Shakesp-Arias

Two households, both alike in dignity, in fair Verona where we lay our scene, from ancient grudge break to new mutiny, where civil blood, makes civil hands, unclean.

These words begin one of William Shakespeare’s most famous plays, Romeo and Juliet. Over the years, the script has served as inspiration for many mediums, spinning off into ballets, orchestral pieces, and movies for every generation. This weekend, an operatic version, Roméo et Juliette, presented by the The University of Illinois School of Music will open at The Krannert Center for the Performing Arts.
The story is the same familiar one that most people read in their high school English classes: boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love, boy and girl realize they are from feuding families, boy and girl defy their parents and marry anyways, boy and girl kill themselves to be with each other story. However, Roméo et Juliette, composed in 1865 by Charles Gounod, is completely performed through song and done so in French.

The production is directed by Nicholas DiVirgilio, a university professor and singer himself. Michael Carnahan designed the set, Nicholas Militello designed the lighting, Sara Lampert Hoover choreographed the dancing, and Darren Hengst choreographed the fight scenes.

While the text will be sung in French, accented by English supertitles, the story remains the same, with only a few changes. Some of the minor characters have been taken out, and one, Stéphano, has been added. Stéphano, played by both Jori Jennings and Ashmani Jha, is Roméo’s page.

Thomas Schleis, The Opera Department’s manager and principal coach says “the character of Stéphano is a trouser role, a male character who is meant to be played by a woman…[because] it’s a heavy male show, and sometimes when there are a lot of guys singing together, you want a brilliant high voice.”

Another aspect that differentiates the opera from the stage play is in the addition of a final duet between Roméo and Juliette. According to Schleis “Roméo takes poison and then Juliette stabs herself just as in the play, except in this version, the poison is remarkably slow acting because then Roméo sings for 20 minutes.”
Many of the roles in Roméo et Juliette have been double cast, with a different cast performing each night. According to Schleis, doing so “gives more people a chance to sing, and is also done because the roles are so strenuous to the voice. Roméo comes on stage and never stops singing, and Juliette is very showy, and has a lot of scales.”

Both Darren Anderson and Paul Smith play Roméo, Desirée Hassler and Lori Williams play Juliette, and Beverly Bowers and Amy Olipra play Gertrude, Juliette’s nurse. The other characters, which are smaller parts, are not double cast.
The chorus will be played by members of the University of Illinois Concert Choir. The choir has been split up so that half of them play Capulets, those of Juliette’s side of the feud, and the other half Montagues, those on Roméo’s side.
Presenting the play in opera allows for music to be the principal aspect that conveys emotions. Schleis says, “For example, initially Juliette’s singing is very lightweight, but as soon as she realizes that Roméo is her sworn enemy, her song changes dramatically.”

Darren Anderson, who plays Roméo, says, “Gounod's instrumental music is some of the most beautiful orchestral music I have ever experienced. It is a far cry from the play, but the intensions and emotions are still evident in the music.”

While this version of the opera stays true to fourteenth century Verona where it takes place, it is done in a more abstract way. The set is very stark and black, with minimal detail. Schleis describes it as a unit set, which doesn’t change, but certain aspects move to create a feeling of a different setting. For example, a hydraulic ramp rises to become the famous balcony. In contrast, the costumes, rented from Malibar Ltd. of Toronto, a company that outfits some of the leading opera companies, are true to the period and are very elaborately done.
Desirée Hassler, who plays Juliette, adds, “The synthesis between the traditional costumes and the non-traditional set and effects is an effective one. Though the set is very simple, there is still the feeling of spectacle that one wants when they go to an opera. Without the distraction of elaborate set, the tragedy becomes that much more real.”

The opera was last performed on Krannert’s stage in 1989. Schleis adds, “Students should really love the show. Plus, it’s cheaper and the floors are cleaner than the local movie theaters.”

Roméo et Juliette will be performed at the Tryon Festival Theatre at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts on Friday-Saturday, November 8-9 at 8pm, Saturday, November 16 at 8pm, and Sunday, November 17 at 3pm. Tickets are on sale at the Krannert Center Ticket Office.