BWW Reviews: SEMELE at BAM, Handel in a Temple

"Semele," written by Handel in the 18th century, set no small scandal among its baroque audience for both its musical structure and basic themes of carnal lust and Grecian morality. Zhang Huan's "Semele," in performance at BAM by the Canadian Opera Company, certainly continues this tradition of shock value. However, the renowned performance artist's confessed ignorance of opera renders the performance's shock value superficial, while his more profound meditations are frequently smothered with overcompensating theatrical panache.

Based off the Roman tragedy, "Semele" follows the plot of its titular heroine who is betrothed to Athamas, but has been in an affair with Jupiter. Ino, Semele's sister, is in love with Athamas and marries him at the opera's conclusion (they do not marry at the end of Zhang Huan's production.) Jupiter steals Semele to a castle where they cavort and live in bliss. Juno, wife of Jupiter, is jealous of Semele and sets a plan in action to trick Semele to her doom. Disguised as the sister Ino and with the aid of the sleep god, Somnus, she convinces Semele to refuse Jupiter her bed until he grants her whatever wish she desires. She convinces Semele to ask Jupiter for immortality by seeing him in his god form. Juno's plan works and Semele is turned to ash as the chorus mourns.

The production's center piece is an authentic Chinese temple, purchased by the director for this production. It is ethereal, monumental, and dignified. It's a perfect vessel in which to perform the music of the man who wrote "The Messiah." Sadly, the performance which it contains is notably vacant of the dignity this austere temple demands. With so much debauchery within the space this temple calls to mind a grandparent getting beset on by children with makeup and markers and who is simply too exhausted to protest.

The unevenness of the cast is founded on dissonant perspectives of the characters. Rising above the chaos is Hilary Summers as Ino and Juno. Her performance is a great foil against the ethereal protagonist Semele. Her drag queen style pomp matches the production's aesthetic and nearly makes her garish costuming warranted. The chorus is lost and confused in this production, flitting throughout the theatre with a pandering quality that would make even the most remedial community theatre companies balk. Transcending the piece time and time again, Jane Archibald, as Semele, astounds in her reserved presentation and sublime musicality. In one of the first moments of the evening to be stripped of the otherwise ubiquitous mania, Ms. Archibald sings a simple aria alone on stage in front of bamboo, all the time clutching a lantern. This moment's faith in the confluence between music and visual places it safely above the rest of the first two acts.

The third act's focus saves the evening's turmoil. The delirious chorus is either shelved offstage or, while onstage, is allowed to sing without feigning acting. The story is told without much garnishment, save a large blow up Somnus, who rests atop the stage's temple. Also, Ms Archibald offers one of her finest performances in this act.

I believe that Zhang Huan truly understands something profound in "Semele." His relationship to opera and Handel, however, are only by association.

Photo by Andrew Lamberson