Victorian Opera / Reseñas

James Roser sang a pain-ridden Amfortas to perfection, from his first appearance, wearing white blood stained pyjamas, carried on a litter to perform the Grail unveiling. We could hear the pain in his voice, his rich baritone resounding as he agonised for salvation.

The ensemble cast was uniformly excellent. Standouts include Alastair Cooper-Golec, who gave us a vividly acted and strongly sung Drebednyov — funny, charming, and gross all at once (not quite Don Drakulich as Sleazy P. Martini, but definitely headed in that direction), Nicholas Beecher as Barabashkin, who was just plain gross (in the best possible way), and Amanda Windred, who was clearly having so much fun with Vava that the whole room couldn’t help but join in.

Following several years of nurturing, Richard Mills’ chamber opera, The Butterfly Lovers, has metamorphosed from concept to a fully-fledged operatic experience of theatrical splendour. Emphatically an artistic collaboration between Mills, Victorian Opera’s Artistic Director, and Ivan Heng, Founding Artistic Director of Wild Rice, one of Singapore’s leading theatre companies, any qualms regarding cultural appropriation are irrelevant. The shadow that for many people casts a pall over Puccini’s Madam Butterfly and Turandot has no place in this fusion of creative talents.

Glitter and tulle abounded as little girls (and boys) came to experience Victorian Opera’s family-friendly production of Massenet’s Cinderella. Condensed to just under an hour it was a more inviting opera experience for a young audience, and possibly for many of their escorts, than the full version of more than twice the length.