Ratpack Rigoletto

Oh man, my life is as crazy as crazy gets! Back from Orlando now since Saturday and trying to organize my life and things. As promised I did go to the Live in HD Broadcast of Rigoletto on Saturday after flying 10 hours and being unable to sleep during all of those hours. But as it always is for opera and me, it was worth it! Let’s start from the beginning shall we?

Arrived in São Paulo from Orlando about 7 in the morning and waited a while for my parents to shop at DutyFree and then at 10 am I was FREE! They left me in the subway and for the first time in 3 weeks I was completely alone and I couldn’t be happier! I went to McDonalds for coffee and there I sat sipping my latte for a very long time reading my beloved The Inner Voice by Renée Fleming. Around one I met my friend Caio (one of those friends that watched Joyce DiDonato’s Master Class with me) and we had lunch at a fantastic Japanese food restaurant. After that we went to the movies to watch Rigoletto, I always seem to arrive at the Live in HD at the nick of time, this makes me nervous. I don’t like missing anything, especially the introduction given by the host.

When we walked inside the movie theatre I couldn’t help but be totally astounded. It was packed! It was almost full! I couldn’t believe my eyes! Was this the same movie theatre that only a month ago contained 10 people who were watching Maria Stuarda? Hello? I was delighted! Just as we took our seats the “5 minutes until curtain” started popping up! I love those; I always already know all the information about performers that they give!

First scene of the opera in the Duke's 'Castle', his empire is the Casino

Creative Team:

Production: Michael Mayer
Set Designer: Christine Jones
Costume Designer: Susan Hilferty
Lighting Designer: Kevin Adams
Choreographer: Steven Hogget

Live in HD Host: Renee Fleming

Cast:

Rigoletto: Željko Lučić

Gilda: Diana Damrau

The Duke: Piotr Beczala

Maddalena Oksana Volkova

Sparafucile Štefan Kocan

Well, it starts, and who better to host than our beloved Renée Fleming! I was so excited, I kept showing my friend the book and saying, “It’s her! It’s her!”. And then the Rigoletto Sixties Vegas Party began. I was quite astounded by the sets. WOW, oh my Lord! Genius, my friend thought it looked like a musical, but then again this is the first opera Michael Mayer’s directed, and he is a musical theatre guy. But to my taste it was amazing. The most important thing was there, the story and the music; it was faithful to the plot. This is what I keep saying about modern productions, they work! Of course you can’t have a Planet of the Apes Rigoletto, that’s just wrong (Diana Damrau did one, she’s embarrassed to this day), but with a Las Vegas setting, what could be more appropriate if you want to bring the action to modern times?

Piotr Beczala as the Duke performing Questa o Quella

It was very much to my liking, Piotr Beczala was amazing. He was my first tenor crush, after I saw him as the De Chevalier in Manon last year, oh God. He owns this character, I had already seen him playing the Duke and he’s probably my favorite tenor to portray him. He was sporting a Frank Sinatra swagger I didn’t know he had, very charming and with a voice that just fits the role perfectly. His “Questa o Quella” was just very well executed and fun to watch.

Another absolute star was Diana Damrau, apart from being an amazing singer, she’s a terrific actress. She made it so believable that she actually was a 17 year old teenager eager to love and be loved. She’s so gracious and her Caro Nome BLEW ME AWAY! By the end of the aria I was holding my breath and so was the entire audience in the movie theatre!

Diana Damrau as Gilda performing Caro Nome

The ending of the first act was super cool with the use of the elevators and concluding with a kidnapped Gilda being put inside a huge sarcophagus! One of my favorite parts of the live in HD I must admit is the interview part. Renée was very sassy while interviewing the singers and production team. I particularly loved it when she was talking to the director and he said he was a huge fan of hers and she said she was flattered and felt a high note coming. Oddly enough me and my buddy were the only ones in the movie theatre that laughed at her jokes. Even weirder since there were people there talking in German, others in French, and others in English, and must I remind you that I was in a middle-low class shopping mall in which the movie theatre was in, in Brasil. This isn’t very normal, but then again, what is normal when it comes to art?

Amazing set in which the Second Act takes place, and yes, the chandeliers are replicas of the Met’s famous chandeliers!

Second act, amazing, the opening with the Duke’s aria, you think he might have a change of heart. I remember the first time I saw Rigoletto I was so happy he seemed to be changing, but then he just didn’t, disappointing. But the plot must go on and he can’t be nice now if we want to have a true tragedy! Then there was one of the most amazing moments in the whole opera, Rigoletto’s aria asking the man to free his daughter. It was absolutely heart breaking, Željko Lučić is the best Rigoletto I’ve ever seen, just like Piotr, his voice fits the role quite perfectly. They free Gilda but Rigoletto wants vengeance.

 Piotr Beczala as the Duke (left) Željko Lučić as Rigoletto and Diana Damrau as Gilda (right) 

Another intermission and we are back with sassy interviews, this time with Diana, who is such a sweet, sweet person! She talked about the role and how she recreated it as a sixties teenager. But the highlight for the interview was her little boy, so cute! Both her sons were there that day, which I think it’s pretty awesome, and I’m almost sure she takes them to rehearsals as well, operas singer/mother of the year!

Final act opens with a quite shocking topless pool dancer, and I’m like “Oh my God, he didn’t!”, there was some clapping coming from the audience and if I’m not mistaken some boos as well. Boos make me nervous and make me feel bad for everyone, I would never like to be booed, which must be awful!

Piotr Beczala as the Duke, Oksana Volkova as Maddalena, Željko Lučić as Rigoletto and Diana Damrau as Gilda 

Well when I hear Final Rigoletto act I automatically think of two things I love, “La Donna è Mobile” and my all time favorite quartet “Bella Figlia Dell’Amore”. Both were very nicely done, I liked way too much the fact Piotr did a bit o pool dancing himself, that was quite fun! Having a car on stage was pretty cool, but putting the leading lady inside the trunk after rightly assassinating her was the cherry on top of a fantastic Vegas journey! Diana sang quite angelically her last piece of music that tore me to pieces, and by the end of the opera I was crying, as I do in most operas I go to.  

Željko Lučić as Rigoletto and Diana Damrau as Gilda in the last scene of Rigoletto

I loved it! It’s such a shame I didn’t get to see it live! But I will be there for the next season! If my sources are correct next week they’ll announce the next season and I’ll be able to plan my trip! Have a good one peeps!