"Brussels Unfolds Modern 'Ring' Opera Model"
Romeo Castellucci's production of Wagner's "Ring" at La Monnaie in Brussels incorporates the use of animals and impressive stage magic, offering a reminder that spectacle can have substance and that an audience can handle intelligence. The production, which is part of a larger "Ring" cycle, suggests that the Metropolitan Opera in New York could take notes from La Monnaie as it plans its own "Ring" production, emphasizing the balance between abstract and theatrical elements.