Dem
47
GOP
53
Let us start by conceding that Melania Trump apparently had nothing to do with efforts from the House Appropriations Committee to "honor" her by naming the opera house at the Kennedy Center in her honor. Heck, she doesn't even want to be First Lady. So, one could argue that it's unfair that she is getting a lot of blowback over the announcement.
On the other hand, she's been given a virtually unparalleled opportunity to do good in the world, and has absolutely no interest in taking advantage of it. She has also enabled her husband's bad acts, mostly by staying silent, sometimes with active support. And she's got her own bad acts, too, perhaps most obviously the "I really don't care, do you?" jacket. It was tone deaf, and she should have apologized (she never did). It does not help that she, and her staff, kept changing the story as to whether or not it was a "message" or not. Finally, add in the fact that the First Lady could very well come out and announce "I appreciate the thought, but such honors should really only be bestowed AFTER a presidential term, not during," but she has not done so.
Our conclusion is that, on balance, Melania Trump is very well into "fair game" territory. And so, we have no compunctions about this piece, which we will now commence with the observation that quite a few people on social media had the same idea we did, namely suggestions for what the first show at the "First Lady Melania Trump Opera House" should be. For example:
Under other circumstances, we might do a rundown of some of the other memes. In this case, however, we are just going to share some of the readers' suggestions for what the debut show at the Mel should be:
J.F. in Toronto, ON, Canada: I posed your question to an opera-maven friend and got this wonderful response: "I don't think The Donald or Melania give a sh** or know anything about opera. That 'opera house' at the Kennedy Center is where middle-brow shows like Les Miz are performed, as well as operas. That's the kind of crap DJT likes. I do like the suggestions (V) & (Z) made, especially The Bartered Bride. My first thoughts went to operas (there are many) in which the heroine kills herself at the end. Tosca comes to mind; she kills her attempted rapist, then jumps off a tall building. Or Madame Butterfly, who commits seppuku just as her two-timing husband (with whom she has a kid; let's call him "Barron") runs into the room. I've always wanted to see a production of Carmen in which she survives her fatal stabbing long enough to slice Don Jose's throat.
J.S. in The Hague, Netherlands: Mozart's Don Giovanni, about a nobleman so evil, so unrepentant, that he gets dragged to hell in the final scene.
V.F. in Bowie, MD: 'Tis Pity She's a Whore
M.A.N. in Falls Church, VA: Um, Six? It's about the various wives of Henry VIII, a domineering, overweight, blustery monarch from another time who actually had two of his wives beheaded.
I mean, one blustery, bloviating gas bag is as good as another, right?
J.N. in Zionsville, IN: I've got two operas for you. First, Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk by Dmitri Shostakovich. It tells the story of a woman trapped in a loveless marriage, and who eventually kills her husband (first by failed poisoning and then by strangulation).
I'm also partial to Lulu by Alban Berg. Lulu is the ultimate symbol of commodified beauty, all while complicit in her own demise. Oh, and following her turn to prostitution following financial ruin, Jack the Ripper kills her in the final scene. You know, just to really drive the subtlety home.
A.L. in Würenlingen, Switzerland: Bluebeard's Castle, in which the female protagonist unlocks the doors in the castle and discovers many dark secrets, is so appropriate for Melania (and Donald).
G.M. in Laurence Harbor, NJ: Otello! Unfaithful wife, conspirators protecting the malfeasants, and the end of Otello, at the end!
D.S. in Palo Alto, CA: If the First Lady were a little more active in the operations of the government, I'd think Evita would be a nice choice. It's not exactly an opera, but it is sung-through. I have always thought this Tim Rice epic (he did the lyrics) to be the best depiction of what people motivated by power are like, in their professional, personal, and sex lives. "They need to adore me, so Christian Dior me, from my head to my toe." Not to mention "I'd be surprisingly good for you."
J.K. in Afton, MN: Melania already foreshadowed "The Handmaid's Tale: the Opera" with her Christmas decor many years ago.
H.B. in State College, PA: So many possibilities: (1) The Abduction from the Seraglio, by Mozart, (2) The Cunning Little Vixen, by Janáček and (3) The Silent Woman, by Strauss.
S.S. in West Hollywood, CA: Is there really any question that the premiere opera at the Mail Order Bride Opera House should be the Harvey Milk opera? Nothing would be more appropriate than an opera based on the gay activist, politician, and actual American hero. And if not that, Emmett Till, A New American Opera would also be a good option. (That said, Jerry Springer: The Opera would probably be a better fit for the MAGA crowd.)
J.S. in Santa Cruz, CA: An obvious choice for me would be Bride of Frankenstein. I wasn't sure if there was actually an opera based on it, but sure enough, the LA Opera symphony did a 2023 presentation that could be used for the music.
R.W. in Brooklyn, NY: Donald Trump is the living embodiment of Baron Ochs from Rosenkavalier—loud, vulgar, lecherous, overweight, pathetic, and ridiculous. It would be just delicious to watch him squirm in the presidential box as the opera unfolds. Assuming he stays awake, which is highly doubtful.
Some excellent suggestions!
And note that the renaming is not exactly a done deal. Remember, it was an amendment to a funding bill, and that funding bill—once it gets whipped into shape—has to be passed by the Senate, with at least some Democratic votes. It's possible that the renaming proposal will quietly get dropped by the Republicans, because it's been something of an embarrassment for them and for the First Lady. It's also possible that the Democrats will insist that it be excised, given that the Kennedy Center is, after all, meant to honor a prominent Democrat. It's going to be a couple of months until we know, one way or the other. (Z)