Let me tell you what surprised me about this. On paper, “Songbird” is a multi-dimensional time travel adaptation that made my head explode. It is an opera set in 18th century Peru, written by a 19th century French composer, and then transferred by the composer to his early 20th century New Orleans. What an opera company should be like in the 21st century.
Elsewhere, in a decidedly perilous situation, “Songbird” is part of a belated body of work that was originally conceived during the pandemic’s darkest moments and is only now arriving on stage. Original co-director and WNO Artistic Director Francesca Zambello conceived an adaptation of the film in 2020 as an outdoor production for the 2021 Glimmerglass Festival (which she directed until 2022). Years later, we receive more one-minute commissions, doomed Zoom relics, and mini-operas about “isolation” than we know what to do with.
But “Songbird” shreds any potential red flags into an explosion of ribbons and fringe. With its extravagant Mardi Gras-infused stage, “Songbird” is nothing short of a satisfying romp (despite a few errant feathers).
The choice of Offenbach's madcap comedy, about two starving Peruvian artists and their manipulation by a powerful benevolent governor, was recommended by mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard. She sings the title role with an unbeatable comedic touch that matches her formidable pipes.
The decision to move Opéra Boeuf to a sleazy bootlegger in Prohibition-era New Orleans was made possible by Zambello and his director, who led an onstage ensemble of 11 players toward the rear of the Café des Muse. It was born out of a conversation with James Lowe.
And it was the work of librettist and Louisiana native Kelly Rourke who hybridized opera's native language, French, into a NOLA-inspired French/English gumbo (which is quite a challenge). did. He has a dual talent for writing singable English and groan-worthy sentences. Dad jokes. Director Eric Shawn Fogel expanded on the original's more sparsely featured features with evocative sets by James F. Rotondo III and costumes by Marcia LeBoeuf (also from Louisiana) and Tim Burrow. This ensures that this fantasy New Orleans is never misunderstood. party city.
Lowe's jazz re-orchestration of Offenbach's music leans heavily toward classic New Orleans jazz, with reference pots featuring plenty of King Oliver, Jelly Roll Morton, and Louis Armstrong. are doing.
But he also wrote Songbird's sorry/not-so-sorry letter to his current co-star and future lover Piquillo, “O mon cher amant, je te jure” (a reference to Canadian actor and singer Ramin Karimloo). sung by), it deftly maintains Offenbach's ironic tenderness. Lowe also retains the composer's wit and cheerfulness. Leonard gave a fun and bright rendition of the song “Ah!”. “Que les hommes sont bêtes!” sings the songbird, lamenting the unreliable stupidity of humanity.
Similarly, Lowe's band had a convincingly hairy, unbuttoned sound that gave the impression that they were clambering to the back of the show line, as if they were in the second row. But Rowe kept them tightly contained, with small dramatic embellishments that caught the light like rhinestones. Lee Rogers on trombone was sensational, as was Tim White on trumpet. Clarinetist David Jones often lit his instrument like a match and performed memorable comical turns by leaning out of the arch.
The whole percussion section was on point, with a lively xylophone flying over the trap kit, adding lots of unexpected tonal pop. Jim Roberts on banjo and Andrew Hitz on sousaphone (instruments later added to the score) were also highlights of the evening. And a notable turn by Chicago-based pianist Jo Ann Dougherty made a nice addition to the mix.
Most of my rants were easily drowned out by the show's small confetti of fun.
The use of microphones, another vestige of Glimmergrass Lawn's past, resulted in an unavoidable uniform flattening of the singer's midrange. Leonard has enough power on stage to overcome such disturbances, but Karimloo's voice shines with a rougher edge more suited to musical theater, and her generous, charming voice I was having a hard time matching the warm tone. (In fact, there was a moment of distrust when their compatibility was questioned due to the difference in their voices.)
The supporting cast was also a little uneven (partly due to the hall acoustics). I enjoyed tenor Jonathan Pierce Rose's brief appearance as an aristocrat, and baritone Justin Burgess was perfect for the laughs as the “guide” who inexplicably crashes through the floor of Piquillo's cell. . Soprano Teresa Perrotta was my favorite of the three “muses,” with a voice to match and a magnetic presence on stage. Edward Nelson, with his rich baritone, plays viceroy-turned-mayor Don Andrés with amusing exaggeration, and once or twice his arrogance manages to evoke sympathy.
Baritone Jonathan Patton's bootlegger, Don Pedro, feels completely out of place in his bar, even though he sings powerfully. His joke-telling sidekick Panateras was put on weight by Sahel Salam, a talented tenor I've enjoyed elsewhere, but he scared me too many times with his fake hyena laugh. did.
But most things are forgivable if the party is good enough, and “Songbird” is a well-thrown bash. As the ensemble piece in Act I proclaims, it is a place of “shameless flaunting,” specializing in “all the luxuries you can choose.” If you can get it through the door, it's worth a try, even if it's late to fashion.
“Songbird” will run at the Kennedy Center's Eisenhower Theater until March 23. www.kennedy-center.org.