Berkeley Opera: Verdi's Aida July 21, 2007

Berkeley Opera puts its unique imprint on 'Aida,' the grandest of Verdi's operas. This supremely popular work is usually staged with lavish excesses, but in this production's intimate setting the focus is on the inner drama of the main characters, relying upon the deep force of this timeless tale of captors and captives trapped in a vortex of politics and passion. Released from the trappings of Egyptian dynastic ritual and cliched operatic tableaus, the production will highlight the acting of real characters as well as the intensity of Verdi's music.