Review: Chamber Opera MANSFIELD PARK Opens Nuova Vocal Arts' 2023 Festival

The Fairmont Hotel Macdonald’s sumptuous Wedgwood Room and Jane Austen’s 1814 drama, MANSFIELD PARK, are a match made in heaven. The room’s opulent blue-grey ceiling and sparkling chandelier evoke the grandeur of a European manor and complement the show’s upper-crust characters. Instead of a traditional stage, the chamber opera’s impressive young cast performs in the centre of the room and in the aisles of the circular audience seating. The performers are occasionally close enough to feel the whoosh of their skirts and see even the characters’ most subtle facial expressions. 

MANSFIELD PARK follows 20-something Fanny Price (Taline Yeremian), the demure ward of her wealthy aunt and uncle. Her life- and those of everyone else at Mansfield Park, are turned upside down upon the arrival of visiting socialite siblings, Henry Crawford (Clayton Butler) and Mary Crawford (Nadia Lurie). The womanizing Henry charms most of the house’s eligible ladies and the outspoken Mary flirts incessantly with Edmund (Dariyan Dubik), the man whom Fanny secretly loves. The societal and parental expectations of marriage loom large, forcing the young adults to either break off their respective courtships or to finally get engaged to future spouses.

The show’s ten-person cast are a delight to watch and listen to. Yeremian shines as heroine Fanny, showcasing lyrical soprano vocals and a quiet but compelling stage presence. Yeremian perfectly captures Fanny’s not-so-secret crush on the kind boy-next-door, Edmund. Supporting cast members Nadia Lurie and Zhilun Liu bring comedic relief as the larger-than-life Mary and bumbling Mr. Rushworth, respectively. Lurie in particular commands the stage with her expressive vocals and entertains the audience with her character’s coquettish antics. 

Despite the production’s beauty and finesse, MANSFIELD PARK’s libretto leaves much to be desired. Though it contains hints of Jane Austen’s signature dry banter, some conversations between characters are drawn out and hinder the plot’s development. The final scenes are likewise drawn out, detracting from the story’s dramatic impact. However, the performances, costumes, and accompaniment by collaborative pianists, Boris Wala and Isabelle Borsig, are still lovely to behold and worthy of a standing ovation. 

MANSFIELD PARK plays two final performances at Edmonton’s Fairmont Hotel Macdonald on June 12 and 13, 2023. The opera is the first of Nuova Vocal Arts’ annual festival’s productions. 

Photo Credit: Nuova Vocal Arts 

To post a comment, you must register and login.