Fantasy goes Opera

Ok, we'll be the first to admit that we don't like opera. The music yes, but all that caterwauling over the top? No thanks.

This announcement from the BBC, though, has got us interested enough to think about putting aside that prejudice and giving it another whirl. I mean a big scale fantasy directed by Terry Gilliam that actually got made.. How often does that happen?

The scheduled date is October 14th on BBC 4.

Here's the press release:


"BBC Four broadcasts English National Opera's highly acclaimed new production of Berlioz's The Damnation Of Faust, directed by film-maker and former Python Terry Gilliam.
Introduced for BBC Four by Gilliam himself, this spectacular show takes as its theme the art and politics of Germany from the 19th to the mid 20th century. Faust begins as a romantic seeker after truth, but his pact with Mephistopheles propels him on a rollercoaster ride through history. He experiences the carnage of the First World War, the turmoil of the Weimar Republic and becomes embroiled in the rise of Hitler. His beloved Marguerite turns out to be a Jewess disguised as an Aryan. This love affair leads Faust to damnation and Marguerite to the gas chamber.
It features a stellar cast with Christine Rice as Marguerite, Peter Hoare as Faust and Christopher Purvis as Mephistopheles.
The ENO Orchestra and Chorus are conducted by ENO Music Director Edward Gardner. "