After hearing about a 2 for 1 discount for the final Rigoletto performance, I decided it was time for my first opera. I’d always been interested in seeing one, and this invitation, which included access to the VIP salon before the opera and during the intermission, along with an introduction to Rigoletto by David Adams, the locally-born Assistant Director, was too great an opportunity to miss.
We found our seats, and the house lights soon began to dim. The stage, obscured by the grid of a large metal curtain illuminated from above, remained still as the orchestra came to life. Then slowly, characters began to reveal themselves. An odd collection, circus-like in their costumes and mannerisms. A woman on the trapeze, and a man on stilts- some 4 ft high. Red lights, yellow lights, bright white, and deep blue.. The set, a great cage elevated 8ft above the stage, contained the spectacle and presented it for all to see. It was a modern take on a traditional opera – a different interpretation, allowing an old story to reach a new audience. Here is my prize, it said. You may watch, but you mustn’t touch, for the players are dangerous, and the consequences tragic.
Lights faded in and out, from the left and from the right, and jesters, quiet and steady, animated props with practiced precision. A solitary soprano, perched atop a crescent moon, reached out for her love. Eglise Gutierrez, as Gilda, sang sweeter than any songbird ever could. Her voice, rich and pure, spoke to the soul as her melodies dipped, jumped, and soared to every seat in the house. Darkness, and a deserved ovation led us to intermission.
Vancouver Opera was happy to greet us again as we entered the salon to enjoy assorted desserts and opinions. I gave my take on the performance in an impromptu interview, comparing Rigoletto to The Phantom (does that count as blasphemy?) Regardless, the clip is on youtube, so I’ll let you be the judge.
In no time, the bells rang and the show continued. Alterations to the set helped to ensure the cage didn’t grow tiresome, and the musical delights only got better. By the end, I was positive that I had made a good decision in coming to see Rigoletto. The tragic, and abrupt ending, was so unexpected in a world where big screen movies drag on and on, or conclude with all loose ends tied up nicely.
This, along with the evident popularity of the event, is perhaps a sign that Opera may well be on the rise… If they continue to reach out to a younger generation, perhaps someday we’ll hear about Gutierrez, or Eichelberger, or Bruce Sledge, or Donnie Ray Albert, on entertainment blogs. Why bother with Jennifer Aniston, when there are people with such incredible talent just waiting to be seen?
Or perhaps that’s the thrill of the opera: mystery, intrigue, drama, and emotion… transcendent joy, and unexpected sorrow.. never twice the same, and always dependent on the viewer’s perception.
Browse Timeline
- « Retour
- » Tube Debris
