"Opera looks like an arcane and snooty world designed to confuse and exclude, with no relevance to modern life. Songs are often sung in foreign languages; plots take hours (and arias!) to unfurl; and what plotlines there are seem unnecessarily farfetched. And then there is the language of opera: librettos, scores, mezzo-sopranos, counter-tenors... All of it seems to conspire to make opera an exclusive rather than an inclusive genre."
"The Opera Locos by Spanish theatre company YLLANA provides an inter-generational feel-good solution to opera's image problem. The show aims to introduce and make classical opera more accessible to an audience of non-opera lovers; to those new to opera; and to a generally younger audience in a fresh and original way. While maintaining high standards in terms of singing technique and operatic discipline, the show blends operatic arias with rock and pop classics."
Opera traditionally faces accessibility challenges due to foreign language lyrics, lengthy plots, complex terminology, and perceived exclusivity. The Opera Locos, created by Spanish theatre company YLLANA, addresses these barriers by combining classical opera with contemporary pop and rock music. YLLANA, founded in 1991 as a comedy and physical theatre company, has produced 41 shows performed over 16,000 times across 48 countries, attracting nearly 6 million viewers. The 2018 production maintains rigorous singing standards and operatic discipline while incorporating steampunk aesthetics and physical comedy to appeal to non-opera audiences, younger viewers, and those new to the genre.
#opera-accessibility #classical-music-modernization #physical-theatre #pop-and-opera-fusion #audience-engagement
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