It is the second time I have seen this production of Butterfly. The first was when it was premiered back in 2005, apart from the great music, I wanted to see the director Anthony Minghella would do. I was not disappointed then - it is beautifully staged, just enough oriental detail to evoke Japan, some beautifully filmic moments and all the drama and pathos of the plot.
Last night I was still as entranced as I was back in 2005. It still looks lovely. The costumes (particularly the extravagant outfit of Prince Yamadori) bring Japan to life in a riot of colour. The effects work well. And I still like Cio-Cio-San's child being a puppet (beautifully brought to life by Tom Espiner, Julia Innocenti and Laura Caldow).
It was a new Butterfly in the title role last night. The Russian-American soprano Dina Kuznetsova was wonderful. Her singing was clear and full of emotion. She looked good and moved well. She ticked all the boxes for a good Cio-Cio-San.
We cannot ignore Pamela Helen Stephen as her maid, Suzuki. Their duets were amongst the high points of the night.
Timothy Richards as Pinkerton was a bit lost amongst the orchestra and couldn't match the power of Kuznetsova's voice. He was somewhat outshone by Goro (Alun Rhys-Jenkins), Sharpless (George von Bergen) and particularly Prince Yamadori (Alexander Robin Baker).
It is a great production - well worth a look! And what a story!
Thursday, 24 October 2013
Thursday, 10 October 2013
Elektra - The Royal Opera
The last time I saw Elektra at the Royal Opera House it had the wonderful Eva Marton in the title role. I also remember the walls of the set oozing 'blood'. That, however, was a very long time ago.
Whilst this is not a new production to the Opera House <http://roh.org.uk> , it is new to me. I wasn't moved either way by the set or the costumes - vaguely modern with classical overtones.
I had forgotten that this really is an opera about women, whilst there are a few men (the odd servant, Orest, Orest's companion, Ägisth), it is the women who inhabit the stage for the whole performance - in particular Elektra. To sustain the title role you need stamina and a big voice - Christine Goerke has (by the bucket load!). Not only was her singing exceptional, she could also act! Her performance was thrilling and worthy of the tumultuous applause at the curtain.
Let us not ignore Adrianne Pieczonka as Elektra's sister, Chrysothemis. She too gave a magnificent performance. Michaela Schuster as Klytämnestra, their mother, completed this splendid trio of voices.
Ms Goerke must have been drained by the performance - I certainly was!
Whilst this is not a new production to the Opera House <http://roh.org.uk> , it is new to me. I wasn't moved either way by the set or the costumes - vaguely modern with classical overtones.
I had forgotten that this really is an opera about women, whilst there are a few men (the odd servant, Orest, Orest's companion, Ägisth), it is the women who inhabit the stage for the whole performance - in particular Elektra. To sustain the title role you need stamina and a big voice - Christine Goerke has (by the bucket load!). Not only was her singing exceptional, she could also act! Her performance was thrilling and worthy of the tumultuous applause at the curtain.
Let us not ignore Adrianne Pieczonka as Elektra's sister, Chrysothemis. She too gave a magnificent performance. Michaela Schuster as Klytämnestra, their mother, completed this splendid trio of voices.
Ms Goerke must have been drained by the performance - I certainly was!
Wednesday, 9 October 2013
Don Quixote - The Royal Ballet
It's been a while since I have "put pen to paper" so to speak, not lack of seeing things, more a lack of inclination! Anyway, last night I went to see the Royal Ballet's new production by Carlos Acosta of Don Quixote <<http://www.roh.org.uk/>>
My biggest gripe is that it is a long evening - three acts and two intervals (Prologue/Act 1 - 51 minutes, Act 2 - 32 minutes, Act 3 - 36 minutes). It is - of course - to allow for big scene changes, but some of the scene changing still overlapped into the action (each time the 'town' appeared).
