Review of 'Romeo and Juliette: the Opera'

The opera is one of my favorite pastimes to enjoy. I like going out dressing up and looking like I am a millionaire. This is one of the operas that you do not want to miss. Romeo and Juliette is also a good starting point for you if you have not enjoyed opera before. Everyone is familiar with the story of Romeo and Juliette, so it is easy to follow along. Shakespeare's famous play is transformed into an opera, and it is entirely a spectacle that you do not want to miss.

In Romeo and Juliette, the Alberta Ballet was a pleasure to watch. Even though they had a few dancers, their movements and dancing were flawless. However, their makeup did vary, and you could see it from far away. When dancers dress the same, they should also look similar to each other to create the ballet illusion. I noticed that sitting from where I was I could see that many of the dancers had red lipstick and there was the odd one or two that had minimal to no make-up at all. However, the make-up was a small detail that missed, and it was probably something not everyone in the audience could see. The way that the dancers just flowed with the music was mesmerizing. It is very rare that ballet and opera have meshed together. When I first heard that they were working in collaboration with the opera, my first thought was that it was going to look tacky and not fit in with the opera at all, but the pieces and the movements that were choreographed by Jean Grand-Maitre were astonishing. It did not come off as choppy as I had worried.

In the Alberta Ballet article Grand-Maitre says that: "Every time I inhabit this profoundly moving story I see it completely anew.” It is rare for a director to have different views for each performance he or she does. It often comes across as repetitive and not very different from what others are used to seeing. For Jean Grand-Maitre to see things differently every time is a real blessing for dancers to have.

Gounod wrote a stunning piece for a Soprano to sing; it is also one of the more difficult pieces to sing. Anne-Marie Macintosh does the part justice; you can feel the emotion as she sings the duets between her and Romeo. She is a new face to Canada's operatic scene, and it feels like she has been doing this for a long time, and with her background in the Manitoba opera and her attendance at the prestigious Glenn Gould School, it was no wonder they cast her as the leading lady of the stage. The high notes, which are typically hard to reach came effortlessly to her. She was for sure the main attraction at the opera.

It seems that Adam Luther is one of the most wide-ranging opera singers that I have come across. He has been part of the Manitoba Opera as well as Minnesota Opera and has been in Calgary and Edmonton for the New Years concerts. He has achieved high standards for the role of Romeo. Romeo's love for Juliette is portrayed through his perfect voice and his presence on stage. His gorgeous voice during the scene where Juliette is "dead" is something no one can forget.

What shocked me most was the friar's deep bass voice. When the audience first sees him on stage, I was expecting a mediocre tenor voice, but when he opened his mouth, and the words sang out, it was a pleasant surprise. The sound, which I heard belonged to Alain Coulombe. He has collaborated with many conductors in the past. He is one of the critics' favorites, and it is easy to see why. The in-depth notes roll off so quickly and effortlessly it was easy to see why he was cast for one of the significant parts in Romeo and Juliette. During the dress rehearsal, he was one of the few singers that did not hold back.

When it came to the minor characters in the plot, they did justice to their roles. Peter Berrett (Mercutio) did a great job of delivering the comedic parts of the Opera. Stephanie Tritchew did a marvelous job of acting like a young boy; I did not recognize it was a woman because of the way she walked and had confidence in her step as she took the role of Stephano. Alexandre Sylvestre(Capulet) had a robust noble-like presence on the stage, and it made you pay attention when he sang.

Overall, this opera was well put together by the Calgary Opera and the Ballet. Let's not forget the complicated scene changes that had to be done quickly and efficiently without anyone losing interest. The stage looks magical with the columns and the subtle hints of wind blowing through the curtains. It was an opera I will not forget.