| Reviews of La Perichole '74 |
| The Boston Phoenix--November, 1972 |
| La Perichole by Jacques Offenbach Boston University Savoyards |
| Opera, even light-opera or opera-bouffe, carries with it negative
connotations to most people. However, the presentation of Jacques Offenbach's La
Perichole, by the Boston University Savoyards is a positive step towards breaking down
these mental barriers, and converting even the most stalwart dissenters. The Savoyards have, in the past, concerned themselves with Gilbert and Sullivan productions. But last November the group deviated from this unwritten rule and successfully produced Offenbach's The Grand Duchess of Gerolstein. Although Gilbert and Sullivan devotees may be unhappy with this transition to diversity, the diffusion of representative musical types may result in a greater overall receptiveness to all forms of opera. It is very easy to enjoy La Perichole without much of that active concentration which we usually associate with opera. Set in Peru, the plot deals with two impoverished street minstrels, Perichole and Piquillo, who are in love but cannot afford to marry. The Viceroy of Lima invites Perichole to become his euphemistically-described mistress, and the singer accepts out of sheer hunger. Under a hindering law, any woman in the palace must be married, so a husband hunt (what's so unfamiliar?) is organized. In a drunken state, Piquillo agrees, for a fee, to be the groom. When he discovers who he has married, and for what purposes, he makes a fuss and lands in jail. Perichole assures her lover that her affections are constant, they escape, and upon singing a sentimental song to the Viceroy, they are pardoned, happily ever... Sally Stunkel as Perichole is captivating, with a lovely voice that projects and is verbally comprehensible. Her Piquillo partner, John DeLuca, is similarly talented, with his dancing ability strongly apparent. All eyes rivet to him as he leaps, gestures, and springs to the beat of his tambourine. The dancing by all the actors was professional, and served as an integral dimension of the production. The variety of colorful costumes, combined with the convincing set designs, made the performance a treat for the eyes, as well as the ears. Unfortunately, the need for set changes yielded two long, cumbersome intermissions. The orchestra was satisfactory as an accompanying group, but was not quite together as a unit to provide pleasant entertainment in the instrumental interludes. The character of Don Pedro (a local politician), played by Mark James, struck an incongruent note on first impression, in that his accent came across as effeminate New York. My feelings were tempered, however, as the accent suited the role; consequently, James provided much comic relief. This is the first time the Savoyards have not performed in the acoustically imperfect Hayden Hall. The move to the New England Life Hall is a step forward in a technical dimension, but it seemed to have attracted only a tiny percentage of the Boston University community, maybe due to a higher admission and decreased accessibility. Priorities should, perhaps, be questioned. |
The Daily Free Press--November 15, 1974| Savoyards stage Offenbach | by Phil Duyff
Above her head the gaudy pinata jerks violently. Across the plaza the crowd, glasses in hand, pushes closer with cries of approval. Swirling blindly, the brightly dressed dancer strikes again, and a rainbow of colors gushes forth from the broken shell. The plaza resounds with the gaiety of this festive occasion, for in Lima, today marks the birthday of Don Pedro, Viceroy of Peru. | Such is the opening scene for Jacques Offenbach's La Perichole, a lively comic operetta to be presented this weekend and next by the Boston University Savoyards. Although known to American audiences primarily for his classic grand opera, Tales of Hoffman, Frenchman Jacques Offenbach produced 101 operettas and established himself as a master of this comic opera form. La Perichole is one of his most popular shows, with groups like the Metropolitan Opera Company listing it in their repertoire. This presentation of La Perichole marks the second occasion that the Savoyards have brought the magnificent fun of Offenbach to Boston audiences. The Savoyards, an official Boston University student organization formed in 1966, usually focuses its talents on Gilbert & Sullivan. Deviating from this tradition, the group scored a huge success last November with Offenbach's The Grand Duchess of Gerolstein, and found audiences anxious for more. "Of the three major national traditions of operatic creation, the Gallic seems by far the most difficult for Americans to capture...but (the Savoyards) have struck