Grand Duchess of Gerolstein and The Pearl Fishers

by David Shengold

Opera Company of Philadelphia ends a strong season with two Gallic delicacies. Dorothy Danner’s Grand Duchess of Gerolstein production opts for rollicking laffs and high energy over sophisticated style or (what might be quite timely) Offenbach’s satire of inept militarism: One momentary WMD sight gag is understated, as if fearing to offend anyone. And surely a better translation exists. But there’s a lot to be said for rollicking laffs and high energy; Paul Shortt’s appealing bright sets showcase a rich-voiced, terrifically compelling title-role performance by Stephanie Blythe. Kevin Glavin and Daniel Belcher provide strong comic and vocal support as her chief general and hapless fiance. And Offenbach’s music, under welcome new conductor Emanuel Joel, is irresistible.

Even better is Bizet's The Pearl Fishers, a gorgeous work the composer of Carmen wrote at (gulp) 24. Designer Boyd Ostroff outdoes himself with an inviting background seascape and playing spaces set off by diaphanous scrims, suiting the Sri Lankan setting and lovely score to perfection. All four leads could go directly into one of those smiling, buff 12th Street Gym ads. More importantly, all are qualified, expressive exponents of French music. Styled in Daniel Day-Lewis' hunky Mohican mode as the friendly romantic rivals, William Burden and Nathan Gunn win cheers for their much-beloved duet. Gunn's fine musicianship and ease onstage prove winning, and it's hard to imagine any tenor in the world singing Nadir with greater art or more burnished-silver tone than Burden.

Lovely Mary Dunleavy has all the interpretive goods for Leila, and her soft singing is beautiful (a slight edge on her usually limpid voice April 25 suggested a cold). David Michael makes something of the underwritten "heavy," Nourabad. Jacques Lacombe is a supportive if sometimes lethargic conductor. Kay Walker Castaldo's romance-drenched staging gives the show admirable pace, though she might have left the (very capable) dancers offstage more: No flashback here goes unillustrated by extras. Surely audiences can be trusted just to revel in Burden's sublime voicing of the dreamy "Je crois entendre encore" without visual distraction? A gratuitous, anachronistic gunshot spoils the mood at final curtain. Such "last minute surprises" are one of OCP's besetting sins; still, this sparklingly cast Pearl Fishers marks one of its finest achievements.

GRAND DUCHESS OF GEROLSTEIN

Through May 2

THE PEARL FISHERS

Through May 9

Opera Company of Philadelphia, Academy of Music, Broad and Locust sts., 215-893-1999

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