Turandot.

11-1-19 SHORT HILLS: We were at the Met last night for a performance of Turandot, Puccini’s final opera. Actually, it was finished by Franco Alfano in 1926, two years after Puccini’s death, it lacked the last few minutes of Act III. In the debut, conductor Arturo Toscanini stopped the performance with the last notes Puccini wrote.

The Met’s production is one of Franco Zeffirelli’s, with gorgeous sets and costumes, beautiful lighting, tons of extras and dancers. It’s what opera should be, a magnificent spectacle, a sumptuous eyeful, a dazzling extravaganza. Lately the new Met productions have been austere, often dark and optically challenging—hated them.

Alejandro Roy made his Met debut as Calàf and got a huge ovation for Nessun dorma, the big aria. Christine Goerke was Turandot, Elconora Buratto was Liù, and Marco Armiliato conducted.

Otherwise, we had another rain and wind storm last night and got another 1.4 inches for almost 5 inches in week.


At the end of Turandot, stage set with palace, extras, principals, costumes, raining gold glitter and getting a wild ovation.

Josie Robertson plaza before the opera.

The Met filling up with operagoers.

The ceiling always makes me think of lilypads.

Final bows for the cast.