Review: Anna Bolena | Live at the Met HD | Various movie theaters -

It's safe to say that Henry VIII was a bad guy. He was a big fan of capital punishment (especially with the wives), and he wasn't what one would call monogamous. He's been covered in a popular series of biographies by British historian Allison Weir, although most people know him from either the Showtime series The Tudors (which may not have been completely accurate) or the song by Herman's Hermits (while humorous, it doesn't really delve into his corresponding badassery). The point is—the king who founded an entire religion simply to legitimize his many divorces was bad news.

Amidst all of the court intrigue and beheadings sat Anne Boleyn. Before her execution she became the second queen consort of Henry and gave birth to a future queen: Elizabeth I. However, her inability to produce a male heir is ultimately what lost her favor with her husband and (some historians believe) led to her ultimate demise. Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti, a master of the late bel canto style captured a popular version of the queen's final days in his opera Anna Bolena, which is presented by the Metropolitan Opera in its first Live from the Met HD broadcast of the 2011-12 season.

Simply put: this production is a masterpiece. One of only seven "new" productions (meaning it is not a recycled version from past seasons; costumes, sets, and staging are newly composed for this production run), director David McVicar hits the target squarely in the center and provides a strong opening for the HD broadcast season.

The set, designed by Robert Jones is simple yet effective, consisting of several walls which moved in or out and rotated to create a courtroom, various bedrooms, and a throne room for Henry. The lighting is designed by Paule Constable and accents the sets and costumes effectively; there is a lack of warmer tones in the lighting, giving the entire production a cold and dank feel.

One of the technical standouts is found in the costume design by Jenny Tiramani. She uses a mostly monochromatic palate to solid effect (mostly blacks and whites, with a few earth tone greens and browns thrown in for the men's chorus), but also reserves some spectacular colors for the leading characters. One of the nicer touches is found in the shifting palate between Jane Seymour and Anne; Anne begins as the queen, and is robed in a dark burgundy. As her fall from grace at the expense of Jane progresses, her costuming loses more of the color, which is then found in the costuming of Jane; by the end of the opera Jane is fully adorned in burgundy while Anne is now garbed in black. It adds an additional visual dimension to the rise and fall of each woman.

Technical aspects aside, the real star of the evening is the singing. The title character of Anne is sung by Russian soprano Anne Netrebko. She possesses a starkly dramatic voice that fills the entire stage and commands rapt attention. She is equally adept in the basement of her range and the coloratura needed to sing the bel canto warhorses such as this role. The famous mad scene that closes the opera is truly heartbreaking thanks to Netrebko's acting and singing; she is the queen who was insane from the grief that her death was near.

Opposite Netrebko is Ildar Abdrazakov as Henry VIII. This man drips with ego, contempt and attitude; in other words, he IS Henry (at least as history portrays the man). He possesses a dark, rich tone that fed into the megalomania that is the mad king. His utter loathing of Anne at the expense of Jane feeds into a deep sense of sympathy for Anne and makes his ultimate decision to not commute her sentence that much more heartbreaking.

Also taking their share of the spotlight is Ekaterina Gubanova as Jane Seymour, Stephen Costello as Richard Percy, and Tamara Mumford in the trouser role of Mark Smeton. Gubanova is stellar in her portrayal as the lady-in-waiting turned queen; her second act duet with Netrebko was passionate and compelling—Gubanova's Jane begging for forgiveness from Netrebko's Anne and Anne's absolution of Jane's role in her fall.

Costello is solid as Percy, a former lover of Anne's that returns from exile to win Anne back but leading to her downfall. While not showing the range of the other singers (the fault is found in the written role and not the performance; Costello is flawless), he stands out with his acting ability, playing the part of the scorned lover with not only emotion but also a sense of purity and honesty. In the end, one almost wishes for a last minute chance so that Anne and Percy can have their happy ending.

Mumford is clever in her role as the court musician who is hopelessly in (unrequited and unacknowledged) love with the Queen; it is his false admission that he slept with Anne that leads to her death sentence.

For their part, not enough praise can be heaped upon the Met Opera Orchestra, led in this performance by conductor Marco Armiliato. Simply put, this is one of the best orchestras in the country, if not the world. Not only are they sensitive accompanists, but they also perform with a flair and style that puts other groups to shame. The addition of this ensemble helped push the production over-the-top artistically.

The production is now in the repertory of the Met Opera for the season; the remaining live performances are Oct. 18, 21, 24, 28 as well as Feb. 1 and 4. There will also be an encore presentation off the HD broadcast on Nov. 2.

To experience what is the gold standard in opera for the U.S., it is not to be missed. See for yourself in this video clip. More about the local theaters showing it and the Live at the Met HD 2011-12 season is below the video.

◊ There will be an encore of Anna Bolena at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 3, at the following local theaters: Galaxy Theatre (Dallas), AMC Northpark Center 15 (Dallas), Cinemark 17 with IMAX (Dallas), Cinemark 12 (Rockwall), Cinemark 24 Legacy (Plano), Cinemark West Plano, Cinemark Vista Ridge Mall (Lewisville), Cinemark Allen 16, Cinemark Cedar Hill, Cinemark Frisco, Cinemark Tinseltown Movies 17 (Grapevine), AMC Parks at Arlington 18, Cinemark 12 Town Center (Mansfield), Cinemark 14 (Denton), Regal Fossil Creek (Fort Worth), Hulen Movie Tavern (Fort Worth), Cinemark 12 Sherman, Cinemark 6 (Stephenville). Call your local theater ahead for tickets as these screening sometimes sell out.

◊ While the following theaters are not showing Anna Bolena, they are showing some of the Live at the Met HD screenings: Rave North East Mall 18 (Hurst), AMC Palace 9 (Fort Worth), Movies 14 (Burleson), Ridgmar 13 (Fort Worth).

◊ The rest of Live at the Met HD season is:

Don Giovanni (Mozart) – New Production

• Saturday, October 29, 2011 – 11:55 p.m. 
• Wednesday, November 16 – 6:30 p.m.

Siegfried (Wagner) – New Production

• Saturday, November 5, 2011 – 11 a.m.

Satyagraha (Glass)

• Saturday, November 19, 2011 – 11:55 p.m. 
• Wednesday, December 7 – 6:30 p.m.

Rodelinda (Handel)

• Saturday, December 3, 2011 – 11:30 p.m. 
• Wednesday, January 4 – 6:30 p.m.

Faust (Gounod) – New Production

• Saturday, December 10, 2011 – 11:55 p.m. 
• Wednesday, January 11 – 6:30 p.m.

The Enchanted Island (Handel, Rameau, Vivaldi & others) – World Premiere Production

• Saturday, January 21, 2012 – 11:55 p.m. 
• Wednesday, February 8 – 6:30 p.m.

Götterdämmerung (Wagner) – New Production

• Saturday, February 11, 2012 – 11 a.m.

Ernani (Verdi)

• Saturday, February 25, 2012 – 11:55 p.m. 
• Wednesday, March 14 – 6:30 p.m.

Manon (Massenet) – New Production

• Saturday, April 7, 2012 – 11 a.m. 
• Wednesday, April 25 – 6:30 p.m.

La Traviata (Verdi)

• Saturday, April 14, 2012 – 11:55 p.m. 
• Wednesday, May 2 – 6:30 p.m.