Margaret Mikulska replies to Steve Schwartz:

>>I understand your point.  However, I'm now confused about why you object
>>to a Trump Tower Le Nozze.  Too real?  Too close to the bone?
>
>On the contrary: it's neither here nor there and altogether out of place.

Why?  It's clear from many contributions to the thread, for and against,
that at the very least Trump Tower succeeded in stirring up large bees
in most bonnets!  And I don't think this has to do with any sense of
disengagement, as Margaret seems to imply, rather the reverse.

I understand that Margaret would like to see Figaro in "original" settings.
Does she mean 18th century Spain, or France (which Beaumarchais had in
mind), or Vienna?  How would she clarify the distinctions?  How would
she make those burning issues of that day, which fed Mozart's imagination
and informed his choices, fresh for today's audiences?

The plain fact is that very few indeed possess the scholarly depth of
knowledge of 18th century mores which allows Margaret to penetrate this
work from the inside out.  Most people's idea of the late 18th century
is conditioned by popular films such as "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" and
"Amadeus".

How - theatrically rather than purely musically or academically - does
Margaret propose to reach out to this audience?  How does she propose
to help them 'get' Figaro as something other than yet another pretty,
diverting little costume drama?

Christopher Webber
"THE ZARZUELA COMPANION" (Scarecrow Press) Foreword by Placido Domingo
http://www.nashwan.demon.co.uk/zarzuela.htm