Composer: Antonin Dvorak; Libretto: Jaroslav Kvapil. At: Lyric Opera of Chicago, 20 N. Wacker Drive. Tickets: 312-332-2244 ext. 5600 or www.lyricopera.org; $69-$299. Runs through: March 16
Out director Sir David McVicar has outdone himself yet again with the Lyric Opera of Chicago's new production of Dvorak's dark fairy tale Rusalka, which is truly ravishing musically and dramatically from start to finish.
McVicar begins this Czech variation of Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid with a drunken prince harboring a death wish as he dreams up the fairy tale of Rusalka in front of an oversize romantic landscape painting. Although McVicar's approach is to keep the Dvorak opera firmly within the late 19th century, he smartly matches Rusalka's fatalistic storyline by also highlighting the crises of its era.
For instance, rapid industrialization is shown to have caused environmental destruction, reflected in set designer John Macfarlane concrete-and-brick dam that has reduced the once-thriving lake to a puddle of a pond. And the collapse of so many European monarchies amid the last florid gasps of Romanticism is foreshadowed in the tatty royal regalia by costume designer Moritz Junge for both the Water Goblin and later the mentally anguished Prince. Rather than getting in the way of the story, McVicar's contextual commentary on Rusalka only strengthens it and ratchets up the tragedy.
Not only is the Lyric's Rusalka musically exquisite under the guiding baton of Sir Andrew Davis, the lushly romantic Dvorak score is made theatrically compelling by a hard-working cast of singers and dancers who go all out to execute the difficult staging demands of McVicar and out choreographer Andrew George. Many of the singers sing out masterfully while lying prone or executing slithery movements, while the dancers shift with ease from rambunctiously stomping woodland spirits to overly refined 19th-century romantic ballet dancers.
Soprano Ana Maria Martinez is heartbreaking as the title water nymph who gives up everything to become a mortal so she can pursue the love of an unfaithful Prince ( a handsome and conflicted Brandon Jovanovich ). Bass-baritone Eric Owens conveys the angry anguish of Vodnik the water goblin, while mezzo-soprano Ekaterina Gubanova is beautifully haughty and imperious as the manipulative Foreign Princess.
Some very welcome humor ( and a booming mezzo-soprano sound ) comes from Jill Grove as the earthy witch Jezibaba ( and her trio of hopping raven henchmen are a wonderful touch ). Also a lot of fun are the uncle-nephew team of bass-baritone Philip Horst as the Gamekeeper and mezzo-soprano Daniela Mack as the gossipy Kitchen Boy.
Also quite lovely ( though dramatically superfluous in Act III ) is the trio of wood nymphs sung with such childish abandon by Lauren Snouffer, J'Nai Bridges and Cynthia Hanna.
Rusalka is definitely another jewel in the crown of McVicar's directing triumphs for the Lyric. Buy your tickets now, because word of mouth about this glorious production should make it a sell-out.
