Wagner's Dream [Blu-ray]

The making of a masterpiece; a mechanical beast tamed!
I watched this program as a PBS special last night -- it is a beautifully made story of the making of a masterpiece, complete with stumbles, problems, frightened singers, taming a giant machine, last minute substitutions, and a brilliant concept realized. You won't get more backstage than this, and the sound and HD is stunning. A great companion piece to the Blu-ray set of the new Met Ring cycle. The Met's new set -- "the machine," is brilliant, but a beast to tame. You see it from the bottom up, with the crew striving to get the thing to perform, but the results are worth it. Visually it's a smash. A must buy!

Not just for opera fans
This documentary offers a behind the scenes look at Robert LePage's (also director of at least one of the Cirque du Soleil productions) Metropolitan Opera production of The Ring Cycle. The documentary goes through the design, tryouts, and final installation and operation of "the machine", the 90,000 pound, hydraulically operated centerpiece of the Ring set. The documentary shows many backstage views - above and beneath the Met stage - as well as singers' first moments working (usually unnervingly) with the moving set. I've been backstage at mid- to large-sized 'Broadway-style' proscenium theaters in the Southeast, but seeing the massive scale of the Metropolitan Opera House's backstage in this video is really amazing. This documentary ought to be a hit with opera lovers who like a little behind the scenes action, but this video is also a Must-Have for anyone who's into theatrical stagecraft or production design. Highly recommended.

Good behind the scenes
this is NOT the actual MET opera, but a good documentary of how it's made. meant for serious opera lovers.

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