Porgy & Bess

Warning Spoiler Alerts!!

It's been a little while since I sat down and reviewed an opera or play I saw and I thought it was about time I started doing that again. I'm a subscriber at the Washington National Opera and last night I saw the opening of its production of Gershwin's Porgy and Bess. Now before I go ahead and trash the performance I will be upfront about my biases going into the performance:

1. I don't like Gershwin. Really not at all.
2. Opera should not be sung in English. It just shouldn't be. Like Mass should always be said in Latin, opera should be sung in European languages (specifically Italian, German, French and on the occasion, Russian)
3. It's possible that my seats in the fourth row back and to stage left have some sort of weird bubble preventing sound penetration.
4. I don't like Gershwin (it's worth saying twice).

The good, however limited I found it to be, was that the set and costuming was appropriate. There wasn't any of that failed "creativity" that annoys me so much. I am generally a purist when  it comes to set and costume design and believe that they should be done according to the period in which the production was written. I do not think that resetting things is always bad if done well (anyone see the Shakespeare Theatre Company's Love's Labours Lost?) but the problem is that often some director/visionary gets too caught up in something and either goes overboard or is done completely half-assed. None of that last night, thank you.

The chorus was excellent, usually the WNO does manage to get at least that much correct. There were a lot of really good (especially female) voices in there. Also brilliant were Eric Owens as Porgy who had a powerful voice and the sweetest face; Lisa Daltrius as Serena whom I would like to hear sing something else-she had an amazing voice that got lost in the ofttimes discordant music; and Eric Greene as Jake. Native Washingtonian Alyson Cambridge (who is stunning btw) was...good. Could not really hear her very well (number 3 above) and I did not care for her vibrato. Sounds like that will become a tremolo sooner than later. Morenike Fadayomi as Bess had some very nice notes. Yeah that's about all I've got for her. Although I don't know, maybe it's really difficult to sign while you're being an alcoholic hyped up on coke. I just don't know.

My absolute favorite part of the entire opera? One of the supernumeraries. The most adorable little girl on earth who must have been about three or four years old. There's a scene in opera in which everyone is marching around and she was the most enthusiastic little marcher I have ever seen. She did not reappear after the intermission, I would guess because it was well past her bedtime, and I sorely missed her.

I would say that the majority of the bad I lay at Gershwin's feet. Anything that is 2.5 hours long (3 hours when you throw in the WNO's 25 minute intermission) should be worth the entire 2.5 hours. The scene with the woman selling strawberries and the guy selling the crabs? What was that?! That's like 3 minutes that I will never have back. Also true to opera written during this period, there was some dissonance and a lot of talking. Like actual talking, not just recitative. I really did not think you could call something opera when there is talking and that is usually what knocks it down to an operette or a musical? Where's my mom with these answers when I need them? And what the heck was that ending? That was the hands down stupidest ending I have ever seen.

The most egregious badness in this production falls on the WNO's head for bad casting. Jermaine Smith as Sportin' Life. I do not know what he sounds like in other productions he's in but if his performance last night was truly indicative then he should never be aloud to sing in public. Ever again. Ever. It seemed to me that the WNO sacrificed someone who could sing for someone who could do a little soft shoe. Although I don't know, maybe Gershwin meant for this character to not be able to sing. I would not put such a thing past someone who included three minutes about strawberries and crabs that was completely superfluous to the plot. Although to Mr. Smith's credit, he portrayed the character quite well and very much disliked and was creeped out by him.

The opera was excellently acted which is not always a given with WNO casts. But with the actors sometimes sacrificing singing for the sake of acting, KMac and I wonder if Porgy and Bess wouldn't be better off as a musical. One of those musicals that is mostly talking with like 3 or 4 songs. Short songs.

La Traviata

The Moglie and I got season tickets for the WNO this year and on Saturday night went for the very first opening night of the season, La Traviata. Now, if you read the review in the Washington Post you may be less inclined to get tickets; however, the performance was far better than what the Post allowed.

In my less than humble opinion the soprano, tenor, and baritone were all marvelous. Not only could they all sing and sing well (poo to you Post), they could actually act! I've seen other WNO operas in which the acting and the singing have not been good (*cough cough* La Boheme except Vittorio *cough cough*)so I say kudos to these people. I am not, despite my own acclamations, a learned judge of opera or vocal talent...but having grown up with a classically trained opera signing mother who listened to this very opera so often when we were kids that I'll bet my siblings and I can recite it...I do ok with the judging. And generally I am not kind.

I've also heard some accusations (not just from the Post) that the WNO is playing things "safe" by doing traditional settings for La Traviata. So? I mean seriously, so? Is it really now necessary to take every bit of classical something and modernize it? Does that honestly help us better relate to the story? Is a director therefore uncreative if he chooses to do something traditionally? Personally for me no. Rather I often find the modernizations,"creativity", and "innovations" distracting. But that is just my personal taste. La Traviata is an archetypal story that works in any era and any setting so if you're setting it for the critics then I guess make them aliens and set the opera on Mars. Heck, they made a movie out of in the 30's with Greta Garbo so aliens might work just fine. However, maybe being traditional is the new creative. The WNO isn't the only theatre going back to tradition this season and I for one am looking forward to it.

In any case, the WNO has set up a fantastic season this year and I think they opened it brilliantly on Saturday. For me this production of La Traviata is not only possibly the best opera I have ever seen, but also meant the most to me. Go see it. You will enjoy it.

p.s. Despite the movement to get people to go to the theatre and not be afraid of it by encouraging audience members to remember that at one time it was pop culture and dress how they like and wear jeans etc..Don't. I will hunt you down if I find out you've gone to the opera in jeans.