THE HANGOVER REPORT – MasterVoices’ DIDO & AENEAS, starring Kelli O’Hara and Vicki Clark, is mesmerizing

didoLast night, I attended an inspired gala performance of Henry Purcell’s Dido & Aeneas at New York City Center, courtesy of Ted Sperling’s MasterVoices series. This brief run reunites, yet again, Tony winners Kelli O’Hara and Victoria Clark (along with Mr. Sperling), who recently revived the roles that put them on the map in a transcendent one-night-only staged concert of The Light in the Piazza. If this Dido & Aeneas seems lightweight in comparison, I was nonetheless deeply impressed by the talents of Ms. O’Hara and Ms. Clark, who continue to exceed expectations in these vastly different roles. One of the novel treats of the evening (the program is being performed once more, tonight) was the inclusion of a delightfully droll new prologue by Michael John LaChiusa (entitled The Daughters of Necessity: A Prologue), which commenced the performance and gave us a sneak peak of Ms. Clark. It was a perfect counterpoint to Purcell’s compact, mostly somber opera about love found and lost.

For only a two-performance engagement, the minimalist production – wittily and stylishly directed and choreographed by Doug Varone –  was incredibly polished, proving more successful than MasterVoice’s last City Center outing, a somewhat misguided mounting of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance. I had seen Dido & Aeneas once before in Mark Morris’s well known dance-theater rendition, and I must say that Mr. Varone’s mesmerizing version stands up to Mr. Morris’s iconic production. Mr. Varone, who creatively utilizes dancers from his company, Doug Varone and Dancers, to both playful and poignant effect, creates some powerful images (I won’t soon forget his quietly harrowing staging of “Dido’s Lament”). Kudos also to the clean, sparse designs by David Korins (sets) and David Grill (lighting).

Mr. Sperling led the excellent Orchestra of St. Luke’s to give us a direct, powerful account of Purcell’s hypnotic score. Kelli O’Hara, as Dido, was a radiant stage presence, as always. It was a special treat to hear her creamy, blooming voice – too often strategically conserved during her Broadway gigs – fully on display. Ms. Clark was deliciously malevolent as both Morta in the LaChiusa’s prologue and the Sorceress in Purcell’s opera, showing off her robust soprano and versatile acting chops. Like Ms. O’Hara, she looked divine. The fabulous gowns, both elegant and theatrical, for these two indispensable leading ladies were provided by young fashion designer Christian Siriano.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

 

DIDO & AENEAS
Opera
MasterVoices at New York City Center
1 hour, 20 minutes (without an intermission)
Through April 29

Categories: Music, Opera, Theater

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