The West Bay Opera production of Gounod’s “Faust,” on stage for two more performances at the Lucie Stern Theatre in Palo Alto, is an awe-inspiring triumph of creative brilliance over the mundane.
The music, by French composer Charles Gounod, is beautiful and powerful, and West Bay Opera General Director José Luis Moscovich has assembled an excellent cast of principals, an outstanding chorus and an excellent orchestra to deliver it.
And in what a setting!
In this production, ideated by stage director Ragnar Conde, Faust is an old, failed, genetic scientist in a dystopian, post-apocalyptic future, with survivors living among the scrapped, dysfunctional detritus of abandoned power plants.
But, the beautiful garden of the beautiful, pure, child-of-nature Marguerite offers respite and hope.
All of the above, and much more, including the horror-inducing cavern of Mèphistophélés’ realm, are presented via an awe-inspiring combination of set design by Peter Crompton and projection design by Frederic O. Boulay. Stunning clarity and color, some static, some moving, all adding immensely to the story, in huge projections reaching way up into the flies.
The old Lucie Stern Theatre in Palo Alto may never have been more effectively filled with imagery. Graphic designers will swoon to see that Crompton, Boulay and lighting designer Steven B. Mannshardt have accomplished.
The basic story is familiar: Faust, despairing of life and faith, old and loveless, attempts suicide. Mèphistophélés shows up and offers him a deal: He can be young again, and have all the women he wants, but must serve Mèphistophélés later. Faust sees Marguerite and, with Mèphistophélés’ help, wins her. Seduction accomplished, he abandons her and the child that has resulted. Marguerite is driven insane and kills the child, and is to hang for it. Faust makes Mèphistophélés bring him to Marguerite in her cell, tries to take her with him, but she opts to seek God’s forgiveness instead, and is forgiven, and ascends to heaven with her child.
In some productions, Faust is also forgiven; in some, he is dragged off to hell. In this one, he becomes his old genetic scientist, and finishes dying of the poison he’d drunk. All the rest of the story was his fever dream.
The story offers plenty of chances for everybody to do the right thing. Marguerite doesn’t have to fall for Faust, but when he seemingly provides her with jewels, she takes the bait. She could have taken the flowers offered by Siebel, the teenager who loves her, but jewels trump roses.
Faust doesn’t have to take Mèphistophélés’ deal, but does, and continues to stick with it, even though he seems to have some power over the devil. In the end, Faust realizes he really does love Marguerite and tries to save her from hanging, but crazy as she is, she still recognizes that there is something wrong about his offer (“What is that blood on your hands?”) and goes to God instead.
The West Bay Opera version in effect removes God from the moral tale, when it turns out the whole thing was a dream. Bring your own thoughts about that.
Part of what makes this production so whole, so satisfying, is the excellent singing and mostly effective acting of the principals.
Elizabeth Zharoff, in her first appearance with West Bay Opera, is beautiful and very appealing as the young and pure Marguerite, and stunningly powerful of voice. As Marguerite’s sad story unfolds, she becomes a wretched, pathetic broken rag doll, her madness spilling out over the stage. Brava.
Kevin Thompson as Mèphistophélés is brilliant in every regard, an audience favorite with his powerful bass and his stage-controlling, 6-foot-5 presence. His every move as Mèphistophélés is compelling.
James Callon brings a beautiful tenor voice to Faust, and is always compelling when singing. As an actor, he seems to have less to do than he should. Sometimes he seems to just be standing there, watching. Still, that voice is extraordinary.
All the other principals — Bernard Bermudez as Valentin, Molly Mahoney as Siebel, Patrict Houston as Marthe and Ryan Bradford as Wagner — are in excellent voice. Mahoney was an audience favorite on opening night last week.
And hats off to the chorus and orchestra, and to the sound design by Tod Nixon. The Lucie Stern tends to have trouble with the sound in the rows closer to the stage, but back in Row P, the sound was magnificent. The chorus was beautiful and powerful. A very few sour notes did not take much away from an overall excellent performance by the orchestra.
Opening night was not sold out, which means some of you have to go to the blackboard and stand with your nose in a chalk circle for an hour.
Do not miss this magnificent production. Their last performances are Saturday and Sunday.
Email John Orr at jorr@dailynewsgroup.com.
Opera
What: “Faust”
By: Charles Gounod; libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré, from Carré’s play, “Faust et Marguerite”
When: 8 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday
Who: West Bay Opera; General Director José Luis Moscovich, Stage Director Ragnar Conde
Featuring: bass Kevin Thompson, soprano Elizabeth Zharoff, tenor James Callon, dramatic mezzo-soprano Patrice Houston, mezzo-Soprano Molly Mahoney, baritone Bernardo Bermudez and baritone Ryan Bradford
Where: Lucie Stern Theatre, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto
Tickets: $40-$75 (discounts available); 650-424-9999 or
www.WBOpera.org