Con: the lyrics. Switching operas a moment: Rigoletto has lyrics in Italian like “a woman’s love is as fickle as a feather flitting to and fro on the breeze,” and the translation at the Saint Louis opera was “Women are mean, why do they hate us?” Similarly, in Romeo and Juliet I was disappointed when I did not hear, “What light through yonder window breaks?” or any of Shakespeare’s famous lines.
Pro: They excised the ending with the Prince and the parents and “For never was a story of more woe / Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.” Instead the lovers lie on the ground as the music stops and then hop up and run off so everyone else can start the curtain call.
Con: Juliet started out a little squawky, but then she warmed up and was great by the waltz song.
Con: The set Romeo used to climb up to Juliet’s balcony squeaked in a very concerning way.
Pro: Romeo was a very strong tenor.
Pro: The music and staging in the sword battle scene was very powerful. Probably my favorite scene.
Con: Damn that was overwrought. Lots of grieving.