Cunning Little Vixen at Long Beach Opera

For the first time ever, we purchased season tickets to a performing arts group! Long Beach Opera convinced us to sign on with their ingenious and clever productions. Even for people like us who know pretty much nothing about opera, we always enjoy such fresh performances. Plus, for a brief time they offered 50% off season tickets, so we signed up.

This past Saturday's was LBO's first (of only three) productions this year. All we knew going into the performance was the title: "The Cunning Little Vixen." We had no idea what is was about, thinking it would be fun to just be surprised. When the first performers appeared in animal costumes - a dragonfly, an owl, a mosquito - my initial thought was "An animal opera? Really?" But we were quickly swept away into the story of a charming, Chaplin-esque "vixen" (apparently a female fox) and her adventures in both the forest and the land of humans. It was so lovely and clever. The costumes were just amazing; the costume designer brought together what looked like a thrift store full of discarded clothes and somehow turned them with great effect into chickens, foxes, birds and other critters. Written in 1924 by Czech composer Leoš Janácek, "Cunning Little Vixen" is charming and colorful.

You're in luck, there's one more show, this coming Sunday, January 25. Click here for information. There was a great review of the show in the LA Times on Monday - I love how they drew a metaphor as LBO being the cunning little fox in these tough economic times. Click here to read the review.

Even in these tough times, LBO is finding a way to give back - $10 from every LBO ticket purchase for The Cunning Little Vixen will provide 5 meals for the hungry at the Long Beach Rescue Mission.