A Night Errant: Seattle Opera's "Don Quichotte"
This week I felt like doing something fancy. It was Boyfriend’s birthday, and I wanted to get dressed up, do something with my hair, drink something besides boxed wine and watch something beautiful for a few hours. And though by no means a stranger to performance and artistic experiences, I had never been to the opera. So we trudged through Wednesday’s bizarro weather, gulped down a couple Manhattans and made our way to the Seattle Opera’s performance of Massenet’s “Don Quichotte” at McCaw Hall.
The opera is nice because most people “get it.” Patrons wear their sparkliest, applaud at appropriate intervals and generally exercise proper performance etiquette. McCaw Hall’s birdcage chandelier greets you with an unpretentiousness that is characteristic of Seattle’s general attitude toward the arts: we know we’ve got it going on, and we don’t need to prove anything.
We nestled into our seats and prepared to be wowed. Immense books scattered the stage; the enormous cast of chorus members filled the theater with their round voices; a real horse and donkey carried our hero onto the stage. As readers of Cervante’s novel know, Don Quixote is a fantastical story about adventure and grandeur and madness. Certainly the Seattle Opera’s staging successfully played with this.
The performance itself however, felt as flat as my failed fancy hairdo. I’m not sure if it was Massenet’s score, which was less than compelling, or having to constantly read the super titles, or the Manhattans, but it was a struggle to just sit and enjoy myself. Each of the actors’ performances was spot-on, but getting into the opera as a whole was quite difficult.
Things picked up in the second half. Characters were more realistic and the energy of the party scene was shared with the audience. Still I was left feeling unfulfilled. While I didn’t expect an action-packed film or the witty banter of a Gershwin play, I wished for something more spectacular. Maybe my expectations were unfair; I’m still willing to give the opera another try!
Don’t take my word for it. “Don Quichotte’ is playing at Seattle Opera from now until March 12. See for yourself what a singing knight errant can accomplish.
Through March 12 // McCaw Hall // $25
