Met Opera Holds Unusual Auditions for Live Snake Performers

Deep beneath the Metropolitan Opera's stage in New York, an unusual casting call took place last Friday. The auditions were not for singers but for live snakes, with accomplished snake charmer Zoe Ziegfeld serving as the judge.

Ziegfeld, who previously performed at the Coney Island Circus Sideshow, is preparing for the Met's upcoming production of Mozart's Così fan tutte. The opera will feature a full circus sideshow performance, complete with fire dancers, contortionists, and a snake charmer.

The most challenging aspect of the production, according to Ziegfeld, is finding the right snake for the role. All Tame Animals, a company that provides live animals for stage and screen, brought three snakes to audition.

The first candidate, a snake named Sahara, was deemed too small. "She's a bit on the small side. I think visually we're not gonna see her in the nose bleeds," Ziegfeld said.

The second snake was a ball python, which Ziegfeld tends to avoid. "I tend to stay away from ball pythons because if they get spooked they really just..." she explained, mimicking a squeezing motion.

The final contender, a python named Princess weighing over 50 pounds, immediately caught Ziegfeld's attention. Princess is longer than Ziegfeld is tall and appeared comfortable wrapping around the charmer's shoulders and neck.

"Princess, she is a great length for me, but maybe a little too heavy," Ziegfeld noted. During the performance, she plans to lift the snake above her head at a specific musical moment.

Nancy Novograd of All Tame Animals emphasized the importance of animal welfare in these auditions. "There's no forcing. Everything is done in a gentle, collaborative way," she said. "If the animal is unhappy doing the work, the animal can go home and be happy at home."

Despite Princess's strong showing, Ziegfeld remained undecided. "I think of the three, Princess is definitely the best option, and we might have to meet a few more," she said. "She's lovely and would be a great model for sure. I'm just not sure, on stage for what I need her to do, we're going to be able to navigate it."

Additional snake auditions are scheduled this week. Così fan tutte opens at the Met in late September.