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The character moved about throughout the night with a limp that emphasized the awkwardness. As he makes his first entrance Hvorostovsky races on stage like a child wielding a sword, his eyes wide open and his mouth almost like a dog salivating. This helps explain why he does their bidding willingly he is after all lonely in the world and likely rejected for his oddness.
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From the outset, Hvorostovsky makes it clear that this Rigoletto is a rather odd fellow and there are hints of some mental deficiency in some of his awkward movements and his constant attempts to gain attention from the Duke's comrades they seem to let him tag along out of pure pity for his loneliness. Is he a friend? Does he work at the casino? None of this is ever truly established by Mayer's production and prior interpreters hinted at differing perspectives but never truly managed to give the viewer a firm grasp on the character in this regard. One of the common problems with this production is that it fails to truly define Rigoletto's role in the Duke's gang. Leading the charge in the title role was the seemingly invincible Hvorostovsky. Any major changes were brought about by the singers themselves. Latinos Post published reviews of Mayer's production last season when it premiered there is little to add on this particular occasion as the more general scenic details remain virtually intact. Oksana Volkova and Stefan Kocan filled out the remainder of the cast. The performance featured an all-star cast that included Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Matthew Polenzani as well as debutante Irina Lungu in the role of Gilda. 11, the Metropolitan Opera revived Verdi's Rigoletto in the production by Michael Mayer.