Poppea may not get crowned Empress until the end of The Coronation of Poppea, but she establishes herself as Ms. Thang immediately. Already a married noblewoman living in a palace in Rome, Poppea is having an affair with the Emperor Nerone. In exchange for nooky, Nerone vows to make her empress. That Nerone already has a wife seems to trouble exactly no one, save the wife herself.
Meanwhile, all the men in love with Poppea (and there are a handful) arrange executions, murders and prison terms to dissolve her current marriage, all the while condoning her terrible behavior. It is only post-coronation ย and post-execution and post-heartbreak of many ย that Poppea and Nerone examine their scheming and feel an inkling of remorse. If it weren’t for the ancient Roman setting, the story would be oddly reminiscent of certain ex-Enron executives. Aww. See Houston Grand Opera’s production of the timeless tale today at 7 p.m.
Sat., April 29, 7:30 p.m.; Wed., May 3, 7 p.m.; Fri., May 5, 7:30 p.m.; Sun., May 7, 2 p.m.; Fri., May 12, 7:30 p.m.
This article appears in Apr 27 – May 3, 2006.