Jacques Offenbach, nineteenth-century composer of bright operettas featuring can-can dancers, wanted to write a grand opera before dying, resulting in “Les Contes d’Hoffman”, or “Tales of Hoffmann.” In this work, the early fantasy writer E.T.A. Hoffmann becomes a character in his own stories, narrating them. Now Bel Cantanti Opera is offering its production “Les Contes d’Offenbach” — “The Tales of Offenbach” — in which the composer is himself a character, telling about his life and introducing his own operettas.
Dale Dwyer makes for a marvelous Offenbach, speaking of Offenbach’s triumphs with verve. Mr. Dwyer also lends the play a tasteful sense of humor, much in keeping with the operetta style. The audience is thereby introduced to and experiences key excerpts of Offenbach’s works.
The production, subtitled an “Operetta-Gala,” is directed by Bel Cantanti’s General and Artistic Director Katerina Souvorova, who accompanies her operatic stars superbly on stage on piano. This is further enhanced by the Four Seasons Dancers, in elaborate costumes, directed and choreographed by Elena Jones. The setting is simple, with thoughtfully-designed props by Bel Cantanti’s man of all trades, Peter Burroughs.
One of the advantages of having Offenbach narrate is that he can tell stories of classical mythology which would have been widely known to Offenbach’s audiences in 1800s Paris, but less so today. An instance is when he tells of the Judgment of Paris, in which the Trojan prince Paris is obliged to choose who is the most beautiful of three goddesses: Aphrodite (Venus), Hera, or Athena. He chooses Venus, who rewards him with “Le Belle Hélène,” “the beautiful Helen” in the opera of that title. (Unfortunately, this leads to the Trojan War!) Tenor Allan Palacious Chan is an impressive tenor in his aria “The Judgment of Paris.”
Offenbach also narrates “Orpheus in the Underworld,” perhaps Offenbach’s most famous operetta. Mr. Dwyer reminds us of the classical tale of the musician Orpheus, whose lover Eurydice dies on their wedding day; Orpheus enters Hades in order to reclaim her to the world of the living. The cast then launches into Offenbach’s satirical take on the myth, with can-can dancing declared the official dance of hell. Mr. Chan this time portrays the god Jupiter singing the humorous “Fly Song,” and soprano Cathrine Wethington displays impressive vocal range as Eurydice in “Couplets of Regrets.”
Coincidentally, Offenbach’s operetta “La Périchole” is currently being performed by the Washington National Opera in 1920’s garb under the title “Songbird.” In contrast, Bel Cantnati here offers a more traditional presentation of selections from “La Périchole,” with mezzo-soprano Melanie Ashkar singing a wonderful “I’ve Dined So Well” as her character Périchole becomes comically inebriated!
Another fun sequence is a selection from “The Grand Duchess of Gerolstein,” in which baritone Rob McGinness plays a general who has to welcome a duchess used to getting her own way. He exuberantly expresses through song that he is General Boom Boom in “Piff, Paff, Pouff,” with onomatopoeia galore, as the name Boom Boom is echoed by the drum sounding; each in turn represents the sound of the firing of cannons.
We at last come to Offenbach’s opéra fantastique “Tales of Hoffmann.” In the “Crespel” sequence of “Hoffmann,” the doomed singer Antonia suffers from a mysterious ailment which produces her ethereal-sounding voice but which also announces her impending death. Soprano Emily Casey emotes a haunting “Ella a fui la tourterelle” as Antonia. Some songs are presented in the original French, whereas others receive English translation. Wonderful supertitles by Johanna Alexander are helpful in aiding the audience’s understanding of both.
Catherine Wethington plays the life-size mechanical doll Olympia in the “Doll’s Song” from “Tales from Hoffmann” with delight and humor, as she sings and gesticulates automaton-like motions. Falling silent twice in the middle of her charming chanson, she is rewound with an oversized key for her to continue.
“Les Contes d’Offenbach” is a highly entertaining introduction to the works of Jacques Offenbach, a composer with whom opera, operetta, and musical theatre lovers will enjoy getting better acquainted.
his excellent production has one final performance on March 23, 7:30 p.m. at the Bender Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington (6125 Montrose Road, Rockville, MD). For further information, please visit belcantanti.com.
