Damned Ladies

“Katya Kabanova, why did you marry him?/You knew his mother was a bitch.” Those ears looking for a taste of was sort of opera Rufus Wainwright might deliver the Met will find a sample on this clever little send up of a few classic heroines of the form. Audra McDonald has kicked the mood up from Wainwright’s original angsty lament to something more in the range of a sultry, Latin-flavored dance number. Wainwright has clearly done his share of listening to three-hour operas and knows how to handle the three-minute song with finesse. It will be interesting to see what he has to offer when those two paths collide.

—MS