Viva la Mamma! by Donizetti, su 01 touko 2022, Alkaen (2021/2022), Ohjannut Effi Méndez, Musiikinjohto Takahiro Nagasaki, Paul Willot-Förster, Theater Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany

The last thing a qualified, real artist thinks about is his fee. It would be a disgrace for the state if an artist only thought about money! The world of opera is the world of great passions. In the middle of the rehearsal for the musical tragedy »Romulus und Ersilia« the mood slowly boils up: the focus is on the ego. Agata, the mother of the second soprano, constantly berates the prima donna and the conflict threatens to escalate into a brawl. The mezzo-soprano felt bothered by this senseless argument and left the rehearsal in disgust. The desperate impresario can do nothing but hire Mamma Agata for the mezzo role. There is one small difficulty though: her deep bass voice... The second problem, of course, is money. The enterprising mom wants to use her daughter's mediocre talent to create a source of income for herself by any means necessary. Meanwhile, a riot erupts behind the scenes: the troupe quickly loses interest in making great art if their work isn't paid for. Artists ask for the advance, but are not entitled to it because they have been financially enslaved by the impresario through their contracts. The impresario, in turn, trembles before an even higher power - before the arbitrariness of the patron. Will the opera take place despite all this? In this clever opera parody, all the customs and bad habits of the theater come to light and are mercilessly laughed at, not only scenically but also musically. A lot has changed in the opera business since Donizetti was alive. But there has to be self-irony: director Effi Méndez will ensure that both experienced opera fans and curious newcomers recognize some clichés and answer these (extremely believable!) stage matters with hearty laughter. The audience can expect absurd jokes, sharp satire, slapstick ... and a lot of real opera! In this clever opera parody, all the manners and bad habits of the theater come to light and are mercilessly laughed at, not only scenically but also musically. A lot has changed in the opera business since Donizetti's lifetime. But self-irony is a must: Director Effi Méndez will ensure that both experienced opera friends and curious newcomers recognize some clichés and answer these (extremely credible!) Stage matters with hearty laughter. The audience expects absurd jokes, sharp satire, slapstick ... and a lot of real opera!