Hocus Focus #2

In an article on the new Helena production in this month's Met Playbill, we find this quote:

"If the production is presented in a manner that's faithful to the stage directions in the original libretto, it becomes cluttered with all sorts of curious details and local color," (production designer David) Fielding explains. "I wanted to strip that away, because I think the piece is really about the conflict between two marriages."

Say what? Truthfully I had to read the passage a number of times before believing my eyes, which by the way will be mostly shut during tonight's second helping. That's probably as good a description of Eurotrash productions as any: strip libretto's clutter away, then replace with own clutter. Brilliant.