a particular affinity for the difficult-to-recreate atmosphere of nineteenth century French musical theatre," William Miranda, theatre critic for the Jewish Advocate wrote of The Grand Duchess. "From the elegant printed program right on down the line, nothing was spared to make this a memorable revival." The Christian Science Monitor's Louis Snyder said, "The Savoyards released a flood of melody and uninhibited satirical fun long missing from the local scene...their Grand Duchess on opening night was wonderfully sophisticated foolishness, fast-paced and high-spirited." Recently, all Savoyard productions have been held in the acoustically imperfect Hayden Hall. But thanks to generous support from Boston University, Boston Safe Deposit and Trust Company, the Polaroid Foundation, and the New England Mutual Life Insurance Company the production of La Perichole will be held in the professional setting of New England Life Hall. Traditionally the Savoyards have tried to include at least one benefit performance of each production of La Perichole. A free preview performance will be given November 14 for several hundred senior citizens. According to Savoyard Music Director David Stockton, all ticket receipts from the November 21 performance will be donated to Boston's Shriners' Burns Institute. Performance dates for La Perichole are November 15, 16, 21, 22, and 23 at New England Life Hall, 225 Clarendon Street, near Copley Square.
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| The Daily Free Press--November 22, 1974 |
| Savoyards perform pageant of Perichole by Claire Wilson |
| Jacques Offenbach is alive and well and living at the New England Life
Hall in the form of La Perichole, this season's offering by the Boston University
Savoyards. It's a colorful, pulsating musical comedy flavored with the fractured
Spanish and the smiling vibrancy that was Peru in 1868. La Perichole is the story of a street singer by the same name and her lover who cannot make enough money to pay for a marriage license. The Viceroy passes Perichole one day as she is sleeping on a bench, and, struck by her beauty, asks her to be a lady-in-waiting for his deceased wife. Too hungry to refuse, she goes, leaving her lover behind in despair. Etiquette requires that only married women reside in a widower's house, so Perichole must be married immediately. Through coincidence, she is married to her lover, Piquillo, who in turn must present her to the Viceroy. They do not wish to comply, so they are thrown into prison only to regain their freedom by singing a tender song to the Viceroy. Perichole must return the jewels she obtained while a lady-in-waiting, but she doesn't care if she's out on the street as long as she has her Piquillo. The opening scene is a town square in Lima, and the audience is ushered back through time by the Savoyards' orchestra, conducted by David Stockton. They provided the musical accompaniment which is the basis for this kind of play. The music was a high point of the evening. Even if the plot dragged at times, nothing negative could be said about the orchestra. They held up their end of the score, although at times they overpowered the voice of John DeLuca as Piquillo. DeLuca sings well, but needs to turn the volume up a bit. Sally Stunkel as La Perichole has operatic qualities to her voice and stays strong throughout. She is always audible, even through loud orchestration and the exertion of her own dancing. The most colorful performer is the singing viceroy, Don Andres de Ribiera, played by Jeffrey Davies. He put his all into rendering of the Viceroy into a vivacious and comic figure. It is he who stands out: he is the one who stays with you as you leave the theatre. In Offenbach's productions, the emphasis is definitely on music, but in La Perichole excellence in singing and choreography seemed at times to be achieved at the expense of dramatic conviction. Piquillo and La Perichole didn't seem to have any personality. Even as tragic lovers, the audience appeared indifferent to them, and was content as long as the stage was active. It is these shortcomings in some characters which make others like the Viceroy shine even more. Similarly, the relative slowness of the first two acts makes the final act funnier by contrast. This segment before the final curtain is dotted with two new characters, a Quasi Modo-type jailer and a prisoner who's been digging his way out of captivity with a spoon for twelve years. Both are excellent and help create a solid last act that makes the entire play worth seeing. Colorful scenery and costuming combine with swift, near perfect choreography, creating a beautiful pageant from the opening scene to the final curtain. |