Really the story is of little consequence, the whole evening is a showcase for the skills of the dancers. You don't worry about what is going on as there is too much to watch and marvel at - the audience last night loved it all! Our two leads were very good. Iana Salenko was a spectacular Kitri, full of poise and grace. Steven McRae's Basilio was full of fire and passion.
All the other principals worked hard and had a good time too.
The packed auditorium lapped it up. Me, I think I could have done with it being somewhat shorter and less of an introduction to the dancers of the Royal Ballet.
My biggest gripe is that it is a long evening - three acts and two intervals (Prologue/Act 1 - 51 minutes, Act 2 - 32 minutes, Act 3 - 36 minutes). It is - of course - to allow for big scene changes, but some of the scene changing still overlapped into the action (each time the 'town' appeared).
Really the story is of little consequence, the whole evening is a showcase for the skills of the dancers. You don't worry about what is going on as there is too much to watch and marvel at - the audience last night loved it all! Our two leads were very good. Iana Salenko was a spectacular Kitri, full of poise and grace. Steven McRae's Basilio was full of fire and passion.
All the other principals worked hard and had a good time too.
The packed auditorium lapped it up. Me, I think I could have done with it being somewhat shorter and less of an introduction to the dancers of the Royal Ballet.
Wednesday, 14 August 2013
Sweet Bird of Youth - The Old Vic
I have to confess that it is quite some time since I have seen anything at The Old Vic <http://www.oldvictheatre.com> , and, having been last night I shouldn't leave it so long again.
I was encouraged into this by some friends who wanted to see Sex & the City's Kim Cattrall - and actually, so did I!
Sweet Bird of Youth is a big play, addressing lots of big themes - the most obvious one being age - but it also deals with fame, small town bigotry and the power of cash.
Marianne Elliott's production, designed by Rae Smith and lit by Bruno Poet, is wonderful. We are drawn into the shuttered heat of St Cloud from the very start. Tensions build and the plot unfolds.
Kim Cattrall is wonderful as the aging actress Alexandra del Largo. She is a monster, but a monster with feelings. Seth Numrich as Chance Wayne is expertly cast as the gigolo coming back to his home town. His swagger and bravado having no effect any more. And, you can certainly see why he would have caught the eye....I think the modern expression is eye candy!
There aren't many performances left. If you have time, try and see it!
I was encouraged into this by some friends who wanted to see Sex & the City's Kim Cattrall - and actually, so did I!
Sweet Bird of Youth is a big play, addressing lots of big themes - the most obvious one being age - but it also deals with fame, small town bigotry and the power of cash.
Marianne Elliott's production, designed by Rae Smith and lit by Bruno Poet, is wonderful. We are drawn into the shuttered heat of St Cloud from the very start. Tensions build and the plot unfolds.
Kim Cattrall is wonderful as the aging actress Alexandra del Largo. She is a monster, but a monster with feelings. Seth Numrich as Chance Wayne is expertly cast as the gigolo coming back to his home town. His swagger and bravado having no effect any more. And, you can certainly see why he would have caught the eye....I think the modern expression is eye candy!
There aren't many performances left. If you have time, try and see it!
Tuesday, 30 July 2013
Daytona - Park Theatre
A friend of mine insisted I should go to the Park Theatre in Finsbury Park <http://parktheatre.co.uk/> as she went to see something there and was very impressed by a new venue in north London. She was right, it is a lovely space and it has only been open since May this year.
The main auditorium - Park 200 - is an intimate space, which is perfect for Oliver Cotton's new work Daytona. You are literally in the living room of the apartment in New York where all the action takes place. Joe and Elli's happy little world is thrown into turmoil by the arrival of Joe's brother Billy after a 30 year absence. What does it all mean? What secrets will be revealed? In all fairness I cannot say too much about what happens as it spoils the surprises and twists in the plot.
I can talk about the actors and their performances. Harry Shearer as Joe is good but the night I was there had a few fluffed lines. John Bowe as his brother Billy, is a volcanic presence - a bit too loud in the bits between Billy and Joe. The strongest performance is that of Maureen Lipman. It's a long time since I have seen her on stage and forgotten what a presence she has. She is a fine actress with a great sense of timing.
