Are you a skeptic or nay-sayer when it comes to opera? As a proud gay man, do spear-wielding Nordic goddesses in horned Viking helmets and bras made of huge seashells battling for eternal glory and dodging lightning bolts frighten you? If so, then this could be a great opportunity to dip your toes into deeper cultural waters. It's modern, it’s hip, it’s sung in English, it has a current and relevant theme, it's sung in a modern style just like a Broadway musical. And to top it off … it stars David Soul of Starky and Hutch fame in the lead role! What more could you ask for??
Now that we have everyone’s interest, read on!
For the third MAX virtual performing arts event, we're going to watch the London stage production of Jerry Springer: the Opera.
Join event co-champions Bruce Cecil and Michael Meehan online on Tuesday, May 12th at 7:00 p.m. to discuss the performance.
Participants should view the opera in advance on Broadway HD, which is available though Amazon Prime Video for free with a 7-day trial of Broadway HD, or $8.99/month if you subscribe after trial. A clip of the opera can be viewed by clicking HERE.
Jerry Springer: the Opera is a clash of high and low culture. When the BBC chose to broadcast the musical in 2005, and it quickly became the most complained about British broadcast in television history.
Jerry Springer's guests engage in salacious – yet tuneful – mud-slinging matches filled with ever more outlandish revelations. Just when it seems that things couldn’t get any weirder, the surreal second half lands Jerry in purgatory where the Devil and Jesus Christ fight for his soul. There former guests provide testimony in expletive-laced lyics as to how being on the Jerry Springer Show was either the highlight or ruination of their lives.
In the age of Trump, certain lines jump out such as “you could run for Senate, or even President.” As we live in an era where a realty TV star has become the president of the United States, the implications of this opera are much more relevant now than when it was first produced. The opera’s questioning of the moral responsibility of TV also feels pertinent. Do shows like these merely hold up a mirror to human behavior, or is there something more insidious going on?
Never dull for a moment, the opera is vastly entertaining, often shocking, filled with laughs, but is at the same time very touching as we see into the hearts of Americans living lives of desperation, as they seek recognition, relief from despair, attention and approval.
Here's how this event will work:
- Click REGISTER on the left to register for the online video meeting conducted via Zoom.
- Watch the performance of Jerry Springer: the Opera in your home sometime before 7 p.m. on May 12th.
- Bruce will email a link for the Zoom meeting before May 12th.
- On Tuesday May 12th, click on the link in the email from Bruce to join the 7 p.m. Zoom meeting. Nothing else needs to be done. If using a PC, you'll want a working microphone and speakers. If you have a webcam, then others will be able to see you. Zoom also works very well if you have an iPad or a smartphone - you just need to download the free app. You may also call-in with any phone and participate via voice only.
- You'll be able to see and talk with others from MAX as you share your experiences watching Jerry Springer: the Opera and your thoughts on the performance.
You must register in order to receive the link to the Zoom meeting, participate in the Zoom meeting, and to receive any further details from the event champions.
Click REGISTER on the left today to be invited to the Tuesday, May 12th, 7 p.m. Zoom meeting to discuss Jerry Springer: the Opera.