The Minnesota Opera Orchestra played on at the Ordway, despite voting to authorize a strike last week. Negotiations may not be resolved, but the orchestra musicians didn’t miss a beat in the charming production of “The Daughter of the Regiment.”
The union passed out flyers before Saturday’s opening night performance, amidst the bustle of the Winter Carnival outside the theater.
Inside the Ordway, a sprinkling of audience members wore red in support of the orchestra musicians. The musicians earned cheers when they entered the pit, and some raised their hands, bows and even instruments in the air.
Then they sat down to play the overture, conducted by Kelly Kuo. They began with a beautiful horn solo, followed by the addition of the wind instruments and then the strings. The overture weaves in the sounds of military drums, the feeling of horses riding and other music that helps color the story with its military setting.
“The Daughter of the Regiment” is an 1840 opéra comique (meaning a mix of spoken dialogue and arias) by Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti, composed in the bel canto style, with many a showcase moment of virtuosity for the stars. Donizetti wrote it soon after moving to Paris, setting it to a French libretto by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Jean-François Bayard.
Taking place during the Napoleonic Wars, the story centers around a French regiment, who, for much of the first act, are stationed in the Alps outside of a town they nearly conquer. The first scene features villagers fearful the soldiers will raid their town, but we don’t see much of those villagers again after the first scene. This is a pro-France story, designed to make the audience empathize with and even love the regiment despite their conquering ways.
Amongst the regiment is a young woman named Marie who considers the unit her family: she was left in a basket with them as a baby. They are the only “fathers” she’s ever known.
Vanessa Becerra performs Marie with spunk. Dressed in wide legged slacks and a vest, she swears, is comfortable wielding a sword, and swaggers about the camp. Her soprano voice rings clear and bright, and Becerra easily shifts between the comedy and drama in the story. She brings an aching beauty to her performance of “il faut partir” (I must leave), with accompaniment from the orchestra that has touches of pizzicato and mournful sounds created by the wind instruments.
In the second act, when Marie is forced to wear a tutu and act like a lady, her comedic skills are in full effect.
There’s a slew of very physical comedy in the production, stage directed by John de los Santos. The physical humor is most ably performed by Margaret Gawrysiak, who holds all of La Marquise de Birkenfeld’s contradictions together with clownish ease. Drag performer Monét X Change, an alumnus of RuPaul’s Drag Race, also takes a show-stealing turn as La Duchesse de Krakenthorp.
While light comedy reigns throughout most of the story, the stakes get raised significantly at the end of the first act so it verges on melodrama. David Portillo, who plays Marie’s romantic interest Tonio, captures his character’s emotional range well, especially when he sings “Ah! mes amis, quel jour de fête” (Ah, my friends, what an exciting day.) With exuberance and magnetism, Portillo delivers the difficult aria and its marathon of high notes with easy mastery.
In all, the team has put together a light and entertaining production.
‘The Daughter of the Regiment’
- When: 7:30 Thursday, February 9 & Saturday, February 11, 2 p.m. Sunday, February 12.
- Where: The Ordway, 345 Washington Street, Saint Paul.
- Tickets: $28-$340 at my.mnopera.org.
- Capsule: Comedy, love and French patriotism make for a fun evening of opera.
