Cunning Little Vixen

Cunning Little Vixen
By Leoš Janácek. Victorian Opera. Conductor: Jack Symonds. Director: Stuart Maunder. Playhouse, Arts Centre Melbourne. June 22 – July 1, 2017

This charming Czech opera is another in a season with a strong emphasis on younger opera fans. It also involved younger opera singers, and it was a marvellous opportunity for the children to join the adults on stage and hear those mature voices at close range. It was a good move to sing it in English and the surtitles were useful when some of the children had solo lines, though there were a couple of glitches on opening night.

 

Of course, there were lots of animals involved, and the costuming and choreography were very clever.  I particularly loved the frog bouncing along on an exercise ball.

The set, comprised several aluminum fir trees, and the clever lighting made it very effective. Fields of sunflowers and tables and benches were wheeled on for various scenes, allowing the action to flow. The orchestra supported the singers without overwhelming them.

Celeste Lazarenko was a delightful, cheeky Vixen with a lovely singing voice. The taller Antoinette Halloran was a good foil as the Fox. Barry Ryan and Dimity Shepherd were strong as the Forester and his wife, while Brenton Spiteri, Samuel Dundas and Jeremy Kleeman impressed as the Schoolmaster, Poacher and Parson.

I’m not sure if the younger members of the audience would have taken to the Vixen getting shot, but this was a delightful evening at the opera.

Graham Ford

Photographer: Jeff Busby

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