Roméo et Juliette at the Met ‘all about wealth and power’
New York — In an era of intense political division, the new production of Roméo et Juliette at New York’s Metropolitan Opera brings the classic tale of warring families to a universe of palpable power and ostentation. Director Bartlett Sher’s vision for the opera, written in 1867 by Charles Gounod, keeps the action in Verona but shifts from the Renaissance to the 18th century — a decadent world of puffed-up wigs that recall Marie Antoinette and ball gowns in royal reds and purples. "When I say decadent, I like the wealthy richness of the 18th century as opposed to the earthiness of the Renaissance," Sher said. Wealth and power are the governing forces set by the warring Capulet and Montague families into which the protagonists are born and tragically die. "It’s about all the things we see within an atmosphere of power and wealth all the time and it’s contrasted against the innocence and completely pure experience of these two young lovers, who only want to be with each other," Sher ...
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