James Karas
Let’s get back
to the good old days and I don’t mean the 1990s. I mean the really good old
days before the Trojan War when men were kings (and idiots), women were
goddesses and goddesses could help you get a date.
We all remember
with nostalgia Paris, Prince of Troy, who was promised the most beautiful woman
in the world by the goddess Venus. He judged her more beautiful than Minerva
and Juno (and boy, they were ticked off) and his prize was none other than
Helen, the wife of Menelaus, King of Sparta. I need hardly repeat that she was
the most gorgeous woman in the world.
So the story
begins in Jacques Offenbach’s burlesque of the ancient Greek myth in La
Belle Hélène which Toronto Operetta Theatre offers for three
performances in an English version by Geoffrey Dunn.
TOT General
Director as Stage Director, Lighting Designer and Set Designer has to deal with
(not to mention cast) half a dozen kings, two Princes, a High Priest, a few
lesser mortals and of course the Beautiful Helen.
He starts on a
high note with mezzo soprano Beste Kalender as Helen. She delivers a beautifully
sung, energetic and delightful Helen who can blame her husband for entering her
bedroom and finding her with another man and get away with it. Kalender gives
an outstanding performance.
We agree with
her attitude towards Menelaus because he is a comic doofus in the hands of
Gregory Finney. With a foolish husband like that, no wonder she gives in to
Paris. Finney is funny and gives a commendable performance.
Paris is not
funny but he is the romantic seducer who persuades Helen to eventually go on a
boat ride with him. Tenor Adam Fisher is a hunk and a bit of a hulk (he
pretends to be a shepherd) with a good midrange.
David Boan’s Achilles
is lumbering oaf and don’t bother looking for Brad Pitt. Offenbach treats some
of the other major characters with a straight face but with that many, there is
no time for all of them. The business at hand as all of us know is to get away
with Helen so the real fun can begin. I mean the Trojan War.
The Orchestra
with a mere nine musicians under Peter Tiefenbach does its level best and the
TOT Chorus of eleven singers has to enlist eight soloists for the job. They do
well but there are limitations in every aspect of the production.
I can never
write about TOT without commending their work in keeping the candle of operetta
lit for Toronto audiences. As usual, a deep bow is due to Silva-Main for not
giving up against what appear almost insurmountable odds. Their next production
will be Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss opening on December 28, 2018
for five performances.
With only three
performances, it became impossible to review the production before it closed.
Mea culpa.
_____
The Beautiful Helen (La
Belle Hélène by
Jacques Offenbach was performed three times on April 27, 28 and 29, 2018 at the
Jane Mallett Theatre, St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, 27 Front Street East,
Toronto, Ontario. Tel: (416) 922-2912. www.torontooperetta.com
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