Verdi’s second opera, usually translated as “King for a Day”, itself lasted only a day when first staged in 1840 at La Scala, Milan. This very high-profile flop nearly persuaded the young composer to give up altogether. He didn’t, but he also didn’t attempt to write another comedy for 50 years. Un giorno di regno hasn’t been revived much since.
But rarity value is not the only reason to see Christopher Alden’s new staging. Updating the story to a modern world of dodgy arms dealers, rampant cronyism and fake celebrity, Alden throws pretty well everything at the task of keeping the audience laughing more or less continually throughout.
So we get dancing secret-service agents and self-important TV news anchors, a dance routine based on
