Manitoba Opera closed its season with one of the zaniest operas in the repertoire, Mozart’s beloved opera buffa The Marriage of Figaro, last staged locally in November 2015, chronicling “one crazy day” in the lives of its love- / lust-struck characters.
Winnipeg-based stage director Robert Herriot – no stranger to this company – packs plenty of hijinks into his Figaro, filled with slapstick physical comedy, mugging and side-splitting visual effects in which one could practically hear Mozart cackling with glee. He’s fortunate to have a goldmine of artistic talent to work with in bringing Lorenzo Da Ponte’s libretto to life, including maestro Gordon Gerrard, also performing keyboard continuo from his podium, marking his MO debut. The maestro immediately put opening night’s sold-out crowd on notice that we were in for a great time with a particularly zesty overture, as he led the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra with finesse through Mozart’s glorious score.
With the four-act opera transplanted to the 1950s, the former barber-turned-valet Figaro (Robert Mellon) is preparing to wed his beloved Susanna (Caitlin Wood), a maid to Countess Almaviva (Miriam Khalil). The lascivious Count (Phillip Addis), wishing to exercise his “droit du seigneur” feudal rights, attempts to seduce Susanna. Many convoluted plot twists later à la commedia dell’arte, the paired off couples – both noble and commoner alike – ultimately realize the redemptive power of love and how the “simple” act of forgiveness heals all wounds, whether real or perceived.
Figaro is fundamentally an intimate ensemble work, and thankfully, strong casting created a tightly knit unit with nary a weak link onstage.
Mellon, in the title role, crafted a swaggering protagonist with comedic timing as sharp as his (now retired) barber’s blade. He well earned his cries of bravo for his final aria, “Aprite un po’ quegli occhi,” spitting out his tongue-twisting text as he breaks the fourth wall and decries the fickle capriciousness of women. Wood, in her own MO debut, charmed us with her wholly believable, ever-dutiful Susanna, who plots, plans and spars with her fiancé. Her crystal-clear soprano soared through “Deh vieni, non tardar,” with the singer, now disguised as the Countess, singing her “pretend” love song to her “husband” with lilting grace.
Addis crafted a compelling Count, who lords power over others while succumbing to his own thwarted desires. The singer projected his strongly resonant vocals during “Hai già vinta la causa! / Vedrò, mentr’io sospiro,” which served as brooding counterpoint to the comic froth of the piece. By contrast, his touching finale “Contessa, perdono!,” in which he begs his wife for her forgiveness, added its own potent grace note.
Khalil, displaying powerhouse vocals, infused her portrayal of the long-suffering Countess with a natural regal bearing fleshed out by aching humanity. Her eagerly anticipated “Porgi amor” stirred, seemingly sung from the depths of her anguished soul while her second aria, “Dove sono i bei momenti” proved (surprisingly) edgier, marred slightly by minor intonation issues during her runs. Khalil’s interpretation, loaded with subtext, fascinated as her Countess discovered her own fire as a newly empowered heroine with a feminist punch.
Photo Credit: R. Tinker
From left to right, Peter McGillivray, Krisztina Szabó, Caitlin Wood and Robert Mellon in Manitoba Opera’s The Marriage of Figaro
Several standout performances pumped even more joy into the opera’s whirlwind narrative. One of those came from Canadian opera treasure, Peter McGillivray, and his larger-than-life reprisal of one of his many signature roles, Dr. Bartolo. His tufted wig evoked Bozo-like buffoonery, but it was underpinned by deeply resonant vocals as displayed. His sidekick, mezzo-soprano Krisztina Szabó’s Marcellina, made every moment of her relatively brief stage time.
Mezzo-soprano Pascale Spinney, in the trouser role of a heavily mustachioed Cherubino, elicited some of the night’s loudest guffaws, with her gender-bending pageboy’s “Voi, che sapete” evoking the sweetness of Chaplin’s tramp.
Every appearance by MO veteran David Watson feels cause for celebration, with the bass-baritone’s gardener Antonio fretting about his crushed geraniums after Cherubino’s high-flying leap through the Countess’s window. Soprano Grace Budoloski (MO debut) infused her Barbarina with innocent girlish charm as she harnesses her feminine wiles and crystal clear, coloratura voice. Kudos to tenor Jean-Philippe Lazure, replacing ailing tenor James McLennan, for his convincing double roles as Don Basilio and Don Curzio.
Several scenes could have been pushed further in terms of stage business and blocking, at times feeling overly static à la the proverbial “park ‘n’ bark.” Ken MacDonald’s original, sculptural set design, modeled after the eye-popping abstractions of Joan Miró – even including a “frame” that suggested we were witnessing a living “painting” – filled the stage with bold primary colour while adding to the overall surrealistic ethos.
Scott Henderson’s lighting design did not always allow singers to be fully visible, with Act Four’s garden scene particularly dim. Nancy Bryant’s original costumes included haute couture gowns for nobility, but the MO Chorus, well prepared by Tadeusz Biernacki, included many who were strangely garbed in funereal black during Figaro and Suzanne’s nuptials.
Beyond all the tomfoolery, Figaro is at its heart an ode to love as well as the games people play, with the ensemble’s final belted-out “Don’t walk, run and celebrate life!” becoming a rallying cry for the ages, whether gazing at life through realistic or fun-house, kaleidoscopic eyes. It was perfect for general director Larry Desrochers’s final curtain call, capping his 25-year career and leaving us laughing at the all-too-often preposterous, imponderables of life.
Photo Credit: R. Tinker
Phillip Addis, as the Count, attempts to seduce Caitlin Wood’s Susanna at Manitoba Opera
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