![]() ![]() SF Opera assembled a youthful cast for the central characters, all of them were making house debuts on Sunday. I personally dislike the use of scrim screen in any performances, not just operas, therefore I was disappointed to find that the whole duel scene (Act 2 Scene 2) was performed behind one! I didn’t think it served much purpose if anything it masked the audience from actually seeing the duel (I barely could see the silhouettes from where I sat) and it dimmed the gorgeous evening-time blue background! ![]() This would be more obvious as we looked at each singer below. There simply wasn’t any place to hide for the performers, so to speak. ![]() In an opera of feelings like Eugene Onegin, the success of each scene here became severely dependent on the dramatic ability of each performer, probably more than any other stagings. However, i feel that “the light box” unfortunately also functioned as a telescope, putting the spotlight squarely on each performer-including every gesture and facial expression-and on the interactions between them. ![]() My personal favorite was the decision to render the rejection scene in almost monochrome color, it really added the chill effect to the situation! The physical properties certainly didn’t disappoint! Levine’s towering walls with Christine Binder’s softly colored lights (ranging from sepia brown in Act 1 to shades of blue for the duel scene) were majestic, Levine’s ball gown-and-tuxedo dominated costumes were marvelous,īennathan’s dances for the Waltz and Polonaise were breathtaking, and yes, the leaves were gorgeous to look at. Inside the light box, Carsen wanted to create a very specific world through the costumes and strip away the houses and gardens to focus on the interrelationships.” McClintock also tapped the original 1997 production (sets and costumes) designer Michael Levine and choreographer Serge Bennathan to assist with his direction.įamed for its “autumnal leaves and gilded chairs,” this production thrilled me when I finally witnessed it after hearing of its greatness over the years. Further, regarding Carsen’s staging, he mentioned that it “ends up being like a light box. ![]()
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