Anna Nicole - Royal Opera House, 1 March 2011
Ultimately I'm not any more convinced by Anna Nicole as a work than I was on opening night, but at least a second listen opened my ears to more references in the score, from Mahler to - ahem - Bryan Adams.
The audience reaction was if anything even more enthusiastic. No wonder the composer and librettist couldn't resist stepping on stage to meet the ovation. Anna Nicole is no musical (regardless of what some commentators maintain) but I suspect it could sustain a longer West End run than most if given the opportunity. It certainly had the approval of the ultimate arbiters - a bunch of noisy crisp-eating teenage girls sitting behind me. Perhaps this could be the DVD that finally makes the Royal Opera House some real money - and wouldn't that be ironic?
