The Marriage of Figaro

Opera Atelier

The Marriage of Figaro: Opera Atelier

Saturday May 1, 2010

by Brian Hay

This production was beautifully crafted. Gerard Gauci's set design was elegant and functional. It gave the performers the maximum amount of space to work with while providing enough openings to accommodate the comings, goings and instances of hiding the material requires. The wardrobe that Martha Mann assembled insured the players looked as stylish as the space around them. Bonnie Beecher's lighting kept the eye directed at the main sources of the action perfectly. Stage Manager Jessica Severin set the scene changes up so that they flowed seamlessly. The English translation was fabulous. It fit the music well and stayed faithful to the original material. Astonishingly, nobody seems to want to take credit for it.There may be a notation somewhere but it doesn't jump out at the eye.

The handling of the music was great. Under the Baton of David Fallis the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra had every nuance and shading Mozart put in place coming through with transparent clarity. It became as much a part of the characters and the flow of the action as the players themselves were, which is how Mozart intended it. The singing and acting was exemplary. Carla Huhtanen was a great Susanna. Peggy Kriha Dye sang the role of the Countess exquisitely. Phillip Addis did a magnificent job of portraying the Count as a jealous and proud young rake. He also captured the vulnerability of the character well. Curtis Sullivan and Laura Pudwell gave excellent performances in the supporting roles of 'Bartolo' and 'Marcellina'. Cavell Wood made a beautiful 'Barbarina'. Patrick Jang was strong in the roles of 'Curzio' and Don 'Basilio'. And Wallis Giunta did a fabulous job as the young Page Boy, 'Cherubino'.

There was an abundance of musical and visual highlights. Wallis Giunta's renditions of the arias assigned to the character of 'Cherubino' were definitive. These songs are two of the most famous pieces from the entire opera and her readings showed exactly why. The ceremonial dance in the third act was brilliant. Choreographer Jeannette Lejeunesse made it a perfect fit for the music and the physical space she was given to work with. Carla Huhtanen and Peggy Kriha Dye delivered a ravishing performance of the duet their characters share in the third act. The 'garden scene' shared by Carla Huhtanen and Olivier Laquerre was hilarious. The inside joke on the bottom of the bush was a nice touch as well. The twenty minute finale of the second act was spectacular. The presentation of the entire fourth act was beyond brilliant.

The only problem that hindered this production was that Olivier Laquerre struggled. His voice was strong throughout the fourth act but he seemed to lack vocal stamina throughout the first three. Hopefully, this isn't something that will continue to plague him. He exemplifies everything that's great about this company. He brings wit and thoughtfulness to his roles. He finds the fun in them. And he takes his work very seriously without taking himself the same way. This company is enriched by his presence.

His problems didn't hinder the production that much though. Though it was buried from time to time his voice still sounded good. His acting was superb. His mastery of physical sight gags and comic timing was stellar. And, problems or not, he gave gave Figaro's final aria and his parts in the scenes that followed readings that were fabulous.

Director Marshall Pynkoski put together a fabulous production here. This presentation shows fully why 'Figaro' is one of the great pillars of the entire operatic repertoire.

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