The Daily OrangeShakespearean drama "Romeo and Juliet" hails at opera interpretation
By Nicole Grabert
Posted: 2/13/09, 12:15 AM EST Section: Feature
It's a good weekend to be romantic.
With Valentine's Day just around the corner, Pulse set the scene for romance with a preview of the upcoming Romeo and Juliet operatic adaptation at Crouse College. It will soon be filling the halls of the Crouse-Hinds Concert Theater at the OnCenter.
As the actors sipped their water bottles, anxiously awaiting their chance to perform, director Douglas Kinney Frost introduced the operatic adaptation of the Shakespearian tragedy. At the preview, he discussed everything from "what it takes to create a good opera" to "the importance of 'soft feet'" onstage.
The high point of the show was when the cast sampled four of the arias from the opera, all performed in French.
First the audience witnessed "Juliet's Waltz," the heroine's entrance song when she arrives at the ball thrown by her father, Capulet. The director pinpointed the lead actress's strengths when he remarked on her "natural singing technique."
Accompanied by a piano, Juliet's voice glided up and down the scales. Her voice alone brought character and charm to Juliet's sweet and innocent introduction. Despite the exceptionally high range, her voice never faltered. With each note, she brought strength and endurance, and yet it was as if each note were delicately grazed with her voice.
Mercutio sang the next piece, "The Ballad of Queen Mab." The text is rich with imagery, as Mercutio attempted to reason with his best friend, Romeo, that his love for Juliet is just an illusion.
The baritone playing the part of Mercutio lent his brassy vocals to the part: A bold, vibrant tone which demanded attention from the audience. The actor had his diction and accent down like a natural. Plus, his animations were entertaining to watch, using different head angles, eyebrow movements, smirks and frowns.
In the original tragedy, the character of Stephano was androgynous, but thought to be male. However, the opera version calls for a mezzo-soprano, and typically only women can carry that vocal range. The actress who portrays Stephano does not dominate the stage and has less power in her voice. Although this may seem as a weakness, this foil does not necessarily need to overpower the other actors.
With Valentine's Day just around the corner, Pulse set the scene for romance with a preview of the upcoming Romeo and Juliet operatic adaptation at Crouse College. It will soon be filling the halls of the Crouse-Hinds Concert Theater at the OnCenter.
As the actors sipped their water bottles, anxiously awaiting their chance to perform, director Douglas Kinney Frost introduced the operatic adaptation of the Shakespearian tragedy. At the preview, he discussed everything from "what it takes to create a good opera" to "the importance of 'soft feet'" onstage.
The high point of the show was when the cast sampled four of the arias from the opera, all performed in French.
First the audience witnessed "Juliet's Waltz," the heroine's entrance song when she arrives at the ball thrown by her father, Capulet. The director pinpointed the lead actress's strengths when he remarked on her "natural singing technique."
Accompanied by a piano, Juliet's voice glided up and down the scales. Her voice alone brought character and charm to Juliet's sweet and innocent introduction. Despite the exceptionally high range, her voice never faltered. With each note, she brought strength and endurance, and yet it was as if each note were delicately grazed with her voice.
Mercutio sang the next piece, "The Ballad of Queen Mab." The text is rich with imagery, as Mercutio attempted to reason with his best friend, Romeo, that his love for Juliet is just an illusion.
The baritone playing the part of Mercutio lent his brassy vocals to the part: A bold, vibrant tone which demanded attention from the audience. The actor had his diction and accent down like a natural. Plus, his animations were entertaining to watch, using different head angles, eyebrow movements, smirks and frowns.
In the original tragedy, the character of Stephano was androgynous, but thought to be male. However, the opera version calls for a mezzo-soprano, and typically only women can carry that vocal range. The actress who portrays Stephano does not dominate the stage and has less power in her voice. Although this may seem as a weakness, this foil does not necessarily need to overpower the other actors.
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