| On August 8, 2002, Santa Fe opera presented Gioachino Rossini's L'italiana in Algeri in a thoroughly amusing production by Edward Hastings (SFO Director will be Chris Alexander) While the overture was being played a dancer was seen holding an old fashioned airplane high above his head on a pole as he went from one side of the audience to the other, ending up at the back of the stage, behind some palm trees, where we suddenly saw a much larger plane that had, ostensibly, crashed in the desert. As the overture ended, one noticed that the main part of the stage was taken up by a book, the immense cover of which opened to reveal the Act I set. The scenery was realistic for the most part and the book which formed the stage for most of the action was wonderfully ingenious. Flattering, bright colored costumes by David C. Wollard completed the picture - Review. |
