A very silly opera

A friend of a friend had an extra ticket to a pre-production performance of Rossini's 'Le Compte Ory', so I went to see it last Sunday evening. I would not have guessed that it was a dress rehearsal; it seemed to me that the company was throwing everything they had at the silly farce, and having a great time dancing, mugging, and singing incredibly well. The principals all had the ability to sing over the orchestra AND articulate all of the vocal ornaments that Rossini wrote. Some of the minor roles had very funny comic moments, and there was enough sexual innuendo and drunkenness to please anyone who enjoys such. I got a bit tired of the inevitable V-I chord progressions at every climax, and I don't understand why dinosaurs appeared at the end of Act 1, but on balance it was a lot of fun.