The Stadt of the Art

Hello Dear Readers,

Here is a report from my friend Soula in Berlin about some operas she has seen there:

"So I see a lot of show here in ol' Berlin thanks to my Young Classic Card - anyone under thirty can see a show for a tenner, any seat in the house.

The Magic... Flute?
the magic flute itself is a long, brown, three foot phallus. Papageno's bells are a tree of balls...yes, THOSE ones. The Queen of the Night rips our her own breast at the end of Die Hölle Rache. Sarastro is a cripple in a wheelchair who is pushed around by three lions. Those are just the highlights. To see more, go to Komische Oper website.

The Tales of Hoffmann
first off, auf deutsch dass klingt ein bisschen WEIRD (In German that sounds a bit weird) but whatev. Hoffmann takes a table with the MUSE at a chic Berlin eatery and proceeds to get drunk at lunchtime. Everything is in 60's mod style, and it is actually rather attractive. SO:
The Doll gives birth to a cat during her aria.
Antonia, well pretty normal.
Giulietta is dressed in a red patent pleather floor length dress with a slit up to Papagena's bells and five inch heels - well, she is a hooker. Quasi lesbo-action with the Muse during the Barcarolle. Oh, and one girl gets her dressed ripped off leaving her in her skivvies, and then her face gets crammed in Schlemiel's crotch for what seems like an eternity of ten seconds.

Actually, the shows here are pretty amazing. But sometimes I would just like to enjoy say, Simon Boccanegra without a Tom and Jerry cartoon interlude during what is seemingly the most important scene in said opera.

PS: a friend of mine singing her first Traviata has to take off her panties during the Brindisi and give them to the doctor who then proceeds to sniff and drool. Now that is art."