OPENING NIGHT

 

Yesterday was opening night of the 51st season of Opera Theatre of St. Louis. We've been subscribers for somewhere in the mid-upper 40s. They do four productions in rotating repertory in May and June, all in English with super titles. This year kicked off with a wacky and hilarious production of Pirates of Penzance. The man who played Major General Stanley may hold the record for the fastest comprehensible speeech in the English language.         

A MODERN MAJOR GENERAL

Several performing arts organizations put on half hour presentations at the symphony open house, including Opera Theatre of St. Louis. The season is in May and June, and first up next year is Gilbert and Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance. Robert Mellon, seen here, will sing Major General Stanley, including the famous patter song I Am The Very Model Of A Modern Major General. The frantic pace is notoriously difficult. Mellon led the audience through a series of exercises, learning how to sing it faster and faster.