The songs are delivered lustily, although audiences may not be ready for what is, in effect, a murky comic opera.

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This was a tentative, awkward piece of work, a cultural tragedy staged as comic opera.

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After all, this is the same company that enjoyed a triumph three years ago with another "site-specific" staging, performing Haydn's comic opera "Il mondo della luna (The World on the Moon)" at the Hayden Planetarium.

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Shortly after that, the poor kid was dragged off to a performance of "Die Fledermaus" by his parents, who must have been on more comfortable terms with comic opera than with child psychology.

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These days, with Hollywood churning out big budget movies based on comic book characters such as Iron Man, the Silver Surfer and the Incredible Hulk, a comics-based opera about a cute little fox may sound a bit tame.

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