Review: LoftOpera's LE COMTE ORY - The Most Fun You Can Have in a (Not) Opera House

Children of All Ages! In the center ring was a death-defying feat of legerdemain guaranteed to bring a smile to your face, a tap to your toe and an audience to its feet. And for all those new-opera fanatics who think that the 19th century doesn't have anything to say to a Millennials--LoftOpera brought a whopper of a production of Rossini's last comedy to Brooklyn's Muse venue in Bushwick, which was filled with Millennials as well as perennials. Live, in person, LE COMTE ORY.

Frankly, when the Met's new production of the opera premiered in 2011, with an all-star cast--Juan Diego Florez, Diana Damrau and Joyce DiDonato--directed by Bart Sher, I thoroughly enjoyed the effort but was ready to have it go back into mothballs. (The last time I'd seen it was at City Opera in 1980 or so.) Not so in its latest incarnation, which had an all-too-short run of just five performances. Lucky were those of us who got there.

On paper, ORY is not unlike Oscar Wilde's subtitle for "The Importance of Being Earnest": A Trivial Comedy for Serious People, but switching "serious" for, perhaps, "silly," as it takes on the antics of a lascivious count determined to have his way with a beautiful noblewoman. On stage, neither is trivial in the right hands; at LoftOpera, ORY was inspired fun. Much of the score was poached by Rossini from his own IL VIAGGIO A REIMS, an occasion piece written for the coronation of France's Charles X , with the overture shared with LE SIEGE DE CORINTH. Musically, it is as sophisticated as anything the Italian master wrote--and it's a joy to hear.

Taking the "acrobatics" usually ascribed to Rossini's brand of vocalism to heart, LoftOpera's production was performed in a warehouse that usually serves as a circus school--and it was an inventive choice. With a set (designed by Daniel Ellis-Ferris and lit by Joan Racho-Jansen) reconfigured between the acts, nuns performing acrobatics on silken ladders, a well-rehearsed orchestra led briskly and surely by Sean Kelly and a game cast of expert farceurs and belcantonisti (under the inventive eye of director John de los Santos and costumed by Ashley Soliman), ORY flew through the air with the greatest of ease.

Not that anyone had it easy, musically or otherwise. The most taxing music--performed with aplomb and wit--went to tenor Thor Arbjornsson as the comic Casanova-ish Ory (including his guises as a hermit and nun). His flexible voice, though light, was ready for anything Rossini asked of it and, his acting skills never deserted him for a moment--whether giving nuance to his character or making a swinging exit, Tarzan-style.

Not much less was demanded of soprano Sharin Apostolou's Countess Adele, from her entrance with "En proie a la tristesse," to her role in the bawdy trio for her, Ory and the page, Isolier (Elizabeth Pojanowski), "J'entends d'ici le bruit des armes"; her clear soprano was a delight, despite a couple of mishaps. Mezzo Pojanowski's Isolier--the third side of the menage-a-toi--stood out as a love-struck charmer, with an alluring mellowness to her voice.

The smaller roles were strongly cast throughout. Bass Jeff Beruan was a luxuriously sung Tutor--set out to thwart Ory's conniving--and baritone Steven Eddy was a hearty Rimbaud, the Count's sidekick. As Adele's attendant, Ragonde, mezzo Shirin Eskandani gave a smart portrayal. The chorus added much to the gaiety of the evening, particularly the men decked out in their habits with Ory as a band of needy nuns. A special bravo to Nicki Miller and Chriselle Tidrick, whose aerialist shenanigans started off the evening with a bang.

Anyone who has ever doubted LE COMTE ORY's place in the Rossini canon needed only to attend LoftOpera's rendition. It was...I was going to say "the most fun you can have with your clothes on," but considering how much time the cast spent in their underwear, that might not be quite correct.

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