Don Giovanni is one of the most recognizable opera titles by one of the most famous composers of all time. This year, Opera Omaha put a unique twist on the performance that held the audience’s interest by melding operatic melodies with a different genre: film noir.
The dark sets and grayscale costumes created the perfect visual accompaniment to Mozart’s musical composition and Da Ponte’s libretto. The story of Don Giovanni, a notorious womanizer, is full of moral gray areas, which are reflected quite literally in the visual aspects of the program. The performance also used clever lighting techniques to create ambiance and eerie shadows that silently contributed to the story.
The Orpheum stage presented yet another stellar cast, with all the lead actors except one making their Opera Omaha debuts. Baritone Craig Verm led the performance in the titular role, showcasing his vocal and acting prowess to an enthralled Omaha audience. Zachary Nelson (Leporello) portrays Giovanni’s man-servant, injecting humor into the gloomy scenes. While Andrew Potter (Commendatore) spends the majority of the show silently (and eerily) appearing at key moments, his tall, ghostly white figure comes to life in the second act. Almost too suddenly, Potter’s powerful bass vocals echoed throughout the theater, leaving a lasting impression that will haunt the audience for some time.
The talented cast also includes sopranos Mary Evelyn Hangley (Donna Elvira), Erika Baikoff (Zerlina), and Teresa Perrotta (Donna Anna), as well as baritone Markel Reed (Masetto), and tenor Terrence Chin-Loy (Don Ottavio). The impeccable orchestra, conducted by Judith Yan, has proven that Mozart’s music shows no signs of going extinct.
237 years after the first performance of this iconic opera, the Orpheum Theater was fully occupied with an audience that is still intrigued by the themes of immorality, love, hatred, violence, and retribution that come together in Don Giovanni.
