Reviews
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AOC’s "LakmÉ," tale of forbidden love, a crowd-pleaserDramatic sharpening would boost production valuesBy Edward Kupperstein
It’s a sad truth: Some of life’s most appealing things may just not be good for us. Look what happens in "Lakmé," the opera by Léo Delibes that opened Friday night at the Tucson Convention Center’s Music Hall. A beautiful white flower turns out to be poisonous, symbolizing the fatal attraction of lovers caught in a clash of cultures. Forbidden fruit, all over again. Yet somehow, in spite of the tragedy, the Arizona Opera production evokes an endearing atmosphere of gentle tranquility and sweet innocence. Perhaps the feeling is enhanced by the exotic look of the sets: a temple garden, public square and forest in 19th-century India; or maybe by the colorful saris created by Nina Silverberg for the Indian women; or by the dramatic orchestral score under the able direction of Michel Singher. But, most of all, the spirit of Friday’s performance rested on the tiny shoulders of soprano Aline Kutan in the title role. From the beginning of Act I, when she was heard in an ethereal chant offstage - soaring over the chorus - she set the tone of the opera. She displayed a limpid, lyrical voice in the lullaby at her lover?s sickbed and in the love duets, as well as a facile command of the coloratura gymnastics required for the role. In the well-known "Bell Song," which is sort of a show within the show, she rang the rafters with the power and agility of her delivery, leaping to the proper pitches with extraordinary precision. The Music Hall audience of 1,500, considerably smaller than usual, was delighted with this show-stopper. Baritone Edward Crafts was an imposing figure in the role of Nilakantha, a Brahmin priest who is Lakme’s father. The powerful resonance of his voice served him well. He showed a broad dramatic range - at times angry and frustrated, and then caring and compassionate. At the end of the opera, there was a nice touch when he disdainfully discarded the deadly flower that seals the final tragedy. Daniel Hendrick, portraying the English officer who falls in love with Lakmé, looked a bit oafish in his ill-fitting uniform. And his somewhat thin tenor wasn’t quite up to the task: The lush orchestration covered him frequently. Mezzo-soprano Donna Ames was splendid as Mallika, the servant. Her rich, burnished voice blended well with soprano Kutan in the duet in Act I. Among the English ladies, who are really treated unsympathetically in this opera, soprano Janet Hosley (Ellen) was a standout. The stage direction didn’t help the English gentlemen, either. In one sequence, a small squad of the military - looking like toy soldiers all waving flags - paraded through the throngs on Indians in the public square. Pretty silly stuff, even for an opera. But the square was the scene of another genuine audience-pleaser: A troupe of young girls, resplendent in bright, colorful costumes, performed a group of charming Indian dances. Asha Gopal was the choreographer.
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Lakmé (Synopsis) |
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