Go! Support this new theatre. I will be going again!
The main auditorium - Park 200 - is an intimate space, which is perfect for Oliver Cotton's new work Daytona. You are literally in the living room of the apartment in New York where all the action takes place. Joe and Elli's happy little world is thrown into turmoil by the arrival of Joe's brother Billy after a 30 year absence. What does it all mean? What secrets will be revealed? In all fairness I cannot say too much about what happens as it spoils the surprises and twists in the plot.
I can talk about the actors and their performances. Harry Shearer as Joe is good but the night I was there had a few fluffed lines. John Bowe as his brother Billy, is a volcanic presence - a bit too loud in the bits between Billy and Joe. The strongest performance is that of Maureen Lipman. It's a long time since I have seen her on stage and forgotten what a presence she has. She is a fine actress with a great sense of timing.
Go! Support this new theatre. I will be going again!
Tuesday, 9 July 2013
Gloriana - Benjamin Britten - Royal Opera House
It seemed a good idea on paper to restage Britten's Gloriana, which was written for the Coronation, in the Jubilee year. But somewhere along the line the production sunk the opera in waves of distracting 'business' from characters not part of the action.
The opera was set as a production being done in a village hall to celebrate the Queen's Coronation, this meant that we had lots of slow scene changes, prompters waving their hands around at the side of the stage and a reduction in the size of the stage space to allow for all of this to go on. And it was distracting.
The opera gets bleaker as it goes on.....The scene where the Queen takes the dress and parades around in it, is cruel. The Elizabeth and Essex scene in her bedroom is strong and dramatic - one of the the few scenes to work well as the action was focused around the two principal characters.
Susan Bullock's Elizabeth was well sung. Her diction did away with the need for surtitles. Toby Spence was a dashing Essex. He seemed to be having great fun in the dances.
I think, like a number of things I have seen this year, it was another wasted opportunity all round - but not a total disaster!
The opera was set as a production being done in a village hall to celebrate the Queen's Coronation, this meant that we had lots of slow scene changes, prompters waving their hands around at the side of the stage and a reduction in the size of the stage space to allow for all of this to go on. And it was distracting.
The opera gets bleaker as it goes on.....The scene where the Queen takes the dress and parades around in it, is cruel. The Elizabeth and Essex scene in her bedroom is strong and dramatic - one of the the few scenes to work well as the action was focused around the two principal characters.
Susan Bullock's Elizabeth was well sung. Her diction did away with the need for surtitles. Toby Spence was a dashing Essex. He seemed to be having great fun in the dances.
I think, like a number of things I have seen this year, it was another wasted opportunity all round - but not a total disaster!
Political Mother: The Choreographer's Cut - Hofesh Shechter - Sadlers Wells
I had seen Political Mother before and I enjoyed it. When it was brought back to Sadlers Wells <http://www.sadlerswells.com> as part of the Sadler's Sampled season it seemed a good show to take some friends along to.
By and large they loved it, particularly the music. My favourite quite being "Nine Inch Nails isn't as loud as this!" And the music is very exciting - strings, rock guitars, drums, drums and more drums. They weren't so wild about the piece itself with comments ranging from - what was going on, what was it about, repetitive and a bit long. And none of the three people I was with realised that the final section was the whole thing being rewound.
My view is still - what's with the socks, Hofesh? I will be interested to see his new work, later in the season.
By and large they loved it, particularly the music. My favourite quite being "Nine Inch Nails isn't as loud as this!" And the music is very exciting - strings, rock guitars, drums, drums and more drums. They weren't so wild about the piece itself with comments ranging from - what was going on, what was it about, repetitive and a bit long. And none of the three people I was with realised that the final section was the whole thing being rewound.
My view is still - what's with the socks, Hofesh? I will be interested to see his new work, later in the season.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)