photo supplied by Vancouver Opera

The Elixir of Love is a comic opera, or opera
buffa as it would be in Italian. Light entertainment really.
It's sort of the 1832 equivalent of Austin Powers or Pret-
ty Woman. It's not really meant to shed any light on

serious existential questions, but rather to entertain and _

amuse. The Elixir of Love succeeds admirably.

Sure, you can pack in a lot more easily accessi-
ble complexity into movies. In general we're accustomed
to much more rapid communication these days than the
good people of 1832. To a 1999 sensibility the plot
seemed a bit slow at times.

| mean it's laughable, really. The story is quite
simple. Nemorino Vohn Osborn) loves Adina Vane Gier-
ing-De Haan). Adina loves Nemorino too, of course, she
just doesn't know yet. Instead she makes to marry Sgt.
Belcore Ueff Mattsey). Naturally, this doesn't happen.
The catalyst and resolution of the conflict is the quack
elixir of love sold by Dr. Dulcamara (Frangois Loup).

Then again, you don't go to the opera for the
plot. It's the pageantry of it all. My companion and |
got plenty of enjoyment out of regarding and discussing
our surroundings.

The sets, courtesy of the New Orleans Opera,
were gorgeous. The mechanically forced perspective
combined with the rich golden lighting (Alan Brodie) cre-

©

ats

ated an overall effect of a Golden Age oil depicting an
Italian scene. Quite appropriate when you think about it.

Then there's the people watching. We specu-
lated what fun it would be to be one of the child extras
(supernumeraries they're called). Watching our fellow
audience is rewarding as well. Some people dress
remarkably well, and there was an large number of sweet
looking old men in black suits and bow-ties. Others, it
appears, look even less stylish when they try to dress up.
Yet others again don't dress up at all. Nonetheless it was
fun to pretend one was rich and sophisticated for a night.
This is not the Metropolitan or La Scala or anything, but
neither is it the Emily Carr Auditorium.

As for the performance itself... well let me start
off by stating that while | am no expert in opera. | do lis-
ten to music regularly. My companion and | both agreed
that individual cast members were slighly shaky and
weak (for opera singers that is) at the outset. However,
we disagreed as to whom that was, and both of us were
really impressed with the singers whom the other
thought weak. By the middle of the first act however,
we agreed (when we talked about it later, we didn't chat
in the middle of the show - that would be rude) that
everyone was sufficiently warmed up and did justice to
their parts. My personal favourite was Jeff Mattsey's
Sgt. Belcore. He seemed such a perfectly nice poncy bas-
tard. The orchestra, conducted by Tyrone Paterson, did
nice job, at least to my ears.

One of the advantages to attending the opera
in the present rather than in, say, 1904, is that the trans-
lated lyrics are projected onto a screen above the stage.
This allows those of us who don't understand sung Ital-
ian a la 1832 to gain a greater understanding of the
unfolding plot and jokes. In fact, general laughter issued
from the audience at numerous times, partially because
of the screen but also, | suspect, due to the solid stage
directions (David Gately).

If you're thinking that going to the opera is
worth experiencing, | have no trouble recommending the
Elixir of Love.

The story of The Cherry Orchard, written by
Anton Chekhov in 1904, still seems relevant today in a
pre-millennium tension kind of way. Director Christopher
Weddell asks the viewer, "How do we humans adjust to

the temporal flow of life? How do we deal with the suffer-

ing of change?" Indeed...

For the characters of The Cherry Orchard, change

simply means loss. The story takes place on the estate of
once-wealthy Lyubov Ranevskaya. She is facing bankrupt-
cy and her beloved cherry orchard is about to be lost. The
only one who can save it is Lopakhin, a peasant who has
risen in rank to become a wealthy businessman. Unfortu-
nately for Lyubov and her family, Lopakhin's plans include

chopping down the cherry orchard and building summer
chalets for the inhabitants of a nearby industrial town.

