Seeing NYC Opera’s Act 4 last Wednesday, April 20 has to be one of the more unique experiences I’ve ever had at Lincoln Center. Even Darren Aronofsky couldn’t make the David H. Koch Theater look cooler than Stephen Shwartz’s amazing opera did, coupled with beach rock band Small Black capping off the evening in the theater’s 4th ring.
While opera has a reputation of being impenetrable, Shwartz did a remarkable job of making his Seance on a Wet Afternoon immediately accessible to the relatively young and uninitiated audience. Despite the tragic plot, the characters were warm and relatable, and you couldn’t help getting caught up in it, though at times the mood felt more broadway than upper west side.
After the show, I took the elevator up to the 4th ring to enjoy free cocktails and the Cure-channeling lo-fi Small Black, who strangely fit in well with the dressed-up hipster crowd.
My one complaint with seeing the band at this venue was that the 4th ring is definitely not designed for its acoustics. Frequently, the instruments of the band’s 4 piece ensemble would project in isolated spaces across the floor, and I’d find myself hearing the drums at one end of the hall, and the keys at the other.
Overall though, this was a great experience. I felt like Lincoln Center opened its arms wide to embrace us high-art deprived Brooklynites, and its efforts were appreciated. Swing by this Thursday, April 28 to see the last Act 4 event of the year. The Secret Science Club plays after the show. – Mike Levine, photo by John Rogers.