The New Orleans Opera opened its production of Salome Friday night at Mahalia Jackson Theatre. NoDef's Ian Hoch was there, and he runs down all the revenge plots, murder, and paternal control issues that unfolded on stage. Oh, and there was singing, too.

by Mary-Devon Dupuy

Some write off opera as stuffy or boring, but they've probably never been to an opera. Once in the theatre witnessing giant voices belting out in ways that test the limits of the diaphragm, and contemplating a plot that is rife with incestuous desire, suicide, and decapitation, it's hard to remember those reservations from the edge of your seat. If you’re generally not much an opera person or have never seen a live operatic performance, this weekend's presentation of Richard Strauss' Salome by the New Orleans Opera Association is a great place to start.