Sunday, August 23, 2009

Review: Das Barbecü

To coincide with the Seattle Opera's production of Wagner's Ring Cycle (Der Ring des Nibelungen) ACT has staged Das Barbecü, a musical comedy based on Wagner's opera. The musical is campy and doesn't really make much sense on it's own. The action is set in Texas, and the actors adopt accents and hairdos in an ironic fashion.

The audience seemed to enjoy the production. Although there are some amusing set pieces, the show did not work for me. It isn't really a satire, the Texas setting is used as a convenient backdrop that flattens rather than textures the action, the songs are largely forgettable, and the scenes somewhat disconnected. On it's own, the musical is rather pointless. In context with the The Ring, it is a spoof without bite or insight.

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