Lego Operas
[YouTube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vbJgF-F5ZA&feature=channel_page]
[Lego Tosca, pt. 1, by barkingbartok]
The following is a statistical assumption:
Considering that many people coming through here are lesbians who love opera, and considering that most lesbians I know also have a fondness for Lego (I still keep my Lego “Pirat Treasure Island” set somewhere locked away in a cabinet because I refused to pass it on to my siblings as I supposedly “grew out of it”), the combination of opera and Lego should, by deduction, be a thing that puts a smile onto most of our faces.
And after yesterday’s droopy news of musicMe having locked down it’s once cornucopious gates, I think we can all use a smile and it comes with thanks to the YouTube channel of barkingbartok, and with thanks to Jake (the opera queen friend of mine who owns every Turandot recording ever made) who pointed it out to me.
Barkingbartok has created painstakingly and beautifully detailed lego enactings of some of opera’s biggest camp classics (Carmen, Tosca, Trovatore…. as Jake says, Turandot should rightfully be next), all boiled down to about half an hour each.
The Lego stagings come with special effects and – which may be the best part – with a hilarious set of (English) subtitles that, as Jake observed “work the better the more you know the work”. There are – complete with trailers, Carmen, Tosca and Trovatore (original and remastered) and some Glass and Adams available for your viewing pleasure.
My favorite so far: the bonfire gypsy scene from “Trovatore”. Talk about special effects!
Amusing! Thanks for a nice smile in a rainy winter morning over here. Adults can play as children, can’t they? On seeing the video, it reminded me of my sons playing with their Playmobile toys, inventing stories of pirates and Star Wars in their bedroom, spaceships hanging from beds and ships sailing on brave seas of wooden floor.
I have no words, well, let’s say “¡amazing!” for example. I didn’t know about that youtube chanel
Thanks.
Lesbians + Opera + Lego =LOL
Thanks Anik what a great way to liven up a dull lunchbreak!
And Samantha – your sons sound a lot like mine, though we are in the middle of ‘Romans meet Star Wars’ instead of pirates
I *think* we have a wooden floor, but haven’t seen it for a while under all the Playmobil and Lego.
Yesterday I was at the Szeged Summer Games and saw Turandot. I’ll write a review on it to a Hungarian opera site but sooner or later I should also start to write in English… Anyway if I was to complete the opera: Turandot were in fact lesbian that’s why she hates all the guys maybe she’d fall for Liú but as long as she commits suicide at the end Turandot does the same and then the opera won’t have that soapy end like it has. Hm…
@Nova: Szeged Turandot sounds interesting — and the suicide scenario is one of the most consistent staging options for the finale in my opinion. That huge, loud “happy end” has always sounded a little off… from the available versions, the Liceu one with de Vol ends with suicide (unfortunately, no resurrection of Liù and consecutive ride into the sunset).