Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test

The Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test is our personal and highly opinionated Commuter's Guide to New York theater and cultural events, with an emphasis on Broadway and Off-Broadway theatrical productions. The test is simple: is an event worth the always expensive, time consuming, and too often horrendous struggle to commute to New York City from New Jersey, Long Island, Upstate New York or Connecticut? Only truly great or near-great performances and productions may meet this stiff challenge!

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Location: Princeton, New Jersey, United States

James Camner is an antiquarian dealer of autographs, manuscripts and printed music and books of Opera, Classical Music, Theater, Dance, and Film, as well as a published author of more than 10 books on the performing arts including "How to Enjoy Opera" (Simon and Schuster), "The Great Opera Stars in Historic Photographs" (Dover), "Stars of American Musical Theater in Historic Photographs" (Dover - with Stanley Appelbaum); was for over 20 years a reviewer for Fanfare Magazine and has written feature articles and reviews for Opera News.

Wednesday, October 03, 2007

Romeo et Juliette by Charles Gound. The Metropolitan Opera House. Starring Anna Netrebko and Joseph Kaiser, conducted by Placido Domingo. Anna Netrebko IS Juliette. Her voice, ever richer and more expressive, fills the Metropolitan Opera House with lustrous sound. She acts the part as few ever have and this despite being in an atrocious production and with little supporting help. Kaiser, in a debut, has a tenor voice of great promise and will probably improve when he settles into the part, but his is not a true Romeo voice. (It wouldn't hurt if he had a more flattering costume.) The conducting is workman-like, but does little to bring out the best in this lush score. No matter, when Anna Netrebko is on stage, the Met is the center of the opera universe. She is in peak form and is therefore a must see. Our Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test Grade. B+

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