CHICAGO—The majority of grand operas are tragedies with many of their main characters ending up dead at curtain’s close. So, when an opera makes one laugh and all of the characters are still alive as the finale arrives, it leaves one with a welcoming feel-good sensation. Such is the entertaining case with “Le Comte Ory,” now playing at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Operatic Romp
With a libretto by Eugène Scribe and Charles-Gaspard Delestre-Poirson, the story of the lusty and bawdy Le Comte is supposed to take place during the 12th century as a troupe of soldiers take off to fight the Crusades, leaving their girlfriends, wives, and sisters behind. The womanizing Count Ory, who decides that fighting against the infidels isn’t in his best interest, stays home and sets his sites on a more personal, more seductive battle.The Count’s page, Isolier, is in love with Countess Adèle and confesses to Ory his plan to woo her. Ory appreciates the idea—but for himself. With seduction in mind, he seizes the opportunity to beguile the lovely and pure Countess Adèle. To do so he has to enter her castle by disguising his identity: He does so by passing himself off as a holy man offering spiritual and romantic advice to the women in the court, as well as by pretending to be a nun. All that madcap pretense is a riotous hoot that leads to a lot of ridiculous and hilarious shenanigans.
The opera premiered in Paris in 1828, which means that the jokes about cross-gender identities and sexual tomfoolery would not be questioned in its day, but does not pass muster in ours. Indeed, from some perspectives, the opera should be attacked and perhaps closed down. But director Bartlett Sher figured out an imaginative way to overcome that politically charged problem by staging an opera within the opera. Sher’s intriguing concept is now being used by revival director Kathleen Smith Belcher for the Lyric’s “Le Comte” production.
Instead of just taking center stage, the action is set on a wood-plank theatrical platform, whose set designer Michael Yeargan embellished with old-fashioned pulleys, wheels, footlights and a fairy-tale castle. That setting makes it look as if the opera is being played out during an earlier time rather than a more modern one.
Can They Sing!
What makes “Le Comte” an especially engaging presentation, though, are its enchanting performances by a very talented ensemble that includes Lawrence Brownlee who not only commands the opera with a rich, velvety tenor as Comte Ory, but who sings Rossini’s razor-sharp, fast-paced notes with compelling ardor. In addition, Kayleigh Decker provides a crystal-clear mezzo-soprano performance as Isolier, Ory’s page, as well as demonstrating a charming physicality with slapstick comedy.The highlight of the portrayals, though, is that of golden-voiced soprano Kathryn Lewek, who not only delivers delightful vocalizations but also demonstrates terrific comic timing in her portrait of the entitled and demanding Adèle.
As always, music director Enrique Mazzola does a great job leading the exemplary Lyric orchestra, and the Lyric chorus, under chorus master Michael Black’s direction, comes through with robust antics that add to the opera’s hysterical humor.
The one quibble in this exuberant, laugh-filled gem of an opera is the costuming by designer Catherine Zuber. The opera is supposed to be set in the 12th century, yet the garb, except for the knights who don’t show up until the end of the production, look to be the dress of a more modern century. That said, the costumes are lavish and beautiful and they don’t get in the way of the rollicking fun of the work.
While “Le Comte Ory” was written by Rossini at the end of his spectacular career (his 38th out of 39 operatic works), his sparkling, effervescent music stands out as a bubbly delight, enjoyed all the more because its uplifting, energetic, and joyous melodies are a contrasting tonic for today’s tough times.
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