Review: DON GIOVANNI at Metropolitan Opera NYC

I had the wonderful opportunity to experience Don Giovanni at the Metropolitan Opera (Lincoln Center NYC) this week. Well, the Met did it again! With a perfect, minimalist set, great costumes, creative choreography, and the perfect cast, this is an entertaining, beautiful and fun performance: Only the Met can provide such a top notch rendition of this famous classic.

Its protagonist, the ultimate "player," was played and sung superbly by the talented Polish baritone Mariusz Kwiecien. Thanks to an apparently very competent casting director, his talent was matched by Erwin Schrott as Leporello, Angela Meade as Donna Anna, Marina Rebeka as Donna Elvira, Isabel Leonard as a richly sung Zerilina, Jeongcheol Cha as Masetto, Stefan Kocan as the commandant, and finally Matthew Polenzani as Don Ottavio. All were great in both their acting and singing skills.

This opera is about seduction, betrayal, lust, everlasting love and vindication. Anyone could relate. Despite these serious matters, the tone is very funny, and you will find yourself laughing more than once. Of course, the fact that the Don, who thrives on lies and betrayal, gets his at the end, could restore one's faith in Karma. In fact the final scene is impressive. The standing ovation was well deserved-and made more titillating by the fact that the conductor, Placido Domingo(!) joined the cast onstage for a bow. Go see it for a delightfully rich and entertaining evening!