Calgary Opera's Rigoletto

Calgary Opera and the Jubilee Auditorium are consistent about two things. On opening night the show will not be quite ready for prime time. It will hang together well enough, and they will likely get it fixed by the final performance on Friday, but, we really should be offered discount tickets for the opening night.

More on this later, but let it be said the cast was superb. Glorious singing from beginning to end. So there is a third thing Calgary Opera is very consistent with: casting the ideal people for the roles. In advance there was the anticipation of hearing Richard Paul Fink in the lead role. His rich baritone is ideally suited to Verdi and it was a real treat to hear him live after so many afternoons on the radio. His stage presence adds to the voice characterization. David Pomeroy has the ideal tenor for the Duke's role - melodic and heartfelt throughout. He was particularly effective in conveying the lack of self awareness that is central to this role, particularly in the Donna e mobile aria. Tracy Dahl exceeded expectations, bringing to the role a new colour in her voice that created a wonderfully realistic portrayal of Gilda who is torn between being a captive pet of her father, longing for the perfect first love, being rewarded with the ultimate betrayal, and then taking flight from life in the guise of self sacrifice.

So, what was not ready?

Yet again the sound technicians spent the first part of the evening tuning the hall. Really, is that not supposed to happen during rehearsals? This is not a problem unique to the Jubilee. The Jack Singer does the same thing. Shame.

The Director's take on the opera and the unique stage design were a challenge. The stage direction and set worked extremely well in the first act; failed completely in the second, and struggled but managed to work in the third.

The problem seemed to be that with the concept we the audience would require some overstated symbolism to 'get the drift.' Guess what, Verdi has already done that with the score. All the director and stage designer really need to do is reference the vivid imagery, not pound it in with distracting props. Did we really need the moon for Gilda's first act aria? Did we really need Gilda's white dress, red dress and then white dress again? And we definitely did not need the oversize Halloween pumpkins to symbolize the twisted, haunted and broken minds of the court? They reminded me of the universally reviled post modern Euro-trash production of Macbeth that Chicago Lyric put on a few years ago. A main feature of that set was a gigantic armoire which all the murdered characters used for their entrances and exits just so we would know the Macbeths had skeletons in their closet.

The music was great. The CPO sounding wonderful in their reading of the score.

Perhaps what Calgary Opera needs is to appoint someone with the authority to oversee these concept productions and remind the 'creators' that less is more, and to simplify is better than complex elaboration when all they need do is enhance the images and emotions in the work. And, for sure, if it is a new work, spend the money on adequate rehearsal time before opening night.