From FRONT ROW CENTER:
The opera Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro) presented by Teatro Grattacielo received a resounding ovation on Friday, and for good reason. A strong cast supported by a superior orchestra delivered a performance of Mozart’s masterpiece that was both entertaining and intriguing. Director Stefanos Koroneos’ vision, to illuminate the dualities within each character through light and shadow, burrows into the material without shredding it.
Figaro traffics in contradiction and intrigue, layering humor on biting social commentary as it pillories a culture that privileges social position over social norms. In brief, the faithless Count Almaviva has his lecherous eye on his wife’s maid Susanna, despite her imminent marriage to Figaro. Countess Rosina has her own would-be suitor, the Count’s youthful page Cherubino who is also carrying on with the gardener’s daughter Barbarina. Adding to the melee, there is Marcellina, a matron determined to marry Figaro, by force if necessary. Meanwhile Figaro is running around trying to make his marriage celebration happen before the Count can get his hands on Susanna. Comedic mayhem ensues.
As Almaviva, Nicola Ziccardi sings in a sturdy baritone, sputtering in frustration when things don’t go his way. As Figaro, bass Jongwon Choi delivers a rich, dark, authentic sound. Bry Toll, a classic, sparkly soubrette is excellent, but she has been directed to play Susanna as a bit too conscious of her cleverness. We don’t see the woman behind the smart cookie until her final duet with Figaro, when Toll sings with touching vulnerability. It’s a captivating transformation, making this duet one of the highlights of the performance. In the role of the Countess, Sarah Rose Johnson displays an instrument that is truly special. Her resonance, range and timbre have the right heft for the Countess, with sweetness and ease through her upper extension. Johnson’s Porgi amor was particularly affecting. Watching Johnson and Eugenia Forteza as Cherubino flirt is great fun. Forteza is irrestible – all arms and legs, sly smile and goofy expression.
The production frames the action in an opening tableau of props. The singers in modern dress stand upstage, while the Countess lies downstage on a bed of shoes – literally — in a display of excess that perfectly evokes her status. A synecdoche for the Countess herself, the shoes prove central to the action. Hurled in anger, lined up, handed off, tossed like a rock as in a game of hopscotch, they represent anything you wish. (These shoes are made for talkin’!)
There are a lot of moving parts in this comedy, which could benefit from some restraint. For example, Susanna’s fidgety blocking for her aria Deh Vieni undermines the aria’s intent, rendering the seductive lyrics irrelevant. It made the tempo feel rushed (or maybe it was rushed). There are also many wonderful touches – Emilio’s flamboyant fan, a hint of a minuet, the dash of a flamenco hand gesture. Unfortunately this simplicity exposes the overuse of the shoe metaphor. It’s a great conceit but it wears out its welcome, especially after two hours, as does the frequency with which the performers sing in the dark. The use of light boxes and hand held flashlights to create shadows and direct our attention is clever, but personally I like to see who’s singing. Musically, this Figaro stands strong. Conductor Abdiel Vázquez leads the excellent orchestra with precision and joy, drawing a full sound out of a handful of accomplished instrumentalists.
Introducing the piece, Teatro Grattacielo’s Artistic Director talked of intimacy that is both exposed and hidden. Because I am an intellectual sophisticate, I flashed on the recent Coldplay concert kiss cam catastrophe. The eternal battle between intimate space and public forum continues, fueled by the hubris it takes to assume privacy where, by definition, there can be none. The ultimate irony, of course, is that the blind assumption that his authority would never be questioned is what proved to be Almaviva’s undoing. Stunted by his lack of self-reflection, Almaviva was a mere shadow. His power made him weak. Elites beware.
