Théâtre de l’Odéon, La Canebière, Marseille
Marseille Opera’s new production of Jacques Offenbach’s 1866 creation that defined Parisian gaïé and showed the operetta world the stage boots and suspenders of the dancing chorus line.
A traditional staging, though not even a box set. But quite enough to support the opera bouffe. Basically various back flats, each with three doors, such as Feydeau made infamous, plus a few seats and sofas.
Singing in the operetta style with movement in the style of a modern musical, including dances by the solists. But costumes, wigs and hats fantastic, Parodies of nineteen-century military uniforms. Frick the bootmaker singing in a grotesque latex face mask with comic red hair and beard!
The orchestra and singing incredible. Offenbach’s pentatonic style overture and entr’actes mimicking an out-of-tune scratch band but the Orchestra of Marseille opera are nothing of the sort. The singing quite on the mark, full of musicality and character. Background action and cameos too, plenty of detail. The stage lighting is a bit basic, a repertory rig with, I think, at least one major lamp out in the front wash. But basic lighting fits the piece and this cost-effective staging. Happily we are in a contemporary representation of a period piece, not a modern reinterpretation or similar directorial conceit. And if we’re there for the music, that’s enough staging.
Musically and maybe dramatically it all moves towards the final scene and the culminating Can-can, which comes musically with the inevitability of a steam train. Massive audience participation, heroic dancing: proper burlesque dancers, including exposure of suspenders, which I can report were red on black stockings.
So a really enjoyable Sunday afternoon in the company of Jacques Offenbach, the « Mozart des Champs-Élysées », as Rossini called him. Offenbach's score quotes or parodies Mozart’s Don Giovanni and the style of Daniel Auber, La vie parisienne (1866) is quite as entertaining as Johann Strauss’ Die Fledemaus of 1874, both have masked characters and scenes extolling champagne but La vie parisienne is seemingly far less performed outside of France.
As the lady sitting next to me said, « We needed that », meaning the jollity after arriving through the debris of last night’s riots just outside the Théâtre de l’Odéon in La Canebière. Hurrah for Marseille Opera.
LA VIE PARISIENNE - JACQUES OFFENBACH - Théâtre de l’Odéon, Marseille
OPÉRA-BOUFFE EN 5 ACTES
Livret de Henri MEILHAC et Ludovic HALÉVY
Direction musicale Mehdi LOUGRAÏDA
Mise en scène Carole CLIN
Costumes Opéra de Marseille
Chorégraphie Anne-Céline PIC-SAVARY
Metella Laurence JANOT
Gabrielle Julia KNECHT
Pauline Amandine AMMIRATI
La Baronne de Gondremarck Elsa ROUX CHAMOUX
Léonie Francesca CAVAGNA
Clara Alexia MACBETH
Louise Christine TUMBARELLO
Le Baron de Gondremarck Olivier GRAND
Bobinet Kaëlig BOCHÉ
Raoul de Gardefeu Philippe ESTÈPHE
Frick & le Brésilien Marc LARCHER
Prosper Philippe BÉRANGER
Joseph & Alphonse Dominique DESMONS
Urbain & Alfred Jean-Claude CALON
Employé de gare Cédric BRIGNONE
Gontran Jean-Michel MUSCAT
Danseurs Marie GIBAUD, Anne-Céline PIC-SAVARY, Marion PINCEMAILLE, Maxime BORDESSOULES, Idir CHATAR, Guillaume REVAUD
Orchestre et Chœur de l’Opéra de Marseille