Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – South American Magic Realism at Lincoln Center: FLORENCIA EN EL AMAZONAS at The Met and THE GARDENS OF ANUNCIA at LCT

• By drediman
• December 3, 2023
• No Comments

Before the winter doldrums set in, you’ll be able to bask in some tropical South American weather and fragrant magical realism wafting from two of the stages at Lincoln Center. Read on for my thoughts.

FLORENCIA EN EL AMAZONAS
The Metropolitan Opera
In repertory through December 14

Over at the mighty Metropolitan Opera, you’ll currently find Mexican composer Daniel Catán’s opera Florencia en el Amazonas (RECOMMENDED). Originally premiering in 1996 at the Houston Grand Opera as the first major Spanish-language opera commission (the exotic La Bohème-meets-Daphne libretto is by Marcela Fuentes-Berain), the work tells the story of an opera diva who returns to South America to perform at the new opera house of Manaus, as well as to search for her lover, who has disappeared into the jungles of the Amazon. Catán’s score is a lush creation, giving listeners shades of Debussy and Britten in its depiction of the mysterious, flowing Amazon River, and of course Puccini in the opera’s often melodramatically-wrought human relationships. Featuring Lion King-like puppetry and an overall dreamlike tone, Mary Zimmerman’s stylized yet evocative production draws much inspiration from the magic realism of Gabriel García Márquez. In the title role, soprano Ailyn Pérez was an alluring and regal presence. Vocally, her instrument has grown in steely power yet still possesses the gleaming high notes that have made her a house favorite. Another standout as the journalist Rosalba was soprano Gabriella Reyes, whose singing was robust and pleasantly ringing in the higher registers. Otherwise, the cast showed up and hit their marks admirably. In the pit, music director Yannick Nézet-Séguin led a sensuous, undulating reading of Catán’s score.

THE GARDENS OF ANUNCIA
Lincoln Center Theater at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater
Through December 31

Also this weekend at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater, I attended Lincoln Center’s Off-Broadway production of The Gardens of Anuncia (RECOMMENDED). Continuing the South American theme established next door at The Met by Florencia en el Amazonas, Michale John LaChuisa’s new “memory” musical recounts the coming-of-age-story of renowned Broadway dancer/director/choreographer Graciela Danele growing up in her native Argentina. And just like Catán’s opera, LaChuisa and Daniele – who is credited for directing and co-choreographing the production – injects a fair amount of magic realism into their storytelling, often times to amusingly ironic effect (e.g., there’s a random deer character that shows up occasionally). Known for his typically artful compositions, LaChiusa’s approachable tango-tinged score for The Gardens of Anuncia represents one of his most accessible works to date. As for the production (partially performed behind a maze of beaded stings, as if through the gauze of memory), I found it to be elegant but a tad under-staged; indeed, for a show about the development of a young dancer and eventual choreographer, there’s a surprising lack of dancing throughout. Thankfully, the production is elevated by a sensational cast. Led by a wistful Priscilla Lopez as present day Anuncia (i.e., Graciela), the deluxe cast also features such big-voiced stage luminaries as Eden Espinosa as her mother, Andréa Burns as her aunt, and Mary Testa as her grandmother. Luckily, each gets time in the spotlight. And sharing the title role as Anuncia’s younger incarnation, Kalyn West is ideally cast, effortlessly conveying the joys, confusion, and angst of adolescence.