Photos courtesy of Opera Theatre Saint Louis
Charles Gounod’s Romeo and Juliet is the fourth show to premiere as part of Opera Theatre of Saint Louis’s (OTSL) summer festival season at the Loretto-Hilton Theatre. Conducted by Ramon Tebar and featuring an English translation by Edmund Tracy, the production has an august history with the company. OTSL first performed the operetta in 2005; the gorgeous costumes became world-famous and are back for a command performance. Those costumes are filled by an equally beautiful cast, featuring soprano Emma Marhefka as Juliet and tenor Leonardo Sanchez as Romeo.
Now for the story. Repeat after me: “Two households, both alike in dignity…”
If you have a ninth-grade education or above, chances are you are already familiar with the plot. We will spare you a book report and focus instead on the key differences between this operetta—originally written in French, first performed in 1867—and the original Shakespearean stage play.
The opera significantly trims the original plot. Much more time is spent on the virtuosic vocal performances, which serve as the primary method of storytelling. The libretto focuses almost exclusively on the interactions between Romeo and Juliet, leaving the remaining cast members sidelined except for one or two critical scenes. Juliet’s would-be suitor, Count Paris, is mentioned often but rarely appears. The fiery Lord Capulet is much cooler here, which is too bad; he and Juliet have one of the most complicated and interesting parent-child relationships in all of Shakespeare.
On the other hand, the character of the nurse is completely reworked. For starters, she now has a name—Gertrude. It’s a dignity that is rarely afforded to Shakespeare’s working-class, low-comic characters. Imara Ashton delivers a gentle, motherly interpretation of the character, portraying her as a protector to Juliet. Instead of ridiculing her as a “dirty old woman,” the other characters find her beautiful and graceful.
The cast features other clear standouts:
- Mercutio (Eleomar Cuello): The baritone delivers a notable performance of the “Queen Mab” song. The aria is a whimsical flight of fancy that captures the romance of the first act, making the inevitable tragedy that follows feel far more stark.
- Juliet (Emma Marhefka): A true star, the soprano possesses a trilling, crystalline voice that conveys Juliet’s naive grace and inner beauty.
- Romeo (Leonardo Sanchez): He finds a suitable match in Marhefka, making for a dashing romantic lead full of passion and ardor.
- Tybalt (Micah Perry): Serves as a strong physical foil to Romeo, playing the character with the requisite arrogance and passion as he flushes crimson on stage.
- Friar Lawrence (Nicholas Newton): The bass-baritone steers this ship of love through the oncoming tempest. In the play, the Friar often comes across as just as naive as his young charges, foolishly believing a secret marriage will end an ancient family feud. In Gounod’s version, however, he appears kind, benevolent, and wise. Newton’s two primary scenes possess a weighty, somber feel.
- Stephano (Veronica Siebert): A character added specifically for the opera, the Montague page boy makes a strong addition to the lineup. Siebert delivers a lovely but mocking ballad at the beginning of Act III designed to provoke the Capulets—a puckish figure worthy of a Shakespearean comedy.
The visual design helps the audience to follow the action from the streets of Verona to the Capulet tomb. Color-coded costumes signify the characters’ allegiances: the Montagues are costumed in sky blue, while the Capulets wear crimson robes. The men’s doublets are made from a lush, felt-like fabric, while the women wear Renaissance-style gowns and padded head rolls. Vinicius Costa’s Lord Capulet stands out in an ornate robe traced with gold, whereas the simple hempen robes worn by Friar Lawrence and Gertrude visually mark them as outsiders from the cycle of violence and vendetta.
An operetta requires incredibly quick scenic changes to keep its momentum. Luckily, the theater’s ingenious set design allows for that. Costumed stage technicians seamlessly wheel and lock massive brick columns into place, which convincingly recreates the feel of an Italian villa. The background structure features footholds and a hidden window that opens to reveal Juliet’s balcony. A large wooden cross is also suspended by wires directly over the set to create the Friar’s cell, a simple and effective staging choice that sparks the imagination.
In the skilled hands of Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Romeo and Juliet is reworked into a sweeping romantic symphony overflowing with pathos. While Shakespeare purists might be disappointed by the trimmed plot and flattened supporting characters, the emotional depth and intensity remain fully intact. It offers a different way to experience a classic tragic love story that many of us already know by heart. There is only one week left of this highly popular summer festival season, which officially concludes on June 28. While The Pirates of Penzance is completely sold out for the remainder of its run, audiences still have a final opportunity to secure tickets for Romeo and Juliet, A Streetcar Named Desire, and The Light in the Piazza. Remaining performances for Romeo and Juliet take place on Thursday, June 25 at 7:30 PM and a final matinee on Saturday, June 27 at 12:30 PM. Tickets start at $30, and free parking is provided in the garage on Garden Avenue. Patrons are encouraged to arrive at least 15 minutes before the curtain rises, as late arrivals will be held outside the hall and must wait for an usher to escort them in during a designated applause break. This adherence to theater etiquette ensures a focused environment for both the performers and the audience. | Rob Von Nordheim
