‘Romeo and Juliet’ debuts in glittering, stunning fashion
The Los Angeles Opera reimagines Shakespeare’s timeless tale of romance and tragedy.
4.5
By SAMMIE YEN
The Los Angeles Opera premiered the world’s greatest love story Nov. 2. “Romeo and Juliet” is a centuries-old, universally popular narrative that has been adapted, retold and reinvented across music, cinema and theater.
This interpretation of the Shakespearean classic captures the best facets of all artistic media, collapsing them into one single, unforgettable experience. The beauty of “Romeo and Juliet” lies in its deft balance of orchestral excellence, aesthetic wardrobe choices and complex, dynamic movement.
“It’s about the most universal language, which is love,” said the production’s Romeo, Duke Kim, in an interview with the Daily Trojan. “That’s why, across cultures and countries … it has struck a chord with everyone.”
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Starting at the end, the opera opens with the Capulet and Montague families standing unified to mourn the deaths of Juliet Capulet and Romeo Montague. Holding candles and dressed in funeral attire, the chorus solemnly observes the deadly feud between the two houses dissolve after disaster.
In the blink of an eye, the ensemble sheds their black clothing to reveal decadent evening wear. The swift change, along with the warm glow emitted from dropped chandeliers dripping with crystalline glass, achieves a seamless setting and time transition: the stage melts from a fixture of L.A. arts and entertainment to a Capulet soirée in 19th-century Verona, Italy — pre-tragedy, of course.
Vices, pleasure and indulgence are encouraged, and the clothing choices reflect exactly that standard. Costume designer Tim Goodchild spared no expense to define gorgeous, with ball gowns seemingly dipped in deep red colors and ornate, lacy details sparkling under the bright lights. The party spirit seizes the chorus cast as they elegantly dance to and fro. Coattails and full skirts twirl in their aftermath, coming alive and demanding attention.
Juliet Capulet (Amina Edris) is the first of the titular characters to be introduced, floating across the stage, akin to a cloud. As her voice fills the halls of Dorothy Chandler Pavilion for the first time, three things become certain: Edris has a powerful, textured voice, she approaches the audience with an effortless wonder and youthful innocence and Juliet can simply be no one other than her.
When Kim makes his debut appearance onstage to encounter Juliet, it is more than just a role to him; it’s the nostalgic embrace of an inspirational memory.
“My freshman year of college at Chapman, I saw this ‘Romeo and Juliet’ at the L.A. Opera,” Kim said. “When they did it 13 years ago, I was in the audience. It feels really cool to be back, making my debut as Romeo, which I saw a long time ago. It’s a full-circle moment for me.”
Kim glows as Romeo, melodramatic and grand. His careful yet heartfelt movement is like watching poetry personified. Passionate desire visibly seeps into his limbs, and his body control is nothing short of someone utterly and desperately yearning. Kim’s endless pining leaves him romanticizing every move Edris makes.
Their two voices dance together, intertwining so much so that each intonation delivered is flawlessly integrated into the next, building on one another until their words stick together like honey.
In their first few encounters, Romeo fervently sings of Juliet’s “divine” hands. Although the magnificent notes of the strings, winds and human voices come together harmoniously, much is sung throughout the physical motion of the cast and team’s hands.
When Romeo and Juliet first rendezvous under the night’s cloak of darkness, after much back-and-forth of their loyalty to each other, their fingers grasp only briefly, a physical manifestation of all their previously declared love.
That hasty touch morphs into intenser, serious acts of love as the opera progresses: Romeo lifts Juliet’s arms out, extended, presenting her like an angel with her white cape sleeves; Romeo and Juliet playfully and childishly poke at each other’s hands when secretly getting married under the dutiful authority of Friar Laurence (Wei Wu).
While Kim and Edris sync up beautifully, the physical intimacy between the two occasionally lacks the convincing depth needed to relay the passionate connection between Romeo and Juliet.
Conductor Domingo Hindoyan equips an orchestral battalion with his mere hands. With one slight, masterful flick of the wrist, the symphony not only supplements but also informs the action on stage.
When a bitter confrontation between the Capulet and Montague houses escalates into a full-on, well-choreographed spectacle, the music climbs in accordance with the altercation. Hindoyan guides the audience through the abundance of activity; blunt, aggressive notes from the orchestra intensify each blow and each malignant punch.
This opera is strongest when the chorus comes together. Dozens of voices reverberate around the halls, powerfully echoing “Justice!” or “Les morts!” Anytime the chorus comes together, every single note reminds the audience of the high stakes and collective grief that binds the two warring families.
Despite being wholly in the romantic French tongue, “Romeo and Juliet” invites all spectators, even beyond the staunch francophile. The opera might appear as unfamiliar, inaccessible artistic territory to approach for many young audiences.
“I’d like them to come with an open mind and also an open heart, so that they can feel things that sometimes they don’t like to feel in real life, whether that’s pain or love or deep joy,” Kim said.
Even without the supertitles, the story is universally understandable through its cohesive visual and auditory language. No one can deny what Romeo feels when he looks up at Juliet on her balcony with insatiable passion. It is how Kim fills the space and surrenders all devotion to her that the audience can read it as love.
“Romeo and Juliet” brilliantly weaves a tapestry that transcends time and place, succeeding in its reach for the profound emotional truth of the human experience.
Remaining performances for “Romeo and Juliet” are Nov. 10, 14, 17, 20 and 23. Student Rush Tickets are available for $25 on the day of performances with valid identification.
