“The Elixir of Love” Turns Back The Clock of Love at The Minnesota Opera

The Elixir of Love will be enchanting audiences at the Ordway in downtown St Paul through this weekend. The latest in Minnesota Opera’s 2023-2024 season, this production effortlessly captures hearts with its romantic comedy storyline, charming cast, and delightful stage design. The Elixir of Love only runs through February 4^th, so get the posse together for Galentines or surprise your sweetheart with an early Valentine’s viewing of this classic Italian opera.

The premise of The Elixir of Love is familiar to anyone who has watched a romantic comedy made in the 90s. A rich woman thinks she is better than the poor man who is smitten with her and she refuses his advances until outside circumstances change her mind. Because of course stories that 1) celebrate the humbling of women and 2) showcase average men obtaining the extraordinary go back to at least the 19^th century. And yet director Daniel Ellis has done an exceptional job polishing this opera into something that easily holds its own against the scrutiny of a 21^st century audience member. 

Vanessa Becerra plays the perfect Adina. She is stunningly beautiful and has a crystalline soprano voice and self-assured swagger that plays well to a modern audience. Costume designer Angela M. Kahler dressed Adina in oversized pants, a conservative (but sheer) button up, and a teal scarf that I briefly mistook for a tie. This is a costume designed to prevent the audience from dismissing Adina as haughty or self-absorbed. Sure, Adina might be the type to take a new lover every day, but when we meet her, her hair is pulled back into a low pony and she has her nose buried in a book. Sure, she might believe that her beauty and charms are more powerful than any love potion, but when she rebuffs the peasant who is in love with her, she does so tenderly. Adina needs a gentle, nuanced portrayal in 2024 and she gets it. 

Joseph Lattanzi (Belcore) and Andrew Stenson (Nemorino) play opposite as Adina’s competing love interests. Belcore is as arrogant as Nemorino is lovable. Lattanzi easily garners chuckles and eyerolls and Stenson’s lighthearted approach to Nemorino along with his clear tenor voice will steal your heart. The chemistry between Becerra’s Adina and Stenson’s Nemorino is palpable, which can likely be traced at least partially to the work of intimacy director Alessandra Bongiardina.

The stage design is lovely, although more maximalist than the usual fare at the Minnesota Opera. Several orange trees, which are lit by fairy lights in the second act, curve around a sweeping estate, which towers in front of a backdrop showcasing a sloping Italian countryside. 

Following the maximalist theme, our principals are supported by a large chorus, which adds to the rich and vibrant atmosphere on stage. The orchestra, conducted by Christopher Franklin, underpinned the production and added yet another layer of magic to the show.

I could easily go on highlighting performances, aesthetics, and more – there is a lot to gush about with this show – but it is better to let you experience it for yourselves. The Elixir of Love is a lush, pre-Valentine’s treat that I recommend for anyone who enjoys a classic love story, a colorful stage production, and beautiful music. 

The Elixir of Love
February 1 and 3 at 7:30 PM; February 4 at 2:00PM
The Ordway Musical Theater, 345 Washington Dt., Saint Paul
$60.00-178.00
https://mnopera.org/season/2023-2024/the-elixir-of-love/