The cast as a whole is impressive, especially Jeffrey Wright and Christopher Plummer as devious Washington attorneys, Matt Damon as an energy analyst living in Geneva, and Alexander Siddig as the young prince who proves more adept at falconry than at petropolitics.

WSJ: Glib Lines in the Sand

This was especially true of Eliogabalo himself, portrayed by the hardworking countertenor Christopher Ainslie and his two cross-dressing sidekicks, Zotico (mezzo-soprano Daryl Freedman) and Lenia (tenor John Easterlin).

WSJ: Baroque opera in burlesque house