A treasured gem, LA Opera continues to bring world-class talent and artistry in the heart of downtown Los Angeles.
Giuseppe Verdi’s “Falstaff” is currently on stage at LA Opera’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion starring Craig Colclough and conducted by James Conlon. Running now until May 10, this comedic masterpiece is delightful and timeless. It is satisfying for anyone to see who has thought about teaching someone a lesson. It’s also testimony that over so many years, the human condition doesn’t evolve.
“Falstaff” is Italian composer Verdi’s last masterpiece. Based on “The Merry Wives of Windsor,” one of Shakespeare’s comedies, “Falstaff” is a humorous look at Sir John Falstaff, a comedic figure from the historical plays Henry IV Part 1 and Part 2. A well-spoken yet extremely self-important man known for his love of wine and a good meal bought on someone else’s coin, he is one of the more beloved and famous figures from the works of Shakespere and remains an enduring and influential character to this day.
Sir John Falstaff is a big bumbling knight who is the opposite of the chivalrous image who wears a shining armour ready to rescue a woman in distress. Falstaff is a foolish boastful blowhard of a knight, who comes up with a poorly thought out scheme to fix his money problems by seducing two merry wealthy wives of Windsor. Bumbling, he sends the same love letter and imagines he will live in luxury for the rest of his life.
But, during the 14th, 17th, 19th or even 21st century, you can’t pull the wool over the eyes of smart women, and Alice Ford and Meg Page concoct a plan of their own to teach Falstaff a lesson and as word gets out, his many adversaries are quick to help them.
In classic works like “Falstaff” (and “The Merry Wives of Winsor” before it) or the 19th century play “Cyrano de Bergerac,” we can see the common threads of the modern romantic comedy. With get-rich-quick schemes, disguises, two-timing suitors suffering under their own designs, clever women prevailing over the men who seek to use them, plenty of physical comedy and a lesson learned about how beautiful things can be when love is allowed to flourish.
Convinced he is God’s gift to all women, Falstaff attempts to woo two married women in secret in order to extort their wealth while painfully unaware that his plans were found out and doomed from the beginning. As his plans grow more complex, so do Alice and Meg’s undermining of them. Falstaff exhibits his rotund body, sings off key, hides from jealous husbands and finds himself in increasingly compromising positions while the wives try to stifle their laughter at his false confidence. The audience is just as delighted when Falstaff’s large ego is cooled off in the River Thames, and the Opera’s finale is a joyous experience when the company, led by Colclough sings “Life makes a fool of us all.” You are left feeling satisfied with the outcome but just a little bit sorry for Sir Falstaff.
Verdi’s compositions are delightful and enticing, appropriate for the fast-paced comedy of “Falstaff” and accentuates the humor of each character.
The cast is equally delightful that includes Nicole Heaston, Ernesto Petti and Hyona Kim who are all too happy to take Sir Falstaff down a peg, with Deanna Breiwick and Anthony León as the young lovers who, among the chaos, seek a private moment.
“Falstaff” represents another LA Opera production that celebrates diversity with talent that represents LA’s rich community. Though many members of the cast are native Californians or from elsewhere from the United States, it also features performers from Korea, China, Italy and Brazil.
This production is in Italian with English subtitles. For more information go to LaOpera.org