HANDEL ALCINA Seattle Opera October 14th through October 28th, 2023 Review
ALCINA
Seattle Opera
Music by George Frideric Handel
Libretto adapted from an earlier libretto by Antonio Fanzaglia
McCaw Hall
Seattle, WA
October 14,, 2023 7:30pm (opening night)
The latest production at the Seattle Opera is Handel’s Alcina. This is the first time this opera has been performed here in Seattle. I had the pleasure of interviewing Ms. Ginger Costa-Jackson earlier this month so I got a sneak peak about the show’s plot and some of the other aspects that typically I wouldn’t know going into the performance.
I’m not going to lie that in some ways, past operas have been confusing to me. I may understand the gist of what is going on but the underlying themes are probably going right over my head. With Alcina, I found the story intriguing and somewhat easy to follow (this is a compliment).
What absolutely stood out were the performances. This particular cast really worked well together. The singing, acting, and conveying emotion to the audience - all of it was breathtaking. I’ve said in the past that there was no weak link in a cast but those words couldn’t be more true with this particular cast. They were outstanding!
I’m biased and I fully own that but Ginger Costa-Jackson wrapped her voice around her arias like no one else could. The duality of her character was also stunning to watch unfold. I sort of wish the gender reveal would have also included her mane of hair being fully exposed but that would have been hard to then “undo” later in the opera.
Vanessa Goikoetxea as Alcina was charismatic and alluring just as the character should be. Her arias in the second act in particular were incredibly emotive and moved me more than I thought was humanly possible.
Each of the cast had arias to sing - and they were chock full of notes from Handel. I mean it was ridiculous how many notes each of them had to memorize and perform but they all pulled it off like the professionals they are. Arias galore!
With such awe inspiring performances, I really wished the staging would have been there to match. It just wasn’t. The choice was to go simple, like, really simple. Whether this was a nod to the earlier aspect of this opera (compared to how opera later developed) or some other reason, it was really noticeable. At intermission, this was the number one thing/gripe I heard from other patrons (was about the minimal staging).
I would add that the lighting design was also following the staging - simple. I wanted more dramatic lighting at times. Perhaps that’s just me but I think the lighting could have added even more depth to the story and the performances.
Overall, Alcina was a mesmerizing opera - performance wise. However, the way it was presented was too simple for my tastes. Again, this may have been intentional and perhaps others may even applaud this approach but if the presentation had matched the performances, the Seattle Opera would have had a home run.
Check out an upcoming performance and let me know your thoughts.
Alcina has performances on 10/20, 10/22, 10/25, and 10/28. Tickets available: HERE!
Best,
Mark Sugiyama
Eclectic Arts Media
Connect with Eclectic Arts Media: Social Media Links Here
Seattle Opera
Music by George Frideric Handel
Libretto adapted from an earlier libretto by Antonio Fanzaglia
McCaw Hall
Seattle, WA
October 14,, 2023 7:30pm (opening night)
((From left: Randall Scotting (Ruggiero), and Ginger Costa-Jackson (Bradamante) in "Alcina" at Seattle Opera. © Sunny Martini))
The latest production at the Seattle Opera is Handel’s Alcina. This is the first time this opera has been performed here in Seattle. I had the pleasure of interviewing Ms. Ginger Costa-Jackson earlier this month so I got a sneak peak about the show’s plot and some of the other aspects that typically I wouldn’t know going into the performance.
I’m not going to lie that in some ways, past operas have been confusing to me. I may understand the gist of what is going on but the underlying themes are probably going right over my head. With Alcina, I found the story intriguing and somewhat easy to follow (this is a compliment).
What absolutely stood out were the performances. This particular cast really worked well together. The singing, acting, and conveying emotion to the audience - all of it was breathtaking. I’ve said in the past that there was no weak link in a cast but those words couldn’t be more true with this particular cast. They were outstanding!
(From left: Vanessa Goikoetxea (Alcina) and Randall Scotting (Ruggiero) in "Alcina" at Seattle Opera. © Philip Newton.)
Vanessa Goikoetxea as Alcina was charismatic and alluring just as the character should be. Her arias in the second act in particular were incredibly emotive and moved me more than I thought was humanly possible.
Each of the cast had arias to sing - and they were chock full of notes from Handel. I mean it was ridiculous how many notes each of them had to memorize and perform but they all pulled it off like the professionals they are. Arias galore!
With such awe inspiring performances, I really wished the staging would have been there to match. It just wasn’t. The choice was to go simple, like, really simple. Whether this was a nod to the earlier aspect of this opera (compared to how opera later developed) or some other reason, it was really noticeable. At intermission, this was the number one thing/gripe I heard from other patrons (was about the minimal staging).
(Clockwise, from left: Nina Yoshida Nelsen (Melissa), Vanessa Goikoetxea (Alcina), and John Marzano (Oronte), and Ginger Costa-Jackson (Bradamante) in "Alcina" at Seattle Opera. © Philip Newton)
I would add that the lighting design was also following the staging - simple. I wanted more dramatic lighting at times. Perhaps that’s just me but I think the lighting could have added even more depth to the story and the performances.
Overall, Alcina was a mesmerizing opera - performance wise. However, the way it was presented was too simple for my tastes. Again, this may have been intentional and perhaps others may even applaud this approach but if the presentation had matched the performances, the Seattle Opera would have had a home run.
Check out an upcoming performance and let me know your thoughts.
Alcina has performances on 10/20, 10/22, 10/25, and 10/28. Tickets available: HERE!
Best,
Mark Sugiyama
Eclectic Arts Media
Connect with Eclectic Arts Media: Social Media Links Here
Ginger Costa-Jackson In Person Interview!
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