At the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, the Los Angeles Opera continues a successful start to the new season with a stirring take on the Shakespearean classic highlighted by two powerful lead performances.
By John Lavitt
Los Angeles, CA (The Hollywood Times) 11-07-2024
The Los Angeles Opera is off to a fabulous start to the new season, with Romeo and Juliet coming soon after an outstanding performance of Madame Butterfly. Conducted by the charismatic Domingo Hindoyan, then followed in the second half of the run by Lina González-Granados, the music by Charles Gounod brings out the best in the source material. With a running time of three hours and 15 minutes, the production is challenging in length, but the quality keeps the audience pinned to their seats from beginning to end.
Kitty McNamee, the Director/Choreographer of the LA Opera’s production of Romeo and Juliet, brings forth excellent performances from the vast cast. Most essentially, Duke Kim, as Romeo, and Amina Edris, as Juliet, deliver emotionally resonant performances taken to the next level by their impressive skill. A tenor with a voice transcending his size, Duke Kim comes across perfectly as the teenage boy falling head over heels in love. Charismatic and energetic, he captures the center of the stage while interacting well with his fellow performers.
As Julie, soprano Amina Edris is nothing less than stunning. Born in Egypt and raised in New Zealand, she takes on the role of the Italian young lady with passion and aplomb. Beyond being sensual as an object of desire, her intelligence carries the role. From the beginning of the infatuation, she understands the risk of the two of them coming together. Although caught up in the passion, she feels the historical strain of the conflict between the two families. Given such an awareness, Edris communicates the senseless tragedy of the story in a manner that touches the audience’s heart.
As a scenic designer, John Gunter outdoes himself with a brilliant set that provides scope and size while never intruding upon the storyline. The massive sets’ negative space allows the cast to move the gigantic pieces quickly, setting up different flavors and feels for the variety of scenes in Shakespeare’s original. From the sacred space of the chapel where the tragedy unfolds to the intimacy of Juliet’s bedroom, each set-up is fluid and effective.
However, Gunter’s greatest success is the construction of Juliet’s iconic balcony. The balcony set-up allows Romeo to climb in a foolhardy, yet assured manner. The negative space created by the openness of the construction gives a sense of fragility. Indeed, Romeo and Juliet’s most private moments always seem to be on the verge of being interrupted. Such a vulnerability is the heart and soul of the young love expressed in this triumphant opera. Even if the young love is doomed, the resonant performances by the two leads give the audience a refreshing hope that makes the end of the play much more powerful.
Photos Courtesy of the LA Opera and Cory Weaver
