By Liz Christensen
Utah Opera’s 2018 production of Romeo et Juliette is the company’s third Salt Lake City production of the piece, composed by Charles-Francois Gounod with libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré. Against the backdrop of a longstanding feud between their two great houses, Montague and Capulet, lovers Romeo and Juliette chose to wed. The fallout from their surreptitious meeting, covert courtship, and secret marriage cost the lives of beloved members of each household, Tybalt of the Capulets and Mercutio of the Montagues. With Count Capulet arranging for Juliette to wed his chosen suitor, Paris, Juliette relies on Frère Laurent to fake her death and send word to Romeo. Word does not reach Romeo in time and upon seeing Juliette lying in funerary light, Romeo takes his own life by poison. Waking to the demise of her beloved, Juliette uses Romeo’s dagger to join in him in death.
Stellar performances by the 54-member cast are supported by the luscious playing of the 53-member Utah Symphony. Chorus Master Michaella Calzaretta and Conductor Robert Tweten create a masterful musicality between the chorus and the orchestra, creating some of the most musically effective moments of the story with the choral pieces. Stage Direction by Vera Lucia Calabria is alternately simple and beautiful in stillness, and revealing and demonstrative in staging that elaborates on plot and character relationships beyond what the libretto scripted.
Anya Matanovic transforms Juliette from an idealistic child to a devoted woman, beginning with a voice as nimble and joyful as her youthful energy, growing into her own radiance in the balcony scene, and maturing into the full powers of her womanhood as she engagingly grapples with her decision to take the sleeping potion. That her demeanor and her voice both take the journey shows considerable skill and artistry. Joshua Dennis as Romeo is a swooning wooer, his voice a caressing carriage in the balcony scene. Effective as he is as the young lover, Dennis’ honorable, conciliatory, and vengeful turns in early Act Two fleshed out this ingénue role favorably. Through their multiple duets, these superbly paired voices lift and merge together indelibly.
With at least 24 other operatic adaptations of Shakespeare’s classic, continuing to remount Gounod’s work shows an understandable affinity for the piece, though the adaptation is not without drawbacks. Barbier and Carré hit all the iconic imagery, generally keep an engaging pace, and contrast the heavy material with some lovely moments of comedy. Altering the timing of when Juliette’s poison takes effect and when it wears off has considerable dramatic effect and is among the best of the adaptation’s changes. Where this version does disservice to Shakespeare’s story is in downplaying the Nurse to a character of no interest or import and sidelining the conflict between the houses of Montague and Capulet, a natural consequence of having no Montague characters of Count Capulet’s generation, no Lady Capulet at all, and ending the opera without any Montagues or Capulets having to acknowledge the cost of the feud over the bodies of Romeo and Juliette. Reviving the piece allows Utah Opera to display the same astonishing and ingenious set (designed by Eric Fielding) and reworked updates of sumptuous costumes (Susan Memmott Allred) used in previous productions in 1998 and 2005. The excellence of the artistry in those areas, combined with lusciously textured lighting design (Matthew Antaky) present the viewer with a deeply satisfying and rich portrait of 14th-Century Verona.
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Some of Gounod’s most engaging music comes from Montague cohorts Mercutio (Efrain Solis) and Stephano, an original male character sung by a mezzo-soprano in the opera tradition of “pants roles.” Megan Marino is utterly beguiling as the young page Stephano. Her every turn onstage is a highlight and her aria “Que fais-tu” is delivered with delightful clarity, seemingly effortless control, and hilarious bravado. Solis’ aria about Mab, queen of all dreams, is a perfect introduction to a playful, teasing dynamic so refreshing to this tragic story. Energizing to whatever relationship their characters’ are playing, Solis and Marino together make a delightful duo.
The scene following intermission, beginning with Stephano’s strutting and ending with Tybalt’s death is an electric ride through comedy and drama, deftly maintaining an enthralling intensity through combat, negotiation, humor, and revenge. The excellent fight direction of David Christopher DuVal is inventive and fervent, but always at the service of character and story. Christopher Oglesby as Tybalt is a captivating masculine force with a rich and easy voice. For two polar characters equally responsible for the confrontation that leads to Romeo’s banishment, Oglesby’s Tybalt and Solis’ Mercutio endear themselves and allow us to mourn them equally.
Utah Opera’s Romeo et Juliette provides all the sensory delights one wants from such an iconic and romantic story. The sheer talent on display on all fronts allows one to slip easily through each emotional beat of the story. It is a night of harmonious contrast, breathtaking musical ability and stunning beauty. As Count Paris proclaims, “riches and beauty are [indeed] guests here.”
Utah Opera and Utah Symphony present Romeo et Juliette Composed by Charles-Francois Gounod, Libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré, Sung in French with English supertitles.
Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre 50 West 200 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
October 13 7:30PM, 15, 17 7:00PM, 19 7:30PM, 21 2:00PM
Tickets: $20-$107
Contact: 801-533-NOTE (801-533-6683)
GENERAL AGE GUIDELINE: Individuals ages five and older are welcome at this performance. Parents should ensure their children are able to sit quietly through the performance without disturbing others around them. No babes in arms will be admitted.
Photo Credit: Dana Sohm
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