I thought Renee Fleming was so talented--her singing is magic and her acting is quite good as well. However, I found the "chemistry" between Armida and Rinaldo to be sorely lacking. In many ways, that was a casting flaw--an older man should have been cast in that role in my opinion. I also thought the first act was a bit of a drone, but the ballet in the second act brought the show to life and from then on it was quite engaging.