Fascism and a clown suit: L.A. Opera's gripping new 'Rigoletto'

Though mean-spirited, the jester Rigoletto — Verdi’s hapless, vengeful hunchback — wins our hearts arsenic the outsider whom a heartless satellite truthful often abuses. “Rigoletto” remains an opera reminding america wherever to nonstop our sympathies erstwhile authoritarianism remains the alternative.

That is not arsenic straightforward arsenic it sounds. Los Angeles Opera has struggled with 1 insufficient “Rigoletto” accumulation aft another, imported oregon homegrown. Singers and conductors person been counted connected to prevention the show, and sometimes they have. Last clip around, the astir absorbing publication was, nevertheless scrappy, conductor Matthew Aucoin’s idea-rich interpretation.

This time, astatine the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion connected Saturday night, L.A. Opera unveiled a violent, politically disquieting accumulation successful which a tortured jester faces mob rule. If an out-of-control clown gives you the creeps, cheque retired the assemblage successful cartoon masks meant to disguise evil.

Tomer Zvulun, who heads Atlanta Opera, wherever this accumulation got its start, begins his director’s enactment successful the programme publication with a punctuation from Alfred Hitchcock: “There is nary panic successful the bang, lone successful the anticipation of it.” Baritone Quinn Kelsey’s gripping “Rigoletto,” arsenic bully arsenic it gets these days, is each bang. The men of the L.A. Opera chorus are panic personified.

This is the 3rd clip L.A. Opera has turned to cinema for assistance with “Rigoletto,” connected the aboveground a spellbinding drama. L.A. Opera successful its advertisements likens it to movie noir.

For the company’s archetypal spell with the opera successful 1993, it approached Peter Medak, who unluckily bowed retired to marque the thriller “Romeo Is Bleeding.” Seven years later, L.A. Opera went Hollywood. Film manager Bruce Beresford updated the ducal tribunal of Mantua to present-day Beverly Hills and Venice Beach. But neither formed nor institution were up to making it work.

Zvulun, who turns to fascist Italy successful the years earlier World War II, counts arsenic his inspirations the films by Federico Fellini and Luis Buñuel. That doesn’t bash overmuch either. Resources erstwhile much autumn short. The turntable set, which evokes small of anything, was created for Wolf Trap Opera successful Washington, D.C. The chorus’ cruelty is fitting, but masks are by present a commonplace movie trope for evil.

The Duke, a philanderer, has acold little involvement successful mob regularisation than successful chasing skirts. The enactment scenes with leggy dancers, meant to beryllium decadent, are inoffensive. But determination is violence. Knives are convincing. Zvulun introduces mayhem and murder. Two ghosts marque appearances for goosebumps.

The lighting (Robert Wierzel) is full-bore noir. The acceptable is mostly acheronian with characters starkly spotlighted giving the content of a black-and-white film. A tempest scene, 1 of Verdi’s large innovations, is truthful powerfully revealed that it has nary request for the added strobe effects.

The lighting, successful fact, is key. It highlights some the spot of the formed and immoderate of the weaknesses of the production.

Quinn Kelsey arsenic Rigoletto successful Los Angeles Opera’s caller accumulation of Verdi’s opera astatine the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

(Corey Weaver / Los Angeles Opera)

Kelsey, who has spent a bully woody of his vocation impressively singing the rubric relation astir the world, is present weighed down by his costume. Somehow among the elegantly dressed successful fascist Italy society, determination is this feline successful a agleam reddish clown suit.
His outsider presumption arsenic a hunchback is alternatively a costume that presumably serves arsenic scarlet missive oregon Star of David.

Still, the old-fashioned quality of this “Rigoletto,” on with an fantabulous cast, saves it. So does James Conlon’s conducting, which supplies humanity to Kelsey’s fuming anger. It takes a batch to emotion Rigoletto, who keeps his daughter, Gilda, locked up, though she, of course, sneaks retired and falls for the count.

Kelsey whitethorn deficiency the warmth of immoderate of the large Rigolettos of the past, but determination whitethorn not person been immoderate much powerful. The visceral vigor of the choler of this feline successful a clown suit is the worldly of nightmares. Rigoletto orchestrates his ain downfall and Kelsey’s fearfulness astatine the extremity feels similar the unleashing of a caller breed of violence.

Lisette Oropesa is backmost arsenic Gilda. In the erstwhile L.A. Opera accumulation she began blandly lone to beryllium awakened by the earthy meaning of love, singing precise prettily each the while. She does truthful again, the blandness this clip each the much superficial and ensuing extent arsenic greater, the prettiness richer and mattering more. She romanticizes her lover, the Duke disguised arsenic a student, looking successful her reflector portion applying makeup, arsenic though “Caro Nome” were “I Feel Pretty.”

But her duets with Rigoletto are large with emotion, and she is stunningly angelic successful the end.

As the Duke, René Barbera, a airy and agreeably lyric tenor, goes his ain way. He is overpowered by the chorus, oblivious to each but pleasure. There are galore beardown voices, notably Peixin Chen, the regal bass who plays the assassin Sparafucile, and Sarah Saturnino, a seductive mezzo-soprano who is his sister, Maddelena, who lures the Duke.

This “Rigoletto” closes Conlon’s penultimate play arsenic L.A. Opera euphony director. Seemingly calved to behaviour Verdi, Conlon tin whip up arsenic overmuch melodramatic excitement arsenic anyone mightiness need. But helium has successful caller years taken a much expansive attack to Verdi. His restraint and reserved pacing classes up immoderate of the cheaper tricks of the accumulation and, much important, gives position to it astir almighty ones. Listening to the elegant orchestra, the clown suit didn’t look truthful bad.

After 32 years of failed attempts, L.A. Opera has yet moved the “Rigoletto” needle successful the close direction.