MAGICARENA (Andrea Prandstraller, Niccolò Bruna). Subtitled. 84 minutes. Opens Friday (January 29). See listings. Rating: NNNN
This wildly entertaining documentary takes you behind the scenes of the production of a new “Aida for the millennium,” marking the centenary of regular opera performances at the massive 2,000-year-old Arena di Verona.
Verdi’s opera is a challenge under normal circumstances, but this version – created by avant-garde Spanish theatrical troupe La Fura dels Baus – features mechanical elephants, the building of a massive sun and dancing, dog-eating crocodiles. And then there’s a creature who seems even fiercer than all the above: the imperious, scene-chewing mezzo playing Amneris (Giovanna Casolla).
Directors Andrea Prandstraller and Niccolò Bruna follow several people associated with the show, from chief prop man (and failed singer) Marco to a lovely young soprano named Nadine Calistru, who’s getting her first break in the chorus.
The camera is there to capture great moments like the impromptu opera trivia game that breaks out when a rehearsal is rained out (opera is in Italians’ blood) and the sudden fire that flares up during the dress.
Through all the human and technical drama, Verdi’s glorious music shines through.
