The Marrying Kind

When old Don Pasquale decides to teach a lesson, it's a ruthless one. His nephew and heir, Ernesto, is adamant about marrying the widow Norina, and Don Pasquale doesn't like it. The rich old skinflint's solution is to get married himself and beget some new heirs, and thanks to his doctor's advice, he quickly marries the beautiful Sofronia, sister to the doctor. But this is one of those instances where the lesson is harder on the master than on the pupil; Sofronia is actually Norina in disguise, and once they're wedded, she begins burning through all Don Pasquale's money in attempt to teach him a painful lesson about bossing around relatives. Gaetano Donizetti's opera buffa Don Pasquale is a comic romp that imparts a valuable lesson: Foolish things such as marriage are best left to the young. You can enjoy the Metropolitan Opera's production of Don Pasquale with the radiant Anna Netrebko (pictured) as Norina once again during the Met: Live In HD 2011 Summer Encores this evening at 6:30 p.m. at the Regal St. Louis Mills Stadium 18 Cinema (5555 St. Louis Mills Boulevard, Hazelwood; www.fathomevents.com). Tickets to this retransmission of an earlier performance cost $15.
Wed., June 22, 2011