San Diego Opera / Ressenyes

To Camille Saint-Saëns, the operatic appeal of the biblical subject of Samson is perfectly understandable. Theoretically, the story contains the dramatic trappings of exciting grand opera: a romance, tragedy, larger-than-life setting, a ballet. But for current operatic audiences, it is easy for the subject to appear stale. With a lack of dramatic dynamism, staging this piece can be a challenge. Saint-Saëns’ sweeping score leaves a lot of freedom for dramatic interpretation and the results can be ineffective. This production of Samson and Delilah, directed by Lesley Koening, is reasonably successful at bringing the ancient story to life with some believable stage action. While there were some missteps, such as some awkward reclining/sitting by the two lovers in the second act, there were many scenes of appropriate direction that played up the subtext of the story. The Hebrews’ tepid reception of the hero in the first scene and Delilah’s subtle discovery of Samson’s strength are two instances where Koening used her creative license to craft a more convincing narrative throughout Saint-Saëns’ expansive landscape.

With the help of Stage Director Alan E. Hicks, each of the principals created a memorable character that grew with the increasingly intense emotions of the libretto.

Timothy Nelson’s clever direction is jam-packed with creativity and scenic eye candy designed by Tim Wallace that keeps the audience engaged throughout the production’s three hours. Ingrid Helton’s lush costumes set the story in a picture-perfect 1950s America, where the men gamble over their women’s virtue in a locker room, then disguise themselves as mustachioed silver screen-style cowboys.

San Diego Opera Again Proves Itself Worthy of 'Must-See' Status