Lyubov and her family are so caught up in their
romantic reminiscences of the orchard that, whilé lingering
in a shadowland of an idealized past, they lose the estate
like it's on a runaway train.

High idealism, class structure, loss, and unrequit-
ed love pepper the characters’ psychic landscapes and get
in the way of practical problem-solving.

As a community theatre production, United Play-
ers' effort is a good one. There were a few rough spots on
opening night, particularly the grand hiss during a defining
moment in the play. :

The most fleshed-out of the characters was
Lopakhin, who, like the modern ladder-climber, may never
be allowed to forget his past. Yet, ironically, Lopakhin
seems to be the only character who has the ability to live
in the present. Eas Bee

Trevor Devall's Lopakihn is at once quiet and dis-
armed and then large and ignominious. Devall's delivery is
good and | believe his indignation. That.1 huff along with
him speaks to Devall's ability to: create empathy for his
character. :

Darlene Arsenault does what she can with the
confounding Charlotta Ivanova. Charlotta is the jester of .
the production, yet her words are so out of context one
questions their very: necessity in the piece. Taken out of
context, Charlotta seems like’a narcissist with very bad
timing, yet all the characters defer to her when she speaks.
Arsenault is intense and she projects beyond the confines
of the small Jericho Arts Center stage.

ECIAD's very own Alex Williams indulged his
other passions when he took on the role of Yasha the
young footman. A dashing, suave lady's man, Yasha is sar-
castic to the hilt. He breaks hearts one minute and fetches
drinks the next, all with an air of mastery and arrogance.
Williams' dark good looks suit the role perfectly and,
though the role is small, Yasha is always around, and
Williams plays the character's cards appropriately close to
his chest.

Other notable moments came from Karen Rose
who plays the lovelorn chambermaid, Dunyasha, and
Jason Diablo as the earnest student, Petrya Trofimov.

United Players does a lot with a little and it is
great to see young actors cutting their teeth here. I'm
looking forward to the upcoming School for Wives by
Moliére and Peter Whelan's The Herbal Bed .

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The Elixir of Love is a comic opera, or opera
buffa as it would be in Italian. Light entertainment really.
It's sort of the 1832 equivalent of Austin Powers or Pret-
ty Woman. It's not really meant to shed any light on
serious existential questions, but rather to entertain and
amuse. The Elixir of Love succeeds admirably.

Sure, you can pack in a lot more easily accessi
ble complexity into movies. In general we're accustomed
‘to much more rapid communication these days than the
good people of 1832. To a 1999 sensibility the plot
seemed a bit slow at times.

I mean it's laughable, really. The story is quite
simple. Nemorino Gohn Osborn) loves Adina (ane Gier-
ing-De Haan). Adina loves Nemorino too, of course, she
just doesn't know yet. Instead she makes to marry Sgt
Belcore (eff Mattsey). Naturally, this doesn't happen.
The catalyst and resolution of the conflict is the quack
elixir of love sold by Dr. Duleamara (Francois Loup).

Then again, you don't go to the opera for the
plot. t's the pageantry of it all. My companion and |
got plenty of enjoyment out of regarding and discussing
our surroundings.

The sets, courtesy of the New Orleans Opera,
were gorgeous. The mechanically forced perspective
combined with the rich golden lighting (Alan Brodie) cre~

@*®

ated an overall effect of a Golden Age oil depicting an
Italian scene. Quite appropriate when you think about it,

Then there's the people watching. We specu-
lated what fun it would be to be one of the child extras
(supernumeraries they're called). Watching our fellow
audience is rewarding as well. Some people dress
remarkably well, and there was an large number of sweet
ooking old men in black suits and bow-ties. Others, it
appears, look even less stylish when they try to dress up.
Yet others again don't dress up at all. Nonetheless it was
fun to pretend one was rich and sophisticated for a night.
This is not the Metropolitan or La Scala or anything, but
neither is it the Emily Carr Auditorium.

