm all for operatic adaptions to movies but I can't help wondering, why The Fly ? Now I'm a big Cronenberg fan and loved Brundle-fly and his enzyme digesting vomit as much as the next kid on the block but I can't help but wonder; are we missing out on the classics? Where are the operas based on the films that have endured for generations? Where is Citizen Kane ? Casablanca ? The Godfather ? Gone With the Wind ? Lawrence of Arabia ? Seven Samurai ? The Wizard ...