A night at the opera often involves tragedy, death, politics or a combination of all three. Johann Strauss’ operetta, A Night in Venice, couldn’t be further removed from this image. Unlike an opera, an operetta — the precursor to the musical — is almost always a comedy. It is shorter than an opera and incorporates spoken dialogue.
UBC Opera’s production of A Night in Venice stays true to the spirit of the operetta and brings with it all of the ingredients necessary for a night of uninterrupted fun — a convoluted plot, tremendous energy and an exquisite set that will transport the audience to the carnival in 18th century Venice.
The story twists and turns through love affairs, mistaken identities and complex intrigues enough to satisfy anyone’s appetite for drama. When the Duke of Urbino arrives in Venice with the design to seduce as many women as possible, in particular the beautiful Barbara, a tumultuous series of events is triggered and culminates in the carnival celebrations on St. Mark’s Square.
“It’s a sparkling upbeat sort of operetta,” said director Nancy Hermiston, head of UBC Opera. “It’s full of colour, beautiful music, lively tunes, lots of jokes and lots of comedy.”
Once you add the individual motivations of each character into the mix, a tangled muddle is inevitable. Cook Pappacoda wants a permanent position, servant Ciboletta wants to marry him as soon as possible, Annina is angry at her sweetheart Caramello and all Barbara really wants is to celebrate the carnival with her lover Enrico. Confused?
“If you’re not confused, then you’re not watching an operetta,” said Alireza Mojibian, one of the students who is playing Pappacoda.
At the same time, the story is accessible, the characters are relatable and the humour is constantly uproarious. In opera, “there’s always […] the question of relationships and how we as humans deal with each other,” Hermiston said. “I think the audience always sees themselves in [the] characters.”
Preparations for A Night in Venice began in September and it will be performed entirely in its original German. Bringing across the spoken dialogue in a foreign language authentically with the precise cadence and accent distinctive of that language has required dedication on the part of the students.
“Making it flow as if it was just one seamless line is the hardest thing,” Mojibian said.
For Hermiston, this focus on language goes beyond the performance on stage. While the audience can rely on the subtitles to follow events, for the students performing, this is also an important way to prepare for a future career in opera.
In fact, the students gain a diverse range of experience in the months leading up to a new show. Student involvement is a crucial part of the UBC Opera program.
“Our students help build the set, they help build the costumes […] they do the ticketing, they do the marketing,” Hermiston said. “They’re guided by professionals, but they do a lot of the work.”
“[It’s] very hands on,” said first-year MFA student Marie Civitarese. “It’s long hours, […] long days, but it’s all worth it.”
The product of all this work is presented to the audience with what Hermiston identifies as a unique “joy and […] wonderment and energy.” Whether Civitarese is channelling her inner Baby Spice to portray Ciboletta or the entire cast is laughing at one very tall Duke squeezed into one very small gondola, this operetta is not only entertaining for the audience.
“There isn’t a moment where people aren’t laughing,” Mojibian said.
With its unapologetic joy in pure fun, A Night in Venice promises to be a romp for both seasoned opera aficionados and newcomers to the genre.
The operetta begins February 4 at the Chan Centre and tickets are available online.