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How did I miss this movie when it came out? California, that is George de la Pena, according to IMDB.

But .... WHAT is the ballet he is performing in? Coppelia Meets a Bunch of Swans in the Kingdom of the Shades???? Wonderful!

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Kind of like the Hoffnung concerts of the 1950s at the Albert Hall. One of the offerings was "Let's Fake an Opera, or the Tales of Hoffnung" which had Sixtus Beckmesser running off with Carmen, while Otello discovers Fidelio disguised as Azucena, who sings herself into unconsciousness in a cadenza and sleeps through the rest of the show....

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It's a 19th century Russian song; Otchi Chornya is the transliteration in the video title. Figure skating fans know this music well as "Dark Eyes".

Wikipedia has interesting background on the song:

Although often characterised as a Russian gypsy song, the words and music were written respectively by a Ukrainian poet and a German composer: Florian Hermann. Additionally, Hermann's melody bears noticeable resemblance to portions of the Concerto in Esf by Franz Anton Hoffmeister. Feodor Chaliapin popularised the song abroad in a version amended by himself.

As part of the Cultural Olymiad, the Moscow State Chamber Choir performed in Vancouver on 24 Feb 2010, and one of the last pieces was "Black Eyes", which the program describes as "Traditional gypsy romance".

Here are some other versions:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXNh_4K287g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cf_C-QvOCpg

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Kind of like the Hoffnung concerts of the 1950s ... who sings herself into unconsciousness in a cadenza and sleeps through the rest of the show....

I am kind of embarrassed to say that my son doesn't know the lyrics to most operas he's seen, but he does know the Spike Jones lyrics to Pagliacci and Carmen, and will sing along at any opportunity.

"There's Don Schmoze, he's dressed up like a bull, now Escamillo gives his tail a pull..."

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Kind of like the Hoffnung concerts of the 1950s ... who sings herself into unconsciousness in a cadenza and sleeps through the rest of the show....

I am kind of embarrassed to say that my son doesn't know the lyrics to most operas he's seen, but he does know the Spike Jones lyrics to Pagliacci and Carmen, and will sing along at any opportunity.

"There's Don Schmoze, he's dressed up like a bull, now Escamillo gives his tail a pull..."

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