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Title: Musically Brilliant, but Visually Awkward
Review: I too have been a huge fan of this work since the early 70's, and looked forward to this production understanding that it was going to be considerably smaller, stripped down from the PBS version. But after viewing it, I found myself uncomfortable with the visual presentation - musically it is wonderful, even if some of the vocalists are not "top notch". The staging is awkward, it plods and is uninspired, and really doesn't add anything to the production. To make matters worse, the photography and lighting are awful and more appropriate for a live sporting event. The staging is almost non existant and unimaginative.However, despite these shortcomings, the production does capture the beauty and power of the score and the emotional web it weaves. I'd still recommend it!
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