In the Shadow of the Stars

How many sopranos does it take to hit an high C? Seven. One to sing it and six to say that they could have done it better! I quite enjoyed this fly-on-the wall observation of the great and the good - and the not so good, of the San Francisco opera. Drawn from just about every part of American society this follows an eclectic, entertaining, selfish and diva-esque group of people who range from the thoroughly laid back to the equally highly strung (or ought to be). There are rivalries galore exposed and some of these real-life characters have no problems in showcasing the professionalism and the absurdities of an high-costume art form performed in a variety of languages that reflected the history and cultures of many an European nation, but very seldom their own. Generally, there is a remarkable lack of enduring hostility or bitchiness from amongst the ensemble of supporting cast members vying for roles that might see one of them getting the briefest of singing parts, or comedic roles, and there is plenty to illustrate just how talented many of these unassuming people are when they stretch their vocal chords and to be honest I was really quite impressed by just about all of the auditions we see on display here. It's probably a bit too long, and at times it recycles itself but there is talent, personality and skill on display here and even a little humour, too. As one rather self-deprecatingly acknowledged, the average tenor has suffered from an excess of resonation resulting in an empty-headedness common amongst this vocal range.