As for the performance itself... well let me start
off by stating that while | am no expert in opera I do lis-
ten to music regularly. My companion and | both agreed
that individual cast members were slighly shaky and
weak (for opera singers that is) at the outset. However,
we disagreed as to whom that was, and both of us were
really impressed with the singers whom the other
thought weak. By the middle of the first act however,
‘we agreed (when we talked about it later, we didn't chat
in the middle of the show - that would be rude) that
everyone was sufficiently warmed up and did justice to
their parts. My personal favourite was Jeff Mattsey's
Sgt. Belcore. He seemed such a perfectly nice poncy bas-
tard. The orchestra, conducted by Tyrone Paterson, did
nice job, at least to my ears.

‘One of the advantages to attending the opera
in the present rather than in, say, 1904, is that the trans-
lated lyrics are projected onto a screen above the stage.
This allows those of us who don't understand sung Ital-
ian a la 1832 to gain a greater understanding of the
unfolding plot and jokes. In fact, general laughter issued
from the audience at numerous times, partially because
of the screen but also, | suspect, due to the solid stage
directions (David Gately).

If you're thinking that going to the opera is
worth experiencing, | have no trouble recommending the

Elixir of Love.

The story of The Cherry Orchard, written by
Anton Chekhov in 1904, still seems relevant today in a
pre-millennium tension kind of way. Director Christopher
Weddell asks the viewer, "How do we humans adjust to
the temporal flow of life? How do we deal with the suffer-
ing of change?" Indeed.

For the characters of The Cherry Orchard, change
simply means loss. The story takes place on the estate of
once-wealthy Lyubov Ranevskaya. She is facing bankrupt-
cy and her beloved cherry orchard is about to be lost. The
only one who can save it is Lopakhin, a peasant who has
risen in rank to become a wealthy businessman. Unfortu-
nately for Lyubov and her family, Lopakhin's plans include

chopping down the cherry orchard and building summer
chalets for the inhabitants of a nearby industrial town.

Lyubov and her family are so caught up in their
romantic reminiscences of the orchard that, while lingering
in a shadowland of an idealized past, they lose the estate
like it's on a runaway train

High idealism, class structure, loss, and unrequit-
ed love pepper the characters’ psychic landscapes and get
in the way of practical problem-solving,

‘As a community theatre production, United Play-
ers’ effort is a good one. There were a few rough spots on
opening night, particularly the grand hiss during a defining
moment in the play.

The most fleshed-out of the characters was
Lopakhin, who, lke the modern ladder-climber, may never
be allowed to forget his past. Yet, ironically, Lopakhin
seems to be the only character. who has the ability to live
in the present

Trevor Devall's Lopakihn is at once quiet and dis-
armed and then large and ignominious. Devall's delivery is
‘good and | believe his indignation. That | huff along with
him speaks to Devall's ability to create empathy for his
character.

Darlene Arsenault does what she can with the
confounding Charlotta Ivanova. Charlotta is the jester of.
the production, yet her words are so out of context one
questions their very necessity in the piece. Taken out of
context, Charlotta seems lke a narcissist with very bad
timing, yet all the characters defer to her whert she speaks.
Arsenault is intense and she projects beyond the confines
of the small Jericho Arts Center stage.

ECIAD's very own Alex Wiliams indulged his
other passions when he took on the role of Yasha the
young foot man. A dashing, suave lady's man, Yasha is sar-
castic to the hilt. He breaks hearts one minute and fetches
drinks the next, all with an air of mastery and arrogance.
Williams’ dark good looks suit the role perfectly and,
though the role is small, Yasha is always around, and
Wiliams plays the character's cards appropriately close to
his chest

(Other notable moments came from Karen Rose
who plays the lovelom chambermaid, Dunyasha, and
Jason Diablo as the earnest student, Petrya Trofimov.

United Players does a lot with a little and it is
great to see young actors cutting their teeth here. I'm
looking forward to the upcoming Schoo! for Wives by
‘Moliére and Peter Whelan's The Herbal Bed