[Dixielandjazz] Re: White Othello

[G. William Oakley]

Hi Leslie:
It is possible that Sir Anthony did another performance than the one I referenced.  And I know for a fact that my "mind's eye" ain't what it used to be.  As to Stewart,  I think it was in the mid-90's in Washington D.C.
I concur with you on being a big opera fan.  I was a so-so opera buff until the fall of 1978 when I was in East Haddam working with the Goodspeed Opera House on taking Whoopee to Broadway.  Frank Corsaro was the director and we established a friendship that included Frank turning me into a more than so-so fan.  Frank had directed at the Met and various other places and was quite passionate about the music.  It stuck.
Best,
Bill
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: LeslieMRag at aol.com 
  To: gwilliamoakley at earthlink.net 
  Sent: Monday, November 17, 2003 7:04 PM
  Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Re: White Othello


  Hi, Bill: 

  I saw the Anthony Hopkins version of Othello about 20 years ago, and though it's possible that my "mind's eye" is as nearsighted as my physical eyes, as I remember it, Hopkins was lily white and our local paper made a big deal out of the fact that the production was focusing on the universality of jealousy, rage, manipulation, etc. and that's why he was not blacking up. Director Jonathan Miller has a history of untraditional approaches to classic works (films and opera), so it would fit. I think people commenting on his performance now assume Hopkins blacked up since everybody else did.  I guess the ultimate authority on whether or not Hopkins was in blackface would be Roger Krum who is a MAJOR Shakespeare fan. 

  I'm a big opera fan, and as you probably know, casting is color blind there, so I concentrate on the dramatic content rather than the color of the singers. In any case, what I remember about the Hopkins portrayal of Othello was the power of his performance. Haven't ever seen Patrick Stewart in anything but snippets of Star Trek and a wordless part in "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy." And I think Stewart's Othello is a recent thing, right? 

  Best, 

  Leslie 



  In a message dated 11/17/2003 4:22:32 PM Central Standard Time, gwilliamoakley at earthlink.net writes: 



    Hi Leslie: 
    The only reference I can find to Anthony Hopkins playing Othello is the 1982 
    BBC production directed by Jonathan Miller.  In this production he was in 
    blackface.  Perhaps you saw the Patrick Stewart production. 
    Best, 
    Bill