NEW YORK – At the Metropolitan Opera, landing a spot on stage usually means proving you belong there. That rule apparently applies to everyone — including the snake set to make a brief but memorable appearance in a new staging of a Mozart favorite.
The unusual casting decision fell to Zoe Ziegfeld, a former carnival performer who is now appearing as the snake handler in the Met’s 1950s Coney Island-inspired production of “Così fan tutte.” Ziegfeld was tasked with choosing the reptile best suited for the spotlight.
During the auditions, Ziegfeld handled each snake carefully, allowing it to move, coil and settle before lifting it overhead — the same action planned for the opera stage. They studied each animal up close, watching its behavior and temperament before making a decision.
“I need to know that the animal is comfortable with people and with what we are doing,” Ziegfeld said.
Princess earns her moment in the spotlight
After the cold-blooded casting call, the role went to Princess, a boa constrictor whose size and striking look made her a stronger visual fit for the Metropolitan Opera stage.
“We will be moving forward with Princess (the big sun-glow boa constrictor who is yellow-peach) in rehearsals on a trial basis! She is a wonderful snake, and the trial is not about her, but rather about me and my strength,” Ziegfeld wrote in an email after the auditions wrapped.
Princess will also have backup: Nala, a slightly smaller brown boa constrictor discovered during a second round of auditions, has been chosen as her understudy.
A Mozart opera set at a 1950s Coney Island carnival
This is the third time Ziegfeld has played the role of the snake charmer in the Met’s adaptation of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s 1790 opera.
In Mozart’s original, two Italian soldiers decide to test their lovers’ fidelity by pretending to head off to war. They then disguise themselves and try to seduce each other’s girlfriends. In this version, the plot remains mostly the same, but the setting is a 1950s Coney Island carnival complete with vibrant scenery and sideshow performers.
Carnaval snake charmer turned opera performer
Ziegfeld came to the role honestly. They spent a couple of seasons on Coney Island doing eight snake-charming shows a day.
When they tried out several years ago, live snakes weren’t allowed in the audition space. So instead, Ziegfeld brought video of their snake-charming act, then hammered home their carnival sideshow bona fides by knocking a nail into their own nasal cavity in what was called the Human Blockhead act.
“The music’s different. The money is different. It’s a pleasure to entertain. And with snakes, it’s a delight to know that there are people watching who are in awe and people who are terrified. And those things happen at the Met and at Coney — so I would say they are more alike than different, to be honest,” Ziegfeld said.
Animals are important characters at some Met operas
The snakes came to their audition thanks to Nancy Novograd and her company All Tame Animals.
She got into the business when her horse appeared onstage at the Met in a production of “Carmen,” and now she provides the opera house with everything from elephants to insects.
The first two snakes to audition were a bit small. One might have clashed with Ziegfeld’s top. But the key is personality, Novograd said.
“Animals have to perform as do human talent. Sometimes they have a set type of behaviors that they have to demonstrate. And sometimes they just have to get along with the talent,” Novograd said. “So in this case, they have to be the right color, size, and Zoe has to like them.”
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Collins reported from Columbia, South Carolina.
