Mozart’s “Don Giovanni”
Opera Pacific
Orange County Performing Arts Center
Costa Mesa, CA.
January 21, 2007
By this time, more than 200 years after Mozart’s Don Giovanni first saw the light, I think it’s fair to say that mentioning that Don Giovanni ends up in hell by the end of the show doesn’t really require a spoiler alert.
When this murderer and serial seducer finally gets what-for, courtesy of a menacing marble statue come to life, well, personally, I want to see him dragged screaming, flames licking at his feet, terror in his eyes.
Opera Pacific’s production, the second opera of the 2006-2007, has the Don armed with a pistol, which he grabs on his way to Hades. Rather than kicking and screaming, this Don leaps into the chasm like Indiana Jones, fully looking like he was expecting to kick some demon ass. I expected him to come back:
“Hi, it’s me, just been to hell, where I shot everyone dead and turned the heat off. It’s pretty much a vacant lot now. So there’s no more going to hell for anyone. You’re welcome. Now, Donna Anna, where were we?”
The ridiculous end set aside, a very admirable production. Deep crimson sets that seemed to have a life of their own (the production borrowed from Santa Fe Opera), some hilariously goofy rimshot-worthy business (heavy on the “giocoso” here, and thank god for that), and stellar performances from the Don (Wayne Tigges) and the Leporello (Andrew Gangestad), and the hot Ellie Dehn as Donna Anna (She sang too? I didn’t notice. I’ll have to pay more attention next time….) A sexy, menacing, engaging production. That is, until the silly end, which degenerated into sort of a morbid farce, complete with slamming doors, 5 different Commendatores on stage (not worth explaining. Just treasure the image), and the Don’s enthusiastic and, you have to say, overly optimistic and self-confident leap into hell.
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