Standards at the Metropolitan Opera remain gratifyingly severe: being an actual snake is not, by itself, enough to get the snake part.
The Met recently held auditions for the live boa constrictor appearing in its revival of Mozart’s Così fan tutte, a production set amid the gaudy splendor of a 1950s Coney Island carnival.
Candidates were evaluated for temperament, comfort with handling, and the rather specialized ability to remain serene under theatrical conditions.
The role went to Princess, a large yellow-peach boa constrictor with sufficient presence for the Metropolitan Opera.
Nala, another boa, was named understudy.
The Metropolitan Opera, apparently, remains committed to casting on merit.
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