OPERA RIGOLETTO IN WELLINGTON
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Rigoletto: an audacious and glittering cape
Fat ladies and furs are far from the reality of a modern day opera experience. Leave your chuck taylors behind, and give this old art a new chance.
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NZ Opera’s Rigoletto adorned an audacious and glittering cape for a full house in Wellington on Saturday night. And as the velvet curtains of the St James Theatre rose so did the bold cape of Rigoletto, to reveal a great tale of revenge gone wrong. The price of love and life are comprised for all. Opera should not be kept alongside Grandma’s dusty blue china teacups. Nor should it just be shared like a club sandwich for the ‘ladies who lunch’. NZ Opera has produced a contemporary rendition of an epic art form with Verdi’s Rigoletto, and this one that should not be missed.
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As the crisp autumnal breeze nibbled at our ankles, we were pleased to reach a foyer buzzing with excitement and anticipation. It’s not your average Saturday night rage, yet the shoes were shined and the ladies were looking glam. This hype flowed through into the theatre, and an electrically charged energy seemed to resonate off the walls. To be perfectly frank, Rigoletto is a sordid and somewhat depressing affair, as it delves into deception, bribery, abduction, adultery, assault and murder. To a certain degree it does in fact replicate the TV news we see every night, so it’s no wonder this tragedy is a popular one on the opera circuit.
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The story goes like this:
A deformed and ridiculed court jester, Rigoletto (played brilliantly by Warwick Fyfe), aids his master in the seduction and entertainment of young women in the court of Mantua. As quick as the set turns, the tables do turn too; the Duke seduces Rigoletto’s own daughter, unlucky-in-love Gilda.
Emma Pearson’s vocals and acting imbued all the elements of Gilda’s personality: innocent, youthful and sweet. Wearing her heart on pink pajama sleeves, Emma’s sparkling performance makes this opera a must-see. Fyfe is a charismatic Rigoletto: comical, emotional, outraged and somewhat bi-polar. As the Duke, Rafael Rojas delivers the opera’s most famous aria “La donna e mobile” with charm and precision. I wouldn’t mind hearing him sing in the shower.
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Lindy Hume returned to NZ Opera to direct Rigoletto and it was evident she brought a fresh layer and perspective to the stage and characters. The creative salt was sprinkled throughout to accentuate the poignant and very much relatable themes within this operatic melodrama. The interplay between chorus, orchestra and lead roles vigorously commanded the aural and visual spaces with operatic flourish. In the pit, Wyn Davies created a series of orchestral fireworks as he brought together the intense and colourful score to life with the Vector Wellington Orchestra.
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Simply put, an opera needs all the trimmings and this one dishes up large. The enterprising and striking set of Richard Roberts was impressive, with its gold embellished doors and faux marble walls conjuring up a grand version of a Mantuan court. In contrast, Rigoletto’s dwelling presented a more retro feel, and the characters used the space well to show off both the familial and societal constraints on Gilda and Rigoletto. Characters and set aside, I did miss the talent of costume designer Elizabeth Whiting in this production, and the costumes could have had more attention to detail. That said, the tarts in Act One did look foxy in their mini sequined numbers, and no doubt they spend more time than the average gal working out at the gym.
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You may not speak Italian or have a penchant for classical music, but opera dives through an insightful, enchanting window of historical tales, beautiful music and art. And this, I believe, is why opera should be tasted by everyone.
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Rigoletto offers everything one could want in a production – high calibre, powerful, engaging and polished. As the cape of Rigoletto fell and the applause levels rose, we all knew the lashings of Rigoletto sauce were well-received.
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